The Hemispheres Of Heavy Prog |
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Draith
Forum Groupie Joined: March 25 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 67 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 02:00 |
Bravo, great work!
This subgenre of "progressive hard rock," dubbed heavy prog, has had me scratching my head for quite a while. I too have my musical roots in hard rock (mainly "classic" hard rock of the late seventies) and am a die hard progger, and I never could find enough bands to combine both concepts. Hence Rush is and probably always will be my favorite band, especially their mid to late seventies era from 2112 to Moving Pictures. As a result I've been able to branch out in both directions of prog, the classic prog like Yes, Genesis, and ELP to prog metal like Symphony X, DT, and Kamelot. Similarly I've found other bands incorperate distortion guitar in the sense that heavy prog does such as Mahavishnu, Return to Forever, Kansas, King Crimson and Gentle Giant. So I was pretty happy when the subgenre of "heavy prog" was established to allow me to find more "progressive classic hard rock" bands like Rush. I do a search on 70s and 80s heavy prog and the only consistent bands ranking above 3.0 are Rush, Uriah Heep (which I had already discovered thanks to Mike Akerfeldt, ironically) some Atomic Rooster and Lucifer's Friend, which I still have yet to check out. I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more bands that were anything like Rush and that there's was no heavy prog in the 80s in response. Thanks for clearing some things up for me regarding the evolution and nature of heavy prog. Now my goal is to someday form a great heavy prog band to add to the subgenre! |
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Petrovsk Mizinski
Prog Reviewer Joined: December 24 2007 Location: Ukraine Status: Offline Points: 25210 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 07:32 |
Great work on the blog Mike and for education those not in the know about this amazing
genre "Emo, a new form of punk, has even made its way into the genre as well as alternative". According to most documentaries I've seen and books I've read, punk had it's true beginnings in about 1974 (punk proper and not proto-punk bands like the Stooges, New York Dolls et al that existed as early as the 60s). Now , that would mean punk is about 34 years old at this point. Emo first reared its head, as early as 1984. 24 YEARS AGO. I wouldn't call a 24 year old genre a new form of Punk, not by a long shot, especially since newer genres of punk were still being developed in the early '90s. I make a suggestion that for greater accuracy in your blog, you change the line from "Emo, a new form of punk, has even made its way into the genre as well as alternative" to perhaps "Post Hardcore, a form of punk has even made its way into the genre as well as alternative" and this shall improve the accuracy in relation to the '00 bands, in particular TMV and The Fall Of Troy. Indeed, it is Post Hardcore and not emo in which TMV had their roots in, which of course is because Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala were previously in the Post Hardcore outfit At The Drive In. And of course The Fall Of Troy is very much Post Hardcore influenced too. Going back more on heavy prog, I really dig The Mars Volta, The Fall of Troy and Porcupine Tree (the top 3 for me out of the bands listed in the first post) and it was great to see someone giving The Fall of Troy some recognition, a special thanks for that Mike |
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Queen By-Tor
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 13 2006 Location: Xanadu Status: Offline Points: 16111 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 11:49 |
Thanks to those I haven't already followed up on!
@ProgBagel - thanks for the support! I'll make sure to keep you posted when this gets updated with the next segment. @Draith - Good to see that this got you thinking! I look forward to what you might work on in the future. If there's something that we need now is more heavy prog bands and people that appreciate it! @Hughes - You make a strong point. Actually, my mention of emo was mostly aimed at the last two bands on the list, although the mention of "post hardcore" actually fits the bill better on the whole when pulling into account TMV and Fall of Troy. |
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Hirgwath
Forum Senior Member Joined: July 16 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 262 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 17:02 |
Bless you for including the Fall of Troy! An underrated gem of a band (at least here on the Archives). Of course, practically all of the "scene" kids know about them.
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Skwisgaar Skwigelf: taller than a tree. Toki Wartooth: not a bumblebee. |
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: July 15 2008 at 21:21 |
Hey Mike I just realised that Sabbath isn't there!
Black Sabbath(debut), Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage are sure entries. |
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 30 2006 Location: Pearland Status: Offline Points: 65266 |
Posted: July 16 2008 at 01:07 |
other less known HP greats --
Australis http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3371 Freedom's Children http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3212 Zarathustra http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=783 |
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Yorkie X
Forum Senior Member Joined: July 04 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1049 |
Posted: July 17 2008 at 02:02 |
Really interesting blog, I`m going to check out a few bands because I read this
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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14258 |
Posted: July 30 2008 at 20:56 |
Great review and easy to read and comprehend. Keep these coming. Do an article perhaps of the new progressive metal acts of 2000 onwards.
Great stuff.
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debrewguy
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: April 30 2007 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 3596 |
Posted: July 31 2008 at 14:15 |
Do give a gander at the reviews/ratings here at PA for Night Sun's sole album "Mournin". Deep Purple with their 60s Psych bits intact, Yes just a little less virtuosic, and slabs of early 70s heavy prog.
No PA collabs/admin/reviewers yet; but us hoi polloi go Oy over it ! |
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"Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case.
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Mandrakeroot
Forum Senior Member Italian Prog Specialist Joined: March 01 2006 Location: San Foca, Friûl Status: Offline Points: 5851 |
Posted: August 01 2008 at 10:29 |
I posted this post in Suggest New Bands and Artists because this is a good Ex-YU Hevy Prog band!:
I have bought 'Raskorak' by ljubljana Heavy Prog band Oko, remastered by the member of the band Pavel Kavec from original 1976 masters in December 1998.
Extreme great album for all fans of deep Purple/ Rainbow, Uriah Heep and Eloy and all Heavy progsters!
There are several sites that have Mp-3 of OKO. |
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SouthSideoftheSky
Special Collaborator Symphonic Team Joined: June 29 2008 Location: Close To The... Status: Offline Points: 1933 |
Posted: August 01 2008 at 11:25 |
I was just about to say the same thing! But I would like to add Master Of Reality as well. Most of these early Black Sabbath albums were quite progressive, more so than Deep Purple MII in my opinion and certainly more so than anything by Led Zeppelin.
Further, some other Black Sabbath albums right up till 1990 were quite proggy as well, listen especially to TYR & Headless Cross and also individual songs like Sign Of The Southern Cross from Mob Rules (even if the album isn't very proggy considered as a whole).
I would say that Black Sabbath is essential listening for any heavy prog fan.
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: August 04 2008 at 15:24 |
^I agree
But Master of Reality is really Heavy more-so to Metal than Prog. Their debut and Paranoid have a lot of Progression on their songs. And Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage are truly Prog albums at cause of the inclusion of keys and less straight-forward hard rock songs. |
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SouthSideoftheSky
Special Collaborator Symphonic Team Joined: June 29 2008 Location: Close To The... Status: Offline Points: 1933 |
Posted: August 06 2008 at 06:03 |
Yeah, I'm actually working on a similar thing right now inspired by this one. Though mine is going to be a bit different being about the historical roots of prog metal.
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: August 06 2008 at 13:49 |
Just a suggestion my friend Mike:
-I think Led Zeppelin IV is quite Heavy Prog, or at least Prog Hard Rock, hehe. Stairway to Heaven and When The Levee Breaks are very proggy. As well as No Quarter and Song Remains the Same from Houses of the Holy. While Achilles Last Stand is very Proggy, dunno if the whole album would suit. -You could also add Burn from Deep Purple. It has the entry of the moog and quite the return to roots to MK 2, even though you have the slight Soul-Funk influence. This is not a completely MUST add though. -Heep's debut? It has almost every element of Salisbury, just without the Symphonic Epic. -And well the already said Black Sabbath. Debut, Paranoid, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath(almost every track) and Sabotage(The Writ and Meglomania) are musts for any Heavy Progger. Just a suggestion. |
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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14258 |
Posted: August 13 2008 at 01:55 |
Led Zeppelin 4 has to be one of the proggiest albums of LZ and deserves a place on any list. |
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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14258 |
Posted: August 13 2008 at 01:56 |
The Black Sabbath debut is a must as well as Paranoid - very early elements of prog are certain.
i agree with these thoughts.
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 30 2006 Location: Pearland Status: Offline Points: 65266 |
Posted: August 13 2008 at 05:49 |
some great new additions to HP today!
Oko - Rough but tasteful Yugoslavian heavyprog , vintage stuff from 1976 http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3902 Kingfisher Sky - Highly talented Nederlanders Ivar de Graaf and Judith Rijnveld doing a blend of heavy/Celtic, melodic and beautifully recorded (I'll be adding the album later today) http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=3903 |
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AtomicCrimsonRush
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 14258 |
Posted: August 13 2008 at 19:39 |
Great! I will check those out as soon as I can get hold of them.
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npjnpj
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 05 2007 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 2720 |
Posted: August 14 2008 at 03:20 |
I think this blog is great, really enjoyed the reviews.
There is one more early-era band that might also qualify, one of those obscure outfits that seem to fit in with the 'short-but-influecial' artists, that being 'TheGun' with their self-titled album containing the single: 'Race with the devil'.
Might be of some interest. Edited by npjnpj - August 14 2008 at 03:21 |
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glasshouse27
Forum Groupie Joined: October 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 50 |
Posted: August 15 2008 at 15:57 |
All Together a GREAT JOB!! BRAVO!! haha
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