I hate prog metal. It's neither because some people believe it's the new devil in music nor for the aggressiveness it suggests. It's rather because I see it as a degeneration of progressive music (in my humble opinion and surely the opinion of many classically trained musicians).

Yes, I know I shouldn't just give out these sentences without something else to substain them (I will get to the actual review later on), so here comes the argument: for works like this!. I used to like Dream Theater when I was younger but I just find their music dull by now; their focus is to try progressive music to sound "COOL" and "HIP" to the generations of metalheads who praise Metallica for whatever the reason is; academic music is not meant to be COOL (be it classical or jazz); that's why they're heard on separate stations from the popular ones, and I wonder why bands like Dream Theater or Stratovarius are not aired much on radio, because I hear too much MTV material there. The only thing good about these "prog-metal" bands is that they induce people to listen to more challenging music (at least sometimes), although I know many people who are not into progressive music that like them along the likes of power metal and even death-metal, so it's not 100% guaranteed that it'll improve the musical taste of youth. I know I sound like George Starostin but I have no other choice but to show my dislike this way.

Now, to the actual review. I liked Experiment 1 a bit more (their previous album), because they actually managed to make some decent progressive metal with less noise or distorted bar chords, the guitar actually harmonized more; whilst it still didn't merit a 4-star rating.

And the musicianship of the individual members can't be questioned: Petrucci is very accurate (although sometimes he sound like a generic Yngwie Malmsteen wannabe, only improved); Tony Levin is known as the best session bass and stick player in rock and pop music (because he's one of the few bassists in the rock industry able to play with his bare hands instead of a pick); Jordan Rudess is an incredibly talented keyboard player in the vein of Rick Wakeman and.... well, Mike Portnoy is good, but he's no Buddy Rich, and although he's very coordinated in the bass drums, sometimes I wonder if he's playing the drums with drumsticks or with baseball bats; I mean, the guy rarely varies in intensity and he uses the bass drums way too much, but he's very talented, and no one can deny that (despite his ridiculous rocker attitude).

Apart from the individual virtuosity, not much could be said about the music: generic metal riffs accompanied with degrading improvisations (Another Dimension and Chewbacca come to mind, respectively), and, even though the overall compositions are very creative, it's still louder than thou metal; they wanted to sound "cooler" in this one and thank God they didn't go on (we still have Dream Theater though).

I can't deny there are actually good numbers here: Biaxident has a very nice latin- flavoured bridge with Santana-esque guitar licks and great keyboard feeds courtesy of Mr. Rudess; Liquid Dreams are a good way to escape from the horrible loud drums and the annoying loud bar chords, but it drags a bit in the second half, leaving us with Jordan showing his talent on keys but not much more; and Hourglass is a simple instrumental ballad with acoustic guitar (the only acoustic guitar-based song on the entire Liquid Tension short catalog), but it's not as annoying as the rest of the stuff here.

This goes to show I'm not a fan of progressive metal, but at least I consider the good aspects off it. And this is actually some of the best metal I've heard, which doesn't say much about the rest; so that's why it's my first and only prog metal review so far; it's actually worth analyzing. 2 plain stars.

The first two paragraphs do nothing but lambast prog metal, the second sentance of which is nothing but a lie (does this guy realise that a lot of prog-metal is played by classically trained musicians?). If he doesnt like the album thats fine, but I dont like him using a review to bad mouth a genre here on the front page.

A shame to the name of Kansas. Pop rock a la Bon Jovi. Don't let the name of Steve Walsh in the line-up confusse you. Even a tentative (?) to make just one "progressive" track ("Musicatto") failed. Forget the band's 70s excellent albums and avoid it, please.

Posted Tuesday, December 30, 2003

I used to LISTEN seriously to THIS!!!!? What was I on!? Marillion together with Arena (who just happened to be a much later spinoff/imitation) were the most vulgar insult to progressive music ever created, because they not only created "neo prog," but all the evil hypocrisies that go along with it. Let's start first in the vocal/lyric department. Fish is an awful singer who tried not very hard to clone Peter Gabriel's approach circa Lamb Lies Down and Trespass. His screeching, histrionic, overbearing vocals sound more like a really bad imitation of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson and though I'm not a great fan of Maiden, at least they didn't pretend to be something they weren't. The lyrics are written at first you think from someone whose heart is at least in the right place, but then you realize a tantrum throwing track like "Forgotten Sons" which sounds pro British Soldier anti IRA on first listening is just an excuse to write another twisted and violent song about death (what is by the way wrong with that,hm?). Fish is the real problem here, choking you and suffocating you, but the whole band are a problem. This whole record is a lie. Progressive rock? No way!!! Marillion like all neo prog are like a bad marriage of overproduced heavy metal and smug allusions to a kind of music not only the band could care less about or understand, but a kind of music people didn't understand who liked this nonsense. There isn't one passage here that I can listen to, in fact I will never listen to anything by Marillion with Fish again and haven't for years! To give credit where credit is due, after Fish left Marillion released TWO good albums (oh,marillion are suddenly good, with Hogarth on vocals,hm?)- Season's End (I've really just been told its good by a friend of mine) and Holidays In Eden (this is great and you should listen to what an improvement Steve Hogarth is), actually- make that two good records and one pretty good attempt at making a concept album- the underrated and very listenable Brave. Back to this disaster, though, no matter how hard Marillion would try to avoid the mistakes of their past (what past was there before Script, hm?), they had commited the worst insult to progressive music ever with Fish and there is no forgiving them for it. The production is horrible and sounds like any other bad 80s production job, the lyrics are made even worse by Fish's delivery which is to scream, grunt, and yowl every word like someone has just stuck a knife in his back (wishful thinking), and the playing is so clunky that every tempo or mood change turns into a nightmarish exercise in inept arrogant w**king (didn't know w**king is a legit word, hm?) The whole sound is bad, and Fish gets the bad music he deserves here. Neo prog? I'm even growing tired of IQ who I still have to admit I have a soft spot for (maybe because they didn't fake things and were honest) and I strongly feel there were things more "progressive" in Shy, Grand Prix, Tobruk, and the other Brit/American hard pomp rock bands. Pomp was what prog turned into, not this neo nonsense. The absolute worst track on the album is "Forgotten Sons" made even worse by the fact you know a bad imitation of "The Knife" is coming for a whole album. He even has the nerve to use the line "For Those Who Trespass Against Us" in it! What would the average soldier who Fish is trying to convince do to him? Sock him in the jaw! He'd probably more likely be a Deep Purple fan than a Marillion fan anyway. Give me Maiden if I want to be put into a painful state of mind when listening. The problem is that Bruce Dickinson was technically a very good singer who didn't always have the best material, Fish is a TECHNICALLY HORRIBLE SINGER who writes awful lyrics to go with awful material. There is no way to erase the shameful stain left on music by neo prog, and it began and was obnoxious here. Not even music

color:

agressive tone

the "cloning" issue

sorry for the tone.

Good thing to see it moved it here - since there is no "100% abuse" involved (the guy could have posted it from a good wish, who knows), but what does everyone think, is this appropriate?