Best album closers

[Pretsy 1343]

Basically the opposite of this thread, but same concept (rules etc.) is still applied - and as a reminder:

 

MAX. 4 PICKS PER PERSON/POST AND NO OUTROS ALLOWED (I consider outros to be one form of cheating tbqh)

 

Also:  some people were curious about whether they are allowed to post non-Japanese stuff too - answer is: yes - feel free to post anything, as long as it's a "proper" closer (in your opinion) + make sure to explain briefly why you chose the certain song etc.. Just because we are "J-music based community" doesn't mean that we should be "STRICTLY" limited to "only JP music" policies FFS - so cast your prejudices aside and go-go!

 

OP's example/picks:

 

1) Plastic Tree - Circus

La Grande Finale of one of my favorite Pura releases, "Puppet Show" - pretty much showcases their talents and ability in expressing their unique, dreamy imagery through britpop-ish influences (and most britpop-influenced acts don't really showcase their "messages" vividly imho). I also like how it changes its tempo fittingly along the way and gives a nice spotlight for Ryutaro's vocals as I knew them back when I began to know them. Gorgeous song is gorgeous.

 

2) Dir en grey - Inconvenient Ideal

What would sound like a normal semi-power ballad in the beginning soars beautifully to the immense levels of "wow"-factor til the end - as a Dir stan I found it difficult to find a fitting favorite out of their closers, but "Inconvenient" hands down gave me the same impression today as it did back in November 2008 - pure pleasure. I got to note that I find build-ups during the chorus and climax (along with "300"-y gang chants) really epic and something what you'd memorize even after many years. 

 

3) MUCC - Hanabi

One of those "totally unexpected, but neat" closers - you'd normally put your volume down/skip when you hear opening notes that remind you of those cheesy piano ballads way too much, but...BANG! And there goes almost "festive" part of Mucc's Hanabi. I might be the only one who feels this way, but "Hanabi" feels very "Japanesque" to me but not in stereotypical a la "Kiryu/Kagrra" fashion - perhaps the melody has some folk-ish tinges? That aside - Mucc has many good closers (Zutazuta, Freesia...), but as I noted earlier - the "wow" factor is important to me whether I listen to certain parts of an album, and "wow" here is totally existent - and BIG too.

 

4) The Dillinger Escape Plan - Mouth of Ghosts

Moody and emotional, almost jazz-ish in parts and immense build-up...here might lie my key recipe to "closers that totally get me in". Sure - the song itself isn't necessarily of what they're doing normally (this sounds more like an unique approach on some late FNM song), but you gotta give kudos to them for total surprise! Might not be your cup of tea, but "one of a kind-ness" is certainly retained in MoG - as I see it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[blackdoll 907]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLUWdFlezIo

I love it because it's like before we are going fuck shit up. So basicly going out strong 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25plySzgbSA

It's like a wonderful gift for listening to the album, and it touches home base with all the love that it is within.

 

the flow is like good by (which sadly it was sence they disbanded after). also ends the album strong, lovely really.

 

http://youtu.be/v1glrJCUoC4

something new for me, really sweet chorus. not to slow just right.

Edited September 10, 2014 by blackdoll

[Bear 1817]

Bathory - Blood Fire Death (from Blood Fire Death)

This album start off with what's perhaps the most epic and best intro ever, and ends with one of the best and most epic tracks ever. THere's not really much more to say. It's epic, epic and way more epic. Black metal AND viking metal at its very best. Simple as that really.

[enyx 903]

凛として時雨 - mib126

Closer for their third full-length 'just A moment'. One of sigure's best songs in my personal opinion. It starts off as a rather subdued track that builds up slowly before completely exploding into one of their most intense tracks in the second half. Undoubtedly one of their finest moments to date.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bwudsetJDU

 

THE NOVEMBERS - GIFT

Closer for their third mini-album 'GIFT'. Well, I did say in my description of Moiré in the best album openers thread that I consider GIFT's title track closer to be at least on par with its terrific opener, so I pretty much have to include this here. I almost consider them to be two halves of the same song, at least in terms of their overall feel. In particular, I really find the final few minutes of this song to be absolutely beautiful.

 

Opeth - Faith In Others

Closer for their eleventh full-length 'Pale Communion'. I feel a little weird including this considering that the album it's from only came out last month, but I pretty much immediately identified this as the best closing track that the band has ever done. Time will tell whether I'll truly consider it to be one of the best album closers as the months and years go by, but it's certainly given me a fantastic first impression. Just a quick note, this Youtube version seems to have the first 10-15 seconds missing, but it's basicaly just an extended fade-in so you're not missing too much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Zbuh6nWGs

[CAT5 9075]

smh pretsy...this is basically the kind of stuff we will be doing on the critic's panel LOL :v

and I'm seconding the mentions of "mib126" and "Inconvenient Ideal"!

[Bear 1817]

A few more enders that I rate extremely high, and they're all by the same band as well. Heh.

 

 

Immortal - A Perfect Vision of the Rising Northland (from Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism)

This abum was Immortal's debut album and a very Bathoryesque album, and they nailed what Bathory did on Under the Sign of the Black Mark perfectly without ripping off the album. They mixes the raw and ugly with the epic, without going all retard with synth, folk elements and whatnot. A Perfect Vision of the Rising Northland is a 9 minute, mid-paced epic with some acoustic guitar and synth, but without going over the top with any of it. This is 9 minutes of cold, occult, epic and unholy black metal and is a perfect ender to a perfect album, and a song that would've made Quorthon proud.

 

Immortal - Beyond the North Waves (from Sons of Northern Darkness)

Ten years after Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism Immortal were back with their most Bathory-inspired album since that mentioned album, and once again they decided to end it with a song that would've made Quorthon proud. Fantasticly epic and majestic, and the ending of the song, man. The solo. Nothing complicated or amazing in itself, but it's very fitting and just adds a whole other dimension to the song. It's the way to do a solo.

[DogManX 179]

Oh Oh! I love those threads! Thanks very much fpr opening them!

 

Opeth - Blackwater Park

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4_Z7rPnBMo

Great closer for a great album. The mood sweeps from heavy to almost silence as this song progresses to be an album for itself in the end.

 

Porcupine Tree - Collapse the light into earth

 

Perfect finisher as it sums up in total what the album brought so far, only in acoustic

 

Deathgaze - Amends

 

By far the most beautiful ballad they've ever done, very close before dearest. And at the same time one of the best songs they've ever made in total.

 

ナイトメア (Nightmare) - 時分ノ花 (Jibun no Hana)

 

What I like abous this song so much is that it actually doesn't seem to fit as a "closer", from what it appears to be, yet there could have been no other song to close their best album "anima" as this one could. Very nice progression and well placed solo to accomodate.

 

I'd also have put "Amber" from Dir en grey, but I feel like it wasn't really necessary to close the album. It's nontheless a very beautiful outro.

[Furik 832]

Gets me every time.

[nullmoon 784]

I'd also have put "Amber" from Dir en grey, but I feel like it wasn't really necessary to close the album. It's nontheless a very beautiful outro.

 

YES. I used to skip this song but the first time I listened to it properly it blew my mind.

 

 

Gets me every time.

 

SUCH a good song. Easily one of their best for me

[Pretsy 1343]

 

smh pretsy...this is basically the kind of stuff we will be doing on the critic's panel LOL :v

 

I am not sure about my lexicon (as I said it earlier) so I am playing safe here, y'know :V

 

totally seconding Sigure, Novembers, Naitomea and RES tracks - keep it going, guys!

[Mr Bacon 106]

Gets me every time.

No! Bad Furik! I read the thread title and I immediately thought, I have to post that ReS track as it is one of the best closers I have ever heard, and then you go and ruin it for me

I couldn't find Roach's Haru to Yume, eight's Yuganda Seishun, Werkmare's -13- or Tokyo Heroes' Fuyuuta on YT so these will have to do:

 

Still one of their best songs, and a great closer at that.

 

Technically this is from an EP, but still, man what a way to end that EP.

[enyx 903]

Sorry for bumping an old-ish thread, but I felt compelled to mention Fightstar's Follow Me Into The Darkness here. I'm actually surprised that I didn't think to mention it the first time 'round. It progresses fantastically from a quiet and reflective piece to a dramatic and cinematic climax, before tastefully finishing off with a lone piano melody that really leaves an impression once the album is over.

 

[Ito 2438]

I think that I find my favorite ending tracks tend to be down beat, darker songs. They evoke the feeling on an ending.

D'espairsRay - Kaleidoscope

Girugamesh - Kowarete Iku Sekai

Lite - Arch

Mouse on the keys - Uroboros

Russian Circles - Memorial

school food punishment - tooku hako no naka

Also, I'm waiting for someone to mention Oz's Breathe Trees (though I don't necessarily agree)

[Visutox 188]

^ You posted the video of Kaleidoscope twice. xD

 

- Cirith Gorgor - Thorns of Oblivion 

Coming from 'Onwards To The Spectral Defile', this track is literally the calm after the flood. A magnificent way to conclude a magnificent album which is, btw, my fav black metal album.

 

- Dragon Ash - Curtain Call

Dragon Ash really nailed it with this track, probably their best album closer in their whole discography IMO. This song comes from the band's latest album, 'THE FACES'.

 

- Septicflesh - The First Immortal

This is probably my fav track from their latest album, 'Titan'. The part from 1:50 to the end of the song is so amazingly done, what a majestic song... Damn.

 

- Summoning - Land of the Dead

I almost forgot about this masterpiece... Shame on me. This song comes from 'Oath Bound'. It's probably the longest song from Summoning, but I wish it could last endlessly. Honestly, is there any need to say anything about this piece of art if it isn't to praise it? The lyrics, the atmosphere, the whole fucking song itself. This is just the definition of beauty and epicness, simple as that. 

[Ito 2438]

^ You posted the video of Kaleidoscope twice. xD

Fixed XD

[blackdoll 907]

just leaves you with love, and wanting more

[Bear 1817]

 

That's one hell of a way to end an album. Majestic and catchy. A brilliant album closer, and an even better concert closer.