Albums That Are 30 Years Old in 2025: Pick # 7

Join Pete Pardo as he looks back on his favorite albums from 1995 that are celebrating their 30th birthdays here in 2025.

[markwilburn]

7 - At The Gates, Slaughter of the Soul

[christophercoles]

25) Ayreon - The Final Experiment
Every once in a while an album comes along that I fall in love with from the very first note.
Ayreon's first album is still one of Arjen Lucassen's best.
The Final Experiment is a concept album. The music here varies from heavy Progressive Metal sounds ("Eyes Of Time", "Sail Away To Avalon", "Merlin's Will") to lighter folksy sounds ("Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy", "Magic Ride", "Nature's Dance"). There is a medieval feel to much of the music ("Prologue", "Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy", "Sail Away To Avalon"), but Prog is the style that runs throughout this album, with many songs that have separate subsections ("Prologue", "The Awareness", "The Banishment").
"The Banishment" is easily the most epic track - and the longest at over eleven minutes. It starts off with a classical sounding section, then some fanfare leads into instrumental music which builds up to the first vocal section, led by Robert Soeterbock with a host of backup singers. The buildup to the vocal section and Soeterbock's vocals really fit the mood of the story. Arjen Lucassen has a special talent for doing this with his music. But this is not the end of the song, it leads into another instrumental section where we get an amazing bass solo from guest musician Peter Vink, as well as great guitar riffs from Lucassen himself. To end we get a vocal section that shifts into Death Metal territory. The vocals here are handled by Jan-Chris de Koeijer (Gorefest). In short, this track has everything that a Progressive Metal song should have - great technical playing, variation, and amazing vocals. Top notch stuff.
Other highlights of the album are "Prologue" and "The Awareness". Essentially one song split in two, both feature great Progressive elements and strong vocals from Edward Reekers. "Eyes Of Time" is a heavier track. It's really rocking and great for head banging. "Sail Away To Avalon" is sung by Barry Hay of Golden Earring. It's heavy, folksy, and medieval sounding. It's one of those songs that could easily get stuck in your head. "Merlin's Will" is another heavy song with another great vocal, this time from Leon Goewie, singer of Lucassen's old band, Vengeance. "Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy" is short and folksy. It's a beautiful song.
The Final Experiment is a unique and very impressive beginning to Ayreon's lengthy career. It's catchy, refreshing and uplifting. It's well worth getting into.

1) Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre
2) Tears For Fears - Raoul And The Kings Of Spain
3) The Jayhawks - Tomorrow The Green Grass
4) The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??!
5) Garbage - S/T
6) Jars Of Clay - S/T
7) Monster Magnet - Dopes To Infinity
8) Slash's Snakepit - It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
9) Gov't Mule - S/T
10) Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
11) Clutch - S/T
12) Mudhoney - My Brother The Cow
13) Spock's Beard - The Light
14) Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways
15) PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
16) Neil Young - Mirror Ball
17) The Wildhearts - P.H.U.Q.
18) Cassandra Wilson - New Moon Daughter
19) Spacehog - Resident Alien
20) Joan Osborne - Relish
21) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
22) Fu Manchu - Daredevil
23) Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost Of Tom Joad
24) White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000
25) Ayreon - The Final Experiment

[ziggyzagzi]

#7: Dream Theater a Change of Seasons
In comes Derek Sherinian on the keys, mixing in with The metal Prog team, 3 years in the making of this epic side. So cool! Listening to all the inter playing that they do, usually with great Melody. Portnoy story even more touching regarding the loss of his mother.
And if you want to hear some banging jams, the rest of the album covers of classic rock songs.

[harizonflamingice]

Pick #7: Alice In Chains' Alice In Chains. While I certainly don't reach for this one as much as Facelift, Dirt or Jar of Flies, to me self titled is the darkest and most eerie sounding album Alice In Chains ever made.

#31: Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill
#30: Mad Season's Above
#29: Deftones' Adrenaline
#28: King Crimson's Thrak
#27: Pulp's Different Class
#26: The Gathering's Mandylion
#25A: Ramones' Adios Amigos
#25B: Motörhead's Sacrifice
#24: Moby's Everything is Wrong
#23: At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul
#22: Dissection's Storm of the Light's Bane
#21: Savatage's Dead Winter Dead
#20: Blind Guardian's Imaginations from the Other Side
#19: Spacehog's Resident Alien
#18: The Tea Party's The Edges of Twilight
#17: 311's Blue Album
#16: Soul Asylum's Let Your Dim Light Shine
#15: Collective Soul's Collective Soul
#14: Green Day's Insomniac
#13: Red Hot Chili Peppers' One Hot Minute
#12: Chemical Brothers' Exit Planet Dust
#11: Silverchair's Frogstomp
#10: Foo Fighters' Foo Fighters
#9: Faith No More's King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime
#8: Porcupine Tree's The Sky Moves Sideways
#7: Alice In Chains' Alice In Chains

[independenceltd.]

Iron Maiden - The X Factor
songs: Sign of the Cross, Lord of the Flies, Man on the Edge

[tomborgenkristiansen]

Radiohead- The Bends. Very good and accessible album.4, 5*

[steverogers]

My pick for Day 25 is "The Light" by Spock's Beard.
Cool songs - “The Light”, "Go The Way You Go" and “The Water”.

Day 1 - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? - Oasis
Day 2 - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness - The Smashing Pumpkins
Day 3 - Tragic Kingdom - No Doubt
Day 4 - ...And Out Come The Wolves - Rancid
Day 5 - Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains
Day 6 - Walk On Water - UFO
Day 7 - Mirror Ball - Neil Young
Day 8 - Lucy - Candlebox
Day 9 - A Boy Named Goo - Goo Goo Dolls
Day 10 - Dopes To Infinity - Monster Magnet
Day 11 - Frogstomp - Silverchair
Day 12 - The Sky Moves Sideways - Porcupine Tree
Day 13 - Thrak - King Crimson
Day 14 - NOLA - Down
Day 15 - Collective Soul - Collective Soul
Day 16 - The Gold Experience - Prince
Day 17 - Stripped - The Rolling Stones
Day 18 - Roots To Branches - Jethro Tull
Day 19 - Dysfunctional - Dokken
Day 20 - Magnum Opus - Yngwie Malmsteen
Day 21 - Let Your Dim Light Shine - Soul Asylum
Day 22 - Ozzmosis - Ozzy Osbourne
Day 23 - Divinities:Twelve Dances With God - Ian Anderson
Day 24 - Land Of The Free - Gamma Ray
Day 25 - The Light - Spock's Beard

[sabinoabdala]

#7 Radiohead – The Bends
After a mediocre debut, where only "Creep" was a highlight, and before reaching global stardom with OK Computer, Radiohead released this great album filled with memorable songs like "High And Dry, " "Fake Plastic Trees, " "My Iron Lung, " and the memorable closing track "Street Spirit (Fade Out)."
This album features production by Nigel Godrich for the first time on some tracks. Godrich accompanied the band on these tasks as if he were an integral member, and was a leading figure in the transformation of a good rock band into a great avant-garde group, one of the best on the music scene during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Favorite Albums 1995
#7 Radiohead – The Bends
#8 Faith No More - King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
#9 Morphine – Yes
#10 Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains
#11 Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
#12 Supergrass - I Should Coco
#13 Mike Watt - Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
#14 Elastica - Elastica
#15 P – P
#16 Tricky - Maxinquaye
#17 Blur - The Great Escape
#18 Soda Stereo – Sueño Stereo
#19 Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits
#20 Mad Season-Above
#21 Monster Magnet - Dopes to Infinity
#22 Genius/GZA - Liquid Swords
#23 Sonic Youth - Washing Machine
#24 Gargabe – Garbage
#25 Viejas Locas – Viejas Locas
#26 Mr. Bungle – Disco Volante
#27 AC/DC – Ballbreaker
#28 Suarez - Horrible
#29 Tha Dogg Pound – Dogg Food
#30 Primus - Tales from the Punchbowl
#31 Motorhead - Sacrifice

[LoLavilla]

My pick for today : Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways

31. Spock's Beard - The Light
30. Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight
29. King Crimson - THRAK
28. Voivod - Negatron
27. Steve Vai - Alien Love Secrets
26. Anekdoten - Nucleus
25. Tribal Tech - Reality Check
24. Death - Symbolic
23. Aphex Twin - ...I Care Because You Do
22. Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, Jean-Luc Ponty - The Rite Of Strings
21. Strapping Young Lad - Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing
20. Fu Manchu - Daredevil
19. Deftones - Adrenaline
18. At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
17. Motorhead - Sacrifice
16. Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre
15. Lowlife - Gush
14. Fear Factory - Demanufacture
13. Dark Tranquility - The Gallery
12. The Cardigans - Life
11. Dissection : Storm Of The Light's Bane
10. Kyuss - ...And The Circus Leaves Town
9. Mudhoney - My Brother the Cow
8. Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve
7. Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways

[rogertemple]

Awesome to hear that this Jethro Tull album is turning 30 in 2025
and with a great lineup on it another great pick for March Pete.
🎶📻🎶

[Paul_Progressive]

# 7 Spock’s Beard: The Light
Spock’s Beard is one of the many bands that I have become familiar with through SoT. Among all the neo-prog ensembles of the nineties Spock’s Beard is my favorite one. Their debut “The Light” already includes everything which makes this band special. The last album with Neil Morse, “Snow”, is, at least for me, their best one, but “The Light” doesn’t stand far behind. The title track has become their signature song for a reason.
# 8 Fu Manchu: Daredevil
# 9 Neil Young: Mirror Ball
# 10 Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill
# 11 Warren Zevon: Mutineer
# 12 Pulp: Different Class
# 13 Terje Rypdal: If Mountains Can Sing
# 14 Gov’t Mule: Gov’t Mule
# 15 Oasis: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory
# 16 King Crimson: Thrak
# 17 Björk: Post
# 18 Vic Chesnutt: Is the Actor Happy?
# 19 The Cardigans: Life
# 20 Bruce Springsteen: The Ghost of Tom Joad
# 21 Tricky: Maxinquaye
# 22 Emmylou Harris: Wrecking Ball
# 23 The Smashing Pumpkins: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
# 24 Aphex Twin: …I Care Because You Do
# 25 Blind Guardian: Imaginations from the Other Side
# 26 Leftfield: Leftism
# 27 Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks: Orange Crate Art
# 28 Radiohead: The Bends
# 29 Annie Lennox: Medusa
# 30 The Chemical Brothers: Exit Planet Dust
# 31 Blur: The Great Escape

[zacharyravn]

Pick 7: Blind Guardian-Imaginations from the other side. Probably my favourite album of theirs. This is from a time when power metal was really heavy, fast and aggressive, and not completely drowned in keyboards and cheesy symphonics. I love every song on here. Absolutely a power metal classic!

[lucasbrown]

7. Primus - Tales From The Punchbowl


8. White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000
9. Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante
10. Van Halen - Balance
11. Megadeth - Hidden Treasures
12. Clutch - Clutch
13. Dream Theater - A Change Of Seasons
14. Iron Maiden - The X Factor
15. Death - Symbolic
16. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness
17. Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children
18. King Crimson - THRAK
19. Crowbar - Time Heals Nothing
20. Gov’t Mule - Gov’t Mule
21. At The Gates - Slaughter of The Soul
22. Green Day - Insomniac
23. Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow - Stranger In Us All
24. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead
25. Filter - Short Bus
26. David Bowie - 1. Outside
27. The Chieftains - Long Black Veil
28. G//Z/R - Plastic Planet
29. Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters
30. Darkthrone - Panzerfaust
31. Mad Season - Above

[melaniethurber]

Day 7
My pick today is:
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
“Roll of the Dice”

Instruments Harmonica, Guitar, Keyboard, and Drums

Genres Blues Rock, and Texas Rock


The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American Blues Rock Band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member thought the bands entire history. The Fabulous Thunderbirds are from Texas. Jimmie Vaughan was there lead guitarist for a while until he left the band. Kim Wilson was lead vocals and played the harmonica. Jimmie Vaughan left the band to record an album with his brother Stevie Ray Vaughan. Jimmie Vaughan went into a solo career full time. The Fabulous Thunderbirds replaced Jimmie Vaughan with Duke Robillard and Kid Bangham.



31 Bruce Springsteen “The Ghost of Tom Joad”
30 Sonny Landreth “South of 1-10”
29 Jonny Lang “Smokin”
28 Susan Tedeschi Band “Better Days”
27 Louisana Red “Sittin Here Wonderin”
26 Taj Mahal Band, N. Rauikinran, and V. M. Bhatt “Mumtaz Mahal”
25 Roomful of Blues “Turn it On! Turn it Up!”
24 Detroit Blues Band “Can't Get You Off My Mind”
23 Bobby “Blue” Bland, “Sad Street”
22 Phillip Walker “Working Girl Blue”
21 Johnny Copeland “Jungle Swing”
20 Tony Joe White “Rainy Night in Georgia-The “Monumental” Tony Joe”
19 Jimmy Rogers (James A.Lane) “Feeling Good”
18 Etta James “Time After Time”
17 Bonnie Raitt “Road Tested”
16 Jr. Wells “Everybody's Gettin' Some”
15 Joe Louis Walker “Blues of the Month Club”
14 Luther Allison “Blue Streak”
13 Lowell Fulson “Them Update Blues”
12 Eddy Clearwater “Boogie My Blues Away”
11 Tab Benoit “Standing on the Bank”
10 Carey Bell “Deep Down”
9 Larry Garner “Double Dues”
8 Sherman Robertson “Here and Now”
7 The Fabulous Thunderbirds “Roll of the Dice”

[garyh.]

Excellent selection today Pete! I came across this Tull album very recently and was surprised at how good it really is. Coming up in my picks soon.

[tomp]

7. Steve Vai - Alien Love Secrets

Fav songs: Bad Horsie, Tender Surrender, Juice, Ya-Yo-Gak

[Wysiwyg]

Pick # 7 is Monster Magnet Dopes to Infinity, killer album and show back in the day 🤘

[milesdorst]

0:25 pick #7

My pick: Symphony X - The Damnation Game

[benjamingoldstein]

Day 26: Primus - Tales from the Punchbowl
Day 25: Rancid - ...And Out Come The Wolves
Day 23: Green Day - Imsomniac
Day 22: Anekdoten - Nucleus
Day 21: Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
Day 20: Aphex Twin - ...I Care Because You Do
Day 19: Autechre - Tri Repetae
Day 18: Opeth - Orchid
Day 17: Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side
Day 16: Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
Day 15: Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways
Day 14: Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight
Day 13: Swans - the Great Annihilator
Day 12: Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
Day 11: Alice in Chains - S/T
Day 10: Morbid Angel- Domination
Day 9: Death - Symbolic
Day 8: Satyricon - the Shadowthrone
Day 7: Darkthrone - Panzerfaust
Day 6: My Dying Bride: The Angel and the Dark River
Day 5: Paradise Lost - Draconian Times
Day 4: Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Day 3: Immortal - Battles in the North
Day 2: Radiohead - The Bends
Day 1: Jethro Tull - Roots to Branches

[dannyhoeykens]

My pick for today is Elliott Smith - Self Titled. Fortunately there is still art that occasionally reminds us that life is not always sunshine and roses. The artist who reveals his inner demons to the audience can be confrontational, but also offer comfort and even provide aesthetic pleasure. Elliott Smith´s self titled masterpiece chills you to the bone containing lyrics dealing with depression, isolation and junkie sadness. It al sounds so vulnerable and disturbingly beautiful.´Needle In The Hay´ ´Christian Brothers´ ´GoodTo Go´ ´The White Lady Loves You More´ and ´Southern Belle´ on which he showcases his outstanding fingerpicking skills, are superb songs.I find it inappropiate to say I enjoy listening to someone dealing with so much pain, but this album certainly gives me goosebumps.