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demigod93
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Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:40 pm
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:40 pm 
 

I've always been a fan of Progressive Rock: mostly the golden age, 1970's bands I find myself coming back to again and again, such as Rush, Yes, Pink Floyd - the essentials. There are several other bands that I like that could fall under this category as well.

Basically, general prog. rock thread. Been jamming a lot to Camel, Genesis and Rush lately. Good shit.

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Zymetal
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Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 3:36 pm
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Location: Argentina
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:55 am 
 

I love Rush, because they are a power trio (my favorite band format).
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Fpqxz
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:55 am 
 

King Crimson. Sure, they never got as popular as the other bands you mentioned, but they were at least as influential (especially their first 5 albums). Let me also say that Bill Bruford (of Yes and King Crimson) is one of the most underrated rock drummers of all time.

As far as modern prog goes, I think The Mars Volta is pretty fucking amazing.
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elf48687789
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 8:22 am 
 

May be surprising, but the first two or so Journey and Styx albums were not bad at all.

Very interesting is also Asia (US), the original Asia, not to be confused with the cheesy UK band.

There were also some interesting prog rock bands related to the NWOBHM: Dawnwatcher, Praying Mantis and Tamarisk.

As far as newer bands go, I like Knight Area.

The Ozric Tentacles are also enjoyable at times, even though sometimes it all tends to sound the same.

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MetalRulesTheNight
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Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:54 am
Posts: 443
PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:33 am 
 

I second King Crimson & the first Styx albums!
I also love ELOY, YES, Genesis and the solo albums of Rick Wakeman (Yes)
Prog rock is (like Metal) a massive ocean of colorfull and diverse sounds... good hunting! There is an amazing load of brilliant albums out there
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Crypt of Pork
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:25 am 
 

Gentle Giant's "Peel the Paint" has one of my favorite guitar solos ever
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Jonpo
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:54 am 
 

(I'm excluding Rush from this post, because they are so much heavier and more riff oriented compared to most of the other prog stuff I listen to. One of my favorite bands of all time.)

I've been getting into prog-rock pretty heavily over the last year or so. I'm still mostly just catching up on what the classic bands were doing but progarchives.com has been a nearly indispensable tool for finding more "underground" type prog bands from back in the day. It took me a fair bit to "understand" the idea behind this kind of music. Especially with bands like King Crimson who take their time to build moods and shift tension, as opposed to just beating you over the head with a killer riff.

So far my favorites are probably Yes and King Crimson. I feel like Yes should probably strike a nerve with a lot of metalheads if given the chance. Howe's guitar antics are all over the place in a jangly technical sort of way, but the real show stopper for me is Chris Squire and that fucking bass of his. He gets some of the heaviest tones and really just keeps Yes firmly rooted with some ridiculously awesome bass riffing. My favorite album by them these days is probably Relayer. I realize most people would prefer them with Wakeman but I really enjoyed what they did after his departure. Probably has something to do with being more guitar oriented.

King Crimson I'm still exploring. As of right now I have the debut (listened a lot), In the Wake of Poseidon (listened a lot for how little time I've owned it), Thrak, and I just got Lizard and Larks' Tongues in Aspic yesterday. It took a long time for their debut to click with me, and to be honest I prefer In the Wake of Poseidon by a good margin. Don't get me wrong the debut is groundbreaking and has some stunning moments, but Pictures of a City, Cat Food, and The Devils Triangle are some of the greatest music I've ever heard from KC. I love King Crimson for the dynamics. They are able to create these lightning fast, claustrophobic sounds with huge swelling synth and mellotrons, and then in the blink of an eye they can switch it up to lighter than air jazzy playing or a heartfelt vocal-led piece. Just stunning stuff.

ELP have been my least favorite that I've really dove into so far. They are great at suites (Tarkus, Karn Evil, Endless Enigma) but a lot of their shorter stand-alone tracks really seem to suffer. Tarkus is the only one I can consistently listen to from start to beginning. Bitches Crystal is an awesome song.

edit: Oh and I'm just starting to get into Gabriel-era Genesis as well. Nursery Cryme is the only one I've listened to a lot. I just recently got Foxtrot but really haven't had a chance to give it the proper amount of spins yet. Supper's Ready was obviously amazing but I think Get 'Em Out by Friday is going to end up being my favorite song on that one. I'm obsessive over The Musical Box and The Return of the Giant Hogweed from Nursery Cryme.
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triggerhappy
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 11:25 am 
 

I don't listen to much prog rock, but my favourite (modern) prog rock bands are Circa Survive and Dredg. Circa Survive have some great diverging guitar lines and interesting bass work, as well as some hate-or-love vocals (personally I love them; they're ethereal). I like the vocal lines in Dredg, and their riffs are pretty catchy too.
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Human666
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:53 pm 
 

70's Progressive Rock is for me the best period of quality music in modern times.

Camel released some masterpieces, including "Mirage" with it's Tolkien based upos "The White Rider" and the superb instrumental album "Music Inspired By The Snow Goose" which includes some of the best guitar solos and enchanting flutes I've ever heard.
Also ELP had their fair share of masterpieces, Keith Emerson is the best keyboardist ever, he made me fall in love with the sound of the hammond organ and he is a great composer.

Kansas were also a classic band in the 70's, albums such as 'Masque', 'Point Of Know Return" , 'Leftoverture' and 'Song For America' are a great combination of the Southern American style and the British prog which no one else has done before them.
Genesis with 'Selling England By The Pound' set threshold with a masterpiece, amazing lyrics and brilliant compositions.

Yes were also a great band, "Close To The Edge" and "The Gates Of Delirium", grand pieces of art that are so underrated these days.
And let's not forget to mention Mike Oldfield, pure genius, 'Tubular Bells' is an unforgettable piece of ambient/prog, most of the people know it due to it's theme included in "The Exorcist".

Today all we got is shitty Lady Gaga's artificial noise and stupid kids playing Ipads all day long while watching noobs doing Lip Syncing for "ohhh like a G6" shit in YouTube.

Fuck, I wish it was the 70's again.

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Jonpo
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:06 pm 
 

Human666 wrote:
Camel released some masterpieces, including "Mirage" with it's Tolkien based upos "The White Rider" and the superb instrumental album "Music Inspired By The Snow Goose" which includes some of the best guitar solos and enchanting flutes I've ever heard.


I've had Mirage sitting in a stack of newer stuff for like 3 months now. I'm going to make a serious attempt to check that out at some point tonight. I remember loving the samples I heard but then when it showed up it just kind of got lost in the shuffle. At the time I was going to order The Snow Goose as well but some of the samples sounded unbelievably soft, and not in a cool way. Will have to give it another chance.

There's no doubt that Emerson put together some of the most interesting keyboard playing I've ever heard. There's just something about a lot of their stand alone tracks that end up sounding more silly than anything to me. Still, can't deny the genius that is Tarkus.

edit: That's an interesting opinion, Expedience. I can definitely see where there are some moments of extreme "release" where subtlety gets thrown out the window, but most of my favorites (the genres standard classic names) show a tremendous amount of subtlety and restraint in crafting the build-ups to those sections.

The only proggy Zappa album I have is The Grand Wazoo and I could see where you're coming from if all prog-rock sounded like that.
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Expedience
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:06 pm 
 

I used to like prog rock, but now find it childish. I even find Zappa way too over the top and self-indulgent. It was really the kind of music where all subtlety and restraint went out the window. The lyrics were usually silly drug-induced fantasy. I will admit that it approaches brilliance technically and has its place in the history of music.

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Abominatrix
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Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:09 pm 
 

elf48687789 wrote:
May be surprising, but the first two or so Journey and Styx albums were not bad at all.

Very interesting is also Asia (US), the original Asia, not to be confused with the cheesy UK band.

There were also some interesting prog rock bands related to the NWOBHM: Dawnwatcher, Praying Mantis and Tamarisk.

As far as newer bands go, I like Knight Area.

The Ozric Tentacles are also enjoyable at times, even though sometimes it all tends to sound the same.


Ozric's music does all sound the same; they've released basically the same album time after time but with shifts in the degree of electronic/trance influence. I'd say that's one of their strengths...you always know what you're getting with them. I seem to prefer the later albums actually; think the influence from electronic dance music keeps them fresh and interesting, and yet they always use a real drum kit...yes, I like that!

Anyway, another prog rock thread. Good. As this is one of my greatest musical affinities I simply wouldn't know where to begin talking about it. I'm a big fan of a lot of krautrock these days as well as the extensive 70s Italian scene, everything from the wild and fusion-ish Area to beautiful and romantic stuff like Banco and Locanda del Fate.
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FirebathDan
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:19 pm 
 

For me lately, I've been all about Marillion. I mean, that's all I've been listening to, and the Hogarth-era almost exclusively. The Fish-era is hit or miss, with Misplaced Childhodd being a masterpeice and the others flucuating from excellent to mediocre.

But man, the Hogarth-era stuff is amazing. Especially the last 5 albums-Anoraknophobia, Marbles, Somewhere Else, and Happiness Is The Road, Vol. 1 & 2-these 5 albums make up 92% of my current listening. But the other Hogarth recods-Seasons End, Brave, Afraid Of Sunlight, This Strange Engine, Radiation, and Marillion.Com-are some of the finest records ever committed to tape. Even the most "commercial" of these records-Holidays In Eden-is ace.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm obsessed with Marillion, lol.

The obvious Rush, Yes, Crimson, Floyd et al, are of course essential listening. Some modern prog bands I dig are Porcupine Tree (strictly my personal opinion, their last 4 albums could qualify as prog metal), Blackfield, The Mars Volta, and Muse. All highly recognizable, but quality nonetheless.
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Jonpo
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:39 pm 
 

I actually meant to check out Marillion the last time I saw you and a handful of others talking about how great they are. I just snagged a copy of their debut (Script for a Jester's Tear) off Amazon for dirt cheap. I'm excited to see how this one turns out. The reviews are raving at progarchives. Comparisons to Gabriel-era Genesis are pretty intriguing/favorable. Thanks for droppin' some knowledge on us Dan!

Abom: I would love to hear in detail about some of the Italian stuff you're into. I had a few downloaded albums of Os Mutantes way back in the day but I think that was more pysch'd out than progressive.
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Abominatrix
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:57 pm 
 

Jonpo wrote:
I actually meant to check out Marillion the last time I saw you and a handful of others talking about how great they are. I just snagged a copy of their debut (Script for a Jester's Tear) off Amazon for dirt cheap. I'm excited to see how this one turns out. The reviews are raving at progarchives. Comparisons to Gabriel-era Genesis are pretty intriguing/favorable. Thanks for droppin' some knowledge on us Dan!

Abom: I would love to hear in detail about some of the Italian stuff you're into. I had a few downloaded albums of Os Mutantes way back in the day but I think that was more pysch'd out than progressive.


While I'm hardly an expert on Marillion they did seem a bit of a poor man's Genesis to me. I know they have a really dedicated fan base and to be honest I haven't heard any of the Hogarth stuff. I have Script for a Jester's Tear and my guitarist has a bunch of the other 80s albums. I find the others to be part of a sound I'm not too crazy about, and while Script is a cool album it's simply too much like Genesis to really be called a groundbreaking or masterful work. That guitarist (another Steve...what is it with English prog guitarists from the 70s named Steve?) is really good though and pulls out some powerful and emotional leads.

The Italian scene was huge and by no means do I know all about it. My first was Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and they're still a genuine favourite. They take the keyboard wizardry of ELP, the ocasional theatricism of Genesis and mould with their own particularly Italian sense of romantic grandeur and beauty. They have two keyboardists so often there'll be organ dancing under piano or moogs and hammond mixing together in startling and awesome ways. Their vocalist has got a strong and almost operatic tenor that's very pleasant to listen to but also has a good deal of strength and power.

Area is a must if you enjoy fusion stuff. Their musicianship is incredible, yet their songs always manage to be pretty catchy and addictive despite all the wild stuff going on. Great electric piano lines and the electrifyingly strange, howling voice of Demetrios Stratos are the immediately recognisable trademark.

Il Balleto di Bronzo made two albums, the first being more along the lines of 70s hard rock, with the second taking on a wholly different, jazzy and kind of dark progressive character. The second album, ys, is pretty ahead of its time I think. Ending of the album is rather emeniscent of Goblin, probably the most known of the Italian prog bands here due to their involvement with all those great soundtracks. Goblin used to be known as Cherry 5 and released a great stand-alone album under that name (with a vocalist, even).

I can post a bit more about this stuff later. Some of these bands only put out one or two album, but to me they're still rather notable. That's enough for me from now, but other bands to check for include L'Orme, Locanda del Fate, APoteosi, Alluminogeni, Alphataurus (this one is quite heavy), Biglietto Per L'Inferno (this one, too), Metamorphosi, Museo Rosenbach...
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Liquid_Braino
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:25 pm 
 

I don't know if Shub Niggurath is considered prog or not, but they are pretty "out there" and their stuff has been kicking my ass lately with its creepiness and friggin' BASS of death. Charles Dexter Ward would jerk himself over this shit. Killer stuff.
Magma is another I'm starting to get into (zeuhl stuff...some kinda weird language associated with the band) with its weird repetitions and driving rhythms. I feel like I'm heading off to war when I'm listening to them. I'm diggin' their Udu Wudu album right now, although Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh (sorry about my lack of double dots over the vowels) was my jam for awhile.
Definately seems outside the box as far as the prog scene goes, but still very proggy.

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Jonpo
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:39 pm 
 

Alphataurus! That was the other band I was listening to along with Os Mutantes. Some of the greatest cover art I've ever seen. Definitely remember them seeming heavy, although I wasn't into metal at all at the time.

Do you have a favorite of the Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso albums? I just ordered their debut because it was the only one I could find at a reasonable price offhand. Will do a bit more dedicated hunting later. Your description has piqued my interest, especially the idea of multiple keys players interweaving.

Ys was also pretty cheap/easy to find on Amazon. I'm definitely on the look out for more dark prog. The darker more evil sounding sections of Crimsons music is a huge part of what appeals to me so much about them.

Area albums are fucking expensive. Christ.
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hnv1
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:56 pm 
 

Heavy prog is my my Favorite
High Tide is amazing

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Abominatrix
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Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 12:15 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:57 pm 
 

Jonpo wrote:
Alphataurus! That was the other band I was listening to along with Os Mutantes. Some of the greatest cover art I've ever seen. Definitely remember them seeming heavy, although I wasn't into metal at all at the time.

Do you have a favorite of the Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso albums? I just ordered their debut because it was the only one I could find at a reasonable price offhand. Will do a bit more dedicated hunting later. Your description has piqued my interest, especially the idea of multiple keys players interweaving.

THe debut, and Darwin! probably. Third album is also great. Beware of the crappy English versions of their first two albums. You definitely don't want those.

Ys was also pretty cheap/easy to find on Amazon. I'm definitely on the look out for more dark prog. The darker more evil sounding sections of Crimsons music is a huge part of what appeals to me so much about them.
[/quote]
You should probably try the aforementioned Magma as well then. Rhino described them pretty well.
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Area albums are fucking expensive. Christ.

Yep. A lot of prog will rape your wallet. heheh
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FirebathDan
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Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 2:32 pm
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:07 pm 
 

Jonpo wrote:
I actually meant to check out Marillion the last time I saw you and a handful of others talking about how great they are. I just snagged a copy of their debut (Script for a Jester's Tear) off Amazon for dirt cheap. I'm excited to see how this one turns out. The reviews are raving at progarchives. Comparisons to Gabriel-era Genesis are pretty intriguing/favorable. Thanks for droppin' some knowledge on us Dan!



NP. Script is one of the better Fish albums, and that's the one where the Genesis comparison is most valid. Fish's vocals are remincient of Gabriel overall.

Abominatrix wrote:
While I'm hardly an expert on Marillion they did seem a bit of a poor man's Genesis to me. I know they have a really dedicated fan base and to be honest I haven't heard any of the Hogarth stuff. I have Script for a Jester's Tear and my guitarist has a bunch of the other 80s albums. I find the others to be part of a sound I'm not too crazy about, and while Script is a cool album it's simply too much like Genesis to really be called a groundbreaking or masterful work. That guitarist (another Steve...what is it with English prog guitarists from the 70s named Steve?) is really good though and pulls out some powerful and emotional leads.


Again that's a by-product of the Fish-era, the Genesis comparisons. And like I previously said, the Fish stuff is mostly mediocre-Fugazi and Clutching At Straws in particular. The Hogarth stuff is superior in my mind because of the gradual shift from that type of approach. Better songwriting, better melodies, better vocals, eagreness to experiment (without going over the top), not relying on their old sound. If you played a track from Script side by side with a track from Marbles, you would never know it's the same band. If I could compare it to anything I'd say it somewhat close to Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun-era Porcupine Tree, but even then that's not totally accurate.

I'm glad someone was able to get into them, but I urge you to check out the Hogarth-era stuff. Any Hogarth album beats any Fish album, hands down. Just go into it with no expectations of a Genesis, 80's, or classic prog sound and I think you'll be pleasently surpirsed by what is simply excellent, top notch music.

And the guitarist is Steve Rothery, and you're right, his playing is excellent.
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Abominatrix
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:16 pm 
 

Sounds intriguing; by the way I'm not into much stereotypically 80s prog so that's probably why I didn't really enjoy Clutching at Straws, etc, much. I do like some of that porcupine Tree stuff though...not a big fan but it's kind of nice in certain moods.
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Liquid_Braino
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 5:09 pm 
 

Jonpo wrote:
The darker more evil sounding sections of Crimsons music is a huge part of what appeals to me so much about them.


Check out Shub Niggurath which I mentioned earlier. I suppose I should say I'm referring to the French zeuhl band as opposed to the extreme metal bands listed in the Archives. "Les Morts Vont Vite" is one twisted and incredibly dark creation.

I noticed Premiata Forneria Marconi wasn't name-dropped yet as far as the old Italian scene is concerned (they're the only band I know). I dig L'ISOLA DI NIENTE a lot.

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Jonpo
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 5:16 pm 
 

Liquid_Braino wrote:
Jonpo wrote:
The darker more evil sounding sections of Crimsons music is a huge part of what appeals to me so much about them.


Check out Shub Niggurath which I mentioned earlier. I suppose I should say I'm referring to the French zeuhl band as opposed to the extreme metal bands listed in the Archives. "Les Morts Vont Vite" is one twisted and incredibly dark creation.

I noticed Premiata Forneria Marconi wasn't name-dropped yet as far as the old Italian scene is concerned (they're the only band I know). I dig L'ISOLA DI NIENTE a lot.


No worries about confusion as I already own everything by the Shub Niggurath on the Archives! One of my favorite death metal bands.

I guess I'm really going to have to dive into this Zeuhl stuff. Magma sounded very appealing but as with a lot of the other lesser names I'm going to have to shell out a pretty penny to hear it. Maybe this Shub Niggurath stuff is more readily available. I'll definitely be investigating, thanks!

Funny you should mention them, I just ordered PFM's second album.
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Human666
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 6:15 am 
 

Jonpo wrote:
Human666 wrote:
Camel released some masterpieces, including "Mirage" with it's Tolkien based upos "The White Rider" and the superb instrumental album "Music Inspired By The Snow Goose" which includes some of the best guitar solos and enchanting flutes I've ever heard.


I've had Mirage sitting in a stack of newer stuff for like 3 months now. I'm going to make a serious attempt to check that out at some point tonight. I remember loving the samples I heard but then when it showed up it just kind of got lost in the shuffle. At the time I was going to order The Snow Goose as well but some of the samples sounded unbelievably soft, and not in a cool way. Will have to give it another chance.


I highly recommend you to get your hand on their "1978 - A Live Record", it includes the whole "Snow Goose" album performed incredibly good, and also parts of "Mirage" done extremely beautiful.

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elf48687789
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:14 pm 
 

Abominatrix wrote:
elf48687789 wrote:
May be surprising, but the first two or so Journey and Styx albums were not bad at all.

Very interesting is also Asia (US), the original Asia, not to be confused with the cheesy UK band.

There were also some interesting prog rock bands related to the NWOBHM: Dawnwatcher, Praying Mantis and Tamarisk.

As far as newer bands go, I like Knight Area.

The Ozric Tentacles are also enjoyable at times, even though sometimes it all tends to sound the same.


Ozric's music does all sound the same; they've released basically the same album time after time but with shifts in the degree of electronic/trance influence. I'd say that's one of their strengths...you always know what you're getting with them. I seem to prefer the later albums actually; think the influence from electronic dance music keeps them fresh and interesting, and yet they always use a real drum kit...yes, I like that!

Well, not exactly, they have a few slower dubby numbers which sound different from their fast stuff. But that's only a few songs. Maybe less than 10% of their songs or around there.

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Human666
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:17 pm 
 

Another interesting gem I can recall is Gryphon's Red Queen to Gryphon Three: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=479
Purely instrumental album which combines folk and prog in a very enjoyable way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnLIGUimHk4

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Empyreal
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PostPosted: Sun May 01, 2011 5:41 pm 
 

Playing me some Gentle Giant - Octopus lately after remembering hearing about them ages ago. Very good stuff. Full of whimsical, ear-catching fun and eclectic musical influences that end up forming quite an engaging set of songs. Will need to keep playing this and listening to more layers as they unfold.
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SuperVeji4
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PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:37 am 
 

Many of you may find this fucking lame, but in all honesty Pink Floyd is the only band that does it for me when it comes to progressive rock, which is crazy because I used to not see their appeal at first. I've tried some early Genesis, some King Crimson, and some Yes, and none of them have that "magic" that Pink Floyd has. Now I did say "some" so maybe I need to listen to more stuff from those bands, and maybe even some more bands overall. Is there a specific album from those three bands that I should check out? Or maybe another band that sounds similar to Pink Floyd?

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Jonpo
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PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:29 pm 
 

Empyreal wrote:
Playing me some Gentle Giant - Octopus lately after remembering hearing about them ages ago. Very good stuff. Full of whimsical, ear-catching fun and eclectic musical influences that end up forming quite an engaging set of songs. Will need to keep playing this and listening to more layers as they unfold.


I'm definitely looking to pick up some stuff by these guys and see what they're all about. Based on the reviews at progarchives their best material seems to be held in the highest regard. On the other hand all I ever read about them is how vocally driven they are and it makes me a little hesitant.

In other news I got my first taste of Italian prog over the weekend! I received my copy of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's s/t debut and Per Un Amico by PFM. I haven't had a chance to dive into the PFM stuff yet, but the BMS debut is seriously incredible. It is no surprise at all that they came to be known as one of the major players of this scene. The interweaving, dueling keyboard/organ of the two brothers is just excellent and carries the majority of the musical thrust. There are also some really captivating operatic vocals and a few genuinely heavy sections. Highly recommended and I can't wait to pick up their next two.
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Empyreal
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PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:39 pm 
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrcDWhhris4

Check this out, pretty much sums up Octopus, at least. Cool vocals, cool instrumentation and a sort of folksy bliss that keeps hooking me in. I can tell they're one of those bands that grows on you.
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Abominatrix
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PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 1:25 pm 
 

Jonpo wrote:
Empyreal wrote:
Playing me some Gentle Giant - Octopus lately after remembering hearing about them ages ago. Very good stuff. Full of whimsical, ear-catching fun and eclectic musical influences that end up forming quite an engaging set of songs. Will need to keep playing this and listening to more layers as they unfold.


I'm definitely looking to pick up some stuff by these guys and see what they're all about. Based on the reviews at progarchives their best material seems to be held in the highest regard. On the other hand all I ever read about them is how vocally driven they are and it makes me a little hesitant.

In other news I got my first taste of Italian prog over the weekend! I received my copy of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's s/t debut and Per Un Amico by PFM. I haven't had a chance to dive into the PFM stuff yet, but the BMS debut is seriously incredible. It is no surprise at all that they came to be known as one of the major players of this scene. The interweaving, dueling keyboard/organ of the two brothers is just excellent and carries the majority of the musical thrust. There are also some really captivating operatic vocals and a few genuinely heavy sections. Highly recommended and I can't wait to pick up their next two.


SO glad you enjoyed the Banco to that degree. You'll not be disappointed with the next two, I promise.

I like me some Gentle Giant but don't really play them a lot. I definitely appreciate Acquiring the Taste a lot though...played the hell out of that one and had some odd/interesting experiences related to it. Here's one of my favourite songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRS8EC6dL4I
I love it when the song goes through that heavy chorus and the huge choral harmony comes in...woooah, yeah, most of their stuff isn't that heavy and ominous, though.

Also discovered this band Ahora Mazda a while ago when looking up spacerock on progarchives. They're a dutch band with a single album released in 1970, with flute and guitar basically leading the charge with lengthy alternating solos, with their songs being structured around memorable and melancholy vocally lead sections with long jams seemingly improvised on the themes created. While the flute and guitar playing is really nice I think it's the vocals and the way they're used that really captivates me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgRgcLJtDhY
And this charming number:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUoCMWJucU
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Metantoine
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PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 3:00 pm 
 

I love the classic prog stuff and have to go deeper in the genre (Canterbury scene...) i will do this in the near future. I really love Camel, some Genesis, yes....What you guys think about the neo prog movement? Bands like Marilion, Spock's Beard, Pendragon, IQ ans some of the more recent band like Beardfish? I really love the sound of The Flower Kings, one of the only positive influenced band i listen.
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Abominatrix
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PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 3:17 pm 
 

Can't say I really enjoy much of the "neoprog" stuff I"ve heard. Still plan to check out some of the latterday Marillion though after we talked about it in here earlier....

If you want to get into Canterbury, I highly recommend Gong as a starting point. Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg and You make up some kind of weird concept trilogy, and they're all wonderfully quirky, spaced-out and awesome.
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Metantoine
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PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 3:47 pm 
 

thanks for the rec, Abom, heard only good things about Gong, time to check them out. Yeah, Marilion later stuff is hit or miss, Marbles is really good. Some prefer the solo stuff of Fish
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KingVold
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PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 3:56 pm 
 

I've been playing Larks Tounges in Aspic by King Crimson for a while lately. I don't like it quite as much as In the Court of the Crimson KIng but it's still great. Are there any other albums I need by King Crimson? Those are my only two.
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Jonpo
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PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 4:02 pm 
 

There are a number of people, myself included, who ended up enjoying In the Wake of Poseidon more than the debut. Its definitely in a very similar vein, but I find it improved in nearly every way. The Devil's Triangle is a complete mindfuck and Cat Food is just one of the coolest songs ever.

Honestly I can't imagine why, if you like those two, you'd want to stop there. You should check out everything from the debut to Red. Most metalheads who are into KC fucking love Red, but I think that can be misleading. It does have some heavy moments but it does not sound metal in the least. Still, one of my favorites and most listened of their albums.
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PhilosophicalFrog
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PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2011 4:12 pm 
 

Empyreal wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrcDWhhris4

Check this out, pretty much sums up Octopus, at least. Cool vocals, cool instrumentation and a sort of folksy bliss that keeps hooking me in. I can tell they're one of those bands that grows on you.



Yo, this is awesome Emp. Thanks for posting.
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FirebathDan
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PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2011 9:34 am 
 

KingVold wrote:
I've been playing Larks Tounges in Aspic by King Crimson for a while lately. I don't like it quite as much as In the Court of the Crimson KIng but it's still great. Are there any other albums I need by King Crimson? Those are my only two.



IMO, these are the Crimson records you "need" aside from what you mentioned, broken down by era (as each era is very distinct):


60's/70's: Starless And Bible Black and Red

80's: Three Of A Perfect Pair

90's/Present: Thrak and The Power To Believe


The only albums, I feel, you should consiously avoid are Islands and Lizard. Too unfocused and meandering (maybe you'd dig that?).

The remaining albums (In The Wake Of Poseidon, Discipline, Beat, and The ConstruKction Of Light) are all worth your time in some way or another, but are hardly essential.
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Thashierthanthou
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PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2011 10:52 am 
 

I really like Spock's Beard and what I've heard of Rush, but aside from that am not very well versed; need to look more into prog rock.

EDIT: Just checked out King Crimson- Where has this band been all my life? :love:
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RamsesBringerOfWar98
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PostPosted: Tue May 10, 2011 11:14 am 
 

I've heard some people associate Týr with progressive rock. But I know next to nothing of the genre, so wouldn't know how close to the truth that might be. Good band none the less though.
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