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Avant-garde Euphoria!
Created : Jun 16, 2023
Last updated : Jun 19, 2023
83 items
Disclaimer : This list is not a ranking.
Only albums that have avant-garde (experimental) elements featured as a part of their music have been listed in chronological order.
I am a big fan of most of the albums on that list, but there are also the albums that I was not deeply impressed by at the same time. I would like to emphasise that all the albums listed below deserve your attention. In other words, it is not going to be a waste of your time to give them a listen.
I hope you will be in a euphoric mood by checking out this list.
Only albums that have avant-garde (experimental) elements featured as a part of their music have been listed in chronological order.
I am a big fan of most of the albums on that list, but there are also the albums that I was not deeply impressed by at the same time. I would like to emphasise that all the albums listed below deserve your attention. In other words, it is not going to be a waste of your time to give them a listen.
I hope you will be in a euphoric mood by checking out this list.
| 1 |  |
Mr. Bungle (1991) |
| 2 |  |
Angel Dust (1992) |
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Min tid skal komme (1995) This album is special and monumental in black metal history because it was one of the first albums that pushed black metal in this hybrid direction combining avant-garde, prog and folk elements. The people who stick to the purest form of black metal might not like this album. But, to me, this release sounds evolutionary. Especially the second track, En Skikkelse I Horisonten, is a beauty. |
| 5 |  |
This album is the continuing endeavour of their first Demo, Those who Caress the Pale. This one is a great tapestry of varied musical elements that you might wish to look for from an avant-garde metal band. The eerie-sounding tone of the guitar and the unconventional bass patterns make this album special to me. |
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In this album, death metal is combined with the method of avant-garde style composition. Some people criticise the sax in the middle of the track, but I like it though. I'd rather criticise that this album is losing its grip heading towards the end. But it's definitely a great album overall. |
| 8 |  |
The Linear Scaffold (1997) |
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Omnio (1997) |
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This album portrays a perfect musical concoction of industrial and black metal. The avant-garde style additive to this concoction makes this album sound splendid and superior to those in the same category. Atmosphere-wise, this album evokes Devil Doll's Eliogabalus or Samael's Blood Ritual. To me, this album is a hallucinating portrayal of musical pandemonium. |
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The Director's Cut (2001) |
| 16 |  |
Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) |
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The Sham Mirrors (2002) |
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This album is a bizarre convolution of black metal and avant-garde metal which transcend the expectations that those who love black metal might have. The quirky sense of sophisticated instrumentation offers pulsating riffs and catchy melodies on every single track. The inconsistency of musical structure is the most stood-out characteristic to me, which makes this release sound varied in a well-refined musical manner. |
| 22 |  |
Austral Alien (2003) |
| 23 |  |
Choirs of the Eye (2003) |
| 24 |  |
It is a great avant-garde prog album that has always made me revisit it. It is a shame that the vocalist, Monika Edvardsen, left the band after this album. Her prowess in vocalising eccentric orgasms is fantastic, differentiating this album from the other records in the same genre. |
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Lost in Reverie (2004) |
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Acceleration (2004) |
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Psychedelic prog metal at its finest. This album is the dark and doom version of Kayo Dot. All the songs are well composed, having mesmerising and poetic features. The strong musicianship has been shown in this album too. You can hear sax, horns, harmonica, and other metal instruments all combined together in a fantastic way, making acoustically driven prog rock with metal elements. Overall, it is a brilliant album. |
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Virus STN (2005) |
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In a Flesh Aquarium (2006) It's a brilliant experimental opus with utterly complicated, and chaotic musical structures. Those who love complexity, craziness and forward-thinking notions of experimentalism would appreciate the efforts of the band. All the tracks sound astonishing in every sense, but the most noticeable characteristic is the non-repetitive musical pattern. With the densely structured chaotic sounds, the theatrically structured sombre melodies strengthen the overall quality of this album. |
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This album is full of fresh ideas that only a newbie with a bright spark can offer. It´s very eclectic music with strong melodies, great vocal harmony and choir work, and a general disregard for genre labels. There are heavy and at times almost thrashy sections on the album, more mellow parts, epic parts, and quirky almost carnival bizarre parts. It´s an incredibly adventurous release featuring high-level musicianship. |
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2 Unlimited (2008) |
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Gangrene (2008) |
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If you like metal with a sophisticated touch of jazzy elements, this album is a "must-have" one. It is full of interesting and eye-popping tracks from the beginning to the end. It is a stellar full-length debut album. |
| 45 |  |
Uroboros (2008) |
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| 48 |  |
Recently purchased the vinyl version of this album even though I already have a CD version of it. This album is that good. It is a shame that Shining have never reached this level of musicality in their later releases. This album is full of deviant and eerie electronica sounds with aggressive industrial metal elements. The intermittent and unexpected dissonances embedded in each track dissect my brain. This album is near my musical "Xanadu". |
| 49 |  |
Working Class Demon (2010) This album is filled up with a cold and senseless atmosphere fed up with a simple musical structure. This album is highly recommended for those who love Virus or Ved Buens Ende. Overall, it is a good avant-garde metal album portraying neglected feelings or deprivation. |
| 50 |  |
Paracletus (2010) |
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Angst (2010) |
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It is a terrific avant-garde metal album. There are no visible defects from the beginning to the end. This album, in general, has structural similarities to the avant-garde masterpiece, Written in Waters by Ved Buens Ende. It means that each track has its own distinct musical character conjuring a forlorn atmosphere out of bizarre vocals with the jarring guitar works. Overall, it is a stellar piece of avant-garde euphoria. |
| 53 |  |
The Tunnels (2011) A unique-sounding album that reminds me of Blut Aus Nord to a certain extent. Definitely not an easy-to-grasp album due to the experimental elements. It kicks off the intriguing tones with complicated musical structures, showing the attractiveness of atmospheric post-hardcore with an avant-garde approach. But it failed to keep its power till the ending track. It means that this band is not competent enough to turn the various experimental elements into a well-organised form. |
| 54 |  |
All We Destroy (2011) |
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Orphan of Good Manners (2011) |
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Tabula Rasa (2012) This album is really a techy prog-death metal album with an avant-garde approach. It kicks off the guitar tones that seem to reminisce about the good old days of Virus and Ved Buens Ende. Then, this album dives deep into the melting pot of various musical ideas with jazz, breakcore, djent and prog-metal. Also, the title track trilogy is the eye-catching factor in this album. Those title tracks articulate the overall atmosphere and main musical identity of this album. |
| 58 |  |
Dodecahedron (2012) |
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Aegisthus (2012) |
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Hallelujah (2012) |
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You would be chuffed with the shitload of fun offered by this release. Pryapisme are at the peak of their power. Their eccentric songwriting skills are fully bloomed and supported by brilliant instrumentation. All tracks sound phenomenal. Especially, track 4, 6 and 10 are the essence of avant-garde metal with the eerie sound of the electronic beats and Jazzy grooves. The omnipresent keyboard work and programming make the sound of this album more abundant and varied. |
| 63 |  |
The first time I heard about the Gabriel Construct, which is a solo project of Gabby Riccio, was from an interview conducted by some media. I couldn't understand this album back then. I've tried listening to it consistently as my knowledge of music grows. But I've always ended up like "I've found the awesomeness of King Crimson here, but I'm not intelligent enough to fully digest his work". I still feel that way. But the final track has always brought me discordant euphoria. |
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Lifewoven (2013) |
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In this album, Omb trumpet their ingenuity to synthesize varied forms of different genres into works of metallic art. So many comparisons must be summoned to explain the sound and structure of this album. The pleasant insanity of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum or UneXpect can be found. The lyrical and theatrical features of Queensryche, Kayo Dot or Devil Doll can also be spotted in this album. It is recommended for those who enjoy intricate musical amalgamation. |
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The Tower (2013) |
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In Two (A) (2014) |
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Permutations (2016) |
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Stranger Fruit (2018) |
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Mastermind (2019) |
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Éons (2020) This release was considered a "pinnacle" of experimental metal to me back in 2020. I was exhilarated by the immersive sounds of this album gradually encroaching on my sense of hearing. This album is an exhibition of musical unconventionality supplementing the disappointment I had on the Ethereal Riffian's later release. |
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Hasard is a spin-off project of 'Les Chants du Hasard'. But the byproduct shows better quality of music than the main project in my opinion. This album, overall, reminds me of the cavernous brutal insanity of Blut Aus Nord. The influence of Deathspell Omega has also been spotted as this album displays the hellish atmosphere in front. In short, it is a good dissonant black metal release. |
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