Rush: Heavy Prog or Prog Metal?

They have some moments of legit prog metal. The early years didn't have a whole lot of prog though lots of Zep/Sabbath type metal. Maybe "Anthem?" After "2112", "Cygnus X-1" is the only very good example of prog metal. My beef with the whole prog metal label is it's not at all representative of the band's sound, and as some have said, did not even Yes have a similarly metallic prog sound on "South Side of the Sky"? King Crimson honestly blew them out of the water in terms of heaviness. "De Futura" by Magma is also heavier than anything by Rush, though I'd also hesitate to call it metal cause it's so weird   I'm writing a bit out of bitterness. Back when I only listened to metal and talked with metal fans, I was led to believe prog mostly sounded like Pink Floyd and Rush was the closest to metal classic prog ever got. WRONG! There still seems to be a deep disconnect between prog metal fans and prog rock in general, but anyways...I say heavy prog is a good label.

Argonaught wrote: Logan wrote: I've always thought of Rush as primarily being a hard rock band which certainly has links to classic heavy metal.  Heavy Prog is the most apt category.  Quoting from (fading) memory: when I started listening to Rush, which would have been good 35 years ago, the word "prog" was being used a lot more sparingly than it's now. I certainly don't remember Rush being called prog back then; just hard rock or heavy metal. But it's also true that they came up with markedly more complex lyrics and melody lines than many others in the genre.   Should we say, Prog Metal in the 1970s and more like Heavy Prog afterwards?

Maybe more like people thought of as being Prog Metal in the 1970s, but different from what most people think now as being Prog Metal.

I'd say more like classic heavy metal with a prog edge with early albums, and becoming increasinly symphonic hard prog rock as they progressed.  Thing is, classic heavy metal, or progressive heavy metal, is not the same thing as what we know consider to be metal, or progressive metal.  Early Rush has a harder blues edge to me,with some heavy riffin', which is what Heavy Prog is really about to my ears (that and it's Prog, of course).  Working Man has been mentioned as one of those kinds of tracks.  It's got that bluesy classic heavy metal edge.  Or Anthem.  Or Bastille Day.  I think Anthem's a great one.  I actually like Rush best when they had that driving classic hard rock sound.  Heavy Prog is perfect to me to describe 70s albums by Rush.

In terms of category for Rush over all, after Heavy Prog I would say that Crossover fits them best, but not Prog Metal as we know it (and not what I would call Prog Metal though it can cross into that territory)

By the way, I once argued for AC/DC's addition at a metal sister site to Prog Archives, and was told that it's just hard rock, but I said back in the 70s, and early 80s, we often considered what is often just labelled as hard rock these days to be heavy metal then.  Music by Iron Butterfly (overplaed perhaps, but I still love In a Gadda da Vida), Black Sabbath (duh), Led Zeppelin etc.

Ah good, thanks, I agree with that designation.

Catcher10 wrote: In 1974, I would have considered Working Man more metal than anything else. And not as a label but what the music sounded like, was it Black Sabbath metal, don't think so...Was it Led Zeppelin metal, yea. But if Ozzy sang Working Man, it might have a harder metal tone to it. It did not sound like Genesis, Pink Floyd or Yes....more Schizoid Man than anything. So many people give that song a metal tag than a prog rock tag...which I agree with I can see Working Man and Schizoid Man on the same album...

I appreciate your thoughts, Catch, but I realize that Atavachron and I went off a metal/non-metal debate.

Just to get back to the posted question, I'll state it again: Is Rush Progressive metal?

Edited by SteveG - September 26 2014 at 13:45

SteveG wrote: Just to get back to the posted question, I'll state it again: Is Rush Progressive metal?

Considering Rush is not metal: no.

Affirmative. That's why I wrote "art rock/prog rock" and "hard rock/heavy metal."

And what does the OP think?

I have to split for the weekend so I'd best say something. Rush really comes in too many flavors to put them in one specific category for me. As one member reminded me, "its Rush Music". True. But to me 2112 is the epitome of Progressive Metal and I see Rush as at least forerunners of Prog metal at specific times and with specific albums. But I emphasize, not at all times and with all albums.

I frankly cannot envision a group like Dream Theater, with their diverse influences from classic prog to thrash, existing without a big nod to Rush.

Heavy Prog fits just fine, because they are heavy in more ways then one!

Great posts by everyone. Thanks and have a great weekend!

Edited by SteveG - September 26 2014 at 14:40

Logan wrote: My response was meant to imply that the metal descriptor came closer to what some people thought of as "metal", or heavy metal, in the 1970s.

With the first side of 2112, Rush was categorized 'neath that header more so than ever, which brings us/me full circle to my remark that Side A of that pivotal recording is solidly an early example of "proto" progressive metal.

verslibre wrote: Logan wrote: My response was meant to imply that the metal descriptor came closer to what some people thought of as "metal", or heavy metal, in the 1970s. With the first side of 2112, Rush was categorized 'neath that header more so than ever, which brings us/me full circle to my remark that Side A of that pivotal recording is solidly an early example of "proto" progressive metal.

These kinds of topics always go around in circles.

Yes, I agree with you, and you made a good point, and I said just before that post you referred to of your own, Rush has influenced many Prog Metal bands, which lends some support to it being considered Proto Prog Metal (sorry, not that that bears repeating, nor is a useful comment).  As one fellow I knew might have once said about 2112, "That's some heavy sh*t, man, and I do mean, ah... heavy ... and, you know, rockin! ".

^A quick one before I'm out the door. Rush is too diverse to be tagged as just Proto Prog metal only. Peace. Out.