Best Prog Metal Albums - please advise!!

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


Edited by Evan - June 14 2009 at 16:16

You seem like you would be a Sieges Even fan. Definitely try them. Also try Riverside, Pain of Salvation (Remedy Lane would be the best starter, BE is their best), Pelican and Russian Circles have great instrumental stuff. You'd probably also like Liquid Tension Experiment. 

As the poster below me has done I will split this into multiple sub-genres, although I feel that there are more than just 3.
                                                                                                               

"Classic" Prog Metal: These are albums which are from the progressive metal old guard, the bands which first helped to define the sub-genre in the mid to late 1980s.

Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
For me this is the template for Progressive Metal, the album that kicked it all off (it may not have been the first or the most revolutionary but I think it's the best early record).

Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray
FW's finest album, a progressive monstrosity which contains every element of their sound, harking back to their roots in traditional "heavy metal" but sounding fresh and new every time I listen to it.

Dream Theater - Images and Words
Their sophomore release is arguably one of their least progressive releases but it sums up the attitude and sound of the band perfectly.
Dream Theater - Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory The ultimate "prog-metal" album, if you're after an album which describes prog-metal then this is it; fast, technical, experimental, conceptual, it's the complete package.

Threshold - Critical Mass
My favourite Threshold record; I don't think it's their strongest but it's enjoyable and gives a perfect flavour of them as a band.
                                                                                                               

"Classic" Prog Metal (Revival): Yes, I've just defined an awkward sub-genre but these are albums whose sound is most similar to the original exponents of "prog-metal" and was directly influenced by them.

Vanden Plas - Christ 0
There isn't much to say about this other than it's well worth a listen, not astounding, not mindblowing just a very good example of "prog-metal". It exploits every genre cliche imaginable.

Shadow Galley - Tyranny
Oft-compared to Dream Theater and for good reason. It shares the technicality and sweeping, grandiose themes; conceptually it is very similar to "Operation: Mindcrime" but sounds very different and the delivery is slightly less moody.

                                                                                                               

Progressive Technical Death Metal: The precursor to death metal, most of the albums produced in this period were revolutionary but these are not all them, rather the best examples, in my opinion of the sub-genre.

Cynic - Focus
Absolutely brilliant, the use of the vocoder on the vocal parts adds a very robotic quality to the album. Heavily influenced like there contemporaries Atheist by jazz-fusion which results in a very laboured categorisation.

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
The kings of jazz-fusion influenced technical death (see what I mean) released an absolute blinder of a debut which has never been bettered in the sub-genre. Very raw and very aggressive, but well worth a proper listen.

Death - The Sound of Perseverence
Insanely technical and far closer to straight death metal than the other two. The cover of "Painkiller" is incredible and the many time signature and mood changes make this a very rewarding album.
                                                                                                               

Progressive Death Metal: I doubt anyone will argue with me if I said that Opeth are kings of this genre essentially creating a niche for themselves throughout the 1990s. It's characterised by the brutality of death metal but does not rely entirely on blast beats and downtuned guitars.

Opeth - Blackwater Park
Although there is much debate surrounding whether this album is Opeth's strongest release, it contains every element of their sound: piano solos, acoustic songs, extended metal monoliths and the contast contrasts between brutal death metal and the folk-influenced acoustic interludes,

Amorphis - Silent Waters
Although they aren't listed here, which I think is a shame, this album is undeniably a progressive metal release. Sounds very much like Opeth but the overall tone is less oppressive and the heavier are less brutal in their delivery.

Gojira - The Way of All Flesh
Vastly underrated as an album. Upon first listens it seems like a straight death metal record but repeat listens reveal subtleties which very few albums have. Brutal, heavy and fun to melt your face to.
                                                                                                               

Progressive Black Metal: An extension of the raw, "grim" genre from the frostbitten pine forests of Norway and Finland. It retains all of black metal's qualities but without the need to be "true". There are less people in corpse paint dancing like pandas.

Diabolical Masquerade - Death's Design
Criminally underrated album. The 40 odd tracks take you on a musical journey through a strange world. Originally conceived as the soundtrack to an imaginary film, Katatonia's guitarist transports you to more genres in an hour than most bands touch in a lifetime.

Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors
The least "black metal" of their releases although it is still undeniably comfortable in that genre. It's just a very good album.

Wintersun - S/T



Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
Devin Townsend - Terria
Tool - Lateralus

Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendour
Sieges Even - The Art of Navigating by the Stars
Mind's Eye - A Gentleman's Hurricane

SikTh - Death of a Dead Day
Spastic Ink - Ink Complete

Riverside - Second Life Syndrome
Anathema - Alternative 4

I'll finish soon



Edited by the_binkster - June 15 2009 at 10:27

So you like melody with some intensity eh?  PAIN OF SALVATION'S "Remedy Lane" has both as does DEADSOUL TRIBE's "Murder Of Crows" , INDUKTI's "SUSAR" , GREEN CARNATION's "Light of Day,Day Of Darkness".  DREAM THEATER's "Train Of Thought" , IN THE WOODS... "Omnio"  PSYCHOTIC WALT's "Mosquito" all of these are fairly heavy and dark for the most part. PAGAN'S MIND's "Celestial Entrance" is just a great metal album. GORDIAN KNOT's "Emergent" is impressive.  Two favs are FATES WARNING's "Perfect Symmetry" and John Arch's "A Twist Of Fate". ZERO HOUR's "Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond" is heavy and complex with some melody too. OSADA VIDA's "Three Seats Behind The Traingle" is amazing.

While not really metal, and since you're a King Crimson fan, I'd suggest Zooma and The Thunderthief by John Paul Jones, especially Zooma.  Neither are like Led Zeppelin, the music is lush, there is a Crimsonish quality to much of them, and Jones plays a lot of different instruments.  Really good stuff that doesn't get a lot of attention.   Another band where the Crimson influence comes out is Gordian Knot.

Progosopher wrote: While not really metal, and since you're a King Crimson fan, I'd suggest Zooma and The Thunderthief by John Paul Jones, especially Zooma.  Neither are like Led Zeppelin, the music is lush, there is a Crimsonish quality to much of them, and Jones plays a lot of different instruments.  Really good stuff that doesn't get a lot of attention.

Kudos to you for mentioning those two excellent albums! I added JPJ personally to the DB last year (he is in Heavy Prog), and it was definitely one of the best additions of the last couple of years. If you check the HP 'hidden gem' recommendations on the subgenre's home page, you'll find Zooma among them.

Well, it depends.

The most emotionally intense and jarring music I can think of would be

Pain Of Salvation - The Perfect Element Pt.1 (Oh wow...)
Pain Of Salvation - Remedy Lane (Again, this is something otherworldly.)

Ayreon - The Human Equation (A thrill ride of music and emotions)

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (Quite a special blend of melody and intensity)

maudlin of the Well - Bath & Leaving Your Body Map (Two related albums that  are quite psychedelic and jarring in approach. Very aggressive and mixed with powerful folk balladry.)

Devin Townsend - Terria (Much less overtly metal than the rest, but very diverse and quite intense in the overwhelming production.)

These are some other great progressive metal albums that highly affect me emotionally and musically

Shadow Gallery - Tyranny and Room V (Both are superb and catchy progressive metal rock operas)
Savatage - Streets, Dead Winter Dead, and Wake Of Magellan (Three classic progressive metal concept albums, with fine stories and top class playing.)
Early Dream Theater is great progressive metal, but rarely intense. The biggest exception being Scenes From a Memory, which can be fairly jolting at times.

I will add more, later.


Edited by Alitare - June 14 2009 at 20:48

moreitsythanyou wrote: You seem like you would be a Sieges Even fan. Definitely try them. Also try Riverside, Pain of Salvation (Remedy Lane would be the best starter, BE is their best), Pelican and Russian Circles have great instrumental stuff. You'd probably also like Liquid Tension Experiment.

Russian Circles is much more post rock than post metal though. Amazing band, but not one I'd suggest in a metal thread.

get the latest Maudlin of the Well release: Exellent and FREE  , what more can you ask ??

ok......

Sigh? Green Carnation? Anathema? Russian Circles? In The Woods? do you really think 'Energetic Dissassembly' is the way to go? Russian Circles? Burst? Iron Maiden????


Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, Fates Warning, Queensryche, Shadow Gallery, Sieges Even, Soul Cages, Psychotic Waltz, Ayreon....

get into these bands for starters, lots of material in there and then, mind all the death, black, thrash, classic rock/metal, post, atmospheric, tech metal stuff...