Saturday, March 4, 2023

2003's Best Prog Epics and Mesmerics

These are my favorite songs of over nine minutes in length from 2003 studio releases:

Masterpieces:
1. "Quarante jours sur le Sinaï" (2:10:03) - NIL - (120/120) = 10..0 
2. "The Manifold Curiosity" (14:30) - KAYO DOT - (30/30) = 10.0
3. "Cicatrix ESP" (12:31) - THE MARS VOLTA - (25/25) = 10.0
4. "Marathon" (10:14) - KAYO DOT - (20/20) = 10.0
5. "The Boat Builder (Searching )" (10:33) - CLEARLIGHT - (19.5/20) = 9.75
6. "Way Is Open"(11:43) - CAFEÏNE - (19/20) = 9.5
7. "Il viaggio nell'oceano capovolto" (Parte 2) (22:35) - LA MASCHERA DI CERA - (42.5/45) = 9.44


Other Very Good Epics:
"On the Run" (14:51) - SATELLITE - (27/30) = 9.0
"The Same River" (12:01) - RIVERSIDE - (22.5/25) = 9.0
"Vela" (9:29) - KARDA ESTRA - (18/20) = 9.0
"Photographs in Black and White" (10:03) - NO-MAN - (18/20) = 9.0
"Long Forgotten" (8:57) - OCEANSIZE - (18/20) = 9.0
"Wayfarer" (10:43) - KAYO DOT (18/20) = 9.0
"Stratus" (13:24) - TAAL - (26.75/30) = 8.91667
"Double Personality" (11:57) - HIROMI UEHARA - (22/25) = 8.8
"Waterfall Carnival" (21:13) - FROGG CAFÉ - (35.5/40) = 8.875
"Il Grande Labirinto" (9:43) - LA MASCHERA DI CERA -  (17.75/20) = 8.875
"ShutDOWN" (10:24) - O.S.I. - (17.75/20) = 8.875
"First Breath After Coma" (9:33) - EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY - (17.75/20) = 8.875
"Il viaggio nell'oceano capovolto" (Parte 1) (13:45) - LA MASCHERA DI CERA - (26.5/30) = 8.833
"The Purple Queen's Lips" (9:48) - TAAL - (17.5/20) = 8.75
"Singing Deep Mountain" - GORDIAN KNOT - (17.5/20) = 8.75 
"Invisible Legion" - AFTER CRYING - (17.5/20) = 8.75 
"Skymind" (9:53) - TAAL - (17.5/20) = 8.75
"Maiden of the Bow" (10:22) - MOONGARDEN - (17.5/20) = 8.75


Also Considered:
"Ai Confini Del Mondo" (12:41) - LA MASCHERA DI CERA - (21.75/25) = 8.70
"The Egg Shapped Moon" (9:07) - TAAL - (17.33/20) = 8.667
"I Am the Sun (Part One)" - THE FLOWER KINGS 
"The Only Moment We Were Alone" (10:14) - EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY -  (17.25/20) = 8.675
"Secret Service" (15:24) - AFTER CRYING (26/30) = 8.667
"Learning to Live Under the Ground" (10:54) - MOONGARDEN - (17.25/20) = 8.625
"Hungry Ghost" (9:17) - DJAM KARET - (17.25/20) = 8.625
"Remote Control" (9:04) - AFTER CRYING - (17.25/20) = 8.625 
"The Red Thread" (10:29) - DJAM KARET - (17.25/20) = 8.625
"Things I Want To Tell You" (9:03) - NO-MAN - (17/20) = 8.5
"The Evening Wind" (12:45) - SATELLITE (20.5/25) = 8.2
"Massive Bereavement" (9:59) - OCEANSIZE - (/20) = 
"Now" (10:13) - SATELLITE - (16/20) = 8.0
"Saturday Morning Breakfast Show" (9:04) - OCEANSIZE - (/20) = 
"A Street Between Sunrise & Sunset" (11:18) - SATELLITE - (16/20) = 8.0
"The Antique" (14:41) - KAYO DOT - (21/30) = 7.0

  
As-yet unrated:
"Violence" (10:54) - ANATHEMA - (/20) = 
"The Egg Shapped Moon" (9:07) - TAAL
"Stratus" (13:24) - TAAL
"Anne" (19:23) - DISCUS -
"Lux Lucet" (9:36) - THINKING PLAGUE - 
"Underworld" (13:) - ADAGIO
"Infinite Symphony - Movements I-VI" (61:03) - CLEARLIGHT
"Gaia" (11:03) - MÄGO DE OZ
"La Venganza de Gaia" (11:03) - MÄGO DE OZ
"Raunioilla (At the Ruins) (13:36) - MOONSORROW
"Jumalten Kaupunki incl. Tuhatvuotinen Perintö (City of the Gods / Legacy of a Thousand Years) (10:42) - MOONSORROW -
"Buenos Aires sólo es piedra" (14:26) - ALAS
"Pinta tu aldea" (11:36) - ALAS
"Silencio de aguas profundas "(10:26) - ALAS
HAIKARA (Finland) - "The Creation / The Sowing" (11:31)
CLEARLIGHT (USA-France) - "The Boat Builder / Searching for the Lost Word" (10:28)
GREENWALL (Italy) - "The Wedding" (14:27)
REVELATION (Italy) - "Uninvited Guest" (10:07)
LEVIATHAN (Italy) - "Filo di Lama (Edge of a Blade)" (10:35)
QADESH (UK) - "Ilmarinen's Fruitless Wooing" (11:34)
RANDONE & TEMPORE (Italy) - "Runo 49" (8:58)"Kraken's Brain is Blasting" (9:34) - KBB - 
"I am not here" (9:08) - KBB - 
"Shironiji"(10:10) - KBB - 
"Suite - Dreams" (20:03) - MANNING -
"The View From My Window" (9:07) - MANNING
"La Dernière Vague" (13:57) - NEMO - 
"La Mort Du Scorpion - Soleil/L'Oil Du Cyclope/La Mort Du Scorpion" (14:54) - NEMO - 
"Les Nouvelles Croisades - Cavalerie/Confrontation/Désolation/Danse Des Morts/Renaissance"  (20:43) - NEMO - 
"Der Autodidakt" (9:38) - INQUIRE - 
"The End of a Sunday" (9:49) - INQUIRE - 
"The Museum" (13:26) - INQUIRE - 
"Melancholia" (13:39) - INQUIRE - 
"Reification" (16:57) -  SYRINX - 
"Orbis Ubique" (14:43) - SYRINX -
"Out There" (13:11) - RICK WAKEMAN -
"A Complex Work of Art" (11:58) - KAIPA -
"The Weed of All Mankind" (9:30) - KAIPA -
"End of the Rope" (13:59) - KAIPA -
"Distant Voices" (13:00) - KAIPA -
"The Journey of Myrrdin / Seascape" (17:29) - SYZYGY =
"The Velourium Camper. Parts I-III" (15:28) - COHEED AND CAMBRIA
"The Light & the Glass" (9:39) - COHEED AND CAMBRIA
"21:13 (hidden track)" (9:46) - COHEED AND CAMBRIA
"Snakes and Ladders" (10:58) -SONUS UMBRA -
"Secret Service" (15:24) - AFTER CRYING -
"Shifting Sands And Turning Tides" (10:08) - STRANGEFISH -
"Oceans Deep" (11:19) - STRANGEFISH -
"At First Sight" (11:38) - STRANGEFISH -
"Simple Life" (9:05) - STRANGEFISH -
"Com (?)" (15:55) - MONO -
"Autumn Frost" (10:57) - THE GOURISHANKAR -
"Pejzaż Instrumentalny" (9:52) - ANAMOR -
"Raindrops" (9:27) - BIRTH CONTROL -
"Alsatian" (9:25) - BIRTH CONTROL -
"Non Puoi Fingere" (12:17) - IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTE -
"Questo Destino" (14:57) - IL CASTELLO DI ATLANTE -
"Encrucijada" (17:25) - CAST -
"El Puente" (22:02) - CAST -
"Three Colours" (11:32) - GALLEON -
"The Price" (14:36) - GALLEON -
"The Ocean" (52:05) - GALLEON -
"This Dying Soul" (11:27) - DREAM THEATER -
"Endless Sacrifice" (11:24) - DREAM THEATER -
"Honor Thy Father" (10:24) - DREAM THEATER -
"Stream of Consciousness" (11:16) - DREAM THEATER -
"In the Name of God" (14:14) - DREAM THEATER -
"Epilogue: Sky Full of Stars" (10:14) - MIKE NORLANDER -
"Nightendday" (11:14) - PELICAN -
"Angel Tears" (10:59) - PELICAN -
"Australasia" (10:48) - PELICAN -
"Nuvole di Ieri" (43:05) - RANDONE -
"Il Regno" (22:15) - CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE -
"A Psychic Amplifier" (15:01) - BEARDFISH -
"Awaken From Reality" (16:04) - PIG FARM ON THE MOON -
"Genesis (Instrumental)" (9:28) - PIG FARM ON THE MOON -
"I Lost My Wings" (12:19) - PIG FARM ON THE MOON -
"The Queen Maibe" (18:53) - PIG FARM ON THE MOON -
"The Return Of The Rain" (11:42) - PIG FARM ON THE MOON -
"Trust To the Future" (15:21) - ARS NOVA -


Too Short:
"Women Who Love Men Who Love Drugs" - OCEANSIZE
"Together We're Stranger" - NO-MAN
"All This Time" - FROGG CAFÉ
"Tight Spin" - OZRIC TENTACLES
"Ratts of the Capital" - MOGWAI

*Bold print denotes a song that has risen into my pantheon of All-time favorite "epics."



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