i don't know if this is the right place but if not then pleace move it to another place
Well this must seem odd, two different musical movement with no direct connection at all how can they be compared, well for one thing both are musical expression movements in their time, both have a wide range of styles, subgenres, expression philosophies.
Alternative rock have it's roots from garage rock, punk, new wave and glam rock (the 60s/early 70s style like the real thing), but shifted gears in lot of different directions and sounds, different bands such as REM, U2, Red Hot Chilli Pepper, Primuz, the Police and the Clash (probably more as well) are the first and quite important bands
but in late 80s - 90s some styles and bands begann taking in other influences then just punk, some bands took in heavy/rock or metal influence from Sabbath, Zeppelin, Metallica, the Who and Alice Cooper, Psychadelic rock is another important influence which made a huge role in the expansion of alternative rock later metal
some Bands more then other (which I can mention,some I have listend to more extensivly then other, if my facts are weak plece contribute - Kyuss, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Janes Addiction (probably also At the Drive In) are the most prominant progressive alternative rock groups who are not 100% (80%) heavy prog but close,
I can hear a lot of Heavy Prog in both Badmotorfinger and Superunknown i think all the 60/70 % of the materials on these albums is very proggy, the instrumentation, the high level of building tracks good utelicing of climax and dynamic, well developed layerd guitars and riffs, texture, experimenting guitar sounds, virtous drumming by one of the gratest rock drummers in modern time Matt Cameron he is sick, Soundgarden in there late 80s through 90s and developed 3-4 genres of music and contributed to probably 2 others, Grunge, Alternative metal, stoner rock/metal, post- hardcore, sludge metal, they also have influnced Post metal and Experimental metal probably some tech prog bands as well.
Kyuss is psychadelic heavy prog/stoner who is someway carying the torch futher from SG and fully develops Stoner rock, psychadelic alternative rock, desert rock, sludge, there is some art rock tendencies in Kyuss music, Walcome to Sky Wally is an epic travel just like the Dark Tower form Steven King, warm, thick, heavy proggy music, even some Rush sounding ellements (atleast to my ears), yes most of the riffs is slow bluesy riffs but they are well developed, i have only heard Sky Walley from 93 and it is tottaly awsome and unpredictable
AiC, JA, SP have I not so much experiance with but i know they are better then avredge, Janes Addiction and Smashing Pumpkins have I read are clearly influnced by Prog rock, (but I have not heard that much from them so pleace recomend me some albums)
At the Drive In who is the forrunners to Mars Volta are also from what Ive heard also prog related but less then the bands mentioned above,
Im probably makins a fool out of myself by making up a new genre but I think it is a logical thought as well
bands who are not seemed progressive at one view can appear to be quite progressive when givven a second glance not evryone looks at Pink Floyd as 100 % progressive rock (even though they were one of the bands who invented prog and who i think is one of the best prog bands) same goes for Rush, Kansas (who I love and are100% prog

). I dont recond this will be taken seriously but I would have never suggested this if it wassent based on some logical evaluation on my part, Alternative rock can be Progressive, and have had a significant role for the 90s and 00s prog (metal) scene, Porcupine Tree, Mastodon, Tool, Meshuggah, the Mars Volta, Gojira, most tech metal bands are influnced by Hardcore or grunge (alternative rock/metal mostly by the bands i mentioned), Neurouses, Isis,
so just philosofie over this and think more then just 1 time over it listen to some of the bands mentioned
Edited by aginor - March 15 2010 at 19:12