IRON MAIDEN

Well, it's strange to see a metal band in this site, but if you listen to any Maiden album, you will soon realize that these guys have a strong progressive undercurrent in their sound. It's not something affected and phony, like most so-called "Prog-Metal" bands. They just have have it. It's "natural". While extremely powerful, this album has so many complex meter and key changes, such intricate interplay between the two lead guitars and bass, majestic drumming and memorable riffs and melodies, that at times I was wondering if this was a prog band trying to play metal, or a metal band trying to play prog... Anyway whatever you want to call this music, it's very uplifting and energizing, and produces in me the same glowing effect that I get after listening to Genesis or ELP. The production is a bit raw, but the songs have such a sense of urgency and spontaneity that it almost seems it was recorded "live". Forget "prog-metal" - give old Maiden a spin, and the rest of the genre will seem fake and redundant.