Favorite Obscure Prog Band?

Benjamins Kite. I can't believe they have 3 monthly listeners on spotify right now.

This is actually kind of a weird topic since 99 percent of prog is obscure. 

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - August 12 2023 at 08:58

Edited by Sean Trane - August 12 2023 at 14:59

Obscure in PA means low number of ratings per album (I would say max. 130).

My favorite bands are Katalena, Smak, Leb i sol, Indexi and Sheshet.

Edited by terramystic - August 18 2023 at 09:51

Maybe not so obscure to most progheads but I really like Affinity, Catapilla, Empire, Mother Superior, and Earth 6 Fire when I want a break from the usual suspects.

I was going to say Carol of Harvest, but did see someone else mention it. Along with Pink Floyd's "The Wall", I think these are the last great prog albums.

They are not really obscure, more underrated really, but I do love Crippled Black Phoenix. Combining post rock and prog into a perfect blend of Pink Floyd-like atmospheres and grooves, with melodies and textures similar to Mogwai and Explosions in The Sky gives them a lot of charm.

MortSahlFan wrote: I was going to say Carol of Harvest, but did see someone else mention it. Along with Pink Floyd's "The Wall", I think these are the last great prog albums.

So in your opinion there have been NO great prog albums since 1979?!! Oh boy…..

essexboyinwales wrote: MortSahlFan wrote: I was going to say Carol of Harvest, but did see someone else mention it. Along with Pink Floyd's "The Wall", I think these are the last great prog albums. So in your opinion there have been NO great prog albums since 1979?!! Oh boy…..

I suspect that you have not listened to nearly enough post-1979, or 1979, albums to have an informed opinion. Our biases can mislead and even blind us. Best to keep an open mind and open ears, I think. I;m sure lots could give many recommendations that you could love if you really try to listen without prejudice, and comment on those too so we can better fine tune them.

A lot of what I like is going to be obscure to many, and a lot of it is not obscure to members here because I have flogged it. Sometimes I say that music is Prog not the bands themselves, and I;d rather focus on little known albums that I deem Prog. While Prog is not the word I would use for Geinoh Yamashirogumi, it is a project that I suggested to PA, and it is quite well-known for the Akira soundtrack in some circles, I would suggest its 1976 debut 恐山 (Osorezan) / 銅之剣舞 (Dō no Kenbai) a as particular favourite album of mine that is little known   I especially love it for the A side, Osorezan, an epic that I have flogged here over the years.

For something more contemporary, another band I suggested for PA and had planned to add, Ciśnienie, who specialise in epic crescendos. It's Brass Album (2020) and JazzArt Underground (2019) are I think very exciting slices of post-rock, although it can get a bit formulaic. And for my wide umbrella idea of Prog, Mid-Air Thief and.

As for greats of this millennium, Guapo (Five Suns, Black Oni, Elixirs), Secret Chiefs 3 (Book M, Book of Horizons, Xaphan..., Perichoresis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Lift Yr. Skinny Fists, F#A#, Yanqui UXO,, and various Kayo Dot immediately come to mind, as well as, of course, Swans who I also think were great in the late 80s through 90s. Soundtracks for the Blind, The Seer, To Be Kind, The Glowing Man are all Prog masterpieces to me. Also Anna von Hausswolff, to me Dead Magic, Ceremony, and The Miraculous of last decade are all amazing and Prog, and I like her all Thoughts Fly.

EDIT: Oh, meant to mention, and while arguably Prog (it has enough music relations to me to consider here) to me David Bowie's Blackstar is a masterpiece and a triumph and for me the album of the millennium thus far

Edited by Logan - August 31 2023 at 11:53

I don't really know if Gryphon is considered obscure, but I have always loved their unique take on progressive medieval folk.