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[zoukka]

King of (progressive) music.

 

[BronzeWolf]

OK, I am guilty, I don't really dig Porcupine Tree music that much.

It's just too slow for me

 

[Lorr]

OK, I am guilty, I don't really dig Porcupine Tree music that much.

I'm kind of in the same boat. I've only listened to In Absentia, but it seems like it might be a little overproduced for my tastes. Are there any other albums worth giving a shot?

 

[EzLink]

Man, the new Arjen stuff is really sounding great. I'm happy that the songs are going to be dealing with real shit this time as opposed to his sci-fi spaghetti westerns of the past. Hopefully the lyrics won't be as cringeworthy on this album as, say, Temple of the Cat or Web of Lies.

After listening through most of Dream Theaters albums recently (with the exception of Awake, which I still need to get), I'm pretty sure BC&SL is my favorite. Nightmare to Remember is fantastic (and the slow section in the midst of it is just beeeeeaaaauuuutiful), Rite of Passage is badass and catchy, Wither is probably their best ballad ever, The Shattered Fortress is a great end to the epic AA saga, and Tuscany is just an eargasm of awesomeness. Even though some lyrics are a little laughable (COME AND HAVE A TASTE, A RARE VINTAGE) everything else is great. I don't listen to The Best of Times much though because it's just depressing But yeah, very impressed with it, especially since I found Octavarium and Systematic to be fairly hit or miss with the consistency of how good the tracks were.

Anyway, so damn excited to see them. Less than a month away!

 

[DieNgamers]

King of (progressive) music.

So true! He did so much different stuff, I guess it's legitimate to call it progressive, yeah. I'm listening to Let's make the water turn black right now. :lol It's awesome.
Peaches En Regalia. Man, I grew up with his music. Everytime I listen to any of his music it's like a time travel.

 

[Veidt]

This is the greatest Music Thread on gaf.

 

[Mission]

I'm kind of in the same boat. I've only listened to In Absentia, but it seems like it might be a little overproduced for my tastes. Are there any other albums worth giving a shot?

In Absentia is not representative of the last 2 or 3 releases (desite being awesome itself). I will say, however, that they are no less "produced" than before, just that the sound is different. Harder. Just check out their myspace.

 

[Formless]

Really enjoying this old album

 

[EzLink]

What in gods name happened to this thread? Over TWO MONTHS since anyone has posted here? Unacceptable!

So, what is the verdict on Guilt Machine? I was going to buy it as I love Ayreon, but my good friend with impeccible musical tastes, who also loves Ayreon, said it was a repetitive and uninteresting album. We've differed on musical opinions before, but that only happens rarely.

I have a bit of extra cash now, so I'm pondering buying it... but if it isn't that great I have about a thousand other albums I want to get around to purchasing too

 

[leroy hacker]

Huh, this thread has really fallen off the map.

I'm preparing a post about the Japanese prog scene, but in the meantime I thought genre fans might enjoy this great Yes medley by Korekyojinn which can be considered as a preview for my next post:

YES medley by Korekyojinn

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

It looks like the upcoming Pain of Salvation double album "Road Salt" is being split into two seperate albums =/.

It bothers me that they would divide what was originally a single concept like that. Seems to be...against what the band has been up to this point. I'm hoping this isn't the beggining of the end of what made PoS great.

 

[evilromero]

It looks like the upcoming Pain of Salvation double album "Road Salt" is being split into two seperate albums =/.

It bothers me that they would divide what was originally a single concept like that. Seems to be...against what the band has been up to this point. I'm hoping this isn't the beggining of the end of what made PoS great.

The end began long ago. Did you even hear Linoleum? So uninspired.

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

The end began long ago. Did you even hear Linoleum? So uninspired.

Yeah I heard it...but I'm hoping that it's the more commercial of the songs on the forthcoming album. That would make sense for an EP, although it would be a strange move for PoS. The whole business with Eurovision being the debut for the title track though and all this stuff really bothers me. I'm afraid i'm losing my favorite band.

 

[DieNgamers]

Just a tip for some people out there. I discovered this album during the last few weeks:

Soooooo good! Still with Peter Gabriel on vocals this could be my favourite album by the band.
Chuckoo Cocoon
The Lamia
Hairless Heart (so calming!)
In the Rapids - It
It's also one of the bands where I really love the vocals and singing melodies.

 

[tHoMNZ]

for fans of Echoes, Saucer Full of Secrets and other similar works by floyd:

meet one of the best bands ever

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aLjup934Rk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsf2LoLk3SA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8kgu6rf0Ek

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV83U4CDAx4

 

[ymmv]

I've been a prog fan for almost 30 years now. Here are a few of my favorite prog songs in no particular order:

The Cardiacs - Sing to God[ (1995)

This album is the most wonderful mashup of prog, punk and lots of stuff inbetween. I first heard them 20 years ago. All of their music still sounds as fresh as if I'd heard it today for the first time.

Dirty Boy


World Trade - World Trade (1989)

The first World Trade was a very commercial piece of work, merging mainstream prog with mainstream rock, but damn it, I loved it so much back in the days. I couldn't stop playing the LP thanks to Sherwoods bass playing that was so heavily inspired by Chris Squire's bass playing and singing. No wonder Squire and Sherwood got along so well that Sherwood became a member of the band Yes for a couple of years. Unfortunately that collaboration never worked out (but at least we got Homeworld, a song I still admire)

World Trade - Open The Door


Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn (1975)

This is such a wonderful fusion of folk and prog. When Oldfield's guitar keeps soaring over those Celtic drums at the end of the first 20 minute track I still get goose bumps all over.

Ommadawn 1 (live): part 1, 2, 3


Happy the Man - Crafty Hands (1978)

This band merges prog with fusion influences (clarinet, sax). It's main attraction is Kit Watkins' wonderful synth playing, those wonderful Moog solos. HtM is a mostly instrumental band but they did a few songs with vocals like Upon the Rainbow. After two wonderful albums that didn't sell at all they were dropped by their record label. Kit Watkins did a few years with Camel and then became a solo artist.

Happy The Man - Service With A Smile


Alphataurus - Alphataurus (1973)

Alphataurus is just one of dozens of incredible Italian bands that released one or two albums and then disappeared from the face of the earth. The first few minutes of La Mente Vola are genius.

Alphataurus - La mente vola


Pollen - Pollen (1976)

I came across this CD by accident. I found it in a bargain bin, it looked vaguely progressive so I took it home. What a lucky accident, because this was a very fine virtually unknown Quebec seventies band that only made one LP. It's a mix of Genesis and Italian prog sung in French.

Pollen - L'etoile


Anglagard - Hybris (1992)

During a time when every new prog band seemed to be influenced by Marillion, suddenly there was a Swedish band that sounded like they'd stepped out of the early seventies. Such a breath of fresh air. Epilog was even better IMO. It's a terrible shame they only released two CDs...

Anglagard - Ifran Klarhet Till Klarhet (live!)

Anglagard - Ifran Klarhet Till Klarhet (CD)

 

[CrankyJay]

Bumping this thread because I just saw Porcupine Tree live for the first time...they're pretty much supplanted Nine Inch Nails as my favorite band since they(he) seem(s) to be on retirement/hiatus.

I'm still in shock at how fantastic the show was. I had the opportunity to see them live before for previous tours but didn't, and now I'm kicking myself.

What a show.

 

[Witchfinder General]

I've seen PT live twice and yeah, it's fucking amazing.

 

[EzLink]

What happened to this thread

Man, I still only have Deadwing from PT. I think I'll grab In Absentia today

Also I got a friend into Dream Theater the other day, which in turn got me to start listening to them again. I blazed up and listened to their entire 12 step AA suite. Such a phenomenal accomplishment

In other news, since the last time this thread was bumped I've developed a borderline unhealthy obsession with Led Zeppelin and a huge fucking man crush on Jimmy Page

 

[CrankyJay]

Man, I still only have Deadwing from PT. I think I'll grab In Absentia today

Deadwing was how I was introduced to PT. I wasn't really feeling it, and then listened to In Absentia and that is what cemented me, especially when I read the background story and theories on the album's meaning. I found the whole thing fascinating and incredibly genius.

 

[EzLink]

Deadwing was how I was introduced to PT. I wasn't really feeling it, and then listened to In Absentia and that is what cemented me, especially when I read the background story and theories on the album's meaning. I found the whole thing fascinating and incredibly genius.

Hey cool, that's kinda how I feel about Deadwing. Very talented musicianship on the album, no doubt, but I didn't feel that sort of "connection" with it and it didn't really draw me in. Very much looking forward to checking out In Absentia now

 

[DarknessTear]

The Dear Hunter. Get their newest album, Act III Life and Death, and listen to it. It's great.

 

[ShadowPampers]

Big fan of classic Crimson, Camel and Yes here. Just recently started listening to Porcupine Tree and I really dig it.

My favorite prog rock albums include:
In The Court Of The Crimson King
Red
Larks Tongues in Aspic
Close to the edge
The Yes Album
Yes (most underrated yes album by far)
Fragile
Thick as a Brick
Mirage
The Snow Goose


I also love classic Dream theater, particularly Images and Scenes

If you want some more unknown recommendations I say take a look at an album called Collosus Adea by Parallel Mind. Never knew anyone who knows about this album in real life, but its instrumental bliss at its finest.

Also, if anyone listens to latinamerican rock, you will know that Alturas de Machu Pichu (heights of machu pichu) is one of the greatest prog rock albums ever created

 

[Woffls]

Prog Rock
Pink Floyd
Coheed and Cambria
Wishbone Ash
Genesis
Hawkwind
Rush
Transatlantic
Focus
Electronic Light Orchestra

Prog Metal
Dream Theater
Symphony X
Protest the Hero
Ayreon
Shadow Gallery
Liquid Tension Experiment
Fates Warning
Star One
Tool
Opeth
Waltari
Meshuggah
Converge

Vaguely in order of how much I like them.

In other news, since the last time this thread was bumped I've developed a borderline unhealthy obsession with Led Zeppelin and a huge fucking man crush on Jimmy Page

It lasts about 6 years

 

[ClassyPenguin]

Hey cool, that's kinda how I feel about Deadwing. Very talented musicianship on the album, no doubt, but I didn't feel that sort of "connection" with it and it didn't really draw me in. Very much looking forward to checking out In Absentia now

Lightbulb Sun is my favorite PT album.
Stephen Wilson just went down quality-wise starting from Deadwing.
PT's early space-rock stuff is also pretty good.

 

[mik]

The Decemberists. They didn't start out that way, but ever since they did a 20-minute song that tells an ancient Irish myth:

http://fmusictv.com/indie-rock/003055-the-decemberists-the-tain.html

they've been pretty solidly in prog rock territory.

 

[sparky2112]

Lightbulb Sun is my favorite PT album.
Stephen Wilson just went down quality-wise starting from Deadwing.
PT's early space-rock stuff is also pretty good.

PT has gotten more 'progmetal' as they've gone on, and that's quite fine by me frankly, because progmetal (Dream Theater clones, etc.) needs a band like PT. Any disc with tunes like 'Deadwing' and 'Arriving Somewhere...' and 'Halo' and 'Open Car'...I mean COME ON. Most bands couldn't write stuff like that to save their lives...

Or 'Anesthetize' off of FoaBP? I weep for music fans that can't see the brilliance in that.

Yes, I am bound to (and fond of) hyperbole.

 

[Earl Cazone]

Trains is and will always be the best PT song.
there is no way they can top it. the arrangements are perfect, so it is factually impossible for them to ever write a better song

 

[DarknessTear]

Trains is and will always be the best PT song.
there is no way they can top it. the arrangements are perfect, so it is factually impossible for them to ever write a better song

I love Lips of Ashes!

 

[close to the edge]

Big fan of classic Crimson, Camel and Yes here. Just recently started listening to Porcupine Tree and I really dig it.

My favorite prog rock albums include:
In The Court Of The Crimson King
Red
Larks Tongues in Aspic
Close to the edge
The Yes Album
Yes (most underrated yes album by far)
Fragile
Thick as a Brick
Mirage
The Snow Goose


I also love classic Dream theater, particularly Images and Scenes

If you want some more unknown recommendations I say take a look at an album called Collosus Adea by Parallel Mind. Never knew anyone who knows about this album in real life, but its instrumental bliss at its finest.

Also, if anyone listens to latinamerican rock, you will know that Alturas de Machu Pichu (heights of machu pichu) is one of the greatest prog rock albums ever created

Nice. How did I not find this thread until now? I listen to Classical mostly now but I still listen to Prog from time to time.

Genesis
Yes
Jethro Tull
Queen (not very progressive but some songs are close)
Mahavishnu Orchestra (more of Jazz Rock but yeah)
UK
Van der Graaf Generator
Camel (Lady Fantasy is the shit!)
Chris Squire
Jon Anderson
Gentle Giant
ELP

That's most of it.

 

[Chao]

Will check this thread later for some of your recommendations. Love progressive rock/metal

 

[Verano]

Prog Rock
Pink Floyd
Coheed and Cambria
Wishbone Ash
Genesis
Hawkwind
Rush
Transatlantic
Focus
Electronic Light Orchestra

Prog Metal
Dream Theater
Symphony X
Protest the Hero
Ayreon
Shadow Gallery
Liquid Tension Experiment
Fates Warning
Star One
Tool
Opeth
Waltari
Meshuggah
Converge

Vaguely in order of how much I like them.


It lasts about 6 years

how the hell are they prog???
:lol :lol :lol

They're more tech than prog. Hardly progressive at all.

 

[Woffls]

"Progressive Metal" is the biggest tag for Meshuggah on last fm, and Converge's 2nd biggest is "mathcore", which is pretty much progressive metalcore...

 

[Lionheart1827]

I remember posting this in the Metal thread a month or so ago, but I'd figure I'd post it here for people looking for some new prog to listen to(most of these are prog metal):

Jeez dude, I recommend all of them.

If you want Scenes from a Memory style Dream Theater, check out Seventh Wonder's "Mercy Falls." Concept album very similar to Scenes from a Memory. I love the guys voice, too. Waiting In the Wings is badass, too.

If you want Dream Theater in the style of Images and Words, check out Spheric Universe's albums, namely Anima and Mental Torments. Their newest release Unreal is pretty good, but definitely get Anima.

Anubis Gate are in a class of their own. Andromeda Unchained is EASILY one of the best albums I've ever heard. If you love prog, for the love of god, check that out. Has everything you'd want in prog metal, long songs with instrumental cuts, great singing, and the vocal harmonies are awesome. Andromeda Unchained is an awesome concept album, so is Detached. DO NOT get Purification, terrible album. A perfect Forever is good, but it has a different singer.

Circus Maximus - both albums, more closer to symphony x, but can sound like DT at some points, guitarist has a very clean Petrucci style. Awesome band.

Serenity-Fallen Sanctuary. The singer sounds kind of like Sonata Arcticas singer, however, it is more metal than Sonata arctica. Great album.

Also, there is a band called Darkwater and they have an album called "Calling the Earth to Witness." They are currently working a new one as well, but they only have that one album and its pretty damn good. Good fusion between Dream Theater and Symphony X styles.

Another good band is Knight Area, check out the album Under a New Sign. They are closer to prog rock but are pretty good as well. The title track is an instrumental and I'm a sucker for good synth tunes, and its definitely got it.

I'm not sure if you like Mastodon, but Crack the Skye is awesome. I dont like their other albums, but Crack the Skye is something that I'm able to listen to.

Shadow Gallery is pretty good, they have a lot of albums but I'd definitely recommend the album Tyranny.

Threshold is really popular in the UK. I'd recommend their latest 3 albums, Critical Mass, Subsurface, and Dead Reckoning. Awesome stuff.

To EzLink: In Absentia is their best, especially after you read up on the meanings of the songs. I actually just got "The Incident" which is their latest. Its pretty awesome as well. Fear of a Blank Planet is pretty good, too. It may turn some people off because some of the music is too slow for what they are looking for, but thats ok.

Check out Riverside, too.

 

[Earl Cazone]

I love Lips of Ashes!

Its great, but not as good.
But I guess most songs from in absentia are awesome. i dont get the hate it gets sometimes.
also: collapse the light is, despite its simplicity, very strong.

 

[leroy hacker]

Also, if anyone listens to latinamerican rock, you will know that Alturas de Machu Pichu (heights of machu pichu) is one of the greatest prog rock albums ever created

I'd never heard of this album or any other South American rock before so I did a search and found this video of a performance of this album on Machu Picchu. It's awesome. Thanks for posting about it here. I am very glad to have been introduced to this music

Los Jaivas - La Poderosa Muerte (Alturas de Machu Picchu) P1
Los Jaivas - La Poderosa Muerte (Alturas de Machu Picchu) P2

 

[HappyBivouac]

Close
to
the
Edge

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Another year, another visit of this thread's to the first page of OT. In celebration, something that I got into since 2008, Alquin:

Convicts of the Air

Marc's Occasional Showers

Mr. Barnum Jr's Magnificent and Fabulous City

It's fun watching footage of their concerts; they play a bajillion instruments, so you get guys walking off-camera and coming back with something completely different in their hands.

Sad thing was, they got hit by what Focus did, constant meddling in their sound by the record company with subsequent disbanding. The first two albums are AWESOME though.

 

[leroy hacker]

Here someone that hasn't been mentioned before in this thread: Richard Pinhas and his group Heldon.

Heldon were a French group in the 1970s led by guitarist and electronic music pioneer Richard Pinhas. The easiest way for me to describe their music, at least on their last and best albums, is that it sounds like mid '70s King Crimson combined with '70s style electronic music such as that of Tangerine Dream, with a faint hint of Magma . Fans of either of those former two sounds should definitely look into these guys.

Pinhas is a huge fan of Robert Fripp: besides how strongly his guitar style was influenced by Robert Fripp, he also named one of Heldon's tracks "In the Wake of King Fripp" and titled one of their albums "Un reve sans consequence" after an apparently famous Crimson bootleg. That and Interface are the best Heldon albums.


Richard Pinhas had a solo career after the end of Heldon. It was more focused on electronic music, but his first few albums also had what were essentially Heldon tracks. The two relevant albums here are Chronolyse and Iceland. Iceland is unquestionably better as an electronic album but Chronolyse has the epic 30 minute piece Paul Atreides performed by the members of Heldon (all of the other tracks also have titles taken from Dune).

Though I can't find any youtube clips, all of this classic music is easily available having been published on CD by the American label Cuneiform Records, and you can hear some samples on their website. Some of their tracks can also be heard on last.fm.

http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/pinhas.html

 

[ShadowPampers]

I'd never heard of this album or any other South American rock before so I did a search and found this video of a performance of this album on Machu Picchu. It's awesome. Thanks for posting about it here. I am very glad to have been introduced to this music

Los Jaivas - La Poderosa Muerte (Alturas de Machu Picchu) P1
Los Jaivas - La Poderosa Muerte (Alturas de Machu Picchu) P2

I'm glad I could help . That is indeed an amazing progressive song with andinean influences. The entirety of the lyrics is actually a poem by Pablo Neruda

 

[Douglas Quaid]

Amongst the best albums ever, IMO.

 

[ShadowPampers]

Amongst the best albums ever, IMO.

It's beautiful. But I think that the previous album was more complete, and my favorite Camel song ever is by far Ice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhRgelkyeyo

 

[ymmv]

I'm glad I could help . That is indeed an amazing progressive song with andinean influences. The entirety of the lyrics is actually a poem by Pablo Neruda

How about an amazing progressive song with Tibettan (well sort of ...) influences?

Mandalaband - Om Mani Padme Hum Movement One

Mandalaband - Om Mani Padme Hum Movement Four


It's one of the most bombastic prog songs I've ever heard (apart from Awaken by Yes) but I always loved it.

 

[Truant]

There's nothing progressive about 90% of all progressive rock. It's as stale and lifeless as modern autotuned rap and R&B.

I think perhaps Battles, Extra Life and Kayo Dot could be seen as progressive, but that's like three bands. Sad.

 

[ymmv]

There's nothing progressive about 90% of all progressive rock. It's as stale and lifeless as modern autotuned rap and R&B.

I think perhaps Battles, Extra Life and Kayo Dot could be seen as progressive, but that's like three bands. Sad.

The name was coined in the early seventies when it indeed was seen as progressive (new) compared to mainstream rock. It's been a genre for almost 40 years now so of course it's not actually groundbreaking anymore just like new wave or nu-metal. You've got bands doing really new stuff and you have bands making music within established forms. And there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Giant Robot]

count me in for another big Camel fan.
Been listening to a lot of their first album, Moonmadness, Mirage, and Breathless

Echoes off of Breathless severely underrated album and one of their finest songs ever. Just not on the Pink Floyd level of "Echoes" :lol

Camel- Lunar Sea (Live)
AMAZING live performance. Latimer really makes his guitar sing.

also been listening to a lot of Yes in parallel. Cant get enough of it. <3

 

[Giant Robot]

Forgot to add.
I think a lot of you in here will appreciate ZOMBI, an instrumental duo that consists of a drummer and a bassist/synths/programmer.
Zombi- Spirit Warrior

Zombi- Surface To Air (Live)

Zombi- Sapphire

best way i can describe it is they huge influence from John Carpenter soundtracks, Rush, GOBLIN, Vangelis, and some disco.

their sister bands, Steve Moore and Majeure are a little more abstract and electronic.

 

[Entropia]

I just seriously got into Genesis this past week... I've had the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway but after checking out some of their other tunes on Grooveshark, I can't count how many times I've listened to "Supper's Ready" at this point. :lol

 

[JackWallabee]

new song from seventh wonder (prog metal):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRDa-xTfwg

 

[Lionheart1827]

new song from seventh wonder (prog metal):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRDa-xTfwg

Thanks. Cant wait until the new album. Mercy Falls was amazing.