Weekly Dose of Prog: Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime

Along with the folk bender I've been on, I've also been diving heavily into the progoverse (that's progressive universe for those who didn't get my cleverness). Bigelf, Agalloch (ok that's sort of a mix of folk and prog) and now Queensryche have all popped up in my playlists, and are all great in very different ways (60s/70s prog, black/folk/doom prog, and hard rock/hair metal prog, respectively). I like to mix it up.

Upon listening to the two of the best Queensryche albums (best by common knowledge, although long-time fans of the band may disagree), Empire and Operation: Mindcrime, I came to the realization that the latter of the two, is really out there. I am surprised that with the way it's constructed, how much press and acceptance it's received, both at the time (1988) and now. It is dark and brooding, is still in the vein of hard rock but has so many stylistic twists and turns you can't help but call is progressive. It's a great release, something that is still heralded over two-decades later, but I still can't believe that it was ever as big as it was.

Weekly Dose of Prog: The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

(I'm also including this article in my 'Favorite Albums' list, because well... it is)

Usually known for their folk melodies - and some great ones at that - for their 2009 release The Decemberists went all out. While still keeping true to their folk roots with The Hazards of Love, they insert much more progressive elements into the album. For long-time fans (such as myself), the addition of the progressive sound is not wholly unexpected, with previous songs branching into this genre ("The Mariner's Revenge Song" being the first to pop into my mind), it's just the scope of the progressiveness that caught me off guard. The Hazards of Love is a rock opera in any possible description (again not wholly unexpected, as The Crane Wife had some rock opera elements within, just not to this extent), with a full cast of character revolving around a diverse and evolving plot.
Even before putting this record on again, I am already struck by the memory of the opera. The lyrics of "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" (mostly the chorus/title line), and the repeating melody of the Queen's theme; the heavy guitars of this section are great, much heavier then anything else The Decemberists have done, and the repeating melody (whenever she makes her appearance), heard throughout the album, is what I love about progressive concept albums.

I was in a bad mood and really didn't want to write this article (I put it off til the last minute again), but by the second song - or first true song after the intro track, "Prelude" - I had a bit of a smile on my lips. I was still a bit pissed but the lulling effect of Colin Meloy's voice does wonders for my soul. Something about the folksy guitar, overlayed with his velvety voice, really reaches me. This is one of the main reasons I like The Decemberists, I believe. With any other singer, something fundamental would be missing, the bit that makes The Decemberists, The Decemberists. The Hazards of Love is my favorite release by the band, and one of my favorite albums of all time. I've heard it several times now, and it always brings about a circle of emotions from me; smiles and a bit of head bobs at the begging, goosebumps and sort of introspective at the climax, and a bit melancholy at the last song, as it all ties in together. Simply superb.

New Album: The Ocean - Anthropocentric

Also seen on Heavy Planet: 

After my write-up of the superb Heliocentric, I was expecting something sonically akin to it with The Ocean's next release, with mixed success. Anthropocentric, the second full-length release by the band, follows it's predecessor... sort of. While Heliocentric was a venture into the unknown, merging sounds and thoughts together in creative ways, Anthropocentric is more angry sounding, focusing more on the NWOAHM influences then anything else. While they do try to mix in songs into the mix, most notably "The Grand Inquisitor III: A Tiny Grain of Faith" which is beautifully haunting, they are just few and far between. While the album is still good - a really good collection of head-banging material - it isn't what I wanted following the wet-dream that is Heliocentric.

New Album: The Ocean - Heliocentric

Also seen on Heavy Planet:

I threw on Heliocentric, what I thought was The Ocean's newest album (until I saw they had just released Anthropocentric), just to have some background noise after I got home from a dull day at work. I just wanted something that would fade into the background as I checked my email and chatted with the roommate. After the first song or two I realized that I had stumbled upon something different.
Where most post-metal albums (the ones I've heard anyway) tend to be atmospheric and trance-like, Heliocentric was the opposite. It contained songs with full thoughts and structure, Not only that but it also had songs of different composition and instrumentation mixed in. It wasn't the same old picture rehashed track after track.