It could be remembered as the one in which [Band X] finally got their shit together, released a kick-arse album and started to take over the world. It could be remembered for the emergence of an entirely new scene, one which continues on an upward trajectory into the mainstream for many years to come. Or it could be, as I suspect 2007 will be remembered, "the year of the shitty emo band".

But although 2007 might be remembered as the year in which hundreds of greasy teenagers with lame hair created MySpace profiles and got their "creative" friends to do photo shoots with their crappy little bands, for me and a lot of people it will be the year that progressive music stopped being uncool.

Traditional progressive rock and metal carves out its niche from year to year, and will continue to do so, but this year we've seen progressive elements pervade a diverse range of genres, and even enter mainstream rock circles.

Australia is certainly doing its part, with albums and EPs from Arcane, Dead Letter Circus, Dead Letter Opener, Five Star Prison Cell, 'neath, never and Template among the highlights of the year. And 2008 looks to be a healthy vintage too, with albums from Karnivool, Cog, Trial Kennedy and others on the way.

On the international front, we saw Porcupine Tree continue their meteoric rise to the top of the heap, Devin Townsend finally go batshit insane, and Pain Of Salvation regain their groove after the disappointment of BE.

So here are my picks of 2007, grouped into Australian and international releases.

Australian albums of the year

1. 'neath - The Spiders Sleep
2. Template - I Thought I Turned The World, But It Turned On Me
3. Dead Letter Circus - Dead Letter Circus (EP)
4. Birds Of Tokyo - Day One
5. Five Star Prison Cell - Slaves Of Virgo

Honourable mentions: Arcane, Dead Letter Opener, Horsell Common, Gust Of Gravity, Kisschasy, never.

International albums of the year

1. Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet
2. Circa Survive - On Letting Go
3. Pain Of Salvation - Scarsick
4. Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient
5. Pelican - City Of Echoes

Honourable mentions: Against Me!, Coheed And Cambria, Oceansize, Portugal. The Man, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, The Dear Hunter, The Pax Cecilia

Disappointment of the year

The biggest disappointment of the year for me (and my esteemed colleague Mr Saltmarsh will vehemently disagree with me here) is Dream Theater's Systematic Chaos. I've slowly been losing interest in Dream Theater for the last few albums, but in the past I've always been able to appreciate their albums, even the crappier ones, for what they were. Systematic Chaos, on the other hand, I just think is a bad record, and I haven't even felt the need to listen to more than a handful of times since its release.

I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me on that one, but I believe that Dream Theater are stuck in a rut, and are now one of the least truly progressive bands in the world. I do, however, look forward to their concerts with baited breath and erect penis, so perhaps album number nine will do it for me.

2008 and beyond

So what's in store for 2008? With the aforementioned albums from Karnivool, Cog, Trial Kennedy and others on the way, good Aussie rock will continue its rise to the top of the charts.

Australian Idol and Big Brother will finally be put out of their misery and shot in the head.

The Republic debate will be started again.

And all will be right with the world.