Renaissance

Sweetnighter wrote: I hypothesize that this board is bent more towards the more metal side of prog...

This usually happens, when a media focused on prog gets popular, as prog metal is very popular genre of music. I don't listen to it, but I think that those who like it, can judge better themselves what they like or not. Those who hate it, should just try to cope with "the wrong opinnions about music". I may be hard...

...or then not.

But I like Renaissance!  Haven't yet heard their 1st album with different line-up.

Matt0001 wrote: I only have Scheherazde, and, while it's not my cup of tea, it is very good. They are a little too "tight-assed" for my tastes. They are extremely good musicians with great compositions, but there's just not enough, shall I say, rocking and rolling.  I have the same problem with Gentle Giant. And I think it may be more my problem than theirs. I still need to learn how to listen to them.

Try their "Prologue" album from 1972, which is much harder-edged, with
some excellent acid guitar work on "Spare Some Love" and a closing
eleven minute raga freakout "Rajah Khan". If you like this album (and I'm
sure you will), then go on to get their self-titled début from 1969, which
is a stunning mixture of rock, baroque classical, blues, beat and more.