progressive with an edge?

Ok, help a guy out and please bare with me. I'm a rocker first and formost, I like music with an edge-teeth, you know what I mean. Thats not to say I'm some G'n R hair band freak, I just like energy,"heaviness" and intelligent lyrics. I love Sabbath, Gillian era Purple, Atomic Rooster-with Pete French aaaaaahhh. My first top three loves are Floyd, Tull and Sabbath. As far as progressive is concerned Crimson, Caravan, Soft Machine, Faust ,Can, Egg, I've just discovered Comus (thanks to this site)...As you can see, I'm not uneducated in the world of progressive rock, however, since joining this merry collective of progers I'm shocked (shocked) at some of the rave reviews of albums that frankly, bore me to tears. I've "tasted" Gentle Giant for two albums- love Nothing At All- however, the rest- eh! Focus- Moving Waves-Na! I have the entire Tull catalogue-don't get me started on Passion Play. I am working past earlier distastes for bands like Yes and Genesis and am actually developing an ear. But the work is slow. So, since you are all clearly, masters of your domain, and I'm not asking you " what are you listening to right now"- no NOW!-ugh. Give me some idea of the heavy prog bands out there, with you know, TEETH. And please for pities sake don't mention Snow Goose.

Gentle Giant can be An Acquired Taste '.  Have you tried King Crimson or VDGG. They carry a punch and a lot of 'teeth' .

[QUOTE=MikeEnRegalia]

^ I'm confused - do you see us as writers of "rave reviews" or as "masters of our domain"

Probally both 

Does it make sense to recommend some prog metal to you?

I've touched on Porcupine Tree, just a couple songs, want to get deeper. I'm intrigued, are they consistant?

Yup! I'm with you on Hawkwind, have a few albums, great stuff.

A band with a bizarre & twisted edge is Gong, check out the album Camembert Electrique from 1971.  Or this awesome bootleg from the tour when Bill Bruford was subbing on drums:http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=84460.

Oh, I think you have to be a member of DIME to see that link, so here's the text:

Gong (featuring Bill Bruford)
Oslo (Norway), Château-Neuf - 15-12-1974
Rotterdam (Netherlands), Eksit - 7-12-1974

source: sbd (good to excellent)

An instance of lucky synchronicity, the untimely break-up of King Crimson in September 1974 happened just a few weeks before Gong, while on a European tour, were once again left without a drummer. The drummer in question, Laurie Allan, hadn't left of his own accord to join the Percussions de Strasbourg, or been kicked out - he was arrested while crossing the French-German border in the possession of illegal 'substances'. Why he was the only one in the band thus convicted remains shrouded in mystery, but although Laurie was able to perform on the band's German tour in early November, a replacement had to be found pronto.

A recommendation by journalist and mutual friend Steve Lake put the band in touch with Bill Bruford, who agreed to join for the remaining dates. Of course Bruford was something of a star, but Virgin were evidently willing to pay him what he required - allegedly a salary five times higher than what the regular members were getting paid (which probably explains why the arrangement was shortlived). Anyway, Bruford caught up with Gong in Germany, rehearsed with them for a couple of days in Orléans and the 'all-star' Gong toured France, more Germany, Holland, more France, through to Norway, coming back home just in time for Christmas !

The Oslo gig had originally been scheduled to take place earlier in the tour but had to be postponed after the band missed the overnight ferry from Kiel to Oslo after their concert at Amsterdam's Melkweg. Consequently, it was rearranged for the end of the tour, and turned out to be Bill Bruford's last concert with Gong.

The recording of the Oslo gig is an excellent soundboard, but is sadly incomplete. Coincidentally, another show from the same tour, in Rotterdam, also a soundboard but of inferior quality, contains almost exactly what's missing from the Oslo show, so I thought I'd offer a double-set of both to approximate the feel of a complete Gong concert with Bill Bruford on drums.

CD1 (Oslo)
1. Master Builder (13:34)
2. Perfect Mystery (2:38)
3. Tropical Fish / Selene (7:13)
4. I Never Glid Before (7:38)
5. transition (1:10)
6. Solar Musick Suite (9:01)
7. Didier improv (10:21)
8. Oily Way (2:32)
9. Inner Temple (3:33)
10. Outer Temple (1:37)
11. Gliss Improv (3:41)
12. A Sprinkling Of Clouds (2:21)

CD2 (Rotterdam)
1. A Sprinkling Of Clouds (7:24)
2. You Can't Kill Me (8:58)
3. Isle Of Everywhere (10:21)
4. You Never Blow Yr Trip Forever (12:37)
5. applause (5:57)
6. Flying Teapot (8:04)

Daevid Allen - vocals & guitar
Didier Malherbe - saxes, flute & vocals
Steve Hillage - guitar & vocals
Miquette Giraudy - vocals & percussion
Tim Blake - synthesizers & vocals
Mike Howlett - bass
Bill Bruford - drums

(If you sign up for DIME you will be able to download that magnificent show.)

Just Like you I love Sabbath and Consider the first 7 or 8 albums to be the best heavy/hard rock albums of all time.  Keeping on that note then have a listen to Linkin' Park, I love the first album + Creed.  My son introduced me to both bands of the modern rock era.  I also found 'Metallica' as a good sub for the loss of Sabbath music for years.  Also have a go with early Queensryche - was introduced through the Sabbath Site.

 

I have to admit the music I have found most enjoyable since joining this site are Dream Theater/Porcupine Tree and the best album of all is Transatlantic 'Bridge across forever'.  Also early Rush - '2112', Hemispheres, Farewell to the King.

 

I also suggest you go back to the early Genesis and Yes era, 'close to the edge' or 'Selling England', especially for clever lyrics.

 

Good Luck, because since joining this site a month ago I have really started to enjoy listening to music again because I have found some exciting new stuff.

BaldFriede wrote: Luckily Gong found a drummer soon who was more than able to take Bruford's place: The late Pierre Moerlen (it is no secret that he is my favourite drummer).

Pierre is/was indeed a magnificent player... his contribution (in tandem with Morris Pert) to my favorite Mike Oldfield bootleg (Koln, Germany, 2 November 1982) blows my mind every time.

Lots of great suggestions. Hige Tide's debut 'Sea Shanties' is even heavier than Black Sabbath's from the same year!    

VDGG's Peter Hammill is also my favorite vocalist. I guess he takes a bit of time to get used to. But all their albums 70-77 are classics with edge. I think 'Godbluff' or 'H To He...' would be perfect places to start, although my alltime favorite is 'Pawn Hearts'. My favorites among he's solo albums are 'The Silent Corner & The Empty Stage' and 'In Camera'. 

Gnidrolog's 'In Spite of Harry's Toe Nail' ('Lady Lake' is also good, less edgy), is great, aggressive, folky prog. Sort of a mix of VdGG and Comus 'First Utterance', maybe.

With your preferances you can't go wrong with King Crimson's 'Red'.

The first three or four albums by Amon Düül II are full of teeth as well. Start with the first 'Phallus Dei'. None of their albums are flawless Imo, but there is a lot of great riffing on all them. Its heavy, messy and great fun.

Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso's three first albums are all favorites of mine. Darker than most italian groups. Stream their songs on this site. If the song Cento Mani E Cento Occhi. doesn't convince you (one of their best songs, I think), I guess they're not to your taste.

As for Porcupine Tree, the're OK. I think they are very inconsistant.