I've noticed some of you mentioning your past/present interest in "metal". I was a simialar case until i discovered TDSOTM and after seeing a Pink Floyd cover band twice.  From there i was a PF-aholic for like a year! Then i found Todd Rundgren and Rush. Then i found this site whall looking for Utopia downloads on the internet. I downloaded "Utopia Theme" and then i became addicted to this website and now listen to soo many different bands comparitively.  I could have lived being a Pink Floyd whore but this is much better

What's your storie former/current metalhead?

Black Sabbath, Zep, Hendrix, Purple were my starting point in metal.

These days I dont find Heavy metal as satisfying as prog.

I would say I have seen every pre 1980 major metal band. I actually saw Scorpions & Motorhead in Bolton.Those were the days.

I used to be a major metal head. Started in around 83' when I was 11. Went from "quiet Riot" (I was 11 OK) to Motley Crue and Def Leppard. At 14 I discoverd Iron Maiden, and Judas priest. During all these times I thought I was listning to the heaviest stuff there was. Then in 86' I started to immerse myself in speed/thrash metal, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Overkill etc. After a few years of this I went on to punk mainly because of the lyrics.

I can't remember where I first heard prog. I think my brother turned me on to it. HE was a big Rush head. I started first with bands like fates warning and dream theater and then went backwards. In 1995 I met Ed Macan the author of Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. We formed Hermetic Science with Don Sweeney and recorded an album in 96.

Michael

Add me to the old metalheadz pile - I cut my teeth, so to speak, on AC/DC, Motorhead, Sabbath, Maiden and Purple in the mid to late 1970s.

I picked up on prog when bands like Diamond Head started appearing. Marillion just blew me away - I thought they were so much better than the old prog bands like Genesis and Rush, because the lyrics were about real things, and they weren't over-complicated and noodly.

I then got heavily into Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Sacred Reich - and eventually my own "Thrash" band.

Then I read for a degree in music - I've heard some stuff that makes heavy metal sound wussy (Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima), Klaus Schulze sound like pop music (almost anything by Stockhausen) and most prog seem, well, not very progressive at all (I won't start, because the list would be too long!).

I like quite a lot of Nu-Metal, including Linkin Park, Rammstein, Killswitch Engage and System of a Down - but then I still consider myself to be very open-minded, and in full possession of my own tastes and opinions.

I used to be a real metalhead, but about a year ago I discovered prog (Zappa, Tull, Crimson).

As a metalhead, my favourite bands were: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Grave Digger, Raven, Saxon, Metallica, Megadeth (My favourite genre was New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. I never felt much for death metal or thrash metal.)

Joren wrote: I used to be a real metalhead, but about a year ago I discovered prog (Zappa, Tull, Crimson). As a metalhead, my favourite bands were: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Grave Digger, Raven, Saxon, Metallica, Megadeth (My favourite genre was New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. I never felt much for death metal or thrash metal.)

Raven were a great band, but "bought the shark" after "All For One".

...I always thought Metallica/Megadeth invented thrash...

HEY!!! The Clown's back!!

Thrash / Deathspeed Metal is good when you're in a certain mood.

However, just like Pavlov's dogs...I get wood when I hear the Wife put on her soppy trash.....Coz I knoiw whats coming next................

My metal mentor was a disturbingly psychotic high school friend who listened, amused, as I tried to impress him with my knowledge of Iron Maiden. "That's what I put on when I go to sleep," he replied. Then he introduced me to Celtic Frost, Sodom, Kreator, Destruction, and a little S.O.D. for comic relief. Decades later, I keep my feet wet in the metal arena.

I wasn't blown away by numetal, although System of a Down have their moments and Tool is always worth checking out. My current favorites, besides the 'classics', include Cradle of Filth, Rammstein, and Cannibal Corpse.

In a lot of ways, my prog timeline has mirrored my metal timeline; sometime between the middle of high school and the last few years I let both genres slide a bit while I went exploring, only to rediscover them- excited by what I might have missed the first time around. Prog is much more rewarding, but I don't think I'll ever totally 'outgrow' my metal side..although my hair is now short and my leather jacket much more tasteful.

Yup, i think a lot of us were brought to prog via metal. I was about 12 when I heard AC/DC and bought the whole shootin' match full on Zep, Sabs, Purple, Rainbow, Maiden, Leppard, Diamond Head, Saxon (oh dear), Tank, etc etc etc. I was a complete nerd for it, walls covered in pages snipped from Kerrang.

But I guess my coming of age was hearing Rush's Spirit of Radio. It was less routine, less formulaic and more interesting than most metal. Around the same time Peter Gabriel's Games Without Frontiers was out and I loved that too. Then I heard my cousin's copy of DSOTM and that was it..... I bought all the Rush, then heard Yes's Run Through the Light on the radio when it was released and started looking into them. My broither's friend from New York brought us a load of Kansas records around 1980 too. The difficulty of finding a lot of the stuff made it seem like the holy grail to me. It was mysterious, arcane and my own, nobody else was into this sh*t. I had a secret love. It was cool.

I got incredibly bored with metal. It just seemed incredibly adolescent and I sold almost all of it, with the exception of the prog-flavoured stuff and Zeppelin.

All the while I was listening to metal and prog I was also tuning into the Pistols, PIL, Dead Kennedys, as well as pop new wave like the Pretenders, Elvis Costello, The Police, Blondie etc and other stuff like that so my metal lps were repleced by Joy Division, Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, The Smiths, Cure etc.

But i always came back to the prog and as I head towards the years doomed to be swamped in nostalgia I've been repurchasing some of my fave hard rock/metal record - Purple/Rainbow/Triumph/AC-DC/early Def Leppard/early Maien/Diamond Head etc. It's wonderful fun music.

I never really got thrash/death/speed whatever metal, even thought Motorhead were the first band i ever saw. I do like Metallica (And justice for all.. and the black album) but that's as far as I go.

As for the modern stuff. I just can't stand it. I'm old, it's just noise to me.

Arcer - check out "Master of Puppets" by Metallica (if you haven't already) - they released it in a state of denial, as they got sick of the thrash metal tag that "Kill 'Em All" so rightly earned them. It contains thrash, but goes way beyond anything before it. I would say it's the first prog metal album, as prog metal is defined these days (when I were a lad, Diamond Head and Budgie were progressive metal).

Certif1ed wrote: Joren wrote: I used to be a real metalhead, but about a year ago I discovered prog (Zappa, Tull, Crimson). As a metalhead, my favourite bands were: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Grave Digger, Raven, Saxon, Metallica, Megadeth (My favourite genre was New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. I never felt much for death metal or thrash metal.) Raven were a great band, but "bought the shark" after "All For One". ...I always thought Metallica/Megadeth invented thrash...   HEY!!! The Clown's back!!

Let's say Metallica's and Megadeth's first albums were "proto-thrash"  I didn't really enjoy the other thrash that came after that (Anthrax, for example). And Metallica and Megadeth soon got into speed metal, a lot less chaotic than thrash.

happy to check one out Cert, cheers, though in all honest, prog-metal leaves me totally cold. I just find its overblown melodrama laughable. It lacks any self-regarding irony and is just Spinal Tap to me.

I know where you're coming from arcer - it does the same to me, on the whole. I normally find that when I listen to a prog metal album, I'm just hearing "Master of Puppets" revisited - it's hard to believe that it's nearly 20 years old!

joren I know what you mean about the storm of thrash bands that followed hot on the heels of Metallica - I find it hard to differentiate between the various forms of Metal, and prefer the single term thrash as an umbrella term. I saw Metallica with Anthrax in support in September 1986 - a month before Cliff Burton tragically died in that coach crash. It blew me away - I just couldn't believe those guys playing music of that complexity at that speed, it was completely new. I saw Slayer a month or two later, and Kreator, with Death as support act shortly after that. All those bands were amazing - but a bit wearying after a while.

Anthrax at least had a sense of humour - "Spreading the Disease" is probably their best album, especially the track "Gung-Ho", but the rest are patchy to say the least. Slayer's "Reign in Blood" lives on as a landmark of what thrash metal can be - never mind Napalm Death, who were silly (genius, but ultimately silly and unlistenable). I also liked Helloween's "Walls of Jericho", which had real potential - the trouble seemed to be that no-one wanted to be accused of taking themselves seriously (which most did), and tried erroneously to develop a sense of humour a la Anthrax. The only band that really succeeded, IMO, was Lawnmower Death. Their album "Ooh Crikey! It's Lawnmower Death" is a classic!

What Metallica and Megadeth produced in 1983/4 was definitely thrash, due to the style of playing - I don't know what "Thrash" as a separate genre is supposed to sound like, but any metal band that produces a riff by thrashing (Whiplash, Metal Militia, Fight Fire with Fire, Damage Inc./ Rattlehead, Mechanix, Peace Sells But Who's Buying) writes thrash metal in my book.

But none of that is prog metal

For me proto-metal:

[Cream: Disraeli Gears (listen to some of the outtakes on the recently reissued 2 CD set)]

Jeff Beck: Cosa Nostra Beckola (Jimmy Page apparently then stolen the 'blueprints')

May Blitz: May Blitz

Pink Fairies: Never Never Land (and Mike Farren in his autobiography claims The Social Deviants laid down some of the rules for the PF's)

Deep Purple: In Rock

And a band that suggested they might have been really heavy but in the end never went headlong down that way: Stray (e.g. their All In The Mind - was pretty heavy rock for its time)

Certif1ed wrote: I know where you're coming from arcer - it does the same to me, on the whole. I normally find that when I listen to a prog metal album, I'm just hearing "Master of Puppets" revisited - it's hard to believe that it's nearly 20 years old! joren I know what you mean about the storm of thrash bands that followed hot on the heels of Metallica - I find it hard to differentiate between the various forms of Metal, and prefer the single term thrash as an umbrella term. I saw Metallica with Anthrax in support in September 1986 - a month before Cliff Burton tragically died in that coach crash. It blew me away - I just couldn't believe those guys playing music of that complexity at that speed, it was completely new. I saw Slayer a month or two later, and Kreator, with Death as support act shortly after that. All those bands were amazing - but a bit wearying after a while. Anthrax at least had a sense of humour - "Spreading the Disease" is probably their best album, especially the track "Gung-Ho", but the rest are patchy to say the least. Slayer's "Reign in Blood" lives on as a landmark of what thrash metal can be - never mind Napalm Death, who were silly (genius, but ultimately silly and unlistenable). I also liked Helloween's "Walls of Jericho", which had real potential - the trouble seemed to be that no-one wanted to be accused of taking themselves seriously (which most did), and tried erroneously to develop a sense of humour a la Anthrax. The only band that really succeeded, IMO, was Lawnmower Death. Their album "Ooh Crikey! It's Lawnmower Death" is a classic! What Metallica and Megadeth produced in 1983/4 was definitely thrash, due to the style of playing - I don't know what "Thrash" as a separate genre is supposed to sound like, but any metal band that produces a riff by thrashing (Whiplash, Metal Militia, Fight Fire with Fire, Damage Inc./ Rattlehead, Mechanix, Peace Sells But Who's Buying) writes thrash metal in my book. But none of that is prog metal

To me, the first prog metal album is Mercyful fate - Melissa

Dick Heath wrote: For me proto-metal: [Cream: Disraeli Gears (listen to some of the outtakes on the recently reissued 2 CD set)]   Jeff Beck: Cosa Nostra Beckola (Jimmy Page apparently then stolen the 'blueprints') May Blitz: May Blitz Pink Fairies: Never Never Land (and Mike Farren in his autobiography claims The Social Deviants laid down some of the rules for the PF's) Deep Purple: In Rock And a band that suggested they might have been really heavy but in the end never went headlong down that way: Stray (e.g. their All In The Mind - was pretty heavy rock for its time)

You left out;

Black Sabbath : Black Sabbath (1970)

Spooky Tooth : Spooky Two (1969)

Blue Cheer : Vincebus Eruptum and OutsideInside (1968)

As far as I can tell, Blue Cheer invented heavy metal - Disaster Area style!!

Good call on the Pink Fairies - what a band!

I'd also consider the Groundhogs, but haven't heard Stray - I'll check them out .

Frankly speaking, I never liked heavy metal and all these deaths, blacks, hardcores, grindcores, etc...

But I always liked Hard-Rock. at my 13-15 years old Jimy Hendrix, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Queen, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath were the next ones for me after The Beatles.

Only a couple years ago I've got an interest to some Progressive Metal Bands - King Diamond, Savatage, Dream Theater, Sieges Even...

These Danish guys are really outstanding - both in MF and KD! :-)

But my favorite album among them is KD's CONSPIRACY.

Emperor wrote: These Danish guys are really outstanding - both in MF and KD! :-) But my favorite album among them is KD's CONSPIRACY.

MF - don't break the oath is awesome!

I started off listening to bands such as Machine Head, Nirvana, Mudvayne and that kind of stuff. My first prog visit was when i listened to a track by symphonyX, eversince i have been a devoted fan of both ProgMetal and Prog in general. I mostly listen to ProgMetal these days but my collection of CD's from bands such as Genesis, yes and Camel are growing strong.

   What attracted me to Prog/Opera/Symphonic Metal most was the fact that the Singers can actually sing, apposed to shout and the subject matter interests me. Call me a nerd if you must but i really like listening to Fantasy songs and Metal operas. I mean can you get any more hardcore than a bunch of men playing guitar and singing about Elves.

My favourite bands include, Kamelot, SymphonyX, Avantasia, Edguy (who i am seeing in 5 days) and Ayreon along with many others. OF course on level peggings wiht those bands are Yes (who i have seen live earlier this year, best gig i been to yet, original line up) and Genesis.

greenback wrote: Emperor wrote: These Danish guys are really outstanding - both in MF and KD! :-) But my favorite album among them is KD's CONSPIRACY. MF - don't break the oath is awesome!

I only have "Melissa" (And "The Beginning"), and although I hardly ever listen to metal nowadays, I still like this record.

I thinks it's (a little) progressive.

Motorhead Motorhead and even more Motorhead!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats what I started on, this led to Iron Maiden. AC/DC, Judas Priest, Saxon, ACCEPT  Venom  Thin Lizzy, Ozzy/Sabbath, Metallica..

I had 'The Wall' on the back burner, and thank God a friend forced me to listern to 'Exit Stage Left' and 'Script for a jesters tear' I was sold on prog from that moment. Still like some metal though!

I saw Venom at Hammersmith Odeon (or Carling Apollo or whatever the smeg it's called now) back in 1984, just after they released "At War With Satan". The stage show had more pyromania than the average KISS world tour put together - my hair singed several times!

They were crap musicians - but who cared? This was the birth of a new genre

I lost count of the number of times I saw Motorhead - probably because I could no longer hear myself count...

If anyone has this bootleg I would be extremely greatful for a copy.

Joren wrote: greenback wrote: Emperor wrote: These Danish guys are really outstanding - both in MF and KD! :-) But my favorite album among them is KD's CONSPIRACY. MF - don't break the oath is awesome! I only have "Melissa" (And "The Beginning"), and although I hardly ever listen to metal nowadays, I still like this record. I thinks it's (a little) progressive.

I even think it's just Progressive! Only in "metal clothes"...

Certif1ed wrote: I saw Venom at Hammersmith Odeon (or Carling Apollo or whatever the smeg it's called now) back in 1984, just after they released "At War With Satan". The stage show had more pyromania than the average KISS world tour put together - my hair singed several times! They were crap musicians - but who cared? This was the birth of a new genre I lost count of the number of times I saw Motorhead - probably because I could no longer hear myself count...

'At War with Satan' The ultimate concept track. Rush & Genesis must have been sh!tting themselves!

Well, I a huge metal head.  As well as being a huge prog head.  So my true passion is prog metal.  Besides all the obvious prog metal bands out there, I listen to many "underground" prog metal bands. 

For other metal:

Speed/Thrash Metal - I really like the early movements.  The new thrash has lost its 'thrashness' so to speak.

Power Metal - whats better than putting on Hammerfall or Blind Gardian and playing a little D&D?

Gothic Metal - so beuitfully constructed.  I really enjoy most of it.

Death Metal - needs to be good death metal or nothing for me.

Black Metal - yeah, most of it is crap

Stoner Metal - just damn funny

Industrial Metal - tr00 industrial metal is great, not this pop-Manson stuff

Doom Metal - very sophisticated, makes me think

Heavy Metal - classic, just classic

NWBHM - some great bands here as well

JedHead wrote: Stoner Metal - just damn funny

Who does stoner metal? GWAR?

No, GWAR is thrash/gore metal.

Stoner Metal is bands like Mastidon, Queens of the Stone Age and Monster Magnet.

Well I prefer

Moose metal,

Fromage metal,

Klingon metal,

Silage metal,

Meat metal,

Monkey metal,

Silly metal,

Vegetable metal and

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch metal

with a side order of pig-iron...

Speaking of metal you can't get much heavier than this:

Certif1ed wrote: Well I prefer Moose metal, Fromage metal, Klingon metal, Silage metal, Meat metal, Monkey metal, Silly metal, Vegetable metal and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch metal with a side order of pig-iron...

You forgot

Advanced Algebra/Trigonomirty Metal

Hungry Hungry Hippos Metal

Pork the other white Metal

JedHead wrote: Pork the other white Metal

LOL, that's the best one yet!

I'm ex metal head,too.My favourite bands were Iron Maiden,Metallica and then old metal bands mostly from Germany,Switzerland and Scandinavia like Messiah,Bathory,Celtic frost,Coroner,Destruction,Hellhammer.....Then Death,Sepultura,Nuclear assault.......................

But at the same time I liked rock too so I can't say now--I changed my music orientation when I heard Zappa or something like that.I still like metal ocassionaly.

JedHead wrote: Well, I a huge metal head.  As well as being a huge prog head.  So my true passion is prog metal.  Besides all the obvious prog metal bands out there, I listen to many "underground" prog metal bands.  For other metal: Speed/Thrash Metal - I really like the early movements.  The new thrash has lost its 'thrashness' so to speak. Power Metal - whats better than putting on Hammerfall or Blind Gardian and playing a little D&D? Gothic Metal - so beuitfully constructed.  I really enjoy most of it. Death Metal - needs to be good death metal or nothing for me. Black Metal - yeah, most of it is crap Stoner Metal - just damn funny Industrial Metal - tr00 industrial metal is great, not this pop-Manson stuff Doom Metal - very sophisticated, makes me think Heavy Metal - classic, just classic NWBHM - some great bands here as well

Marilyn Manson's early stuff was pretty experimental, not really POP music... And I really like some of his paintings...

...

Emperor wrote: Joren wrote: greenback wrote: Emperor wrote: These Danish guys are really outstanding - both in MF and KD! :-) But my favorite album among them is KD's CONSPIRACY. MF - don't break the oath is awesome! I only have "Melissa" (And "The Beginning"), and although I hardly ever listen to metal nowadays, I still like this record. I thinks it's (a little) progressive.   I even think it's just Progressive! Only in "metal clothes"...

Yes, maybe you're right. 

Blacksword wrote: Motorhead Motorhead and even more Motorhead!!!!!!!!!!! Thats what I started on, this led to Iron Maiden. AC/DC, Judas Priest, Saxon, ACCEPT  Venom  Thin Lizzy, Ozzy/Sabbath, Metallica.. I had 'The Wall' on the back burner, and thank God a friend forced me to listern to 'Exit Stage Left' and 'Script for a jesters tear' I was sold on prog from that moment. Still like some metal though!

Venom...

Accept...  Get your BALLS FROM THE WALL MAN!

Burning!

Burning!

Rock AND ROLL DESIRE!!! YEAH!

frenchie wrote: Machinehead kick ass. just listening to "through the ashes of empires"

MAchine head do kick ass \m/

I didn't have a peer group to speak of initially - I was the kid they all made fun out of with my long hair and wierd tastes in music. I'm now the kid who got the good job, the pretty girl and the reasonably plush lifestyle, so no regrets!

But once outside of school, it was pretty much the case of one or the other - the American bands tended to be pretty boys with perms, so I couldn't like them just for that (how shallow I was!). However, when Metallica released "Kill 'Em All" in 1983/4, I was suddenly going back and re-evaluating the music of those bands.

I thought that most of them, like Motley Crue and Twisted Sister were still naff, so that was OK - but Bon Jovi's early material was surprisingly good, and I "discovered" Blackfoot and Riot, who were amazing bands. Later, Guns'n'Roses produced just ONE great album (the first!), and Skid Row showed an original approach to Blackfoot's southern boogie style. But the thrash bands really fascinated me - Slayer, Sacred Reich, Megadeth and Testament particularly.

But, until Metallica, British metal was the best - Raven, Saxon, Def Leppard, Diamond Head and Venom, Iron Maiden - all carving out their own unique sounds in metal rather than sticking with established formulae, even if they did settle after a few albums. 

Er... I ramble on (again!).