Prog rock questions

[npiazza91]

I've always been a thrash metal listener.  I can name about 50 thrash bands that I enjoy listening to.  Dream Theater...I don't know how I found them.  But I love them to this day.  I thought for the longest time that prog was just a "one time thing" for me, because a lot of what I heard in the past I never got into.  I always preferred the "badass", crunching riffs and super fast ferocity of thrash metal.

Well, that all changed about a week ago.  I was playing Guitar Hero 5 (Drums) and 21st Century Schizoid Man came up.  I used to get annoyed by this song a few years ago (long story short I used to play GH religiously up until a few years ago, then I stopped.  I'm getting back into it now). For some reason, this song intrigued me this time.  I went on youtube and listened to more of their songs.  I cannot stop listening to King Crimson now.  I am definitely a fan.  20th Century Schizoid Man is amazing, as are other songs I've heard.

My guess is that DT (which I got into a few years ago) opened my eyes to a more "prog" sound, and I think I would appreciate some recommendations of prog bands to listen to.  What I like most about KC is that they combine the raw, dark, slightly metal-ish sound with pure jazz and other strange stuff.  They're like Rush's dark cousin.

Anyway, I'll take any and all recommendations.  I seem to like the darker side of prog, with more jazz elements to it.

[Elite]

How many progressive metal bands, other then Dream Theater, have you listened to? There's quite a lot of progressive bands that take elements from thrash metal, as well as from other subgenres of metal.

[PowerSlave]

If you're into thrash then Jon Arch era Fates Warning might be something that interests you. The album "The Spectre Within" has some early thrash elements. Jon's vocals do tend to turn some people off, but once you develop a taste for them you'll be hooked.

[SoundscapeMN]

Vektor.

[Sacul]

Steven Wilson's Grace for Drowning has a heavy KC influence. And if you like it, then The Raven that Refused to Sing is definitely proggier.

I don't like thrash-prog bands, but some praised ones are Voivod, Psychotic Waltz, and Watchtower. And Last Crack (check Burning Time).

Anyways, I'd really recommend you checking this amazing list. Most of the pre-I&W albums featured there sound more like "thrash with prog elements".

[rumborak]

Vektor.

Direction, and magnitude!!


Sorry, I just had to 

[SoundscapeMN]

Anyways, I'd really recommend you checking this amazing list. Most of the pre-I&W albums featured there sound more like "thrash with prog elements".

this is quite a good list, similar to 1 I have published in my blog, and 1 I am working on to be published hopefully soon in my blog.

Given the OP's love of King Crimson, I guess it's probably worth quoting 1 of their titles(and a personal favorite of mine btw)

108. Burst - Lazarus Bird
Relapse (2008)

Although we wouldn't call it progressive metal with the strict meaning of the word, “Lazarus Bird” is one of the most poignant, progressive albums of the 00's with great ease. Does it really matter that it didn't get promoted as well as it should have, does it matter that Burst disbanded after touring to support the album? With songs like “We Watched The Silver Rain”, they managed to demonstrate their King Crimson influences in a large spectrum of compositional perfection and left behind a timeless masterpiece, overlooked by the press, record labels and fans. Disregarding these, “Lazarus Bird” is the ultimate representation of modern progressive metal.

P.P.

here's the track mentioned:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4whoZSUzEQ

[LudwigVan]

Check into ELP . Their music is pretty dark, and they share the same vocalist (Greg Lake) that sang on the early King Crimson albums.

[bout to crash]

Have you listened to any full KC albums yet? I'd say focus on that first before checking out a bunch of different bands, personally.

[Prog Snob]

Check out some ELP.  I mean, to me, that's just a natural leap.  Though King Crimson is a far better band in my opinion, you would still enjoy ELP.

[LudwigVan]

Check out some ELP.  I mean, to me, that's just a natural leap.  Though King Crimson is a far better band in my opinion, you would still enjoy ELP.

I've got most of the discography for both ELP and King Crimson, and while KC has put out some incredible stuff, I find myself enjoying the ELP discs much more often.  Just a more accessible band, I guess. 

[Prog Snob]

Check out some ELP.  I mean, to me, that's just a natural leap.  Though King Crimson is a far better band in my opinion, you would still enjoy ELP.

I've got most of the discography for both ELP and King Crimson, and while KC has put out some incredible stuff, I find myself enjoying the ELP discs much more often.  Just a more accessible band, I guess.

I don't disagree with that.  KC are definitely more of an acquired taste and do more experimenting with their music. 

[SoundscapeMN]

maybe the OP enjoys Greg Lake?

[npiazza91]

Check out some ELP.  I mean, to me, that's just a natural leap.  Though King Crimson is a far better band in my opinion, you would still enjoy ELP.

I've got most of the discography for both ELP and King Crimson, and while KC has put out some incredible stuff, I find myself enjoying the ELP discs much more often.  Just a more accessible band, I guess.

I don't disagree with that.  KC are definitely more of an acquired taste and do more experimenting with their music.

It's the experimenting that I love more.  I don't want to listen to a song that is 3:30 and only has 3 riffs in it.  I want to hear 8:00+ songs with changing time signatures and all sorts of instruments.  The songs that I can listen to 100 times and still find new things to appreciate.  It's one of the reasons I love DT so much. 

[Cyclopssss]

Perhaps you'll find (old) Genesis amusing as well.

 

[PROGdrummer]

Symphony X's last two albums

[Sacul]

David Maxim Micic - Bilo 3.0 is what you're looking for .

[Ben_Jamin]

I think you'll enjoy IQ.

[LudwigVan]

Check out some ELP.  I mean, to me, that's just a natural leap.  Though King Crimson is a far better band in my opinion, you would still enjoy ELP.

I've got most of the discography for both ELP and King Crimson, and while KC has put out some incredible stuff, I find myself enjoying the ELP discs much more often.  Just a more accessible band, I guess.

I don't disagree with that.  KC are definitely more of an acquired taste and do more experimenting with their music.

It's the experimenting that I love more.  I don't want to listen to a song that is 3:30 and only has 3 riffs in it.  I want to hear 8:00+ songs with changing time signatures and all sorts of instruments.  The songs that I can listen to 100 times and still find new things to appreciate.  It's one of the reasons I love DT so much.

Well, if you do want a song that is only 3:30 but STILL has changing time signatures and all sorts of instruments and plenty of riffs and experimentation, might I suggest Gentle Giant. 

[TheCountOfNYC]

You can't really go wrong with Mastodon. They're a modern prog metal band who's music is in the spirit of the classic prog rock bands.

[Dr. DTVT]

Symphony X's last two albums

NO NO NO NO!

I don't think that is what he is looking for.  But if you want to go the SyX route, the last two albums are NOT the place to start, as they are the most straight up metal and least experimental albums of theirs.  Reading threads = good.

To hit on something you said about Jazz in the OP, check out Trioscapes.  It' more jazz than prog, but it would certainly fill that experimental/complex desire.

[mike099]

Check out Beardfish.  I would start with Sleeping in Traffic 1 and 2.  These guys are all over the board.  They are not afraid to try different things with their music.

[Prog Snob]

Check out A.C.T. They have a weird blend of different styles, but weird in a good way.  I've been listening to them for years.  Start off with Imaginary Friends or Last Epic.

[Architeuthis]

Symphony X's last two albums

NO NO NO NO!

I don't think that is what he is looking for.  But if you want to go the SyX route, the last two albums are NOT the place to start, as they are the most straight up metal and least experimental albums of theirs.  Reading threads = good.

To hit on something you said about Jazz in the OP, check out Trioscapes.  It' more jazz than prog, but it would certainly fill that experimental/complex desire.

 Disagree, Iconoclast and Paradise Lost are both great albums. The song" When all is Lost" off of Iconoclast is epic and has everything symphony x is all about. Worth the price of the cd alone..

[Dr. DTVT]

Disagree, Iconoclast and Paradise Lost are both great albums. The song" When all is Lost" off of Iconoclast is epic and has everything symphony x is all about. Worth the price of the cd alone..

This is where reading the original post and follow up replies helps.  He said he was looking for more proggy stuff, and not metal stuff, thus the King Crimson and Emerson Lake, & Palmer recommendations.

[took_the_time11]

Rush is important! They are so good. You would probably like Opeth. Animals As Leaders is another very good one.