The Dear Hunter are one of the most ambitious and theatrical bands in modern American progressive rock — the brainchild of composer Casey Crescenzo, built around an epic, multi-album concept saga. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their albums.

The short version

For the heart of the band, start with Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise, Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional and Act II: The Meaning Of — two acclaimed masterpieces and the beloved breakthrough that started it all. The full ranking is below.

A grand American saga

Formed in Providence, Rhode Island in 2005 by composer and multi-instrumentalist Casey Crescenzo, The Dear Hunter built their reputation on one of the most ambitious projects in modern prog: a planned six-part concept saga, the “Acts”, following a boy born at the turn of the twentieth century through a sprawling, decades-spanning story. Their music is lush, orchestral and wildly eclectic, folding rock, pop, soul, jazz and vaudeville into grand narrative song-cycles. Alongside the Acts they have made stand-alone records like The Color Spectrum and Migrant, and — with Act VI long on hold — have since opened a new chapter with 2022’s Antimai. The seven ranked here cover their main run, from 2006 to 2016.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, ambition and emotional impact — across a catalogue that ranges from intimate song-cycles to a nine-EP epic. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate.

The essential three

At the top sit two albums widely regarded as masterpieces: Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise (2015), the record where Crescenzo finally realised the full orchestral vision in his head, and Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional (2016), the dramatic, devastating culmination of the saga so far. Just behind comes Act II: The Meaning Of (2007), the beloved early breakthrough that turned a one-man project into a band and a phenomenon.

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Reliably great

The next tier is essential listening too. Act III: Life and Death (2009) is a darker, dramatic chapter that deepens the story, while the debut Act I: The Lake South, the River North (2006) is the gorgeous, melancholy prologue where it all began — shorter than the rest, but the perfect overture.

For completists

Two stand-alone records sit outside the main saga. The Color Spectrum (2011) is a staggering nine-EP project, one for each colour of the spectrum, that shows off the band’s genre-hopping range, and Migrant (2013) is their most personal, straightforward album — a quieter departure that divides fans. Both reward listeners who already love the Acts.

A selection, in order

A selection of The Dear Hunter’s albums, in chronological order — their main run from 2006 to 2016, each with a full write-up here. Click through on any of them.

Where to start

If you want to follow the story, begin at the start with Act I: The Lake South, the River North. If you simply want to fall for the band, Act II: The Meaning Of is the perfect entry point — and their twin peaks, Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise and Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional, show just how far they can go.

The players

The Dear Hunter is, above all, the vision of Casey Crescenzo — singer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer — who founded the project in 2005 after leaving the post-hardcore band The Receiving End of Sirens. He writes, arranges and produces the band’s elaborate concept works, with his brother Nick Crescenzo on drums the other constant and a rotating cast of musicians filling out the rich, orchestral sound.

Why they still matter

Few bands in modern progressive rock are as ambitious, or as genuinely beloved, as The Dear Hunter. Their fusion of grand narrative, orchestral scope and restless genre-hopping has earned them a fiercely devoted following. Alongside fellow American storytellers like Coheed and Cambria, eclectic adventurers like Thank You Scientist, and theatrical kindred spirits such as The Mars Volta and the genre-smashing Between the Buried and Me, they have shown just how much room the concept album still has to grow.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best The Dear Hunter 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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