Good progressive metal bands

[bl5150]

Let's see if I can add a couple.  Looks like Barry got this covered though.

Ark - Burn the Sun

There's that man again.......Tore ostby.   I wish he had put more down on disc than he has.   I enjoy Ark and Kamelot but the band that introduced Khan and Tore (Conception) will always be the better of the three to me.   Very under rated IMO.

[Lucidity]

I love Conception. One of the few metal groups that I like that I wouldn't consider progressive.

[emblempride]

You said you don't like growls and you don't like the cheese. What then, are you doing in the Progressive Metal genre? Below are some bands that take some of those progressive tendencies and make almost exclusively non-cheesy music.

And all these names. Like 'Seventh Wonder', or 'Firestorm'. Then the album title would be something like: 'Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part 1: The Goblin Chronicles'. It just screams unoriginal and pretentious to me.

Lolwut. 95% percent of what I've listened to recently has been very good progressive metal and lacks both growls and what can be perceived as "cheese". I'm not saying there isn't a lot of both in the genre, but I've never once gotten how this can be the perception of the genre by those who don't like it. At least the OP mentioned specifically that it was specifically the Power Metal influences that he wasn't a fan of. I mean, growls I understand, I'm not a fan of growls at all. But it seems like the vast majority of bands don't have them. I get getting tired of the genre after listening to it for a while, but to imply that Prog Metal is unoriginal and pretentious because you don't like... Power Metal-y band names and lyrical content? What further confounds me is that you included Tool, SOAD, and A Perfect Circle (though I understand that the OP may enjoy them). You don't even have to give it a chance and you definitely don't have to like it (not directed at you, more of a general statement), but I wish that when I read criticism directed at the genre, it would be more consistently valid (and it can be, nothing is infallible). It reminds me of people saying they dislike Thrash because of the 80% or so of unknown bands that are really just "Fashion Thrash" bands, still writing Slayer-esque lyrics about killing "posers". Well, if you cared to look, you can find a bunch of truly great Thrash bands that aren't like that at all! Not to mention that these are facets that are not integral to the sound. One common criticism I hear of Prog Metal is that it all sounds the same. Yes, because DT sounds exactly like PoS, who sound just like Prymary, who sound just like Haken .

A lot has been covered so far, but a few more you might like that are lack or just about lack any Power Metal qualities. (for each I scrolled up to see if kirksnosehair had posted them haha):

Akphaezya - Anthology II (got growls, but like Haken's Aquarius, it's probably like 2 minutes of the album in total.)
The Aurora Project - ...Unspoken Words
Clockwork - Surface Tension
Eumeria - Rebel Mind
Explorers Club - Age of Impact (with JP, JLB, Steve Howe, bunch of others)
Frameshift - Unweaving the Rainbow (Honestly, not a big fan of this one save Message from the Mountain and Off the Ground despite JLB's great work on it, but everyone I've shown it to has been the exact opposite, so there's a much higher chance of loving it, it seems)
Jun Senoue - Anything really (Hear me out on this one - Not exactly Prog Metal, but fans of the genre and VGM are sure to appreciate it, and ska-inspired metal riffs + horn section = rad as hell)
Roswell Six - Terra Incognita: Beyond the Horizon (also features JLB and a few other great guests)
Zero Hour - The Towers of Avarice

[Outcrier]

For many years I have struggled to find good progressive metal bands as I'm sure many other Dream Theater fans have. I don't like growls neither the cheesiness that many power metal bands tend to have. Also, the singer is a very important aspect for me in a band. I can't begin to tell you how many bands I don't like solely on the singer. So, I'm going to post some progressive bands and their albums that I consider that are good.  I hope that you guys post some recommendations for me. Thanks.

Let see if i can help you:

Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
Conception - Flow
Into The Woods... - Omnio
Sieges Even - The Art of Navigating by the Stars
Evergrey - In The Search Of Truth
Ark - Burn The Sun

More in the vein of DT:

Riverside - Anno Domini HD
Vanden Plas - Christ 0
Threshold - Hypothetical
Aghora - Formless
Seventh Wonder- Mercy Falls
Circus Maximus - Isolate
Spheric Universe Experience - Anima
Andromeda - Extension of the Wish
Wolverine - Still
Zero Hour - The Towers of Avarice
Pagan's Mind - Celestial Entrance
Communic - Conspiracy In Mind
To-Mera - Transcendental
Redemption - Snowfall on Judgment Day
Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
Beyond Twilight - Section X
Pathosray - Self titled

[Zook]

I'd go with Parallel Minds or The Last Sunset over Flow because it only has like 4 good songs on it.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I second whoever said Zero Hour, The Towers Of Avarice is in my top 5 albums.

Also, I know you said you don't like growls, but you might try Opeth's Watershed. It does have growls, but not that much, plus it's one of the main albums that helped me overcome my apprehension of harsh vocals.

And it's about as far from cheesy as one can get.

[Outcrier]

He should try Ghost Reveries too.

[emblempride]

I second whoever said Zero Hour, The Towers Of Avarice is in my top 5 albums.

[bl5150]

I'd go with Parallel Minds or The Last Sunset over Flow because it only has like 4 good songs on it.

No In Your Multitude?? Their best IMO followed by Parallel Minds and Flow.    I agree that Flow is a bit patchy - if memory serves my fave tracks are the last two which is unusual.

This discussion has got me listening to them again for the first time in a while and shit they're good.  In Your Multitude is one of those albums with an atmosphere all its own that takes me back to my childhood and memories of listening to it.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Also, I'm just gonna go ahead and plug one of my newly-discovered bands, Rishloo. They're not exactly metal, or even prog, for that matter, but they have elements of both.

Plus their album Feathergun is incredible.

[Zook]

I'd go with Parallel Minds or The Last Sunset over Flow because it only has like 4 good songs on it.

No In Your Multitude?? Their best IMO followed by Parallel Minds and Flow.    I agree that Flow is a bit patchy - if memory serves my fave tracks are the last two which is unusual.

I could only get into 2 songs from that one (Under a Mourning Star and A Million Gods). Perhaps I'll give it another go.

[bl5150]

I was always a big fan of Retrospect

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSn3X4jPxpk

[?]

I feel like the band Frost* would be a good fit for you.

I'll check them out, thanks for the recommendation!

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Dream Theater

[jingle.boy]

I think we've given the guy more than enough to go check out.  Might have scared the shit out his wallet though.

[Prog Snob]

I think we've given the guy more than enough to go check out.  Might have scared the shit out his wallet though.

Or his torrent site. 

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I think we've given the guy more than enough to go check out.  Might have scared the shit out his wallet though.

Or his torrent site. 

Sad, but true.

[Cyclopssss]

Psychotic Waltz.

[Lowdz]

Anyone mention Consortium Project yet?

Inner Odyssey

Threshold's last one.

Pendragon- Pure

Speaking To Stones- Elements

Saratoga- they sing in Spanish though, might put you off. May have some cheesy moments too. Good band though.

[jingle.boy]

Anyone mention Consortium Project yet?

As hard as I tried to pimp them, I'm not sure anyone is much of a fan of the pentalogy.

[bl5150]

Hey Lowdz..........I think we might know each other over a long period on another forum - good to see you about.  Had to (sadly after 15+ years) give up on Andrew's site due to months of uber slow loading speed and Andrew hasn't bothered to fix it  .  Anyway - good to see you 


Speaking of Consortium, another would be Parry's old project Elegy  - I was into them right from the start but haven't played em for a while now.   Their first album blew me away at the time of release (around the same time as Images and Words C4'd my ass )  - they should've been big in prog metal but the original vocalist was very much an acquired taste.   Henk van der Lars can certainly play rings around most  - they were probably a bit  one dimensional compared to  Dream Theater at the time -  DT easily won out for me due to the far more satisfying themes/textures and tasteful playing within the songs and much better production ................on I&W anyway.     Elegy were certainly up there though if you're into that style.

Cheers

Brent

[Perpetual Change]

wrong thread, oops

[jingle.boy]

Hey Lowdz..........I think we might know each other over a long period on another forum - good to see you about.  Had to (sadly after 15+ years) give up on Andrew's site due to months of uber slow loading speed and Andrew hasn't bothered to fix it  .  Anyway - good to see you 


Speaking of Consortium, another would be Parry's old project Elegy  - I was into them right from the start but haven't played em for a while now.   Their first album blew me away at the time of release (around the same time as Images and Words C4'd my ass )  - they should've been big in prog metal but the original vocalist was very much an acquired taste.   Henk van der Lars can certainly play rings around most  - they were probably a bit  one dimensional compared to  Dream Theater at the time -  DT easily won out for me due to the far more satisfying themes/textures and tasteful playing within the songs and much better production ................on I&W anyway.     Elegy were certainly up there though if you're into that style.

Cheers

Brent

Big Ian Parry fan here.  The four Elegy albums that he fronted are excellent.  Fantastic power/melodic metal.  Wasn't much of the non-Parry albums though.

[Prog Snob]

For many years I have struggled to find good progressive metal bands as I'm sure many other Dream Theater fans have. I don't like growls neither the cheesiness that many power metal bands tend to have. Also, the singer is a very important aspect for me in a band. I can't begin to tell you how many bands I don't like solely on the singer. So, I'm going to post some progressive bands and their albums that I consider that are good.  I hope that you guys post some recommendations for me. Thanks.

Let see if i can help you:

Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
Conception - Flow
Into The Woods... - Omnio
Sieges Even - The Art of Navigating by the Stars
Evergrey - In The Search Of Truth
Ark - Burn The Sun

More in the vein of DT:

Riverside - Anno Domini HD
Vanden Plas - Christ 0
Threshold - Hypothetical
Aghora - Formless
Seventh Wonder- Mercy Falls
Circus Maximus - Isolate
Spheric Universe Experience - Anima
Andromeda - Extension of the Wish
Wolverine - Still
Zero Hour - The Towers of Avarice
Pagan's Mind - Celestial Entrance
Communic - Conspiracy In Mind
To-Mera - Transcendental
Redemption - Snowfall on Judgment Day
Shadow Gallery - Tyranny
Beyond Twilight - Section X
Pathosray - Self titled

Some solid choices there.  Sieges Even are gold!  Don't forget the phoenix of SE, Subsignal.

[T-ski]

Echoes "Nature/Existence"

[Prog Snob]

The problem I see with a good amount of prog metal bands is that the music is usually good, but the vocals are just terrible or they don't fit.

[jingle.boy]

Echoes "Nature/Existence"

This.  So.  Much.

Far to under-rated around here.

[Lowdz]

Hey Lowdz..........I think we might know each other over a long period on another forum - good to see you about.  Had to (sadly after 15+ years) give up on Andrew's site due to months of uber slow loading speed and Andrew hasn't bothered to fix it  .  Anyway - good to see you 


Speaking of Consortium, another would be Parry's old project Elegy  - I was into them right from the start but haven't played em for a while now.   Their first album blew me away at the time of release (around the same time as Images and Words C4'd my ass )  - they should've been big in prog metal but the original vocalist was very much an acquired taste.   Henk van der Lars can certainly play rings around most  - they were probably a bit  one dimensional compared to  Dream Theater at the time -  DT easily won out for me due to the far more satisfying themes/textures and tasteful playing within the songs and much better production ................on I&W anyway.     Elegy were certainly up there though if you're into that style.

Cheers

Brent

Ahh, hi Brent (the original). Good to see you. I still pop over to MR.com but it's a bit boring there these days. You haven't missed much. Good to see we share a love of DT.

[PixelDream]

Evergrey - In Search of Truth, Recreation Day

 

IMO 'The Inner Circle' is pretty much up to the quality standards of those two records. After that record it slowly went downhill.

Now, Evergrey is a prog-metal band whose 'emotions' DO get to me. Tom Englund has a very unique, authentic way of singing (and tone of voice), and the guitar solos that are on these records.. damn.

[Mebert78]

I am obviously a DT fan, but I prefer the kind of progressive metal that focuses on dynamics, contrasts and mixing different elements instead of time signature changes and flashy soloing, so stuff like OSI, Opeth and Porcupine Tree is what I like the most. But on the whole, I've started to appreciate compact (although not necessarily the verse-chorus style of) songwriting more and more as my tastes have changed. That hasn't stopped me from getting into prog metal bands though: Fates Warning are one of my best recent discoveries.

I feel like the band Frost* would be a good fit for you.

Checking them out myself, because I seem to like similar stuff as ?.  Pretty good so far!  I'm starting with Experiments in Mass Appeal.

[kirksnosehair]

I'd go with Parallel Minds or The Last Sunset over Flow because it only has like 4 good songs on it.

No In Your Multitude?? Their best IMO followed by Parallel Minds and Flow.   

^that

[kirksnosehair]

I am obviously a DT fan, but I prefer the kind of progressive metal that focuses on dynamics, contrasts and mixing different elements instead of time signature changes and flashy soloing, so stuff like OSI, Opeth and Porcupine Tree is what I like the most. But on the whole, I've started to appreciate compact (although not necessarily the verse-chorus style of) songwriting more and more as my tastes have changed. That hasn't stopped me from getting into prog metal bands though: Fates Warning are one of my best recent discoveries.

I feel like the band Frost* would be a good fit for you.

Checking them out myself, because I seem to like similar stuff as ?.  Pretty good so far!  I'm starting with Experiments in Mass Appeal.

Milliontown is MUCH better

[Mebert78]

Milliontown is MUCH better

I'm on that one now!  I hear some Peter Gabriel influences, which is funny since the album cover uses the same red phone booth that PG used on tour during the song "Come Talk to Me" in the early 1990s.  Also, funny that the band's name is Frost, 'cause their music makes my nipples hard as icycles! 

[ReaperKK]

How has no one posted Fair To Midland?

Check out Fair To Midland, both Fables From The Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True and Arrows & Anchors are great albums.

The singer if fucking phenomenal, no growls, only thing close would be in the song "Dance Of The Manatee"

[jingle.boy]

I wouldn't quite put Frost* in the Prog-Metal category.  Some other names that I don't think were mentioned

Angra - Fireworks, Rebirth
Avantasia - did no one mention them?  Get any/all albums, but start with The Scarecrow
DGM - Different Shape, Momentum
Nightwish - Century Child
Secret Sphere - Portrait of a Dying Heart
Shadow Circus - On A Dark and Stormy Night
Soul Secret - Closer to Daylight
Thought Chamber - Angular Perceptions
Vision Divine - The 25th Hour
Within Temptation - The Heart of Everything