List your favorite Progressive Metal bassists

[Rudyboy98]

Okay, here's one for you all:

List your favorite prog metal/rock bass player. Try your best to describe their style and what makes them unique.

Jari Kainulainen (Stratovarius/Evergrey):

I think you may have noticed his playing is pretty phenomenal. He has a fantastic ability to play melody with many of the guitar parts that are being played (Working with Timo Tolkki must be difficult, since he's known to be a perfectionist.) Also, his playing style is pretty rock solid. He doesn't overplay and doesn't sound like he is soloing the songs to death.

His sound is pretty balanced. He doesn't have a pounding sound, instead, it's pretty well mixed and stands out only when it should. For those that know Evergrey...he'll be in a kick butt band...they're LOUD!

Any opinions are welcome! Post away!

[Valerus]

Joey Vera (Fates Warning)
Eddie Jackson (Queensrÿche)
Mariusz Duda (Riverside)
Martin Mendez (Opeth) [can be called progressive death metal]

[Rudyboy98]

Originally Posted by Valerus

Joey Vera (Fates Warning)
Eddie Jackson (Queensrÿche)
Mariusz Duda (Riverside)
Martin Mendez (Opeth) [can be called progressive death metal]

Joey Vera: Must be good, I just don't like 'Fates Warning', but they are a good band.

Eddie Jackson: I just met him a couple of months ago..really nice guy!

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by Rudyboy98

Eddie Jackson: I just met him a couple of months ago..really nice guy!

Yeah!! Saw 'em live on the 15th.

[Celestial]

Pete Perez of Spastic Ink.
Sean Malone of Cynic and Gordian Knot.

[neurotictim]

Originally Posted by Celestial

Sean Malone of Cynic and Gordian Knot.

+1

Also, though it's kind of out there, might not qualify as metal, I like Colin Edwin from Porcupine Tree. Understated, but good.

And the guy from DGM, Andrea Arcangeli, is like John Myung (IMO) with better tone.

[jmac]

Originally Posted by Valerus

Joey Vera (Fates Warning)
Eddie Jackson (Queensrÿche)
Mariusz Duda (Riverside)
Martin Mendez (Opeth) [can be called progressive death metal]

Nice list. I love all of their work.

I just posted about Riverside in another thread about bassists that sing.
Mariusz Duda isn't a monster but he writes tasty lines and has nice vocals.

Originally Posted by Rudyboy98

Joey Vera: Must be good, I just don't like 'Fates Warning', but they are a good band.

How can you be into prog and not like FW.

[StanFan]

I definitely agree with Sean Malone and Joey Vera. Fates Warning's first bassist (Joe DiBiase) had some pretty good work too. Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree is great, but they are considered more of a rock band despite their heaviness.

[Valerus]

Originally Posted by Celestial

Sean Malone of Cynic and Gordian Knot.

Ah! Forgot him.

Classify Gordian Knot more as prog rock.

[jsingles]

Martin Mendez by far... LOVE his tasteful playing and tone. The song "ending credits" off of damnation is a perfect example of his tastefulness.

i HATE john myung his playing is so dry and lacks any feeling or tastefulness IMO

[Lesfunk]

Elliot Shaw from Geomancer

Justin Chancellor - Tool
Geddy Lee - Rush
John Entwistle - The Who


...


Okay, real list:
-Sean Malone: Cynic, Aghora, Gordian Knot (they have metal moments)
-Steve Digiorgio: Death, many other projects
-Jeroen Paul Thesseling: Pestilence
-Chris Kringel: Cynic's touring bassist

I'll add to this list later.

[Mudshark23]

+100 on Justin Chancellor and Geddy.

but i would also include Chris Squire, Tony Levin and Trevor Dunn on any top progressive bassit list.

and even if it isn't rock, in terms of progressive i don't think you find anybody more progressive than SQUAREPUSHER. the man is beyond genius. his technique is phenomenal, but even better is that most of the stuff you hear on his records that you think is being programmed on a synth he is playing live on his bass with a midi pick up.

anyody committed to the bass as an art form needs to see him live at least once, and even then you will have trouble believing what you are hearing. he is that good on the bass.

Originally Posted by Tired_Thumb

Okay, real list:
-Sean Malone: Cynic, Aghora, Gordian Knot (they have metal moments)
-Steve Digiorgio: Death, many other projects
-Jeroen Paul Thesseling: Pestilence
-Chris Kringel: Cynic's touring bassist

I'll add to this list later.

Actually, adding to this now:
-Tony Choy: Atheist, Pestilence
-Alex Webster: Blotted Science
-Erik Tiwaz: Borknagar, Vintersorg
-Doug Keyser: Watchtower
-John Alderete: Racer X (If you consider them progressive for the time period)
-Thomas Miller: Symphony X
-Mike LePond: Symphony X
-Alan Goldstein: Aghora (also hangs out here occassionally)
-Shawn Kasack: Outworld

[grace & groove]

Steve Digiorgio from Death/basically everything else... amazing fretless virtuoso

Tony Choy from Atheist... no metal bass player can slap/groove like him

Dan Briggs from Between the Buried and Me... probably most technical player to date

[Rudyboy98]

Originally Posted by jmac

How can you be into prog and not like FW.

Well, I have heard their music...and it's just not my cup of tea..suffice it to say I believe that they are a talented band. I just don't know enough about their bass player and his workto have much of an opinion.

For example: I do like John Myung's work from Dream Theater, it's just his style of playing that is a bit strange to me. He has a unique approach though and he's also very talented.

No offense, I hope...

[xsogol]

Steve DiGiorgio - especially his work in Death, Control Denied, Vintersorg, Sadus, Dark Hall, and DragonLord

Martin Mendez - Opeth

Justin Chancellor - Tool

Tony Choy - in Atheist, Cynic, and Pestilence (great player though I don't like his tone that much)

Stephan Fimmers - Necrophagist (SICK player!!!!)

John Wetton - King Crimson (his tone and playing were like Thor's Hammer!)

Tony Levin - King Crimson, Peter Gabriel

Dave Pegg - Jethro Tull (yeah yeah yeah...JT counts!)...another great fretless player (and a huge influence on DiGiorgio)

John Glascock - Jethro Tull (had some HEAVY basslines during a very interesting time in JT's evolution)

Chris Squire - Yes (listen to Machine Messiah and Tempus Fugit...yup...'nuff said)

Doug Keyser - Watchtower (the precursor to modern Prog Metal...WAY ahead of their time!!)

Dave Meros - Spock's Beard

[oli@bass]

Not really metal, but progressive....

Dave Meros - Spock's Beard
Edwin Colin - Porcupine Tree
Jonas Reingold - The Flower Kings

[bassist324]

While a lot of my favorites have already been said, I have to add:

Lars K. Norberg - Spiral Architect - although he can overdo it at times
Sean Andrews - Redemption - great lines just hard to hear at times
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7kqcnkROuI
Francois Mongrain - Martyr - starting to push into death metal but still progressive and I love what he does

[Valerus]

You guys are saying prog rock now??
I need to update my list then.