______________

Best Picture of Dinosaurs

Victorius – Dinosaur Warfare

This award is not for the music. Regrettably I don’t have any space for a “Best Epic Power Metal Album With a Hidden Cover of the Power Rangers Theme” award this year. It’s for the album cover, which is – without a doubt – the best picture of dinosaurs that I’ve seen this year.

______________

Best Rush Cover Band

YYNOT

I don’t mean to make fun of the band. They literally got their start doing Rush covers, and then they started writing original music which sounds a bit like Rush. At the risk of being branded a heretic, I have to say that like it a quite a bit more than some of Rush’s later efforts.

______________

Best album that I was initially disappointed to find out was not, in fact, based on a Tommy Wiseau movie

Ostura – “The Room“

When I first saw that Ostura’s second album was titled “The Room” I assumed it was a concept album based on the infamous movie by auteur Tommy Wiseau. After listening to it, at first I was disappointed that – while it was a concept album – it was not based on Wiseau’s “The Room,” but it didn’t take me long to realize that what we got was actually, much, much better than a Wiseau themed concept album.

______________

“What were those robots doing exactly?” Award

Michael Romeo – “War of the Worlds Pt. 1”

…..

______________

Best journey from one time of day into another, regardless of length

A Long Night’s Journey into Day

You may have thought that the sky would be Evergrey, but then you listened to A Long Night’s Journey into Day.

______________

The Four Horseman of the Aprogalypse

Haken, Seventh Wonder, Distorted Harmony, Kingcrow

From England, Sweden, Israel, and Italy, four bands arose sowing riffs and destruction wherever they went. In the course of a year, their new albums melted the faces of thousands of prog fans around the world, and ushered in a new era of songwriting complexity and instrumental dexterity.

Seriously though, this was a great year for progressive music.

______________