Änglagård vs Opeth vs The Flower Kings - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Änglagård, Opeth and TFK got the most votes in the prog and prog metal polls. Let’s see how they stand against each other

The other polls:
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=124913
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=124915

Opeth

I would have voted if there was an option 'All three'

For the longest time, this was my experience of Opeth as well. And it’s why this poll is so easy for me. Because how many bands exist out there, that make so many people attempt to leave their comfort zones to try (and often try and try again) to appreciate the music.

I’ve met so many people who have had experiences similar to mine, where an absolute abhorrence and avoidance of Cookie Monster vocals has meant that we should not even have been approaching Opeth. And yet, from Blackwater Park onwards, every album they released I would be at a listening post in a record store trying to get my head around the music, and ultimately failing because of the vocals. Ugh! Horrendous. No matter how much I liked whatever else I might hear, those harsh vocals ruined it all for me.

Strangely, I expected to like Damnation (given it featured no harsh vocals), but it didn’t really appeal to me, and I was drawn more to Deliverance - and repelled in equal measure. At the time I thought I was alone in perversely returning to something that clearly wasn’t for me. I was never going to like those vocals. Since the advent of social media (or, at least as I was late to coming to it, since I joined the social media bandwagon), I have discovered I was not alone.

Opeth has led many listeners on a merry dance, like a Pied Piper drawing us back time and time again, seemingly against our own best interests. There’s no way you could say that for The Flower Kings.

I still don’t like harsh vocals. I doubt I ever will. But I can tolerate them now, and so much so that not only have I now bought much of Opeth’s discography, but I have continued to explore the world of extreme metal. Opeth were like a gateway drug, and once I could get past my aversion and revulsion of harsh vocals, a whole new musical world opened up. There’s more in it that I don’t like (and possibly never will), but I’m grateful to Opeth for giving me that key.

Regardless of the musical talent of any of the three bands here, Opeth deserve to be number one because they have broadened the musical horizons of so many.

Reviewer for The Progressive Aspect

Anglagard is an extremely bold and talented symphonic prog band with not a dud in sight

The flower kings are lovely, they have my 2020 Album of the year

But Opeth I just hold to a whole different level. My second favorite band of all time only second to Camel, I love pretty much everything they’ve ever done and watching them progress and present a new sound album to album... nothing better

The sun has left the sky...
...Now you can close your eyes

The Flower Kings

Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake."

Music Is Live

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

Keep Calm And Listen To The Music…
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tempest_77 wrote:

Any of them that aren't The Flower Kings

Wow, what do you have against the Flower Kings? Too retro sounding? Just wondering.

I personally won't vote in polls where I don't know all the artists(maybe in larger ones but not when there's only three). I don't know Opeth that well so I didn't vote. I think Anglagard and TFK are great though.

I find nothing interesting or essential about TFK... at all.

Hybris is probably the best post-classic era symphonic album out there. But to me Änglagård just fall short of Opeth for the entirety of discography, uniqueness, and evolution/career arc. I'm not the biggest fan of Opeth's first few albums, but they really clicked after Blackwater Park. To me, Watershed is the finest example of a classic prog/death metal hybrid. Then their retro albums are pure gold. I'm a much bigger fan of Heritage than most.

Anyway, Opeth takes my vote easily.

Bandcamp

^ I'm with you, Ghost Reveries gang! Personally Pale Communion is my favorite non-growl Opeth record, and probably my second favorite overall sandwiched between GR and Still Life, so good!

The sun has left the sky...
...Now you can close your eyes

Poll Question: Vote for your favourite!
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Änglagård	21	[36.21%]
Opeth	19	[32.76%]
The Flower Kings	18	[31.03%]
You can not vote in this poll

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