I think ATS is a pretty unique album. The elements may not be unique and could be found scattered across various albums but there is no other album that has all that element constructed the way it was on ATS nor has the sound and make-up of what makes it what it is because all those elements got the LP treatment. If you understand what i mean.
It's not really similar at all to the album soundwise, but I'd say The Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle is comparable in terms of it being a great, solid album that takes you on a musical journey. It's masterfully constructed, whether the songs are taken individually or as a whole, and the only weakness on the entire album is its two interludes towards the end.
ooo nice comparison there. Though yeah, 13th step sounds nothing like ATS but it certainly has its ambition & scope. Personally, I think ATS has a bigger concept with more of an epic journey, Though I have to say 13th step is the superiour of the too albums. And though ATS is more experimental sonically, 13thStep pushes the boundaries with songs like the 7 minute opener "the Package"... the way that song starts, evolves and finishes is incredible. I'd love to see LP make an album like APC one day. That'll be my dream.
Yeah, I think the very thing that makes The Thirteenth Step interesting is that while it's clearly alternative rock, the general composition of most of the songs is overall more subdued than your traditional collection of rock-your-face-off songs. I think there may be only two songs on the entire album that may legitimately be considered "heavy."
For those of you who are laughing about Kid A, you clearly have not listened to the album. More so, you have not listened to Kid A in the context of Radiohead's chronological discography. It came right after OK Computer, which many, including myself, consider to be one of the greatest albums ever made. Kid A is extremely different, but still rather good, and I have to say it is much better than A Thousand Suns. But I can't say that Kid A is any bit similar, with the exceptions that Kid A was a huge change in Radiohead's sound and approach to music, which is exactly what A Thousand Suns is for Linkin Park, and that both are fairly electronically oriented. By no means, though, are the albums alike or similar otherwise.
If the albums only similarity is that they were a huge change from the artists usual sound(debatable as i don't hold the same opinion) then how can you compare them to determine which one is better when they obviously don't have much in common. After all, there are many albums in existence that deviates from their respective artists usual sound. A faulty logic. I don't think its a problem that you like Kid A better or think its better than ATS or whatever. But don't expect others to take that opinion beyond what it is.
If were talking superficially then I'll put forward Tool's Ænima. Both are 15 tracks long with 6 of them being segues. Album covers aren't too dissimilar either;Ænima ATS may have a bigger concept, but it's kind of open. Whereas 13S is smaller but more specific. I'm not sure which I like better. For ages I had wanted to hear Chester singing something of Maynards, so it was really cool to hear him sing The Outsider with Ashes Divide.