Progressive Metal/Rock Thread Genre

Let's talk progressive music. I mostly reside on the metal end of the spectrum, preferring it with mostly clean vocals, but I have my exceptions. Here is some of what I love that I would classify as "progressive".

Opeth
Coheed and Cambria
Leprous
Haken
Caligula's Horse
VOLA
Between the Buried and Me
Closure in Moscow
The Dear Hunter
Mastodon
Protest the Hero
Tesseract
Polyphia
The Ocean
Periphery

and tons of others I would be happy for y'all to talk about in here. I love my friends over in the metal thread, but they definitely seem to veer towards the extreme sides of metal, and I felt like there's enough of a distinction between enjoyers of these genres to have our own thread.

 

Lately, I've been a huge Haken kick. Been really enjoying all their stuff from The Mountain up to their newest release. I know their singer is a little too Dream Theater like for some people, but their music is all the things I love about progressive metal.

I also am so stoked for Caligula's Horse's new album coming out January 26th. Their last album was one of my favorite albums of 2020 (only beat by Protest the Hero's Palimpsest) and I fully expect their new one to be potentially my AOTY for 2024.

 

I need to check out Caligula's Horse, seems like they'd be up my alley

 

I've been trying to get more people around these parts into them. Bloom, Marigold and Firelight are a great intro off their album Bloom, then they got more ambitious for In Contact. I would recommend Dream the Dead, Songs for No One, and Graves off that one. The last one is considered their current opus. Super long, lot of different passages, some saxophone. They really went all out. Then Rise Radiant came out, and it's definitely more focused on good songs and less technically impressive stuff happening, but it's my favorite. Tempest, Oceanrise, and The Ascent are what I would recommend to get a feel for the album. Here's a killer live video of Songs for No One.

 

awesome thank you!

 

Haven't given it a listen yet but I liked the previous album a lot.

 

This thread extremely caters to my tastes. I should remind myself to do a full post about The Intersphere, who are one of my favorite bands ever at this point.

 

Yep, it's on my radar. I'm planning on seeing them open for Caligula's Horse next year in Atlanta, so I need to get familiar. I always struggle with the "multiple guest singers with an instrumental core" albums though. The title track with Dan from Tesseract is a banger though.

 

Just put on their newest album, liking what I'm hearing so far.

 

Hey @Penlab and @TriangularDuck, y'all get here, I see y'all talking about prog a lot on the site.

I still have yet to get fully into Leprous, but holy heck this is one of the most impressive live performances I think I've ever seen.

 

These guys put out a new album Friday. Pretty good. Former Haken keyboardist is on here.

 

More on the prog rock side, but a guy I know went to the Carl Palmer ELP tour a few days back and it looked like a ton of fun.

 

They’re all instrumental artist but these are usually my go to:
David Maxim Micic
Plini
Jakub Zytecki
Sithu Aye
I Built The Sky

 

Yeah, I can’t get past the singer. If they were an instrumental band I would be all over Haken.

 

I like Zytecki's laid back take on what early Polyphia was doing. He's got a pretty distinct style that I can respect. Hasn't gripped me for a full album yet. I like Plini but also can't do a whole album, but his new single is really good.

EDIT: It was this one. Didn't realize he has an EP out on December 1st, I'll have to check that out.

 

I saw you tagged me on this yesterday but wasn't in a position to listen, and then I forgot about it until now.

Anyway, I may have to get into this band. I knew of them but not what they sounded like, and turns out they sound pretty good! Thanks for the heads up.

 

That's exactly how I felt too, but something clicked for me. I'm not going to say I like him, but he does write catchy melodies, especially choruses, and his weirder stuff I'm able to look past because I like the instrumentals so much.

I haven't listened to much outside of them and Leprous this week. Leprous is extremely fascinating. Usually when I think of progmetal, I think technically proficient guitar players, but their brand with not too flashy guitars, tons of synth, insane syncopated drum rhythms, and Einar's over the top emotive vocals is super unique, and they have a clear tonal shift for every album.

 

This is amusing because I don’t think there’s another genre that I have this problem with as much as it happens with prog lol.

Maybe sludge when clean vocals are included but they don’t deter me from enjoying the songs. I just wish most singers had more pleasant tones at times… part of the charm I guess.

 

Leprous’ Einar is a beast. I caught them early this year and was blown away. Five songs in, they do a quick break to introduce themselves and Einar keeps apologizing because he’s ill and so not at his best vocally.

If he hasn’t said that, I wouldn’t even have noticed as he was soaring and didn’t miss or fumble one note! Dude got pipes.

 

Yeah I’m kicking myself for not having seen them live yet. Hope to catch them next time they’re in the US. Been watching whatever I can on YouTube of the Rockefeller show, and whatever professionally shot stuff they have on YouTube.

Not sure what I was doing in 2015 (according to my AOTY list I was listening to Coheed, Turnover, Foxing, and TWIABP) but I def should’ve been listening to The Congregation.

 

It’s awesome to have a thread like this. I’m sure Spotify Wrapped 2023 is coming out soon. I’m anticipating Periphery and Sleep Token to be at the top of my most listened to artists of the year.

 

Both those albums had songs I liked but didn't go back to much throughout the year. I need to do a relisten, especially Periphery.

 

Good thread, long time coming. I worry it might turn into a dumping ground for stuff that doesn't quite fit in other threads, but maybe not worried enough 'cause I might be about to do just that.

Ok Goodnight - The Fox and the Bird

Proggy mathcore, current AOTY runner-up.

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Agent Fresco, maybe more art-rock than progressive rock tbf. One of my favourite bands who, sadly, might be right at home in the "bands you love that faded away" thread.

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Kaguu - Rosewood

One of my all time favourite EPs. Maybe a little proggy, a little mathy, a little metal influence (particularly in the drumming imo), and a heavy dose of big, bright synths. Overall super pretty and quite chill, would be an ideal soundtrack to doing some shrooms and prancing through an enchanted forest.

 

That OK Goodnight album has gotten some plays with me. Hasn’t fully clicked, but I like what they’re doing.

 

Also,

Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part One

They have their own thread, and have been mentioned in the metal thread as well, but for anyone unaware, this album is fucking insanity.