Amplifier are one of the heaviest and most adventurous bands in modern British progressive rock — a Manchester group, led by Sel Balamir, who fuse huge, psychedelic riffs with deep-space atmosphere. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their albums.

The short version

For the heart of Amplifier, start with The Octopus, their self-titled debut Amplifier and Insider — the magnum opus and two of their heaviest early classics. The full ranking is below.

Big riffs, deep space

Formed in Manchester in 1999, Amplifier conjure huge, psychedelic, riff-driven space rock from little more than guitar, a wall of effects pedals and drums — no keyboards in sight, which is rather the point of the name. Heavy, atmospheric and gloriously cosmic, their sound has been likened to Tool, Hawkwind and Pink Floyd on a trip through deep space, and reached its ambitious peak with the sprawling double-album The Octopus. The six albums ranked here run from their 2004 debut to 2017; the band has since pushed on with Hologram (2023) and Gargantuan (2025).

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, ambition and sheer sonic impact across their catalogue. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential three

At the top sits The Octopus (2010), their magnum opus — a vast, self-financed double album, three years in the making, that crams interstellar travel and collapsing empires into two hours of heavy, cosmic, endlessly inventive rock. Beside it stands their self-titled debut Amplifier (2004), a beloved slab of heavy, spaced-out riffing that still wins fans’ hearts, and Insider (2006), the darker, hook-filled second album that deepened their sound.

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Reliably great

The next tier is well worth your time. Echo Street (2013) is their most atmospheric and accessible record, all three-part harmonies and widescreen space rock, while Mystoria (2014) is a leaner, punchier, riff-first blast of fun.

For completists

One more album rounds out this run. Trippin’ with Dr Faustus (2017) is their most freewheeling and psychedelic record — a trip worth taking once you know the albums above.

A selection, in order

A selection of Amplifier albums, in chronological order — their first six records, from 2004 to 2017, each with a full write-up here. Click through on any of them.

Where to start

Begin with The Octopus — their towering double-album masterpiece and the fullest expression of everything they do. From there, the self-titled Amplifier and Insider show the band in their heavier early prime.

Prefer to own them? Find these on Amazon: The Octopus · Amplifier · Insider

The players

Amplifier are built around the partnership of singer and guitarist Sel Balamir — their leader, main songwriter and the source of that effects-drenched sound — and drummer Matt Brobin, his constant since 1999. Bassist Neil Mahony was a long-serving early member, and former Oceansize guitarist Steve Durose joined for several years; today the band runs as a streamlined two-piece, with Balamir handling guitar and bass alike.

Why they still matter

Amplifier have never been a band to stand still, or to play it safe — and that restless, riff-heavy ambition has earned them a fiercely devoted cult following. Standing alongside fellow Mancunians Oceansize, heavy-prog cousins like Tool, and the atmospheric likes of Porcupine Tree, they make some of the biggest, boldest space rock around. For anyone who likes their progressive rock loud and cosmic, they are unmissable.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Amplifier songs. You can also place them in the bigger picture with our list of the best progressive rock albums of all time.

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