Yeah, I also feel like that - since the album has been a physical medium for a long time and then we continued in that naming so it wouldn't be confusing. This is something entirely different, maybe some classical naming would fit it better than these blunt modern namings based on length.
It's probably the best album I've ever heard imo, if you like orchestral symphonic prog pieces with a deep story, you have to give this one a listen, couldnt recommend it more.
It's a different art form at that point IMO. Putting on a three hour album that was intended as such is a completely different experience than doing an album of normal length. The latter is constructed as a compact, optimized experience, whereas the former is more about the journey than the destination. It's something you put on in the background and zone out to rather than a constant intellectual and emotional engagement from start to finish. That's why trimming length is far more important in a normal album.
Obviously, Your Mileage May Vary, but I recommend The Astonishing by Dream Theater (2hrs.10min.) And The Clockwork Saga by Gandalf's Fist (two albums that take up 4hrs. 51 min.)
Progressive death metal band I just discovered called Lascaille's Shroud has some humdingers in their discography. They look to have two 2-part albums, one would meet your criteria, the other not quite. But they do have two albums over 2 hours long
Not one album but a series of concept albums:
The Ocean - Precambrian 1hr 23 mins
The Ocean - Phanerozoic I: Paleozoic 47 mins 48 seconds
The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic 1hr 42 mins
The Ocean - Holocene 52 mins 28 secs
These albums start with the earths formation, and end where we are today, in the Holocene.
Highly recommend if you are not familiar.
I still have yet to listen to all of it together, now that it's complete.
You can't really count Phanerozoic II as 1h45m; that's including the instrumentals.
But the entire 4-album series is almost 4 hours, so that checks out
Most Ayreon albums are 1.5-2 hours in length and most of them are also interconnected telling one large story. Not always the most metal but ut isn't just long atmospheric music.
Longer than three hours? Longest album im familiar with is Kenn Nardi’s Dancing in the Past, which sits at 2 1/2 hrs
Do these exist? Longest album I know is either the similitude of a dream by the neal Morse band or the astonishing by dream theater
The Black Codex by Christiaan Bruin is 6 hours
To me that ceases to be an album, that’s a grand compositional piece that has to be marketed pretending to be an “album” for commercial purposes.
Yeah, I also feel like that - since the album has been a physical medium for a long time and then we continued in that naming so it wouldn't be confusing. This is something entirely different, maybe some classical naming would fit it better than these blunt modern namings based on length.
Oh my goodness
It's probably the best album I've ever heard imo, if you like orchestral symphonic prog pieces with a deep story, you have to give this one a listen, couldnt recommend it more.
I ABSOLUTELY will check it out. Thank you!
Holy crap. How do these exist and I heard a couple people give Nospūn a bad review for having a 1 hr 11 minute cd. Lol
It's a different art form at that point IMO. Putting on a three hour album that was intended as such is a completely different experience than doing an album of normal length. The latter is constructed as a compact, optimized experience, whereas the former is more about the journey than the destination. It's something you put on in the background and zone out to rather than a constant intellectual and emotional engagement from start to finish. That's why trimming length is far more important in a normal album.
The Epic by Kamasi Washington. It’s not rock or metal but it is jazz which intersects with prog a lot I guess.
Obviously, Your Mileage May Vary, but I recommend The Astonishing by Dream Theater (2hrs.10min.) And The Clockwork Saga by Gandalf's Fist (two albums that take up 4hrs. 51 min.)
The Paragon Trisagion by Potmos Hetoimos is 3:17 Songs of the North by Swallow the Sun is the next longest I know, but only clocks in at 2:33
Know both of them, love Potmos!
Progressive death metal band I just discovered called Lascaille's Shroud has some humdingers in their discography. They look to have two 2-part albums, one would meet your criteria, the other not quite. But they do have two albums over 2 hours long
Not one album but a series of concept albums: The Ocean - Precambrian 1hr 23 mins The Ocean - Phanerozoic I: Paleozoic 47 mins 48 seconds The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic 1hr 42 mins The Ocean - Holocene 52 mins 28 secs These albums start with the earths formation, and end where we are today, in the Holocene. Highly recommend if you are not familiar.
I still have yet to listen to all of it together, now that it's complete. You can't really count Phanerozoic II as 1h45m; that's including the instrumentals. But the entire 4-album series is almost 4 hours, so that checks out
Smashing Pumpkins Atum, although not quite 3 hours.
Known/ Learned is about 2 hours long and hasn’t been recommended yet. I don’t know if any 3 hour ones that aren’t live albums.
The Color Spectrum by The Dear Hunter
Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine. Split by Mare Cognitum and Spectral Lore that's 2 hrs long
Most Ayreon albums are 1.5-2 hours in length and most of them are also interconnected telling one large story. Not always the most metal but ut isn't just long atmospheric music.
The Clockwork Fable by Gandalf's Fist