Can each type of Metal be progressive?

I was about to make this poll!! but better haha

I think any form of metal can be progressive, but I dont think is that any metal that progresses is prog. For instance I would say that Kamalot's The Black Halo is progressive for Power Metal but I wouldnt call it prog, however I dont think you could call Pain Of Salvation and Dream Theater anything other than prog metal.

@Trickster: now I understand, thanks for the clarification.

I'm not even going to try and have better guesses at representatives from all the metal genres. I tend to believe that, as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, if a band 'progresses' the way metal is played, it can be called progressive. If I look at the definition of progressive metal as used on this site, the number of bands that fit the definition in your list is limited or zero.
Looking at other genres listed on this site, it could very well be that progressive metal should be split into multiple, similar to what is done with progressive rock. In that case, we may end up with progressive thrash, progressive doom, progressive death metal and so on. Not sure if that makes things more clear for visitors and people trying to find out about progressive metal though...

I guess what I'm saying is that I understand your issue: there's more metal that progresses than just progressive metal, and that load is not going te covered by one definition. Something for the prog metal specialist squad to dive into. Where's Mike when you need him most?


Edited by Angelo - September 09 2006 at 13:58

I think we try to call progressive rock a genre, but it's not really. I mean how can "progressive" be a genre. A genre implies something static. It implies sameness. If you really want define a band by it's sameness, then it's not progressive by definition of the word right?

Naturally there is some amount of sameness between bands, and that's why we can categorize them at all. I'm speaking very abstractly, but for example you have bands that obviously play something that sounds like metal. If a band that plays metal-like music does something completely new and original with the sound of metal, then it is "making progress" on the sound of metal. In my eyes, the band is worthy of being called a progressive metal band. But if two bands are doing something different in the same way, then one of them can't be progressive.

Does this "make a genre"? Well, not really, but it's a good way of characterizing music that people like you and I will enjoy. So in my opinion, a band in ANY subgenre of metal can be progressive. In fact, any band in any genre can be progressive if they are striving for originality. Do you agree?

Thanks for noticing, I think my thoughts were coming out quicker then I was typing and it slipped through. I meant to invite everyone to find a Progressive band in each genre, not the other way around, although that's how it must have seemed. If I did the opposite, it would be too simple, wouldn't it?

I've been asking myself this for a while too. I think that progressive metal can be a separated genre and only a complement tag at the same time.
For example bands like Dream Theater, Ark, Vanden Plas and Pain of Salvation for me belong to the Genre Progressive Metal cause the influence of other styles is not so strong like in bands like Opeth, Arcturus and Axamenta that make a Extreme Metal with Progressive approach.
This is a very delicated question that i would like to discuss more cause im still very confused xD

This has been a question I tried to answer subconsciously for a very long time myself, as the idea sprang today, I thought I would better make it public and see if my thoughts at the moment match anyone else's.

Edited by Trickster F. - September 09 2006 at 12:16