Name your top 10 Proto/Prog Related METAL bands!

MANDRAKEROOT wrote: Not in order: Wishbone Ash Triumph Procol Harum The Moody Blues Rainbow Deep Purple Ian Gillan Band Vanilla Fudge Iron Butterfly Whitesnake

Sean Trane wrote: Judas Priest (Sad Wings, Sin after Sin etc) Rainbow (Dio era) although that is probably hard rock. Blue Oyster Cult (again probably hard rock) Black Sabbath Blue Cheer Mountain Zep Heep High Tide

KING DIAMOND

MANDRAKEROOT wrote: Sean Trane wrote: Judas Priest (Sad Wings, Sin after Sin etc) Rainbow (Dio era) although that is probably hard rock. Blue Oyster Cult (again probably hard rock) Black Sabbath Blue Cheer Mountain Zep Heep High Tide       Oh, Oh... Blue Cheer? But for the American scene standard don't be a Prog band?

The Chasm (listen to the first three albums: 'Procreation of the Inner Temple'..'From the Lost Years', and 'Deathcult For Eternity: The Triumph'..the rest is mainly pretty standard really really well done thrash/death, but these three are that plus something really really special.)

Believer (listen to 'Dimensions'..absolutely amazing progressive metal album..the other two they have are mainly straight thrash)

Extol (just listen to anything except 'The Blueprint Dives')



Those bands like that in the thrash/death realm that do really interesting out there stuff are the only ones I can really think of that are truly "on the fence" like that, that I'm into.

Since most proto-prog metal seems to be albums rather than specific bands, here are my top 13 (a good number for metal, I feel - I was going to go to 11, but thought that might be seen as unnecessarily ironic );



1. Diamond Head : Living On Borrowed Time (and the 50% of Canterbury which is even better).

2. Metallica : Master of Puppets (and Ride the Lightning and Justice for All)

3. Judas Priest : Sad Wings of Destiny

4. Spooky Tooth : Spooky Two

5. Black Sabbath : Heaven and Hell (and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - hey, it's got Rick Wakeman on it!)

6. Motorhead - Overkill

7. Napalm Death - Scum (not convinced? Have you heard Fantomas? )

8. Rainbow - Rising

9. Riot - Narita

10. Raven : All For One (specifically "Run Silent, Run Deep").

11. Saxon : Saxon (specifically "Frozen Rainbow")

12. Ozzy Osbourne : Blizzard of Oz (Mr Crowley and I Don't Know)

13. Blue Oyster Cult : Fire of Unknown Origin

Ghost Rider wrote: Certif1ed wrote: 13. Blue Oyster Cult : Fire of Unknown Origin  Absolutely fantastic album - "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is out of this world!

I have 'Narita'- the title track struck me as being prototype prog metal with its thundering tempo, furious musicianship and complexity and I hear an influence for Iron Maiden's 'Genghis Khan' and 'Transylvania' in it, but I don't remember the rest of the album being so progressive- will have to give it another spin.

I know Raven and that album as well, but I heard it so long ago that I really can't remember anything about it - except that they played very hard and fast, with lots of boundless energy. This is why I deleted the entry in your list. I also know of Spooky Tooth, but I couldn't say I'm familiar with their output. However, on the strength of your recommendations, I intend to catch up with them ASAP.

As to Riot's cover of "Born to be Wild", I totally agree with you - it's possibly the best ever done, even though I have a soft spot for B.O.C.'s too. BTW, I suppose you've heard Accept's cover of the same song, with Udo Dirkschneider's unearthly shrieks and all...

Your're perfectly right - I heard the song so long ago that I got everything mixed up! Thanx for the reminder!