This year proved to be an interesting one for me as a music fan, and not just because it marked my official foray into the world of criticism. After a few albums in the last several years began the trend, this was the year that prog became a larger presence in my listening. While not all of them will appear in the following list, there were more prog albums I enjoyed than any other subset of rock and metal, a fact that caugth me off guard. But when confronted with solid albums from bands like The Flower Kings and Affector, which didn't even make the list, and followed up on with those that did qualify, it was a banner year for prog. None of the albums will top my list, as Dream Theater did last year with their incredible “A Dramatic Turn Of Events”, but this year was defined, in my mind, by prog.
