Sieges Even are one of the great cult treasures of progressive metal — a Munich band who began life in 1985 as a ferociously technical thrash outfit, so intricate that critics reached for comparisons to America’s Watchtower, before evolving across two distinct phases into something far subtler: intricate, melodic, emotionally rich progressive rock. Built around the extraordinary Holzwarth brothers — drummer Alex and bassist Oliver, both later members of Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire — and founding guitarist Markus Steffen, they reached a celebrated peak with their reunion-era albums and the Dutch singer Arno Menses. Here is every Sieges Even studio album, ranked from worst to best.

The short version

At the top sits their reunion masterpiece The Art of Navigating by the Stars (2005), with its companion Paramount and the early gem A Sense of Change close behind. At the other end, the funk-inflected Uneven tends to divide even the faithful. The full ranking is below.

How we rank them

This is one fan’s honest take on Sieges Even’s seven studio albums — their complete studio discography — setting aside their sole live album. We weigh songwriting, ambition and how well each record holds together, across a band that changed a great deal over the years. The facts are accurate; the order is where the arguments begin.

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The lower reaches

7. Uneven (1997)

Their swan song before the split and reunion, continuing the energetic, funk- and fusion-influenced direction of Sophisticated. Impressively played, but the least essential and most divisive of their records. A flawed farewell to their first era.

6. Sophisticated (1995)

The first album without Markus Steffen, a jazz-, fusion- and funk-inflected record with a new lineup that divided their following. Adventurous and technically dazzling, but a long way from their signature sound. A bold, uneven detour.

The middle of the pack

5. Life Cycle (1988)

The ferociously technical thrash debut, so intricate that critics reached for comparisons to America’s Watchtower, all knotty riffs and dizzying time changes. Raw and relentless, and a world away from their later subtlety, but hugely impressive. A remarkable beginning.

4. Steps (1990)

The second album, where the band began to move beyond pure technical thrash toward the more progressive sound to come. Dense, muscular and ambitious, if a shade less refined than what followed. A strong transitional record.

The upper tier

3. A Sense of Change (1991)

The early gem whose thoughtful, mellow spirit The Art of Navigating by the Stars would later echo, shedding much of their thrash past for intricate, emotional prog metal, with a title track built around a string quartet. Unusual, elevating and full of surprises. A cult classic.

The masterpieces

2. Paramount (2007)

The second and final reunion album, continuing the melodic, dynamic style of its predecessor in a slightly more accessible, immediately catchy form, with more memorable choruses and Menses again carrying enormous weight. A little less complex, but no less rewarding. A near-masterpiece.

1. The Art of Navigating by the Stars (2005)

The masterpiece: their reunion album and most beloved record, a 63-minute long-form suite of intricate, emotionally rich progressive rock, built on the Holzwarth brothers’ peerless interplay and lifted by the soaring voice of new singer Arno Menses, from “Lighthouse” to the recurring themes that bind it into a whole. Subtle, timeless and deeply moving. The definitive Sieges Even album, and the place to begin.

Every Sieges Even album, ranked

The full ranking at a glance, best to worst.

Where to start

New to Sieges Even? Begin with The Art of Navigating by the Stars (2005), their most beloved and accessible album and the ideal way in. From there, its companion Paramount and the early gem A Sense of Change complete the essential run. Few catalogues in progressive metal are this rewarding or this underrated.

The verdict

Few bands in progressive metal are as quietly beloved as Sieges Even — a group who journeyed from blistering technical thrash to some of the most subtle, emotionally resonant progressive rock the genre has produced, and who never got the recognition they deserved. Anchored throughout by the peerless Holzwarth brothers, and elevated in their final years by the soaring voice of Arno Menses, they left behind a small but remarkable catalogue. After the band split in 2008, Steffen and Menses carried the spirit forward in Subsignal. Whether you begin with the masterful The Art of Navigating by the Stars or the early gem A Sense of Change, there is a wealth of intricate, heartfelt prog to discover here.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: count down their finest tracks with the best Sieges Even songs, browse our pick of their best Sieges Even albums, or head back to the full directory of every prog band’s discography, ranked.

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