Storm Rider asked about Ayreon in the guitarists thread. Bare in mind that as of writing this I don't have 'Into the Electric Castle' which I've heard good stuff about.
Band name: Ayreon
Genre: Progressive rock/metal
Your rating of them: 8-9
Best album: The Human Equation (definitely the best intro album anyway).
Songs:
- Best All Around: 'Day Sixteen: Loser'
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- Loudest/Hardest/Most Rockin': 'Chaos'
- Most Relaxing: 'Carried by the Wind'
- Most Played/A song by them you may have heard: 'Day Eleven: Love'
- Song That Best Represents The Band: Really impossible to chose. There's a very varied sound. I suppose something like 'The First Man on Earth' maybe.
Bands like this band: At various times they resemble Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Wuthering Heights, Dream Theatre, Nightingale and Spock's Beard.
Coolest thing about this band: Definitely the multiple vocalists. Each album has up to twenty different guest vocalists playing roles in a conceptual story, who have at times included Bruce Dickinson, Mikeal Akerfeldt and Devin Townsend. They're also, of course, sci-fi fantasy story driven, which is darn cool.
And for free, here's one of their side project Star One, whom I prefer:
Band name: Star One
Genre: Space Metal
Your rating of them: 10
Best album: Space Metal
Songs:
- Best All Around: 'Intergalactic Space Crusaders'
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- Loudest/Hardest/Most Rockin': 'Lift Off/Set Your Controls'
- Most Relaxing: Star One rock out 24/7, but I suppose 'Starchild (remix)' would count.
- Most Played/A song by them you may have heard: You haven't, you poor bastard.
- Song That Best Represents The Band: 'Lift Off/Set Your Controls'
Bands like this band: 100% hypersonic x-wing dogfighting progressive Hawkwind worship of the awesome variety.
Coolest thing about this band: Urm, Anthony Lucassen, Dan Swano, Floor Jansen and Dave Brock on ONE ALBUM? YES PLEASE. Also, they did the greatest medley ever, heavy versions of Hawkwind classics with DAVE FUCKING BROCK on vocals. It's the closest you can get to overdosing on hallucinogenic drugs without actually, you know, doing it.