Was U.K. the dawning of Prog Metal?

I read Gatot Widayanto's review of the first U.K. album. He said he "One thing that I can assure you, like it or not, this album has inspired the birth of progressive metal vein. You want some proof?" and he explains similarities to Dream Theater and Yngie Malmsteen's cover of "In the Dead of Night."

Holdsworth's guitar work  has long been credited as an influence by Metal guitarists. His use of distortion to create long fluid (legato) phrases has been copied and become common amongst guitar players worldwide. Eddie Jobson's keyboard work seems more "in your face" than most keyboardists (except Keith Emerson.... ha ha Beat ya to it, Linda), which is prevalent in Prog Metal. Bruford's drumming on U.K. is bombastic, more so than on his previous efforts. John Wetton's bass, unfortunately, gets burried in the mix, but his voice pushes the limits to near screaming moments.

I'm not sure if I totally agree with GW's comments, but I see what he means. If not U.K., then where did it start?

Personally, I think By-Tor and the Snow Dog by RUSH got the Prog-Metal ball rolling.

How's aboutchu?

danbo wrote: Holdsworth's guitar work  has long been credited as an influence by Metal guitarists.

(No denying and Eddie Van Halen and Joe Satriani are top of that list). However, I think Holdsworth's acknowledgement to all that is clearly shown in the opening bars of the tune Metal Fatique - some atypical metal chords, before getting back to the usual business. While Yngwie Malmsteen has a fair crack at In The Dead Of Night, he fights shy of the Holdsworth finger distorting fast runs and legato - and perhaps one of the few tunes on Inspirations (I like this record btw), he doesn't make sound like Rainbow (which he does on the Kansas cover).

Dando I've chased down many Holdsworth-inspired guitarists, and I can't think of any who come close from the heavy  or metal prog rock side. The best ones are predominantly jazz rock fusionists. One non-jazz exception: Francis Dunnery whilst with It Bites (and in his Holdsworth-meets-Peter Gabriel period - I'll have to dig ou the interview from 1988) occasionally threw in Holdsworth-like runs during his solos. Otherwise check Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale (e.g. Truth In Shredding with Gambale and Holdsworth), Scott McGill (Echolyn spin-off Finneus Gauge has always reminded me of UK-meets-Bruford, and then there was  McGill's Handfarm - his more recently albums with Michael Manring e.g Addition By Substraction, find McGill sounding less Holdsworthian), Susan Weinhart (e.g. a couple of tracks on her second album Other Side Of The Tracks), Nguygen Le (occasionally slips in Holdsworth mode), Jacques LeGrec, Elliott Freeman Group, the Minnesota-based Whoopgnash, Alex McHacek (whose first album Featuring Ourselves, sounds like Holdsworth in one of Zappa's bands),  Steve Topping (Time and Distance; he even has a Holdsworth rhythm selection) - and I forget the name of the Dutch guy..... etc. etc.

Danbo:

It is an interesting theory, and probably not without some merit.  It would be interesting for someone (hint, hint...) to take the time to research this a little.  It could be done simply by figuring out which "prog metal" bands and album were chronologically "first," and then developing the theory from there.

Peace.

richardh wrote: Mid to late seventies Anglo/Welsh band Lone Star were more significant.They latched onto the prog side of Led Zep's music.Rush were also important.UK had little to do with prog metal.I don't hear anything on their two studio albums that screams 'prog metal' to be honest.

a big infleunce to this was the playing of crazy horses on mainstream tv by osmonds.This showed guitar and keyboard in a heavy style to mass audiance around world.i think this statrted the progmetal style.

I believe Uriah Heep was the Dawning of Prog/Metal, they were working in this style since Look at Yourself (1971) with their first epic July Morning and complex tracks as Look at Yourself or Tears in my Eyes that has most extraordinaire vocal work I ever heard.

Later the genre was developed with Demons and Wixzards and Magician's Birthdat (1972)

If I'm not wrong this is 7 years before UK.

Iván

Never mind the beginning -- WHEN WILL IT END?

Must... stop... the pain! Guitars... too distorted! Drums... too fast! Head... going... to explode!

Aaaaaarrrrrgghhhhh!!!!!!!!

What a senseless waste of human life...