What is so wrong with Prog metal

Fritha wrote:   I'm afraid I was introduced to prog-metal with absolutely the wrong record to begin with; Images & Words by Dream Theater, which, to be honest, did nothing to make me want to explore prog-metal any further at the time... It just kind of conformed all the stereotypes I had been reading about prog-metal  But then early this year I bought Lateralus by Tool and it certainly triggered an interest for a more menacing, heavy prog sound. So now that I have found a more encouraging starting point on my own, I will definitely be adding more prog-metal albums in my collection. (A warning for those who are thinking about going down this path: it seems like you can very easily get addicted to this stuff...!  )   Welcome to the darker side of prog, I say!

First off, welcome to the dark side . What's funny is that I am a huge DT fan who thinks Images and Words is a bit over rated. Metropolis is awesome as is Under Glass Moon and Learning to Live but I think other albums such as Awake and Metropolis 2000 are better. Tool is also very good. There is a band called Dali's Dilemma who put out one album called Manifesto for Futurism in 1999. It is similar to DT but more song related.

Aaron wrote: name some prog metal bands that lack technique and focus on songwriting, i would actually like to check bands like that out Aaron

Riverside, Opeth, Pain of salvation and Ayreon. All do very melodic well crafted songs IMO.In Opeth's case you might have some problems with the growling, then again Mikail Akefeld's voice is one of the best in this genre (when not growling that is). These bands don't do as many notes as DT in a minute. Can't help you further with the lack of technique, these bands are topnotch in that respect.

Nothing's wrong with prog metal - only with some bands that play it, but that's what happens in every genre....

The Lost Chord wrote: The whole point of prog is to take music to a level that usually takes a focused ear to appreciate i just dont like bands that are blatantly TRYING to be "prog"...annoys me

Kid-A wrote: The Lost Chord wrote: The whole point of prog is to take music to a level that usually takes a focused ear to appreciate i just dont like bands that are blatantly TRYING to be "prog"...annoys me    What and Yes and Genesis didn't try and be prog?

Not really... no.

^maybe one day you will want to. its very worthwhile.

imoeng wrote: Snow Dog wrote: ^maybe one day you will want to. its very worthwhile.   yea i would like to, my dad has intoduced me to Pink Floyd, Genesis, he loves them, Yes, it was about 3 years ago, and u know, how can 13 years old boy likes Genesis?? maybe ill try...

You have all the tme in the world, you're young, just enjoy what you want.

Personally, I have no quarrel with prog metal. Tool and Opeth are sonically interesting AND have singers with great voices. Dream Theater ... well, I can stand them, when James LaBrie isn't over-emoting every poorly-written syllable. However, lots of prog-metal has too much "metal" and too little "prog". Not most prog metal, but a significant amount. Occasionally, you could accuse Dream Theater of that - they put a metal song in 13/8 time or whatever, and then just start soloing away.

However, in the end, it is often difficult for classic-prog lovers to fall for anything as raucous as metal. Growing up in the nineties, as many of us have, we were exposed to very agressive music from a young age, and so have grown tolerant to it (or have rejected it entirely). It's not so easy for those who grew up hearing synth-pop, or Genesis. Some manage to force themselves into the genre, and find they like it, others conclude that they don't.

Finally, there's the nature of prog metal. As a genre, prog metal is much, MUCH more rhythmically oriented than ordinary prog rock. The volume of the drums, the distortion of the guitar sound, metal has always been a drummer's genre, at heart. Some people just aren't interested in rhythm at all, and simply want melody. Purer melodies are found in regular non-metallic prog, so that's where they head. Fair enough.

Of course, all of these catagories have exceptions, but, in the majority of prog-metal songs, some, if not all of them apply.

thetick, I agree with you completely. If you're a metalhead and you want to listen to more ambitious, melodic, and artsy music, then prog metal is for you. If the other "prog-snobs" can't appreciate it, then that's their loss.

I've been thinking... it seems like there's several reasons for people's gravitation towards and repulsion from prog-metal. One probably has to do with age: those of us who lived our formative years in the 90's or 00's are more exposed to a harder, more visceral sound then those who grew up before. Therefore we could be more likely to attain an appreciation of metal due to societal reasons.

But the second reason is more interesting to note intellectually: I would be willing to posit a hypothesis that some people like metal because of the tendencies of their personalilty. For example, the reason I find myself attracted to metal (especially metal with extended shredfest solos—exactly the kind of material people on this site like to label "w**kery") is that it is the only music which can match the intensity going on in my own mind. Over the course of the day, I find my thoughts relentlessly shifting from subject to subject, perhaps driven by my own introversion and anxiety. But when I'm listening to prog-metal, for instance, DT, my mind doesn't drift! I find myself completely engrossed by the twists and turns of the music. And thus, what some call "lack of subtlety", I call "exhilarating"!!! How can a DT shredfest be devoid of emotion? It is full of emotion, as it matches the velocity of the racing thoughts and feelings going on in my mind. So for me it would be the exact opposite of what so many describe: music often bores me because it doesn't have enough moments of mania.

Unfortunately it seems that many people don't understand this sentiment because it's not normally featured in their personality. So many progheads will bash prog metal

...there should be a ProgArchives spin off website completely devoted to prog metal. Then everyone would be happy...

imoeng wrote: Xenoxen wrote: I love metal. But my veiw is there's no such thing as prog metal. Metal is Metal, Prog Is Prog.   so what about progressive rock? what about pop rock? its just 2 elements become 1... ohh and look the subgenres on the main page,, u can find lots of "no such thing ness"

Just ignore him, he's one of those close minded snobs stuck in a time period. Let 'em rot there.