Australian Prog
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=104500
Printed Date: March 10 2025 at 20:13
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Australian Prog
Posted By: tbonson04
Subject: Australian Prog
Date Posted: October 22 2015 at 22:01
| Australia has been smashing the heavy and crossover prog scene with bands like Karnivool, Caligula's Horse, Dyssidia, Transience, Like Thieves, and Chaos Divine. Is Australia the new haven for modern prog, or is it just a fluke? |
Replies:
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 05:55
Must confess I've never heard of any of those bands before.  Only Aussie Prog I know is The Church.  ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 15:44
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Not really up-to-date with Aussie Prog, but we can boast Sebastian Hardie and Windchase, both top-shelf Prog bands ala Camel I doubt we are a Prog 'hotbed' though. There's no mellotrons here being used... 
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Posted By: backtothegarden
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 15:57
They certainly seem to have a good thing going right now. I have wondered how well received these bands are in Australia. I know with the advent of the internet, scenes don't always have to do well where they originate anymore. For example, Periphery is from a town that's about an hour from where I live, and it seems like no one around here knows who the hell they are. Yet they can go overseas, pack out venues, and headline major tours.
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tbonson04 wrote:Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 16:12
| Ben Craven has been quiet, he put out the stunning Great And Terrible Potions, complete with a Roger Dean gatefold artwork. He's based about an hour from where I live and nobody is familiar of him/his work. |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 16:34
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^ Great album |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 16:38
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for vintage stuff Ariel were great http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=5405" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=5405 and a young pre-AC/DC Bon Scott with Fraternity http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4727" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4727 ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Terakonin
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 21:04
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As an Australian, I can say that generally prog bands aren't popular here, especially our own. Australia has always been more blues/hard rock than prog. ------------- You left a note in your perfect script Stay as long as you like I haven't left your bed since |
Posted By: tbonson04
Date Posted: October 23 2015 at 22:01
| That's sad to hear. Maybe the reason you guys make such good prog is for that very reason. There's a concentrated few bands that consist of die hard fans, rather than everywhere else where its muddied with obscure overproduced bands trying to prove they're different with over the top sounds. |
Posted By: David64T
Date Posted: October 24 2015 at 01:53
Of the bands mentioned I believe the only one that has national recognition nearing the mainstream is Karnivool - their releases get into the charts (for what that's worth these days) and their CD's have an ongoing presence on the shelves of the one remaining major national CD retail chain. Hopefully Caligulas Horse are building a profile too, having toured Oz as support act with some overseas artists (they supported TesseracT here recently in Adelaide). I'm familiar with Transience and Dyssidia too, but partly by good luck and partly because I search out music around the fringes of the prog scene. By the way, you might like A Lonely Crowd too (from Melbourne) and Voyager (from Perth). Oz is a wide land with many widely separated capital cities, even now in this age of the Internet. And the ABC's national "alternative" radio network "Triple J" is I believe not "prog friendly" - though reputedly they did give airtime to Karnivool. So, due to the distances involved, I doubt I'll be seeing Ben Craven doing a concert in Adelaide (though that would be a grand thing). Like any bands though, their Facebook pages suggest they do have their own passionate local following...and credit where credit is due: the http://www.facebook.com/Progfest" rel="nofollow - Progfest concerts have given some bands a chance to travel at least between the capital cities on the east coast...  ------------- Seasons Of Change - weekly programme on community radio: https://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/" rel="nofollow - http://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/ |
Posted By: David64T
Date Posted: October 24 2015 at 01:59
Seconded! And the LP version of "Great And terrible Potions" is a thing of beauty too! Old school prog beautifully performed and with the old school LP format as well. I'm looking forward to the next album that Ben (apparently) has in the pipeline. ------------- Seasons Of Change - weekly programme on community radio: https://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/" rel="nofollow - http://seasonsofchangeradio.blogspot.com.au/ |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: October 24 2015 at 08:03
I'm guessing that you just happen to have come across a few bands that sound fantastic to you...and they're from Australia. -I know, I feel the same thing about Sweden and Norway at the moment. To be honest, I have only heard Karnivool out of the ones you mention, and they didn't really do anything for me. I prefer the original (Tool). Only modern Aussie band that well and truly blows me out of my socks is Pond, which in turn are faaaaar better than their sister band Tame Impala. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: October 24 2015 at 08:15
^ I bought that album a few months ago and I really like it  |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: October 24 2015 at 08:55
Nice one  It's one of the best 2015 outings for me, and I still play it almost daily. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: October 24 2015 at 13:05
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When it comes to "Australian Progressive Rock," Sebastian Hardie/Windchase/Mario Millo are usually cited in short order.
I sooner think of two other acts: the symph/progressive-electronic trio Cybotron ( http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4203" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4203 ) , and another band that, strangely, is not listed in the Archives: Aleph. Aleph had one lone album, Surface Tension, released in 1977. It's very Yes-inspired, and the lead vocals emulate Chris Squire more than Jon Anderson. Aleph had a dedicated lead vocalist, guitarist, rhythm section, and two keyboardists (Mary Hansen and Mary Jane Carpenter). It's not a challenging listen by any means, but it seems this album is largely overlooked and a bit underrated. http://www.discogs.com/artist/3575910-Aleph-15" rel="nofollow - http://www.discogs.com/artist/3575910-Aleph-15 ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: October 27 2015 at 02:23
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Hardie and split enz were good ones ------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: October 27 2015 at 06:17
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^ Very much so, but Enz were from NZ.
Ariel/Spectrum are favourites of mine. Ariel are way underrated; A Strange Fantastic Dream is a near-masterpiece I reckon. ------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
Posted By: sokorny
Date Posted: May 31 2016 at 00:52
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You forgot to mention Ne Obliviscaris. They tend to get great reviews from around the world, and are probably more popular overseas than at home. I am not a huge death metal fan, but have really got into these guys. Caligula's Horse do get a lot of good press online, and I must admit I am a huge fan (saw them supporting TesseracT in Perth). Karnivool have been doing the rounds for years and have morphed from a metal band into a prog metal/rock band now (and do garner quite a bit of support in Australia). Ian Kenny's alt-rock Birds of Tokyo are more popular though.
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Posted By: Aled91
Date Posted: December 05 2016 at 01:21
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I also know the Australian band Overview Effect. Not the best band ever but it worths a listen or two
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Posted By: Aled91
Date Posted: December 05 2016 at 01:21
| Check out their album "Tundra" |
Posted By: tbonson04
Date Posted: December 06 2016 at 19:32
I've recently been getting into Ne Obliviscaris. They're definitely a good intro band into death metal. I'm still waiting for the day that Caligula's Horse get a large enough fan base to tour the US. When that happens, I can die happy.
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Posted By: PhideauxFan
Date Posted: December 07 2016 at 01:27
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I've got albums of Caligula's Horse, The Butterfly Effect, Sleepmakeswaves and Solkyri.
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Posted By: deandob
Date Posted: December 07 2016 at 14:37
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I saw Katatonia last night who are touring Australia at the moment, and one of the opening acts was Hazards of Swimming Naked (post rock from Queensland) who were surprisingly good. |
Posted By: EddieRUKiddingVarese
Date Posted: December 07 2016 at 15:23
The Butterfly Effect very cool ------------- "Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes" and I need the knits, the double knits! |