Your Prog Rock Hot Takes

I said something similar before but I'll say it again. Prog didn't make some big comeback in the 90s. It was still largely underground just like in the 80s. I know there's this big conception that prog came back to life with Anglagard or Dream Theater or whatever but it only made the older fans pay attention more. Nothing more and nothing less imo.

Here's one, the flower kings are the most generic prog band I've ever heard, and i've heard many a generic prog band

suitkees wrote: Thrash Metal should be called Trash Metal.

omphaloskepsis wrote: The Big Generator is the best Yes album since Relayer.

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Going for the One is better than Relayer, Fragile, and The Yes Album

Edited by Frets N Worries - November 29 2023 at 10:01

The best Scandinavian band is Freak Kitchen. Very colorful, fun, heavy, and great lyrics.

A shame PA has rejected them for inclusion twice, at least.

Lumenko wrote: Cristi wrote: Lumenko wrote: "Hybris'', as a mostly instrumental album with only a few verses here and there and not so great vocals, isn't even close to the albums I mentioned above. Änglagård played some vintage keyboards, of course, and they had "complexity'', but after listening to the album a few times, there's nothing particularly memorable about it. There's a lot to complain about regarding its production as well. "Hybris" is just one of a number of extremely overrated prog-rock albums from Scandinavia. That's just your opinion.  Well, I'm afraid that it's not just my opinion if I hear that Änglagård were ripped off a lot from King Crimson, particularly from their "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black" eras. Furthermore, Änglagård somehow sound like they were compelled to play prog-rock, much like the majority of those other Scandinavian prog-rock bands. Also, although I'm sure they adore the genre, the Scandinavians seem to be forcing the dark side of prog-rock instead of its bittersweet and colourful nature. I mean, instead of appreciating the prog-rock genre's vibrant scenery, it seems like many of them pushed the one-dimensional atmosphere of dark wave and gothic rock into their take on prog-rock. It causes a good portion of Scandinavian progressive music to be dull and colourless.

Cristi wrote: Lumenko wrote: "Hybris'', as a mostly instrumental album with only a few verses here and there and not so great vocals, isn't even close to the albums I mentioned above. Änglagård played some vintage keyboards, of course, and they had "complexity'', but after listening to the album a few times, there's nothing particularly memorable about it. There's a lot to complain about regarding its production as well. "Hybris" is just one of a number of extremely overrated prog-rock albums from Scandinavia. That's just your opinion.

Well, I'm afraid that it's not just my opinion if I hear that Änglagård were ripped off a lot from King Crimson, particularly from their "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black" eras.

Cristi wrote: Lumenko wrote: Cristi wrote: Lumenko wrote: Contemporary Scandinavian progressive music is extremely overrated. You need to develop a bit why you think so.  I don't see it how it's "extremely overrated". I don't think it's even overrated.  Today's exaggeration in championing Scandinavian progressive music dates back to the 1990s. Obviously, when the early 90s are debated in the context of prog-rock, people usually mention "Hybris" by Änglagård as a kind of revelation, as if "Hybris" was a lonely phenomenon at the time. However, the 1990s are an underrated decade in prog-rock, and actually, there are several truly great prog-rock debut albums from the early 90s. For instance, Casino was a one-off prog-rock project by Clive Noland and Jeff Mann. Their self-titled concept album also features Sylvain Gouvernaire from Iris and Karl Groom from Threshold. Unfortunately, Jeff Mann passed away shortly after the "Casino" CD was released on the Dutch 'progressive' label SI Music in 1992. But before he left, Mann left behind the "Casino" CD, which is perhaps the UK's best prog-rock album of the early '90s. Or, Swiss band Galaad. For their first concept album, titled "Premier février," also released in 1992, the band delivered a powerful and theatrical prog-rock sung in French [without copying Ange!], with the originality of the singer as well as some magnificent melodies. Both of the aforementioned albums are better early 90s prog achievements than Änglagård's "Hybris." You said "extremely overrated". That's a superlative if I may say so.  It's all subjective, I think Änglagård's Hybris is better than all the albums you mention here.  I would say TFK are overrated, but that's just my take on the band. Also TFK has quite a few imitators. It's become a bit predictable.  But i don't think the entire scene is overrated.

"Hybris'', as a mostly instrumental album with only a few verses here and there and not so great vocals, isn't even close to the albums I mentioned above.