Neo-Prog Concept Album Recommendations
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65831
Printed Date: January 13 2025 at 02:33
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Neo-Prog Concept Album Recommendations
Posted By: J-Man
Subject: Neo-Prog Concept Album Recommendations
Date Posted: March 16 2010 at 20:10
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If you were to go into my collaborator profile, you would notice I have my top 25 al-time favorite prog albums posted. If you look closer, you would notice that FOURTEEN of them are concept albums! And a few of the ones that I don't consider concept albums (like SEBTP and Bridge Across Forever) are arguable. I've always known that I tend to love concept albums, but I've also noticed that I'm not aware of many neo-prog concept albums. If you know any good (preferably great) concept albums in the vein of Marillion and IQ, all suggestions are welcome!  If you know any other great concept albums that are unrelated to neo-prog, and are something I should be aware of, they are much appreciated as well.My Top 25 Prog Albums (All Concept Albums Bolded and Red Font) 1. The Perfect Element, Pt. 1- Pain of Salvation 2. Scenes From a Memory- Dream Theater 3. Foxtrot- Genesis 4. Snow- Spock's Beard 5. Crimson- Edge of Sanity 6. ?- Neal Morse 7. Still Life- Opeth 8. BE- Pain of Salvation 9. Bridge Across Forever- Transatlantic 10. Selling England By The Pound- Genesis 11. Sola Scriptura- Neal Morse 12. The Shaming of the True- Kevin Gilbert 13. Symbolic- Death 14. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway- Genesis 15. The Sum of No Evil- The Flower Kings 16. Abbey Road- The Beatles 17. Close To The Edge- Yes 18. Images & Words- Dream Theater 19. Misplaced Childhood- Marillion 20. V- Spock's Beard 21. The Closing Chronicles- Nightingale 22. The Kindness of Strangers- Spock's Beard 23. Operation: Mindcrime- Queensryche 24. Streets: A Rock Opera- Savatage 25. Trespass- Genesis Thanks, -Jeff ------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Replies:
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: March 16 2010 at 20:34
| The Dreams of Men by Pallas is one popular Neo-Prog concept highly regarded in PA. |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: March 16 2010 at 20:39
Thanks Pablo. I'm reading some reviews right now and it sounds promising. I have $40 of iTunes gift cards, so I might buy it (even though I hate iTunes  ). -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
The Quiet One wrote:Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: March 16 2010 at 20:49
| Also Arena's The Visitor is another highly acclaimed Neo-Prog concept you might want to check out. |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: March 16 2010 at 20:51
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Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 16 2010 at 20:59
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k2 Book of the Dead not necessarily in the vein of Marillion or IQ but in the Neo genre |
Posted By: Soul Dreamer
Date Posted: March 16 2010 at 21:20
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IQ - Subterranea Very good concept album ------------- To be the one who seeks so I may find .. (Metallica) |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 02:49
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I believe 'Behaviour' by Saga is a concept-album but I am not sure. Otherwise you have 'generation 13'. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 02:58
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Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 08:07
| Just had to mention, from the classic seventies period, 1975's Spartacus, by the german group Triumvirat. As for something more current, i do not have any idea |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 08:13
COLLAGE - Moonshine
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Posted By: ProgressiveAttic
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 08:39
Good one.... the best concept album ever recorded: TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS!!!! 
the most decent neo-prog album (and concept album) I've listened to date: Marillion's Script for A Jester's Tear (not a big neo fan  )
outside of prog (prog-related really): The Who - Quadrophenia  ------------- Michael's Sonic Kaleidoscope Mondays 5:00pm EST(re-runs Thursdays 3:00pm) @ Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio(http://www.deliciousagony.com) 
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Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 08:50
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My discussion of the month album fits the bill. Roswell Six's Terra Incognita: Beyond The Horizon.
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65438&PID=3583654#3583654 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65438&PID=3583654#3583654
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Posted By: Windhawk
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 09:07
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Sylvan's Posthumous Silence deserves a mention methinks.
------------- Websites I work with: http://www.progressor.net http://www.houseofprog.com My profile on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/haukevind/ |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 09:17
Agreed, Olav. E -------------
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Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 10:29
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Also agreed Olav. I would recommend Marillion's Clutching At Straws and Arena's Contagion. Pallas' The Sentinel was pretty cool too. And of the newer stuff, Magenta's Seven is pretty freaking awesome. ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 11:34
Not neo (proto actually) but if you are a fan of Snow you should like The Who's Quadrophenia, my favorite rock opera of all time and out of all rock operas it likely holds the storyline the best  ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">  
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Posted By: Roland113
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 12:14
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Jeff, My first thought was Contagion by Arena, fantastic CD and a great example of Neo Prog. I have that as one of my top five albums all time. I know "The Doctor" mentioned it as well, but I thought I'd give it a second shout. As a follow up to The Doctor's post I'm going to have to check out "The Sentinel" as well, I love the two of his recommendations that I am familiar with. ------------- -------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 15:46
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Eric beat me to Brave which is quite essential, and I also agree with the IQ & Who suggestions. In addition to Quadrophenia, I would also recommend Tommy, but try it on the remastered Live at LeedsLP which is fabulous. Trying to avoid the obvious Floyd/Genesis & etc. candidates, I would also try Jon Anderson's Toltec (easily in the top 2 of his solo output with a marvellous narrative), Josh & Co Through These Eyes, which really is a mix of all types of prog, but mainly heavy & folk, and Phideaux Number Seven (folky/symphonic/neo/just about everything). ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 16:13
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Saens- Prophet in a Statistical World Sensetive to Light- Almost Human Pendragon- The Masquerade Overture IQ- The Wake Kamelot- The Black Halo (I know, metal, but you'll love it all the same) Strangefish- Fortune Telling Threshold- Clone ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 16:22
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A not-metal prog concept album that I love is
Sieges Even - Navigating by the Stars
I know they're metal and there are metal elements but it's actually pretty clean guitar oriented, more along PT or other modern neo-prog lines.
And it's spectacular. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 16:28
I still consider that a metal album as the bass and drums are both played in a metal style, even if the guitar is some of the time. And yes, its a fantastic album I should have mentioned. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 16:33
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Magenta - Seven and Revolutions deserve mentions. Actually all Magenta's albums are concept albums and fit well into the ''neo prog'' category.
Check out their version of Wonderous Stories on http://www.magenta-web.co.uk/index2.html - http://www.magenta-web.co.uk/index2.html
its really good
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Posted By: rdtprog
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 16:42
This one : ------------- Music is the refuge of souls ulcerated by happiness. Emile M. Cioran |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 18:22
LOVE that album! -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 18:24
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From your list I have not heard 5, 12, 13, and 21. Are they all technical metal albums?
Also, I really want to hear Caamora's She. I had kind of forgot about it until seeing it posted here and it reminded me how much I want to hear that. -------------
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 20:30
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I would recommend both Shattered Image and Nostimon Hemar by La Tulipe Noire ------------- 
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: March 17 2010 at 20:36
No, they are not all technical metal albums. I would really only classify #13 as technical metal. 5. Crimson by Edge of Sanity is a 40-minute death metal epic. You probably have to have a little bit of a background in extreme metal to appreciate it, but it's really symphonic and progressive. If you're into Opeth this is essential listening. 12. The Shaming of The True by Kevin Gilbert is prog pop/rock opera about a struggling musician named Johny Virgil, and it's a really magical album. It's really beautiful (you can read my review for more details). I think you would definitely like this one. 13. Symbolic by Death is a technical/prog metal album. It's focused much more on melody and harmony than many other bands in the genre. 21. The Closing Chronicles by Nightingale is neo-prog with a darker mood than we're usually used to from the subgenre. It's got some hard rock, goth rock, and metal leanings, but it is firmly rooted in neo-prog. This is one of my favorite albums that Dan Swanö (also responsible for Crimson - Edge of Sanity) has participated in. -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: March 18 2010 at 16:30
I'd avoide there album Home though, much weaker than the other three IMO. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 18 2010 at 16:39
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Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: March 19 2010 at 03:16
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Orphan Project - Orphan Found, sort of AORish neo-prog/metal-prog...Kansas melted with Enchant...
I created a poll with regard to the two versions of this album. So far, it didn't receive many responses  ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: freed
Date Posted: April 13 2010 at 20:23
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Quite a poor list of concept albums. Either I do not understand your question, or i did indeed collect many of those concept albums. Here is a first selection of the genre. - Julian's Treatment - A Time Before (This is a gem of a concept album by Julian J. Savarin) - All Magma albums. The ultimate concept story, told in numerous consecutive sequels. Magma even have their own language and planets. Christian Vander once said 'if Magma dies, I die'. - Absolute Elsewhere - In Search of Ancient Gods (based on Erich von Däniken's books) - Brainticket - Celestial Ocean (came also with a celebrated theatre piece by Pavel Smok) - Aphrodite's Child - 666 - Deep Purple & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Concerto for Group & Orchestra - Centipede - Septober Energy (a huge group formed by Keith Tippett) - Emerson Lake & Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition - Hesse Between Music (A Tribute to Hermann Hesse, project of Peter Michael Hamel) - Incredible String Band - U (A Surreal Parable in Song & Dance, concept by ISB & Stone Monkey) - Jethro Tull - A Passion Play (complete with Opera booklet) (to be continued) ------------- expand y-our mind, expand y-our world at planetwork.org |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 14 2010 at 02:02
666 is a brilliant album as are many of these I expect but how many are in the ''neo-prog'' sub genre?
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Posted By: rod65
Date Posted: May 10 2010 at 10:59
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Though al of these have been mentioned (Neo-Prog concelt albums excluding Marillion and IQ), I can't help mentioning them again:
1. Arena - The Visitor
2. Arena - Contagion
3. Magenta - Revolutions
4. Magenta - Seven
5. Pallas - Dreams of Men
Though not neo-prog and thus a little off-topic, I might also recommend Touchstone's second album, Wintercoast. It's cross-over prog and thus may not be a hit with hard-core prog fans, but it is a very solid album from a band that shows a lot of promise.
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