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Prog metal...where do I start?

#41
Tash said:
Dream Theatre is prog for the sake of being progy. Its stuff that is way more fun to play than it is to listen to, and once you learn to play it (or at least at its level) its no longer as fun to listen to because musically its pretty lacking.
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Dream Theatre might be prog for the sake of being progy,
but Dream Theater is a progressive metal band that is proggy because of their sheer talent. They are like the poster boys for prog, man, they took it to a new level. You hear Prog and DT together most of the time.

It's like Metal and Black Sabbath
 
#42
I'd also suggest along with TOOL's Lateralus. AEnima, This I think, Is Tools best work and just has that raw, non-proccessed sound that Lateralus does not have. Plus, The bassist Justin Chancellor, Uses his bass whammy to great extent on songs like Eulogy and Third Eye. And it definitely gives that erie sound your looking for. This album is alot more angry than Lateralus, Actually, Everything prior to Lateralus is alot angrier.

Tools new cd should be out some time next year and is said to be the heaviest, most angry yet. So look out for that as well.
 
#44
Oh, if you also dig music made for the music's sake rather than ego, check out Porcupine Tree too. Zero wank, as opposed to Dream Theater, Symphony X and their legions of wannabe-bands. Queensryche is also a good bet. Later Fates Warning is great too.
 
#45
Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Grey. To me one of the most addictive concept albums ever. It really sucks you in, it goes from being rather timid to ultra intense. It's really one big song divided into chapters (teh prog!)


I might hate Dream Theater... I'm not sure. Images and Words gave me a headache it was so boring. Everything was nice and polished production wise. The song writing was horrendous, it seemed like the songs were written so they could solo. Quite bland... maybe it's just a bad album... I don't know.
 
#46
Dream Theater music was absolutely written so they can solo. I once read an interview with their producer, and he said he told the drummer that he shouldn't play so much all the time, and his reply was, "I have to win some musician polls!" Hated them and everything they stand for ever since.
 
#47
JimmyM said:
Dream Theater music was absolutely written so they can solo. I once read an interview with their producer, and he said he told the drummer that he shouldn't play so much all the time, and his reply was, "I have to win some musician polls!" Hated them and everything they stand for ever since.
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hahahaha

IMO songwriting (not just lyrics) comes before everything else. Opeth have excellent songwriting skills. Everything they write seems appropriate for the moment. They're one of my top 2 favorite bands.
 
#49
invisiman said:
Check out Symphony X, they're like Dream Theater but without the wank-a-thons.
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As much as I hate to say anything bad about a band that has talent, it's Dream Theater's "wank-a-thons" (great term and very accurate, invisiman) that turn me off to them...they are such incredible musicians, but sometimes they seem to go off on incredibly complex tangents that sound like pompous musical m@sturbation to me...this is just IMO...they are very talented though.

I like how Atheist and Watchtower approach the prog-metal genre better than Dream Theater, although DT is usually the first band anyone thinks of when someone says prog-metal...

By the way Stephan from Necrophagist just posted on TalkBass...check it out . Necrophagist's Epitaph is such a great album with very proggy overtones...check it out if you get a chance!
 
#51
I'm kind of ashamed being from CT, into metal and never hearing Fates Warning. :rollno: I guess It's time I checked them out.

I just ordered this: Alarum - Eventuality It looks pretty promising from the review and mp3. Anyone have/heard this album?

Air Supply pretty much is the quintessential prog metal band. I should've figured that. ;)
 
#55
For Dream Theater, I'd go with Scenes from a Memory. Images and Words and Awake are good albums too. Their new stuff really bores me - especially Train of Thought - but maybe I'm the only one.

I echo the Symphony X recommendation. The Odyssey, V, and The Divine Wings of Tragedy are all fantastic. They also have a double disc live set that is pretty good.

Pain of Salvation is a great band as well. One Hour By the Concrete Lake, Remedy Lane, or the Perfect Element would all be good starting points. I would avoid the newest album, Be, until you're a little more familiar with the band. It's a good album, but it's kind of difficult to get into.
 
#57
xsogol said:
Do Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, or Demons & Wizards count as prog metal? They are all great regardless... :bassist:
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I wouldn't say so. They are cool bands but very straight forward and "By the book" in a musical sense. Blind Guardian is probably the most expirimental of all of them and they don't really do too much to push the limits of their genre besides their extra long songs and the use of choral section for vocals, neither of which is unique to them. You're about them being cool though.
 
#59
Hey Tash, good rec on Vintersorg. I'm realy diggin them.

You'd probably enjoy the Dragonlord album I got too. "Rapture" it's called, and features ex-members of Testament and Steve DiGiogio on bass! Its much more of a black metal album than anything else but it has a death/thrash feel to it...I'm into it.
 
#60
43% burnt said:
Hey Tash, good rec on Vintersorg. I'm realy diggin them.

You'd probably enjoy the Dragonlord album I got too. "Rapture" it's called, and features ex-members of Testament and Steve DiGiogio on bass! Its much more of a black metal album than anything else but it has a death/thrash feel to it...I'm into it.
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Glad to help. And I have the Dragonlord album, they rule!
 

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