Support NeoGAF

[RDreamer]

Sweet, a progressive rock thread! We definitely need to keep this going.

I've been a progressive fan for a while now. I was mainly into the more modern bands for a long while, though. I listened to stuff like Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Dream Theater, and Pain of Salvation, etc. I loved Pink Floyd, too. I delved a bit into some older stuff, but the last year or two I've really made a point to delve into older stuff, especially since I've got Rhapsody to check a lot of stuff out. I want to see where my favorite bands came from. Earlier this year I started collecting progressive rock on vinyl, too. For some reason it just works so well on vinyl.

For example, today I picked up Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" (for framing) and Emerson Lake and Palmer's "Brain Salad Surgery" on vinyl, and then I also found King Crimson's Thrak on CD.

I think I'm going to frame Wish You Were Here (or Animals), In the Court of the Crimson King, and Foxtrot and have them all sitting by my cd collection.

And as for King Crimson, I had listened to In the Court..., Red, and The Power to Believe for a while, but I made it a point to collect all the Steven Wilson remasters as they came out, and I've been pretty blown away as they've come along. I was pretty luke warm on them for a while, but now they've really clicked. I can't wait for more of those to come out.

 

[Son1x]

Yes has been one of my favorite bands since I heard them for the first time. Which was last year, when a friend of my linked me to South Site of the Sky, after we (I guess he) named our little community site southsky.

 

[dLMN8R]

This is the first time I've been excited for a Dream Theater album in more than half a decade. Losing Portnoy is probably the best decision they could have made, and the new track sounds great so far. Reading further interviews about how Myung is finally contributing to songwriting and lyrics again, and how Portnoy basically brought them all down, makes me only more excited to hear the new album.

 

[RDreamer]

Yes has been one of my favorite bands since I heard them for the first time. Which was last year, when a friend of my linked me to South Site of the Sky, after we (I guess he) named our little community site southsky.

Yeah, I love Yes. I have a bunch of their stuff on vinyl. Close to the Edge and Relayer are probably my favorites. I was pretty surprised by how much I liked their new one, Fly From Here, too. I wasn't expecting much from it.

This is the first time I've been excited for a Dream Theater album in more than half a decade. Losing Portnoy is probably the best decision they could have made, and the new track sounds great so far. Reading further interviews about how Myung is finally contributing to songwriting and lyrics again, and how Portnoy basically brought them all down, makes me only more excited to hear the new album.

Yeah, I'm pretty excited for DT's new one. I hope it gets them some fire and passion in their music. I didn't mind Black Clouds, and Systematic Chaos was alright in a way, but I still felt there was something missing, like they didn't have that much of a spark.

I'm a bit more excited, though, for Steven Wilson's solo album (which I have the insane Deluxe Edition on preorder), Opeth's, and Pain of Salvations. But DT's is right after those 3.

 

[SystemShock2]

Close to the Edge has been my favorite for a while, but recently I've been listening to Fragile and like it a lot more than I used it. It's up there with Close to the Edge now.

 

[jambo]

I've been listening to tonnes of Yes lately, really getting in to Going for the One, fantastic album!

Also lots of early Genesis and Pink Floyd. I can't believe how good Foxtrot is. Supper's Ready is something else!

 

[Poimandres]

I don't really know much prog rock, but I'm a big fan of Tool, Mars Volta and Pink Floyd. I don't mind a bit of heavy stuff (with melodic singing, mostly) and am quite partial to some spacey synthery. Any recommendations?

 

[Agent_J]

^muse's origin of symmetry

 

[Poimandres]

^muse's origin of symmetry

Oh yes, great album! It's too bad Muse decided to go down the Queen path, I liked the intensity and rawness of Origin.

Anything else?

 

[RDreamer]

I don't really know much prog rock, but I'm a big fan of Tool, Mars Volta and Pink Floyd. I don't mind a bit of heavy stuff (with melodic singing, mostly) and am quite partial to some spacey synthery. Any recommendations?

Porcupine Tree - They're kind of like the modern day Pink Floyd. At least that's how I see them, since they take the prog rock trappings and put them into songs that are pretty easily digestible by people who don't really necessarily like prog rock. My personal favorites are In Absentia and Deadwing, but if you want something very very Pink Floyd there's The Sky Moves Sideways.

King Crimson - Check out In the Court of the Crimson King. A lot of KC is a bit hard to get into unless you're really into prog rock, but ItCotCK is kind of where The Mars Volta gets a piece of their sound. It's jazzy prog rock like that. I'll listen to 21st Century Schizoid Man and think "yep, that's where The Mars Volta got their sound from."

Pure Reason Revolution - Check out The Dark Third. It's very spacey and Pink Floydy in a way, but with a lot of vocal melodies. Try and get the 2 disc version, since the b-sides from this album are excellent too. Their other 2 albums are excellent too, but they're not really prog rock. They're a lot more electronic based. Check them out if you get time.

Pain of Salvation - Check out The Perfect Element or Remedy Lane. I personally compare them to Pink Floyd, but they're kind of Roger Waters Pink Floyd. What I mean by that is they have the sort of political fire that Waters had. And I tend to think the song writing is kind of similar in a way. They both do rock operas kind of inspired by musicals.

Oceansize- Check out Effloresce or Everyone into Position. They're kind of prog rock mixed with post rock and a bit of metal. They have some harder riffs and things you may enjoy, since you like Tool. And the band's fucking amazing, so I have to recommend them whenever I can.

 

[DieNgamers]

King Crimson - Check out In the Court of the Crimson King. A lot of KC is a bit hard to get into unless you're really into prog rock, but ItCotCK is kind of where The Mars Volta gets a piece of their sound. It's jazzy prog rock like that. I'll listen to 21st Century Schizoid Man and think "yep, that's where The Mars Volta got their sound from."
ool. And the band's fucking amazing, so I have to recommend them whenever I can.

Also you really should mention "Red", their most awesome album, (not only) in my opinion. ;D The instrumental stuff should be accessible if he likes tool.
It kinda combines the styles of all their 60s/early 70s albums, imo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9IQnDRYIYU
To be a bit random, the song "lark's tongue in aspic part 2" from one of their previous albums is great as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gJPX9eaWPk

 

[RDreamer]

Also you really should mention "Red", their most awesome album, (not only) in my opinion. ;D The instrumental stuff should be accessible if he likes tool.
It kinda combines the styles of all their 60s/early 70s albums, imo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9IQnDRYIYU
To be a bit random, the song "lark's tongue in aspic part 2" from one of their previous albums is great as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gJPX9eaWPk

Yeah, Red is a bit more accessible too and might be up his alley. For a guy that isn't really into prog rock, though, anything more than just those 2 albums might be harder to get into.

 

[Giant Robot]

Porcupine Tree - but if you want something very very Pink Floyd there's The Sky Moves Sideways.

hell yes, The Sky Moves Sideways is pure Pink Floyd worship, almost a modern day mirror of Wish You Were Here.

 

[ymmv]

Yeah, Red is a bit more accessible too and might be up his alley. For a guy that isn't really into prog rock, though, anything more than just those 2 albums might be harder to get into.

On the other hand, those albums are really all you need if you just want a good sample of the band. The three albums KC released after "In the Court..." are non-essential. If you love "Red" you can pick up "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black", both of these have classic songs. If you want more Fripp, you could try "Discipline", the first eighties album by a completely different sounding KC line-up.

Everything else is for diehard fans. Good stuff, but not classic KC.

 

[CrocMother]

What doth thou think of Battles?

 

[ymmv]

I don't really know much prog rock, but I'm a big fan of Tool, Mars Volta and Pink Floyd. I don't mind a bit of heavy stuff (with melodic singing, mostly) and am quite partial to some spacey synthery. Any recommendations?

If you like spacey synthery, you should try a few space rock bands:

Hidria Spacefolk - Radien

Hidria Spacefolk - Terra Hidria

Ozric Tentacles - Mooncalf

Ozric Tentacles - Astro Cortex

If you want to learn an alien language, delve into Zeuhl:

Magma feat. Jannick Top & Klaus Blasquiz - Mekanik Kommandoh

 

[sonicfan]

One of my favorite guitar players from one of my favorite bands, Phil Manzanera.....

His work with Eno had some classic Prog Rock back in the day...all his various projects, Quiet Son, 801, solo stuff...I would think alot of people in this thread would like it....

Miss Shapiro, with Eno on Vocals...

http://youtu.be/_mA4m6y1Ifw


Diamond Head Live, 801 Live

http://youtu.be/4svA6Rzhd_U

Phil Manzanera - Listen Now

http://youtu.be/QAJrS3yiZYM


Phil Manzanera - Slow Motion TV

http://youtu.be/QxDZpesMHxc


Quiet Sun - Sol Caliente

http://youtu.be/lvXH6ycOtzE

 

[ymmv]

Wow, a prog rock post. So, how much love for Spanish/Italian Prog?

I'm not really familiar with Spanish prog, but I love Italian prog. There are so many classics, not by the big names (PFM, Banco, Le Orme) but also by bands that only released one or two albums.

Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra
Maxophone - Maxophone
Celeste - Principe di un Giorno
Il Rovescio Della Medaglia - Contaminazione
Alphataurus - Alphataurus
Semiramis - Dedicato a Frazz
il Paese Dei Balocchi - il Paese Dei Balocchi

 

[Giant Robot]

Manzanera is great. Love it all.

 

[wakajawaka]

I'm not really familiar with Spanish prog, but I love Italian prog. There are so many classics, not by the big names (PFM, Banco, Le Orme) but also by bands that only released one or two albums.

Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra
Maxophone - Maxophone
Celeste - Principe di un Giorno
Il Rovescio Della Medaglia - Contaminazione
Alphataurus - Alphataurus
Semiramis - Dedicato a Frazz
il Paese Dei Balocchi - il Paese Dei Balocchi

Yeah that's what I'm talking about. This phenomenon of awesome one-album-bands is very big in Italian prog. I know these, some are among my favourites.

More of my favourites:

Cervello - Melos

Reale Accademia di Musica - Ognuno Sa

Area - Arbeit macht frei (some crazy jazz fusion here)

Tilt - Aticolazioni (more jazz fsion... dat drummer)

Allusa Fallax - Non fatemi caso

Murple - Io sono Murple

Jumbo - Suite per el sig (extract)

 

[Brobzoid]

cheers for the italian prog recommendations

 

[Steamlord]

What doth thou think of Battles?

Battles is one of my favorite bands.

Battles - Tonto

 

[SystemShock2]

If you like spacey synthery, you should try a few space rock bands:

Hidria Spacefolk - Radien

Hidria Spacefolk - Terra Hidria

Ozric Tentacles - Mooncalf

Ozric Tentacles - Astro Cortex

If you want to learn an alien language, delve into Zeuhl:

Magma feat. Jannick Top & Klaus Blasquiz - Mekanik Kommandoh

Ozric Tentacles are pretty cool. Kinda prog lite, but they have some really good stuff. I recommend Jurassic Shift or Erpland.

Another really good space rock/prog band is Gong. The Radio Gnome Trilogy is a lot of fun.
Gong - Master Builder
Gong - Other Side of the Sky

 

[RDreamer]

On the other hand, those albums are really all you need if you just want a good sample of the band. The three albums KC released after "In the Court..." are non-essential. If you love "Red" you can pick up "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black", both of these have classic songs. If you want more Fripp, you could try "Discipline", the first eighties album by a completely different sounding KC line-up.

Everything else is for diehard fans. Good stuff, but not classic KC.

Yeah Red and In the Court are pretty great beginning albums but to me the first 4 KC albums are near essential and rival almost any other album streak out there. Lizard and Islands are freaking amazing. I'd take those over Larks and Starless any day. I've still yet to get too into discipline or other 80s KC stuff though

 

[SamVimes]

Holy shit @ more Dream Theater than Genesis or Van Der Graaf Generator in a thread about Progressive Rock!

Luckily 99% of this page is made of gold.

 

[lljride]

Anyone listening to Dream Theater's new album? I gotta say, this thing is growing on me like crazy. First listen I didn't like it much at all. It picked up a little around Outcry until the end, but I still wasn't feeling it.

Second listen though, my god. There are some incredible moments on this CD. Breaking All Illusions clicked for me and I can't stop listening to it, love that song.

Mangini's drums are a little toned down and in the background, but I don't really have a huge problem with it.

 

[Xun]

Must admit I dislike Dream Theater.

My friend shown me a song of theirs which sounded decent until the vocals came in... yeah.

That and I'm not at all fond of John Petrucci's guitar wanking.

 

[Entropia]

Anyone listening to Dream Theater's new album? I gotta say, this thing is growing on me like crazy. First listen I didn't like it much at all. It picked up a little around Outcry until the end, but I still wasn't feeling it.

Second listen though, my god. There are some incredible moments on this CD. Breaking All Illusions clicked for me and I can't stop listening to it, love that song.

Mangini's drums are a little toned down and in the background, but I don't really have a huge problem with it.

I gave it a quick listen, nothing really grabbed my attention but it was listenable. Going to give it another few listens over the weekend.

 

[dLMN8R]

Yeah, "listenable" is how I'd describe it for now, which is a huge improvement from their other most recent albums. Also agreed that it's grown on me the last couple of tries.

Losing Portnoy was definitely a good thing.

 

[CloudWolf]

I used to love Dream THeater, but nowadays I don't really care for them. I still love Images and Words, Scenes from a Memory and Awake, but the rest is really hit-and-miss. This last album for instance only has one song I genuinely like (Breaking All Illusions), the rest is just really bland IMO.

 

[magicstop]

So my experience with prog rock is primarily limited to King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Opeth (ala Damnation), later Zeppelin, some Floyd, and Rush. These Italian recommendations are very cool.
Does this thread have room for heavier prog stuff? Obviously Dream Theater, but I mean heavier like Animals as Leaders?

Animals as Leaders - Song of Solomon
Animals as Leaders - CAFO

Also, clearly is more progressive metal, but a band like Between the Buried and Me that are also doing Dream Theater worship, but taking it to another arena:

Between the Buried and Me - Obfuscation

 

[pix]

So my experience with prog rock is primarily limited to King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Opeth (ala Damnation), later Zeppelin, some Floyd, and Rush. These Italian recommendations are very cool.
Does this thread have room for heavier prog stuff? Obviously Dream Theater, but I mean heavier like Animals as Leaders?

Animals as Leaders - Song of Solomon
Animals as Leaders - CAFO

Also, clearly is more progressive metal, but a band like Between the Buried and Me that are also doing Dream Theater worship, but taking it to another arena:

Between the Buried and Me - Obfuscation

My two favorite bands. BROFIST

 

[Rektash]

Haha, time for some Krautrock!

Grobschnitt - Solar Music

 

[Tacitus_]

My friend shown me a song of theirs which sounded decent until the vocals came in... yeah.

That and I'm not at all fond of John Petrucci's guitar wanking.

LaBrie is really hit and miss. I can't stand his live tries but he does awesome emotional songs when he doesn't try to sing high.

 

[Entropia]

I used to love Dream THeater, but nowadays I don't really care for them. I still love Images and Words, Scenes from a Memory and Awake, but the rest is really hit-and-miss. This last album for instance only has one song I genuinely like (Breaking All Illusions), the rest is just really bland IMO.

Pretty much. Each CD since 6DoIT has had 1-2 good songs the rest of it is background noise.

Also, I love me some BtBaM! Saw them back in April this year, it was a fantastic show.

 

[magicstop]

My two favorite bands. BROFIST

Also, I love me some BtBaM! Saw them back in April this year, it was a fantastic show.

I hoping to see them with Animals as Leaders opening this October in Charlotte. It's a bit of a drive, but a damn good show that should be.

 

[RDreamer]

So my experience with prog rock is primarily limited to King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Opeth (ala Damnation), later Zeppelin, some Floyd, and Rush. These Italian recommendations are very cool.
Does this thread have room for heavier prog stuff? Obviously Dream Theater, but I mean heavier like Animals as Leaders?

Animals as Leaders - Song of Solomon
Animals as Leaders - CAFO

Also, clearly is more progressive metal, but a band like Between the Buried and Me that are also doing Dream Theater worship, but taking it to another arena:

Between the Buried and Me - Obfuscation

What I've heard of Animals as Leaders is definitely awesome, and they're something I really have to check out more of. I was pretty late to the party on Between the Buried and Me, but I got into them a bunch this year. It took a while for some of their stuff to really hit me, though. The Great Misdirect is my favorite of theirs.

As for the new DT, I absolutely love it. It's an insane return to form. The riffs are there, the instrumental portions are awesome again, Rudess does a stellar job and isn't just doubling guitar parts now, the vocal hooks are nice. Really, it's the best they've done since 6DOIT. I think I'd place it 3rd or 4th in their catalog (behind SFAM, 6DOIT, and probably I&W).


For old prog stuff, I think Genesis has really finally clicked. I've kind of sort of liked their stuff for a while now, but it really didn't click like some other bands had, even older prog bands. There's something about the Genesis sound that did't catch on for me right off the bat. I liked Foxtrot, and that was the closest to clicking, but I listened to Selling England by the Pound the other day again and I was digging that, so I threw on Nursery Cryme for the first time, and I really really liked that. I think that one has clicked the most for me.

 

[Fenderputty]

So my experience with prog rock is primarily limited to King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Opeth (ala Damnation), later Zeppelin, some Floyd, and Rush. These Italian recommendations are very cool.
Does this thread have room for heavier prog stuff? Obviously Dream Theater, but I mean heavier like Animals as Leaders?

Animals as Leaders - Song of Solomon
Animals as Leaders - CAFO

Also, clearly is more progressive metal, but a band like Between the Buried and Me that are also doing Dream Theater worship, but taking it to another arena:

Between the Buried and Me - Obfuscation

Scale the Summet. Like DT without vocals. Very nice. I just saw Animals as Leeaders BTW ... pretty awesome. Small venue too.

 

[Jethro]

New Dream Theater is great. It growed on me.

 

[magicstop]

Scale the Summet. Like DT without vocals. Very nice. I just saw Animals as Leeaders BTW ... pretty awesome. Small venue too.

Checking them out right now, and enjoying it so far; thanks for the tip.
I saw Animals as Leaders earlier this year at a relatively small venue, and enjoy it immensely. Unfortunately, the set was only about 6 or 7 songs and was incredibly short. Wish it had been at least twice as long.
I did get Tosin to sign my guitar though Big ol' geek, I am . . .

 

[Fleet_of_Foot]

Anyone listening to this today? I'm just finishing my first play through.

Despite being a HUGE Porcupine Tree fan, I couldn't get into SW's first solo album. This one seems better, but it's really hard to say after only one listen. I'll listen to it at least once more today.

It's definitely not much like Porcupine Tree, which is fine. It's pretty mellow, with a lot of instruments I'm not used to hearing.

So much good stuff coming out lately, with both Opeth and Dream Theater. I love that there's a Steven Wilson/Mikael Åkerfeldt collaboration album coming out in the spring, but I have a feeling there may not be a new Porcupine Tree album until 2013 and that's what I'm most excited about. Hard to imagine how they're going to follow up The Incident.

 

[magicstop]

http://i.imgur.com/JnGel.jpg

Anyone listening to this today? I'm just finishing my first play through.

About to be listening. I am really pumped for this. Wilson can be godly at times, and I hope he pulls through on this album.

 

[Fleet_of_Foot]

Also should mention, Grace for Drowning is only $6.99 on Amazon's MP3 store. It's a ton of content for not a lot of money.

 

[Lionheart1827]

So I'm guessing this thread encompasses Progressive Metal as well?

I cant remember if I posted in this thread these guys, but if you're into progmetal, I'd check these guys out if you haven't already(I've posted these in the metal thread several times):

Anubis Gate-These guys are awesome. Andromeda Unchained is their best, Detached is awesome, and their new one(self titled) is awesome as well. They have a Sci Fi sound, a bit hard to describe, but youll see what I mean, especially with Andromeda Unchained. A Perfect Forever is great, too, but not as good as their last three. Highly recommend em.

Seventh Wonder-These guys are a bit closer to DT, especially with Mercy Falls. The singer isn't for everyone, but the guy definitely has an unusual but really smooth and soulful voice. Mercy Falls is an amazing concept/story album that reminds me of DT's SFAM album. Waiting in the Wings and their newest, The Great Escape are great albums. Their first album is good but a bit sparse, and it doesn't have their current singer, Tommy.

Darkwater-Very unknown progmetal band, but very good at what they do. They only have two albums, but they are both very good and worth looking into if you like progmetal.

 

[Jasup]

I'm way too late in this thread and even then I'm not the expert, my father is - his record collection is something I used to listen to as a kid, I still occasionally do if I'm visiting my parents. While most of the bands and records have been covered in this thread (We're talking about early 70's records), my absolute favourite LP from his collection is:

Culpeper's Orchard - Culpeper's Orchard

Choice tracks: Gideon's Trap, Ode to Resistance, Teaparty For An Orchard


edit: removed the picture

 

[Fleet_of_Foot]

Never heard Seventh Wonder, but I can back you up on Anubis Gate and Darkwater. They're both great.

 

[FuuRe]

 

[Jarlaxle]

On the other hand, those albums are really all you need if you just want a good sample of the band. The three albums KC released after "In the Court..." are non-essential. If you love "Red" you can pick up "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black", both of these have classic songs. If you want more Fripp, you could try "Discipline", the first eighties album by a completely different sounding KC line-up.

Everything else is for diehard fans. Good stuff, but not classic KC.

Yeah, this is kind of where I am at with KC. I have In the Court, Red, and Larks. I love them but for some reason I've always heard they are the best and haven't really delved into any of their other albums. I'm not a huge fan of their 80's lineup. I may have to check out Starless and Bible Black though if that is good too.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Anyone listening to this today? I'm just finishing my first play through.

Despite being a HUGE Porcupine Tree fan, I couldn't get into SW's first solo album. This one seems better, but it's really hard to say after only one listen. I'll listen to it at least once more today.

It's definitely not much like Porcupine Tree, which is fine. It's pretty mellow, with a lot of instruments I'm not used to hearing.

I have my CD coming in the mail from Amazon. I'm can't wait to listen to it. I've been listening to his first solo album all week in anticipation. Good stuff.

 

[RDreamer]

Grace for Drowning is amazing. It's absolutely my album of the year, and I kind of knew it would be. It might even compete to be one of my favorite releases of all time. It's just exactly what I wanted to hear right now. My favorite track for right now is definitely Deform to Form a Star. My other favorites right off the bat were Postcard, Index, and Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye. Raider II is also starting to really hit me. It's very King Crimson (vocal line taken straight from Cirkus), but it's much darker than KC really ever went.

Pain of Salvation's Road Salt Two is also a pretty brilliant album. At first I didn't quite like it as much as RS1, but it's grown on my quite a bit, especially after hearing the limited edition with the two bonus tracks which are callbacks. One of those bonus tracks is a great callback to one of my favorites from RS1 (Of Dust). It's still got that old sound that RS1 had, but it sounds a bit different. Healing Now is definitely my favorite track, but To the Shoreline, Eleven, and 1979 are way up there, too.