Quick Links: Riverside | Shun | Avishai Cohen Trio | Isis | Demians | Alexisonfire | Porcupine Tree | Opeth | Tool
Riverside
Rapid Eye Movement has grown to be the most enjoyable progressive rock album I’ve found because of the launch of Obnoxious Listeners. I’m not sure I gave them enough credit when I first found them, but considering I started writing the post before I even finished listening to the album should say something. I’ve now had a few months for their two releases to sink in. Riverside is easily one of the best progressive rock bands you’re not listening to. They’re probably the most obscure band on this page next to Shun, at least in US. The difference is that you still have a chance to see Riverside live. I can’t wait to hear how these guys will develop over the years to come. Hopefully they’ll make it over to the States some time soon so I can catch the live.
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Shun
It’s such shame they came and went almost unnoticed. This post is late relative to their EP release, but it’s never too late to spread the word of great music. Somehow I stumbled across their EP, Michael in Reign (2002), shortly after it came out on Mp3.com. I subsequently downloaded all the songs they had to offer on the site, fell in love with every single one, and then noticed they had already broken up. Man was I pissed.
I can’t say enough good things about Shun. They are one of my favorite bands, and I wish I had more than one album of them. Shun had every angle of a great rock band down except longevity. They had an absolutely incredible vocalist, top-notch drummer, melodic bassist, and versatile guitarists. Shun is by far my most obscure recommendation and very nearly the best of all my recommendations. There’s a reason Shun was the very first post I wrote for this site.
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Avishai Cohen Trio
All it took was a 30-second clip of the track Chutzpan and I knew I had to make this purchase. You don’t have to be a big jazz fan to appreciate this album. But if you happen to like jazz, I know you’ll love it. I’m usually more of a jazz guitar guy or even big band stuff, so there really aren’t many piano/bass/drum trios that have really seized my full attention. That’s right, my full attention. I had to stop playing the CD while writing this post because it refused to let me do anything other than be engulfed by some of the most energetic, intricate, and articulate modern jazz out there. This is modern jazz at its best my friends.
Read full review of Avishai Cohen Trio
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Isis
Isis has arguably had the most influence on my personal guitar compositions. I still find myself improvising in the spirit of Adam Jones from time to time, but when it comes to writing a solidified and engulfing rhythmic structure, Isis takes the cake. They have a lot similarities with Opeth for their respective genre, but Isis tends to focus much more on the over-all feeling which brings about much more moving compositions. I will agree that Isis is a little hard to get into if this genre isn’t your style, but if there’s any band worth the initial investment of forcing yourself to really listen, it’s Isis. Opeth is up there too, but I’ve just personally found more enjoyment and diversity in Isis.
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Demians
I couldn’t agree more with this statement, “One of the most assured and accomplished debut albums I’ve ever heard, the textures and dynamics within the music are breathtaking. A must for everyone that appreciates the art of epic and ambitious 21st century rock music.” - Steven Wilson referring to Building an Empire (2008)
What really strikes me about this album is the complete disregard for the canonical song structure… this goes beyond progressive rock. Bands like Tool or Opeth break the song structure rules too, but Demians takes this to a whole new level while still maintaining coherence and cohesiveness. I know every Obnoxious Listener will at least appreciate this album on the surface, but you’ve really need to listen to this album as a whole a few times to fully appreciate it. They are one of my more mello choices, but arguably my favorite find because of the site; it’s between them and Riverside.
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Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire is one of those bands where anyone who knows my music taste would be completely caught off guard if they heard me listening to them. There really aren’t many punk/hardcore/screamo type bands I really enjoy. I really hate having to categorize these guys like that because they’re so much more than just some words we chose to describe a genre. There are so many layers to every track these guys write that you have to listen to it over and over to grasp it entirely. They are easily the best musicians and composers in the genre that I’ve come across. I hadn’t become a fan of Alexisonfire until shortly before writing this post… months later, they’ve became one of my favorite bands and I listen to them almost on a daily basis it seems. I didn’t get much of a chance to review Watch Out! for the post, but it’s become my favorite of their three full length releases and there isn’t a single track I don’t love. So be sure to check it out.
For those of you haven’t heard of Alexisonfire, the name is pronounced “Alexis On Fire”… not “Alex Is On Fire”. Some how this band slipped under my radar for more than a few years. I first heard them being played at work back in 2006, but I never got around to buying any of their albums until about a month ago. Needless to say, I’ve purchased all three full length studio albums. There really aren’t many post-hardcore or emo/screamo bands that I like. But the couple that I do are among my favorites across any genre. I’ve been a long-time fan of Thursday (although their last album was a below par) and now Alexisonfire is on my list of great post-hardcore bands.
Read full review of Alexisonfire
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Porcupine Tree
I still can’t figure out why these guys aren’t headlining world tours at larger venues. Then again, I love the smaller venues anyway. So maybe that’s for the better. I can’t call Porcupine Tree obscure, but I’m still amazed how many music enthusiasts with similar tastes to mine hadn’t heard of them until my recommendation. They’ve been around for a long time and have put out many, many albums. In Absentia (2002) is a masterpiece that belongs in any Obnoxious Listener’s collection as it’s not only comprised of well-crafted compositions, but it’s also masterfully recorded, mixed, and produced… an instant classic.
Read full review of Porcupine Tree
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Opeth
I feel like anyone that truly loves quality music should either know these guys already or at least have heard them enough to appreciate what is they do. They have influenced my music compositions at least as much as Tool and Led Zeppelin. I really wanted to include their lead guitarist, Mikael Åkerfeldt, in the Real Guitar Heroes post, but it was hard to really capture his essense in a single audio clip. There’s much more to him than flashy solos. He’s a great writer and somehow he’s able to blend classical acoustic with death metal. Although there is at least one solo in nearly every song, his solos aren’t immediately as impressive to the casual listener as some of the guys I listed. While Mikael Åkerfeldt is the lead singer, lead guitarist, and writer for the band (and his stage persona definitely brings out his ego), Opeth is an all around outstanding and talented band. Make no mistake, Opeth is metal at its best, but they aren’t the kind of metal band that just tries to play as fast and as loud as possible.
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Tool
I’d be lying if I didn’t say Tool was one of my favorite bands. I don’t mention them in conversation so much any more because everyone already knows who they are. I’ve also grown to find countless numbers of bands that have built upon many of the ideas and concepts found in Tool’s work. Every track they’ve produced has been permanently engrained my head and they have never released anything but the utmost in quality compositions. Choosing my favorite album would be like a parent having to decide which child is their favorite… I’m not sure I could do it even with a gun to my head.
