Sieges Even are one of progressive metal’s best-kept secrets — a German band, revered by those who know them, who grew from fierce technical thrash into music of real subtlety and beauty. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their albums.

The short version

For the heart of Sieges Even, start with The Art of Navigating by the Stars, Paramount and A Sense of Change — the celebrated reunion peak and the earlier album whose spirit it echoes. The full ranking is below.

Prog metal’s best-kept secret

Formed in Munich in 1985 around the Holzwarth brothers, Sieges Even began life as a fiercely technical thrash band — so intricate that critics reached for comparisons to America’s Watchtower — before growing, across two distinct phases, into something far more subtle: intricate, melodic, emotionally rich progressive rock. Cherished by those who found them but never famous, they reached a celebrated peak with their reunion-era albums The Art of Navigating by the Stars and Paramount. These seven records are their complete studio discography.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, ambition and how well each album holds together — across a band that changed a great deal over the years. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential three

At the top sits The Art of Navigating by the Stars (2005), their reunion masterpiece — a warm, melodic, beautifully judged album, widely regarded as one of the finest progressive metal records of its era and the moment the band finally tamed their old tendency toward over-complexity. Beside it stands Paramount (2007), its equally accomplished successor by the same quartet, and A Sense of Change (1991), the earlier, gentler album whose thoughtful spirit those reunion records would echo years later.

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Reliably great

The next tier is excellent too. Steps (1990) is the most accomplished of their early technical-prog-metal albums, all sophisticated riffs and shifting rhythms, while Uneven (1997) is the most distinctive of their mid-period records — a unique, jazz- and funk-tinged take on technical prog.

For completists

Two more albums complete the seven. Their debut Life Cycle (1988) is the raw, Watchtower-flavoured tech-thrash record where it all began, and Sophisticated (1995) is the most divisive of their experimental mid-1990s albums. Both reward listeners who already love the peaks above.

Every album, in order

Sieges Even’s complete studio discography, in chronological order. Click through to the full write-up on any record.

Where to start

Begin with The Art of Navigating by the Stars — their most beloved and accessible album, and the ideal way in. From there, Paramount and A Sense of Change complete the essential run.

Prefer to own them? Find these on Amazon: The Art of Navigating by the Stars · Paramount · A Sense of Change

The players

Sieges Even were built around the Munich-based Holzwarth brothers — drummer Alex Holzwarth and bassist Oliver Holzwarth, both later members of Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire — with founding guitarist Markus Steffen and, for their acclaimed reunion albums, the Dutch singer Arno Menses. After the band split in 2008, Steffen and Menses went on to form Subsignal, carrying the spirit forward. The band, incidentally, started out under the name Sodom, before changing it to avoid confusion with their more notorious countrymen.

Why they still matter

Sieges Even never enjoyed the fame of the genre’s biggest names, but few progressive metal bands evolved so far, or so gracefully — from raw technical thrash to music of real depth and beauty. Admired alongside peers like Fates Warning and Dream Theater, and a quiet point of pride for the German scene that produced Eloy, they remain a treasured discovery for anyone willing to seek them out.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Sieges Even 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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