Best New Albums in 2016

Metallica - Hardwired To Self Destruct

Good find, James. Thanks.

Glyn Barnes
"Folklore" – Big Big Train
"Lighthouse" – I am the Morning
"F.E.A.R." Marillion
"Preternatural" – Mouletts
"Confessions of a Romantic Novelist" – The Anchoress
"Cycle of Life"– Ghost Community
"Say" – Cairo
"Dave Foster" – Dreamless
"The Illusions Reckoning" – Mantra Vega
"Sign of IV" - Kiama

F.E.A.R. was one I would have ordered on sight had I been aware it had been released.  Just ordered it, received in two days (thank you Amazon Prime), played several times - definitely on my list of best of the year, and maybe my favorite Marillion album yet.
 
But I'm afraid I'm not familiar with of any of the other groups.  For someone who gravitates to quality progressive rock, which of the above warrant further investigation?

dmbaer

 
But I'm afraid I'm not familiar with of any of the other groups.  For someone who gravitates to quality progressive rock, which of the above warrant further investigation?

Big Big Train for sure.

Try I Am the Morning if you like the quieter side of Prog, mostly female vocals and excellent piano. (Flac downloads from bandcamp)

Cairo and Ghost Community are on the heavier, more guitar driven side.

The Moulettes are a young band and worth checking out, they are unique, electric cello, bassoon, bass, piano, guitars and drums. Gentle Giant springs to mind, not surprising the bass players father was GG's drummer.

Panic Room, Mostly Autumn, Karnataka & Touchstone all contemporary Prog favourites of mine did not release albums in 2016.

jamesg1213
Big Big Train are superb, highly recommended.

Just ordered Folklore.  Curse you "Buy now with one click"!  Curse you Amazon Prime! 

Tim Hall has published his albums of the year on his excellent "Where Worlds Collide" blog. A man after my own heart when it comes to music, Tim has been accused of being irrelevant, out of touch and even racist in his choice of music, he tweeted recently that this may be because he writes about struggling prog bands and not millionaire rappers.
 
Anyway given the overlap in my taste and his I will be investigating the albums on his list I am not familiar with.
Part 1 - the "Runners up"
Part 2 - No.6 to 10
Part 3 - No.2 to 5
Album of the Year
 
And a final list of notable EPs etc that did not qualify as albums.
 
 Edit - fixed an incorrect link!
 
 

Glyn Barnes
Tim Hall has published his albums of the year on his excellent "Where Worlds Collide" blog. A man after my own heart when it comes to music, Tim has been accused of being irrelevant, out of touch and even racist in his choice of music, he tweeted recently that this may be because he writes about struggling prog bands and not millionaire rappers.
 
Anyway given the overlap in my taste and his I will be investigating the albums on his list I am not familiar with.
Part 1 - the "Runners up"
Part 2 - No.6 to 10
Part 3 - No.2 to 5
Album of the Year
 
And a final list of notable EPs etc that did not qualify as albums.
 

 
Your last link is the same as the Album of the Year.  I believe THIS is what you meant to put there!
 
(I'm definitely checking the list later to see if I'm missing anything!)
 

craigb
Your last link is the same as the Album of the Year.  I believe THIS is what you meant to put there!
 

 - Thanks, I have edited it now!

An addendum to my list. I have just received "I am Snow" by The Heather Findlay Band. What a beautiful, gentle album from the ex-Mostly Autumn vocalist.
 
Edit -Was looking for a link for the "Now Playing" thread, no luck. The website lacks even audio teasers but info here  http://www.heatherfindlay.co.uk/wordpress/?p=766
 

Glyn Barnes
An addendum to my list. I have just received "I am Snow" by The Heather Findlay Band. What a beautiful, gentle album from the ex-Mostly Autumn vocalist.
 
Edit -Was looking for a link for the "Now Playing" thread, no luck. The website lacks even audio teasers but info here  http://www.heatherfindlay.co.uk/wordpress/?p=766
 

Not sure what you meant about the Now Playing link Glyn, so I put a YouTube video of her title song in that thread.  One of the few from that websites list that I don't have now - might have to add it to my personal "to get" list. 

dmbaer
I have now listened to Folklore by Big Big Train about three times - wow, thanks ever so much for this recommendation, Glyn and jamesg.
 
It's really an interesting "stack" of styles: epic cinematic bombast along with Olde English folksy motifs, and all of it with exquisite guitar and synth lines weaving in and out.  I will be going back for earlier albums - no doubt about that.

The two 'English Electric' albums and 'The Underfall Yard' are excellent too. Love Dave Gregory's guitar work, the epitome of good taste.They were a different band when they started out, I haven't got into their very early stuff yet.

dmbaer

jamesg1213
The two 'English Electric' albums and 'The Underfall Yard' are excellent too. Love Dave Gregory's guitar work, the epitome of good taste.They were a different band when they started out, I haven't got into their very early stuff yet.

The English Electric albums seem to be available (on amazon.com) three ways: as separate individual disks, as a double-disk set, and as an alternate double-disk set labeled "Expanded Edition".  Any recommendations about which would be preferable?

From the reviews I've read, the 'Full Power' 2 CD set is beautifully packaged, been wrestling with myself to get it, as I already have the 2 albums.
 
I got the double live CD 'A Stone's Throw From The Line' just before Xmas, very good indeed, and again it's a very lavish package.

According to David Longden there's a new album 'Grimspound' slated for 2017