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Topic ClosedBest Prog Metal Albums - please advise!!

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 03:22
Originally posted by Evan Evan wrote:

Here's my list.  Pretty good representation of styles & time periods. 

1. Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory Metropolis Part II
2. Opeth - Still Life
3. Atheist - Elements
4. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
5. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
6. Ayreon - The Human Equation
7. Devin Townsend - Terria
8. Tool - Lateralus
9. Dream Theater - Images and Words
10. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Part I
Pretty much this, except i personally would go for Devin Townsends 'Synchestra' over 'Terria' as the atmosphere is so positive and there are one or two songs that are more accesible (vampira, for one) and its more melodic imo. Also 'Still Life' is a masterpeice, but just get everything by Opeth LOL theyre just too awesome
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 04:57
I´m leaving out anything with aggressive or growling vocals:
 
Psychotic Waltz - their two first albums are mandatory listening for progressive metal fans IMO. Especially Into the Everflow. ( a kind of psychadelic take on the genre. A very original band)
Dream Theater - Images & Words and Awake. ( The masters of progressive metal)
Fates Warning - Perfect Symmetry, Parallels and Inside Out. ( beautiful, just beautiful)
Heaven´s Cry - Both of their albums are overlooked but very well crafted and original progressive metal.
Watchtower ( take a listen and bow to the Gods of technical progressive metal)
If we consider that Saviour Machine is progressive metal I would highly recommend that you take a listen to their first two albums. (A dark goth take on the genre).
 
I´ve run out of time but maybe I´ll post a few more later.
 
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 05:30


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 07:11
If you like operatic voices, try some Nightwish (the live album End of an era is very enjoyable, for me at least). I really dig two polish bands, Riverside and Indukty. Also Pain of salvation is a recomendable band.
Please forgive me for my crappy english!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 10:08
I won't add the same bands that have already been mentioned as they will indeed be worthy purchases.
 
I will instead let you know of some lesser known or omitted bands/albums from above posts that you will ignore at your peril! Wink
 
Fragile Vastness - A Tribute To Life
Day Six - Eternal Dignity
Astarte Syriaca - Darkened Light
Beyond Twilight - For The Love Of Art And The Making
Communic - Payment Of Existence
Myrath - Hope
Suspyre - When Time Fades
Soul Secret - Flowing Portraits
Redemption - The Origins Of Ruin
Thessera - Fooled Eyes
Spheric Universe Experience - Unreal
Sun Caged - Artemisia
Hourglass - Oblivious To the Obvious
Pantommind - Lunasense
 
 


Edited by progmetalhead - June 15 2009 at 10:12
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 12:39
This is all excellent - thank you so much. 
 
I doubt whether I will be able to limit my initial exploration to 10 albums.  From your recommendations, it looks like 100 albums would be needed to sample the best of the genre. 
 
Please keep the recommendations coming. 
 
I have already ordered 'Watershed' by Opeth (if I like it, I will buy 'Blackwater Park' and 'Still Life' very soon) and also 'Light of Day, Day of Darkness' by Green Carnation, based on opinions given in this thread. 
 
I think Sieges Even, Pain of Salvation and Riverside will figure on my next  Amazon order. I will start to read up on all of recommendations that have so far been given (band biographies, album reviews etc). 
 
To me,  this feels like a previously hidden door has just been opened to reveal a room full of priceless treasure!


Edited by Green Shield Stamp - June 15 2009 at 12:41
Haiku

Writing a poem
With seventeen syllables
Is very diffic....
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 13:04
Originally posted by Green Shield Stamp Green Shield Stamp wrote:

To me,  this feels like a previously hidden door has just been opened to reveal a room full of priceless treasure!


Except it's not priceless, just overpriced.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 13:47
Oh my, where to start...

I'll give you three to start you off, which are all a must have:

Opeth - Still Life (Extreme Prog Metal)
Isis - Panopticon (Post-Metal)
Riverside - Second Life Syndrome (Prog Metal)

They are my personal favourites.
"Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value."

Arnold Schoenberg
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 14:00
Originally posted by Mr ProgFreak Mr ProgFreak wrote:



Smile
 
That chart has become from now on my prog metal guidebook
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 16:01
For me the following ones are essential:

Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Part I
Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment 2

There are a few other which you can try for sure. Probably a good idea would be to check Progressive Metal section of this site.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 16:46
Well pretty much anything from Dream Theater's or Pain of Salvation's discography should please you.

Ayreon is very good, and if you're into more power metal type stuff, try Symphony X.

If you can get yourself to try prog metal with growled vocals (not all the time), try Opeth.

I'm mostly a symphonic prog fan (Genesis, Yes, etc.), and I could tolerate Mikael Akefeldt's incredible growl.
If you try Opeth, get Still Life or Watershed first.

Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 16:56
I think both Dream Theater - Images and Words and Riverside - Second Life Syndrome are great  emotional and true progressive metal acts, but Im not that much into the genre. Avoid Ayreon who is too over pretentious and corny, if you ask me... but on the other hand, if you like high skilled guys who makes everything a little bit TOO perfect, you might like him ;)
it's not that much metal about him I think, however
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 17:09
1- Liquid Tension Experiment (1) (for a progressive instrumental and experiment approach)
2- Magellan (Test of Wills) (really orginal soft and melodic prog metal)
3- Orenda (a Tale of A Tortured soul) (very close to Dream Theater and excellent)
4- Pain of Salvation (Remedy Lane) (the most original band difficult to put in a category)
5- Riverside (Rapid Eye Movement) (Best polish metal band)
6- Threshold (Wounderland) (Great singing by this great band)
7- MInd's Eye (A Gentlemen's Hurricane) (one of the best new concept prog metal)
8- Circus Maximus (1st Chapter) (very good new band)
9- Mindlfow (Just the tho of us) (a original and good complex prog metal)
10- Seventh Wonder (Mercy Falls) (another very good new prog metal)
Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 20:23
Oh crap I forgot a great band, Gordian Knot, their s/t debut especially but Emergent is great too.

And Liquid Tension Experiment as people have mentioned.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 23:12
Another plug for Kayo dot, particularly if you are a larks tounge/starless era fan of King Crimson. choirs of the eye is my single favorite piece of recorded music. but its far from traditional prog metal so you're not really getting a taste for the genre as much as simply doing yourself a favor. . .

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 15 2009 at 23:28
as far as "normal" prog metal i guess my list would look like this.

1. Maudlin of the Well - Leaving your Body Map / Bath
2. Pain of Salvation - Perfect Element
3. Opeth - Blackwater Park
4. Cynic - Traced in Air
5. devin Townsend - Terria / Ocean Machine
6. Meshuggah - Obzen / Catch 33 (heavy heavy heavy heavy heavy . . .)
7. Isis - Oceanic
8. Tool - Laturalus
9.something by mastodon
10. ANY OF THESE ALBUMS
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2009 at 02:00
Originally posted by Green Shield Stamp Green Shield Stamp wrote:

This is all excellent - thank you so much. 
 
I doubt whether I will be able to limit my initial exploration to 10 albums.  From your recommendations, it looks like 100 albums would be needed to sample the best of the genre. 
 
Please keep the recommendations coming. 
 
I have already ordered 'Watershed' by Opeth (if I like it, I will buy 'Blackwater Park' and 'Still Life' very soon) and also 'Light of Day, Day of Darkness' by Green Carnation, based on opinions given in this thread. 
 
I think Sieges Even, Pain of Salvation and Riverside will figure on my next  Amazon order. I will start to read up on all of recommendations that have so far been given (band biographies, album reviews etc). 
 
To me,  this feels like a previously hidden door has just been opened to reveal a room full of priceless treasure!
 
Excellent choice, though the Green Carnation one is still on my 'to get' list. Be warned, Watershed does contain some growling, though try to look past it and see that it's for the use of texture. The 2nd track is possibly Opeth's heaviest track with no clean vocals, but try to get past the growls on the track. After that there's lots more melody (still growls, though not as much). Once you appreciate the growls, a whole new world to metal will be opened to you, and Opeth is good at that.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2009 at 08:05
allot of good lists, not gona make a list myself caus i havent heard enough prog metal yet, working on it.Tongue
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2009 at 13:42
Not that my opinion will matter much in the plethora of other recommended albums, but to add to the recommendations:

1. Metropolis Pt. 2; Scenes from a Memory by Dream Theater (got me into prog metal!!!)
2. Isa by Enslaved (for black metal)
3. Blackwater Park by Opeth (for death metal)
4. V: The New Mythology Suite by Symphony X (for power metal)
5. The Black Halo by Kamelot (for symphonic metal)
6. I by Meshuggah (for tech metal)
7. In a Flesh Aquarium by Unexpect (for avant-garde metal)
8. Second Life Syndrome by Riverside (for psychedelic metal)
9. Lateralus by Tool (for post-metal)

Those are my personal favs from the various styles of prog metal. Maybe I'm a conformist in my taste for metal after all, judging by the way those albums are rated. Wink


Edited by Isa - June 16 2009 at 13:45
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 16 2009 at 13:57
Originally posted by crimson87 crimson87 wrote:

 
That chart has become from now on my prog metal guidebook


You can always create your own chart ... Smile


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