Favorite Prog Metal band, why

Enslaved. (for mainly their latest three fantastic albums) Brutal and angry, like I think everything related to metal shoud be. Fantastic riffs, drumming and complex compositions. Keyboards, vocal harmonies, everything's always there for a reason. A  permanent dark atmosphere and no embarassing attemts on making lighter-ballads. Good use of a clean (but not nice like Akerfeldt) voice.

The whole package is tasteful, the albumart, their love for 70's prog, their openness, and will to work with contemporary composers, and noise artists. Also kudos for never renting the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and their love for nature and fishing.

Although far from avantgarde they are one of the few with a true progressive spirit I've heard in this genre.

I think that might be enough for now. Pretty much all the best Prog-Metal bands have been listed.

I would like to emphasise: Agalloch, Pelican and Opeth. However if you don't like growls give Agalloch and Opeth a while to sink in and don't just dismiss them.

barney63 wrote: ISIS in Glasgow soon......

WOW. Report back how it was and maybe I might go see them.

Opeth would have to be my overall favorite. A lot of prog metal is overblown for me (though that doesn't keep me from enjoying it). I don't really get that vibe from Opeth though. I have all of their later albums and all are surprisingly good. Blackwater Park's my favorite so far but I've yet to listen to Still Life much.

I also like the more overblown stuff a lot too. Specifically Ayreon, and the new Therion album are very good and unique. I also like some DT and Rhapsody, have yet to get into Pain of Salvation and Symphony X though.

borknagar
behold the arctopus
death
dream theater
artension
aletheian
arcturus
alarum
atheist
time requiem
cynic
kamelot
opeth
into eternity
watchtower
quo vadis
theory in practice
spiral architect
necrophagist
cephalic carnage
rhapsody of fire
nile
power of omens
pain of salvation
symphony x
gordian knot
aghora
venturia
twisted into form
iron maiden
rush (certain songs)
queensryche

Meshuggah, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Sieges Even, Symphony X, Magellan, Shadow Gallery and Zero Hour are some of my favorites.

don't overlook Green Carnation.

Dream Theater is my favourite, and I don't see that changing. They were the first prog band that I got into after Rush. Other favourites include Symphony X, Ayreon, Liquid Tension Experiment, Fates Warning, and Planet X.

Edited by sean - May 15 2007 at 14:56

I read through the list and unless I missed it, which is possible, I didn't see Evergrey mentioned anywhere!  I feel the same about the VERY underrated band Threshold.

I highly recommend picking up the following Prog-Metal discs.

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Evergrey - In Search of Truth
Evergrey - The Inner Circle
Opeth - Ghost Reveries
Opeth - Still Life
Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
Pain of Salvation - Be
Dream Theater - Awake
Dream Theater - Images and Words
Novembre - Materia
Orphaned Land - Mabool
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Threshold - Critical Mass
Threshold - Subsurface
Tool _ Aenima
Tool - Undertow
Dead Soul Tribe - The Dead Word
Dead Soul Tribe - The January Tree
Savatage - Dead Winter Dead

And since you're a fan of Dream Theater , James LaBrie -Elements of Persuasion is very solid and sounds quite a lot like Dream Theater...

Those are my favorites from the genre of Progressive Metal.  I highly reccomend looking into any and all of them!

People have put Isis and Neurosis and the likes on this list.  I think you need a fair warning before looking into them.  They don't really fall into the "traditional" prog-metal scene.  In my opinion, they shouldn't be considered progressive metal.  They seem to fall right inbetween the lines of post-rock and prog-metal.  I really like both bands though, and I'll throw out another band in the same neighborhood as them, Cult of Luna!  I've only heard their album "Salvation" but I love it!