The Official Prog Music Thread

[Legit]

Welcome to The Official Prog Music Thread!

There are three purposes of this topic:
1) Discuss prog music with other prog fans.
2) Find new prog bands based on the recommendations and likes of others.
3) Introduce prog music to people on this forum.

Prog Music Resources:
- Prog Archives (http://www.progarchives.com/): This is an essential bookmark for all fans of the genre. This comprehensive website provides details on (almost) every prog band in existence and I can guarantee you will find new bands that you will love.
- Progulus Radio (http://www.progulus.com/): An online radio station that plays prog and only prog. You can listen to your favorite bands and hear new bands 24/7.

What to post in this thread:
- Your favorite prog bands, songs, albums, and genres. This way you can discuss similar tastes with other people and listen to new bands that others post.
- What you like about prog (ex. weird time signatures, technical skill, variety, it's not the same thing over and over again like mainstream music, etc.).
- Anything else related to prog music.

Weekly Question:
Every week I will post a new question related to prog music and you can answer it!

Week 1: What are your favorite albums of 2011? (http://elementscommunity.org/forum/index.php/topic,34705.msg467684.html#msg467684)

My favorite genres: Prog metal (all types: extreme, symphonic, power, technical, avant-garde, experimental), Prog rock (heavy prog, math rock, both classic and modern prog rock)

Favorite bands: Adagio, Arch-Matheos, Ayreon, Between the Buried and Me, Dream Theater, Epica, Grayceon, Kamelot, Koyaanisqatsy, Liquid Tension Experiment, MaYaN, Orphaned Land, Pathosray, Redemption, Riverside, Rush, Seventh Wonder, Sky Architect, Sun Caged, Symphony X, Unexpect, X-Panda (These are just my absolute favorites, I have plenty more bands that I like, so I can post more depending on what genre you request)

[Legit]

Week 1: What are your favorite albums of 2011?

(Link to song in band name)
1. Unexpect - Fables of the Sleepless Empire: (

) This band has the most unique sound I've ever heard, it's obscure and crazy to the max. You'll have to hear for yourself, because I can't explain this band in words. I love the fusion of genres from death metal to classical and everything inbetween. This album is not for everyone, but those who can look past the madness will find a masterpiece.

2. Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance: (

) Those who like straightforward progressive metal will love this album. There is a ton of unparalleled musicianship shown by all members, as well as things like weird time signatures and long songs filled with variety. Plus Stained Glass Sky (the song I linked), among other things, has one of the greatest song intros ever.

3. Grayceon - All We Destroy: (

) Cello, guitar, drums, and female vocals. This band plays a experimental/sludge/post-rock style with ambient as well as heavy parts, and all combined with epic cello and guitar riffs. There is a ton of originality to be found here - something rare even in the prog world.

More - I'll explain them later, perhaps.

MaYaN - Quarterpast
X-Panda - Flight of Fancy
Wolverine - Communication Lost

EDIT: Removed some albums to show only absolute favorites.

[salox]

Week 1: What are your favorite albums of 2011?

I will answer this in a few hours...

I think because it's my favourite band, I would say symphony x's iconoclast. Myrath's tales of sand is awesome too, though.

about prog music, I listen to many of the bands you named on the original post, and also andromeda, circus maximus,  myrath as I said before, artension, spheric universe experience, ark, and the chilean bands octopus and delta

you can listen some of that music on this grooveshark playlist, which is what I have been listening to lately
http://grooveshark.com/#/playlist/Musica/63366879

[Legit]

Myrath is a great band, I have all three of their albums and I'm definitely a fan (I haven't listened to them in a while though :/ ). I always love when bands utilize different genres (successfully), in Myrath's case, the fusion of middle-eastern elements and prog metal. Although I do prefer Orphaned Land in this case.

Iconoclast is also a good album, although I prefer Symphony X's older stuff, I don't mind their more straightforward heavy metal approach to their recent albums.

I've heard Andromeda and Circus Maximus on Progulus, but I haven't heard of other bands, I think I'll go check them out. Thanks!

[Uppercut]

Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance: (

)

I didn't think it was possible to hate a vocalist more than James Labrie but this did it. I really can't take this band seriously when the vocals kick in. Straight up grade school sounding nonsense.

Grayceon and Unexpect own though. Wolverine is close to the top of the list for me. Cormorant and Haken both deserve a mention in this thread; Dwellings and Visions were both near the top of prog this year for me.

Edit: Thy Catafalque had a new album this year too. This has been an awesome year for prog metal.

[salox]

and as Legit said that he used progarchives, the website where I have found new bands is www.perfectprog.com

[salox]

do you want to make it anual question?
I would like at least monthly

[vrt]

Opeth, Damnation, To Rid The Disease.


That is all.

[Legit]

Yeah, I realize that weekly question thing was a bit of a stretch, especially considering only a couple people posted in this thread and I didn't visit the forums for a while after posting this thread...

So sorry about that, I guess an easy question is what have you been listening to for the past week?

For me it's Ne Obliviscaris, I think I listen to all their songs at least one each daily (Their debut album is released in 4 days!)

At War With Self

And if you like post rock: sleepmakeswaves

Right now I'm off on a tangent and exploring other genres rather than straightforward prog metal (Never thought I'd use "straightforward" and "prog" in the same sentence) but I'm referring to the structure utilized by many of the more prominent bands such as Dream Theater or Symphony X that have verses and choruses with extended instrumental sections. I'm listening to more post-rock and jazz fusion at the moment, such as Charts and Maps (free download on bandcamp ) and the bands listed above.

[Atom_heart]

Is it safe to assume that we're talking about prog metal here?

Myself, I prefer classic prog rock: Yes, Genesis (mostly the Gabriel era), Pink Floyd, ELP, King Crimson, etc...