This is the last TOP WAVES of the year, and it's definitely a progressive one, having featured the latest productions from Steven Wilson, Yes, Lalu, Haken, Threshold, The Anchoret and Periphery...
But before we delve into this latest ranking, let's take a look at official record sales in France (source: Snep) in the Rock and Metal categories.
The latest The Rolling Stones album is ranked 7th
Maneskin's "Rush" is 14th
"Peter Gabriel's I/O is 19th
Shaka Ponk's eponymous album remains at number 36
Metallica's "72 Seasons" remains at No.63
Depeche Mode's "Memento Mori" is 93rd
Imagine Dragons' "Mercury Act I" is 106th
Neil Young's "Before and After" is 124th
Pink Floyd's live version of "Dark Side of the Moon" is 125th
TOP WAVES - GENERAL
To everyone's surprise, it's a debut album that has won the first place from the editors of Music Waves...
"With its dazzling technical mastery, coherent musical narrative and bold creativity, Nospun's "Opus" is a major work of 2023 and offers a promising future for this emerging band, ready to leave an indelible mark on the progressive metal scene" (Rhum1).
NOSPUN Opus
In second place is Peter Gabriel's latest masterpiece
"We had to wait 21 years for Peter Gabriel to give a successor to "Up". "i/o" ranks alongside the Archangel's best albums". (Corto1809)
PETER GABRIEL I/o
And it's another gifted progressive artist who closes the podium...
With 'Mirage', a cross between modernity and tradition, Plini proves once again that he is indeed a unique artist. (Newf)
PLINI Mirage
Detailed ranking
NOSPUN: Opus (Progressive Metal) 36
PETER GABRIEL: I/o (Progressive Rock) 15
PLINI: Mirage (Progressive Metal) 14
THERION: Leviathan Iii (Melodic Metal) 8
AVKRVST: The Approbation (Progressive Rock) 6
DORO: Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud (Heavy Metal) 6
KONTRUST: Madworld (Others) 5
PRIMORDIAL: How It Ends (Black Metal) 5
PSYGNOSIS: Mercury (Death Metal) 5
TRYPTAMIN: Piacenza, Wisconsin (Alternative Rock) 5
IN THIS MOMENT: Godmode (Alternative Metal) 4
TARJA: Dark Christmas (Melodic Metal) 3
TREVOR RABIN: Rio (Progressive Rock) 3
SORCERER: Reign Of The Reaper (Doom) 3
PRAÏM FAYA: Abyss Of A Light Planet (Metalcore) 3
ANDREA ORLANDO: La Scienza Delle Stagioni (Progressive Rock) 3
EIGHT SINS: Straight To Namek (Thrash) 3
HEALTH: Rat Wars (Alternative Rock) 3
TAPROOT: Sc\ssrs (Neo/Nu Metal) 2
††† (CROSSES): Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, (Alternative Rock) 1
LE ORME: ...and Friends (Progressive Rock) 1
VOICE OF RUIN: Cold Epiphany (Death Metal) 1
TOP WAVES - METAL
The METAL WAVES TOP validates the plebiscite of Nospün, who literally crushes the chart and leaves only crumbs for second-placed Plini and third-placed Tarja.
"To be placed under the Christmas tree, "Dark Christmas" sees Tarja deliver covers of dark, icy Christmas carols in which the standards of the genre appear in a new and often captivating light" (ProgRacer).
TARJA Dark Christmas
Detailed ranking
NOSPUN: Opus (Progressive Metal) 43
PLINI: Mirage (Progressive Metal) 19
TARJA: Dark Christmas (Melodic Metal) 14
PSYGNOSIS: Mercury (Death Metal) 12
THERION: Leviathan Iii (Melodic Metal) 8
DORO: Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud (Heavy Metal) 7
PRIMORDIAL: How It Ends (Black Metal) 5
IN THIS MOMENT: Godmode (Alternative Metal) 4
EIGHT SINS: Straight To Namek (Thrash) 3
PRAÏM FAYA: Abyss Of A Light Planet (Metalcore) 3
SORCERER: Reign Of The Reaper (Doom) 3
TAPROOT: Sc\ssrs (Neo/Nu Metal) 2
VOICE OF RUIN: Cold Epiphany (Death Metal) 1
PANIC ATTACK!: Don't Stop (Hardcore) 1
NATURE MORTE: Oddity (Black Metal) 1
TOP WAVES - ROCK
Peter Gabriel logically takes first place in the Rock chart. In second place is Baroness' latest effort
"Stone' demonstrates in the most intense way that Baroness remain not only a band in a class of their own, but also far superior to their competitors. (Childeric Thor)
BARONESS Stone
In third place is an album by a newcomer to the progressive scene, Avkrvst
"In a register heavily influenced by Porcupine Tree and Opeth, "The Approbation" should enable Avkrvst to make a name for themselves on the progressive metal scene..." (Struck). (Struck)
AVKRVST The Approbation
Detailed ranking
PETER GABRIEL: I/o (Progressive Rock) 36
BARONESS: Stone (Alternative Rock) 13
AVKRVST: The Approbation (Progressive Rock) 12
FFF: Scream (Rock) 7
KONTRUST: Madworld (Others) 6
TREVOR RABIN: Rio (Progressive Rock) 6
TRYPTAMIN: Piacenza, Wisconsin (Alternative Rock) 5
SOUTHERN EMPIRE: Another World (Progressive Rock) 5
THE DEAR HUNTER: Migrant Return (Progressive Rock) 4
LE ORME: ...and Friends (Progressive Rock) 4
HEALTH: Rat Wars (Alternative Rock) 4
ANDREA ORLANDO: La Scienza Delle Stagioni (Progressive Rock) 3
††† (CROSSES): Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, (Alternative Rock) 1
BLEU REINE: La Saison Fantôme (Alternative Rock) 1
MOONGARDEN: Christmas Night 2066 (Progressive Rock) 1
More informations on http://www.musicwaves.fr/