What's so "Progressive" About Progressive Metal?

[TerraMGP]

I already know my dad likes it.

but frankly it doesn't matter. You want to pretend to be some 'highly educated music expert who can shun other people for their views based on frankly arbitrary information and personal feelings? fine.

I Just passed my last class to get my Electronics Engineering Degree today. I don't really think I need your validation as to being 'educated' or not.

Wait, what does Electronics engineering have to do with anything about music?

Nothing, but its noting that I am educated. Though we did alot of acoustics in the vocational center.Bottom line though is that you can be a snob all yo want, your opinion means absolutely nothing. you don't like Progressive metal, I don't like death metal. You need to say that the things you like are for 'educated' people and that the things someone else likes are for 'fanboys and fangirls', well then whatever helps you sleep at night pal.

 

[Marbas]

@Prog rock/metal: There is an elegance in simplicity that can never be aped by arbitrary complexity.

 

[Alex_P]

@Prog rock/metal: There is an elegance in simplicity that can never be aped by arbitrary complexity.

I feel that way about a lot of metal in general (I still enjoy quite a bit of it, although not as much as I used to). Too... saturated.

-- Alex

 

[Marbas]

@Prog rock/metal: There is an elegance in simplicity that can never be aped by arbitrary complexity.

I feel that way about a lot of metal in general (I still enjoy quite a bit of it, although not as much as I used to). Too... saturated.

-- Alex

The one real metal album I like is Zoon by The Nefilim. This is just because I am a Carl McCoy fanboy though.

I'd post music which is actually progressive.

Actually I'm genuinely curious about what is considered "progressive" nowadays. Could you show me?

 

[knottingam]

So if any of you can find me a Progressive metal band that doesn't sound like a bunch of pussies that bought distortion pedals, and their most recent released songs don't fail at being progressive and do succeed at getting them monies, notify me.

Hmm, no one's mentioned Between the Buried and Me. They've been described as being progressive metal by reviewers, such as Metal Observer. They most heavily lean towards progressive metal in their newest album, Colors.

I don't know what, exactly, the definition of progressive metal is; but I say that it's progressive on the grounds that the band incorporates many different genres into this album (albeit each with a slightly metal twist in some form or another): jazz, folk, punk, and soft alternative, to name a few.

They are instrumentally impressive without being overbearing; the composition of the music is masterful, and the lyrics (mostly) artful.
Additionally (sorry, I just can't help mentioning this), the band members themselves are extremely talented--especially the frontman, Tommy Rogers. He screams, sings (clearly and beautifully), and plays synth; and he is also highly proficient at guitar and drums. On their album The Anatomy Of, they deftly cover bands like Motley Crue, Depeche Mode, Pantera, Soundgarden, and Queen--and if you can cover Freddi Mercury, well then, that is it.

As for the making monies, I believe the album has been extremely successful.

And, if it counts for anything, both Ultimate-Guitar.com and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater named it their album of the year.

These two videos have the first two tracks of Colors: Foam Born (A): The Backtrack, and Foam Born (B): Decade of Statues. The quality is decent enough, and the user has the rest of the album as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcZKoLpH8xY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMpf5mAC3uw&feature=channel_page

And that's all I got to say about that.

 

[zen5887]

So you don't like prog? Phht so?

I don't think any of the fans are gonna sit and cry in a corner. I admit that I don't listen to much apart from Dream Theater, Opeth and Miles Davis - Why? Because I fucking love musicianship and the guys in those bands are amazing. Better then your average run of the mill metal which is full mindless of pentatonic shread.

I like Prog and I don't care if you don't =)

 

[Alex_P]

I admit that I don't listen to much apart from Dream Theater, Opeth and Miles Davis

Miles Davis the jazz guy?

-- Alex

 

[zen5887]

I admit that I don't listen to much apart from Dream Theater, Opeth and Miles Davis

Miles Davis the jazz guy?

-- Alex

Thats him

 

[Georgie2x4]

Being a bit ignorant here and didn't read the whole thread but I'm going to say Tool - 10,000 days and Lateralus albums are prog rock/metal, both of them are great (some people will argue and this is just my opinion) so you should check them out.

 

[electric discordian]

Right first of all, listen to some tech Black and Death, then read a michael moorcock book whilst doing it, then finally you will be ready for Rhapsody! You are in a if it's not fast it's not metal frame of mind. I love Exodus, Xentrix and Nuclear Assault, I also enjoy progmetal, folk metal and Thrash bangra....

Ephel Duath are phenomenal jazz metal, Rhapsody are epic fantasy symphonic metal and I would really suggest you try them.

For the record, pink Floyd are not the greatest prog band, there alright but over hyped

 

[mkb07a]

Try checking out some Blind guardian or Nightwish. Its because they often move away from the norms, try new things. "Nightfall in middle earth" for example, A Metal Opera about the Silmarillion using a full orchestral set.

I don't particularly care for metal at all (my favorite band is Muse, closely followed by a guy who plays the banjo), but I'm veryveryvery interested in someone doing anything to The Silmarillion. I'm just that geeky. Do elaborate, please...

 

[superbleeder12]

I enjoy a lot of Opeth's stuff. But I feel 'progressive' is just a label people put on the music in an attempt to separate themselves out from others. Just another way a person can be pretentious.

Its like the bands who always add -core at the end of their genre name. kinda silly.

I see Opeth as a decent death metal band with a softer side.

 

[Berethond]

and Eggo, mind telling me WHY you feel its regressive?

I'd post music which is actually progressive, but none of it features masturbatory solos by pseudo-musicians in cheesy time signatures and what you think are complex chord progressions.

So it would be a waste of everyone's time.

I love how they say it has complex chord progressions and they complain when I whip out my "Buds" chart.
But what's with Randy Brecker's single measure of 7/8 time in "Some Skunk Funk"?
Rock isn't the only music with cheesy time signatures.

 

[TerraMGP]

In other words You feel its snobby to actually try and produce somethign new and try something diffrent that may sound good and try to make an art out of something.

No, I feel offended when pseudo-musicians ape the hard work of actual art musicians and then get fellated by legions of 13-30 year old man-boys who will never know the touch of a woman.

Thats.... I think thats a whole new level of snobby and pompous right there. Look i don't want this to turn into some sort of flame war or something. Rock and metal can be and in fact are art when done right. If you don't think so, well, If it helps you sleep at night don't think so.

Rock and metal, by their inherent characteristics, will never be art.

I'm sorry.

And I love when Record store rats with a small bit of musical knowledge start to talk out their rear ends to try and feel superior. I may not be as versed in the details of music as some of the others around me, but frankly I don't care.

You have proven by your statement that you know alot less than you think. I'll let you guys get back to discussing why writing things that are not in 3/4 or 4/4 is just some psudo-art

 

[Jak The Great]

I honestly don't get it. The two songs that I sampled from YouTube were Dream Theater's "Forsaken" and Opeth's "Porcelian Heart". Both to me, by name and by the song itself, sound like so many love songs from so many bands. Well I'm not entirely sure about the theme but both had a very ,shall we say, angsty feel to it.

Well, to be frank, your selection choices were poor. You should know better that music commercially released is not necessarily the bands best work. Forsaken by Dream Theater is one of the weaker tracks on that disk, in my opinion. Probably the best example of a Prog song on Systematic Chaos is In the Presence of Enemies pts. 1 and 2 (2 being my favorite)

Also, I'm not sure what everyone's definition is progressive is, because it seems to change with every post so I'm going to add my definition. I view progressive music as music that, during the middle of the song, will undergo some sort of musical transformation and will cease to sound like the section that preceded it. More or less it's a song within a song. Check out A Change of Seasons or the Dance of Eternity if you want more prog. Forsaken is not an example of this at all.

 

[Rusty Bucket]

In other words You feel its snobby to actually try and produce somethign new and try something diffrent that may sound good and try to make an art out of something.

No, I feel offended when pseudo-musicians ape the hard work of actual art musicians and then get fellated by legions of 13-30 year old man-boys who will never know the touch of a woman.

Thats.... I think thats a whole new level of snobby and pompous right there. Look i don't want this to turn into some sort of flame war or something. Rock and metal can be and in fact are art when done right. If you don't think so, well, If it helps you sleep at night don't think so.

Rock and metal, by their inherent characteristics, will never be art.

I'm sorry.

Why will they never be art? Who gets to decide that?

 

[Rusty Bucket]

Why will they never be art?

At the most basic level, process and how it is perceived is what differentiates popular music from art music.

Who gets to decide that?

The people whose opinions matter in a particular culture.

Well, i percieve metal to be art. Other people i know do as well. Are our opinions invalid? Are we not a part of a particular culture? What exactly is 'art music'? Does being popular prevent something from being art?