Pelican

I just have a few quick questions...Are Pelican and Isis considered prog?  I just heard them for the first time a few days ago and was blown away...very atmospheric stuff.  Anyways what are your thoughts on these bands and what are some other bands you can recomend that are similar to these two?

Thanks for the recommendations.  I heard that Red Sparowes and Pelican are on tour this year together so if youre a fan you should definately check that out.

 

Early Neurosis is tough to get into, but their latest releases are absolutely beautiful.  Check out The Eye of Every Storm.

GoldenSpiral wrote: so, what is my point in all of this?  are they prog rock?  not entirely.  are they important to the re-acceptance of progressive music?  definitely.

I agree wholeheartedly. Not many metal bands can bring a tear to the
eyes of their fans without serious bodily danger.

I would recommend Kayo Dot - not the same type of prog-doom/sludge
as Neurosis/Isis/Pelican, but aesthetically similar, a lot of crawling,
building jams that are really crushing to experience.

and I definetly consider them progressive, but not "prog" persay, and I
believe we all know what the difference is, ridiculous though it may be.

Edited by morpheusdraven

Of the bands mentioned, I would certainly deem Isis as the only one qualified to fit the post-metal genre, Red Sparowes' album should be categorized within post-rock, due to the less-aggressive soundscapes, a superb album albeit. Pelican is evolving into more of a post-rock sound, indicative in TFIOTWBTT, although their self-titled EP and Australasia would be more apt to be paired with a metal genre, both of which are less engaging listens due to their repetitive-riff nature. It would be interesting to see the route Pelican takes on their imminent work, considering they are signed by the metal-oriented hydrahead records, they may have the incentive to retain the metal aggression, yet if they do opt for a softer approach it would be interesting to see whether Hyrdahead keeps them signed. TFIOTWBTT is an aesthetically-piercing release, however I felt the production quality of the album was quite lackluster, the volume seems to be diminished more so than other recent releases, and the cymbals have a tendency to be harsh at times.I saw an advertisement while dining in Seattle, that Pelican was going to be opening for Opeth at the showbox in Seattle on October the 20th,and the showbox is a tiny venue which holds energy well, I am still trying to arrange my schedule to position that in there.

 Isis is a band which has complimented my lateralus' listens well, a very similar art-metal affect. I would deem Oceanic as just slightly more captivating, it tends to be a bit more aggressive, and I think the shouting vocals present within the album outshine the singing attempts in Panopticon, even though I do enjoy the vocals on Panopticon, especially the intense grinnng mouths. Plus Oceanic seems to be a bit more experimental which produces a stylish edge, e.g., the sea-thought-inducing- instrumental- song maritime and the integration of the vague female vocals on weight. I must also give Isis props for producing two of the most artistically- gripping album covers.

I haven't really been able to engage myself with neurosis, for some reason, in their case, I find the vocals detracting.

Progreviews suggested Mono, evidence that his head is finely attached. Very alluring guitar post-rock with the occasional buildup, although this intrinsically soft band haling from japan is more comfortably fit alongside the likes of explosions in the sky, they express defiance in that categorizing on the heavier parts 16.12 and com(?). As mentioned, a lot of similarities to mogwai's quicker-paced stuff. I listened to the mono/pelican on vinyl, an enjoyable live recording featuring both bands' more progressive stuff. Mono apparently played at a small tavern in Seattle recently, damn, I missed it.

In essence these bands certainly deserve their respective places on this site. They feature more than mere repetition, look no further than the transitions on Pelican's "march into the Sea" or the fantastic encores on Isis's "Hym" and "Grinning Mouths" to justify that statement. Hopefully someday we'll be able to accredit them for shaping the contempary definition of metal and rock. So, Admins, get your butts in gear and get them on the progarchives' squad.


Edited by Trevinski