Let’s see if I can explain this adequately… I’m looking for rock albums that evoke fantasy or fantasy settings. Not necessarily just lyrics that are about swords ‘n’ sorcery (though they can be), but more of the overall picture that it paints-- music that is pastoral, but also feels somehow exotic or otherworldly.
Some albums I have in mind as examples are English Settlement by XTC, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy by Sarah McLachlan, Bee Thousand by Guided by Voices, or The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society.
A band called Blind Guardian has an album called Nightfall on Middle Earth. There are a couple of songs in which you can almost hear elves prancing around. They are a metal-ish kind of band, generally.
Sylvan Song / Dream of the Archer by Heart.
Crazy Man Michael by Fairport Convention. (Okay, that’s more straight up folk but they were a folk rock band.)
ETA: Ohhh, albums, nevermind. Although by throwing in some other early Heart on a selective basis, you could get a qualifying album.
Song of Scheherazade - Renaissance, among others. A random listen of their catalog, especially the earlier stuff, will result in a number of things that fit.
*Through the Fire and Flames *- Dragonforce Hardly “pastoral,” but fantasy-evoking nonetheless.
The first band that leapt to mind is Sigur Ros (I particularly like Hoppipolla, because it has this wonderful hopeful epic feel to it… plus the video is warm-fuzzy all over) It’s not quite as “rock” as some of the suggestions so far, but since Sarah McLachlan got a mention in the OP, I’m assuming you’re working with a fairly loose definition of the word.
If that fits the bill, you may also want to check out Mum, which has a similar sound on some of their tracks, though they’ve got a bit more of an ambient-electronic sort of vibe (Green Grass of Tunnel is nice)
Well, of course you have your basic 60s, 70s, and 80s progressive or art rock bands for litteral fantasy. Pretty much anything by:
Pink Floyd
Jethro Tull
Moody Blues
Rush
Yes
etc, etc
Along the lines of Sarah MacLachlan “pastoral and otherworldly” you might also try Tori Amos, Enya, Dido, 10,000 Maniacs/Natalie Merchant Frou Frou/Imogen Heap.
I would also recommend:
Coldplay (A Rush of Blood to the Head, X&Y, Viva la Vida)
Radiohead (Kid A)
Thievery Corporation
Portishead
You might also like the sountracks to Garden State and Vanilla Sky. “Altered states of reality” are common themes in both films and their soundtracks reflect that.
I came in here to say this. They have quite a few songs that fit your description sprinkled throughout their other albums. Specifically, the Bard’s Song(s) on the Somewhere Far Beyond album, and Skalds and Shadows on their latest album. I could go on, but I am biased since I’m a big fan (they’re the source of my doper-name).
Another in the symphonic/progressive metal area is a band called Nightwish. I’m not as familiar with them, but a couple of the songs I heard qualify as fantasy. I thought it was Evanescence the first time I heard them (if that helps envision what they sound like).
You might like Eldorado by the Electric Light Orchestra, or Past Times With Good Company by Blackmore’s Night (it’s a live album, if you prefer studio recordings they have many).