Anyone got any obscure prog metal recommendations?

[Taliwakker]

I Definately like this stuff, a lot, and thanks for not putting out crappy bit rate MPs

J-Dub...send me your address and i'll send you a hard copy so you can man-drool over my pic in the cover booklet.

 

[Ascension]

I didn't realize that some of those guys had formed a new band. I need to check them out.

I didn't myself...until I did a little research into what happed to AJ and discovered some of them had formed AT. I already had both AT's CDs & didn't even know the facts.

And yes, Aztec Jade needs to be in every prog metal enthusiast's catalog. They were a great band.

+1

 

[Virtual Scott]

I would probably be remiss if I didn't offer up a (semi-shameless) plug for my own band and music... Oceans of Night is the (new) "band" and the new CD is due end of this month. Hit up my sig file below or drop me a PM for more info and a free Dr. Pepper at the venue at PPX.

 

[sava_freak]

MOther jane-Prog band along the same feel as Spock's Beard from India
www.myspace.com/motherjane


The Rise of Defiance
www.myspace.com/theriseofdefiance

 

[mark b]

Greyhaven, Lemur Voice, Payne's Gray, Madsword,Koyaanisqatsy. Those are some truly amazing obscure bands!!

 

[Virtual Scott]

Greyhaven, Lemur Voice

Only familiar with the first two, but hellsyeah! Especially the Greyhaven mention. Their first (and only) CD was probably one of the most impressive and inspiring debut CD's (for me) ever. Truly an astounding and groundbreaking, though little heard, gem.

Guitarist/keyboardist/composer, Ethan Matthews, from GH, has his newly equally impressive ECHO US project, as well.

 

[Pelata]

I did not proof read to see if I was repeating anything, but:

Altura
Superior
Dali's Dilemma
Lemur Voice
Ice Age

 

[Soundscape]

Centaur Rodeo

 

[Orion Crystal Ice]

the Ice Age recs are cool, I keep trying to find their stuff online somewhere to listen to again. I heard some songs from the debut a few years back and liked them a lot but for some reason didn't end up getting the album, and have been wanting to revisit them lately.

The Dali's Dilemma album though I have to say is ...... well........ really really boring.

Icycore is a band that just bursts forth with potential, but I only hear them really working it on like 3 songs or so per album...very good songs, those, however.


This band is slightly proggy in more of that melodic rock influenced kind of way, and people who want the most prog stuff from them should only check out the first two....but a really really incredible band is Vanishing Point.

 

[Pelata]

Man, I LOVE that Dali's Dilemma album...the vocals/melodies are great, IMO.

 

[lawsomeNY]

Good call on the Dali's Dilemma from a number of people.
Anyone know whatever happened to them?

Not sure if they're obscure enough but I didn't see Dead Soul Tribe (though Psychotic Waltz were mentioned) and Sieges Even.

Scott

 

[Lionheart]

Some that haven't been mentioned:

Mystere De Notre Dame - extremely hard to find Italian prog metal, only one album was released, but it was a great one
Arkhe - Italian prog metal that is highly influence by DT...too much so if you ask me
Ivanhoe - Crunchy German prog metal with a sick guitar tone...their first 3 albums feature Andy B Franck and highly recommended
Charisma - Basically Ivanhoe with a female singer when Ivanhoe was on hiatus
Carisma - Obscure prog band with some AOR-ish moments
Scenario - One of the best Italian prog metal bands to come out...only released one album though
Empty Tremor - Another great Italian prog metal outfit...get the first two albums, but avoid the 3rd one.
Alien On My Mind - Obscure German prog metal similar to AtmosFear
Lalu - extremely talented keyboardist/composer from France playing an atmospheric style prog metal with Tommorow's Eve singer and the great Joop Wolters on guitar
Comma - Prog metal from Turkey that plays by the numbers DT inspired prog
Sphere Of Souls - Riff laden melodic prog from Deutchland with the ex-Sun Caged singer
Malpractice - Also very riff-laden melodic prog but from Finland
Silent Call - Melodic progressive metal with subtle hints of hard rock/AOR featuring the first Seventh Wonder singer...my #1 from 2008.
Last Tribe - Now defunct melodic metal with a prog edge to it featuring the great Magnus Karlsson. Get Witch Dance...one of my all time faves.
GB Arts - German prog metal with lots of melody
Hubi Meisel - Not really obscure I don't believe, but rarely talked about ex singer of Dreamscape that released pound for pound two of the finest prog metal releases in the last 5 years for me
A.C.T - By far one of the absolute best bands going today with 4 stupidly great releases. They play a quirky brand of pomp/prog/pop metal with jazzy and reggae touches over some hilarious lyrics at times, all encompassed into a concept styled theme on each of their albums.
Soul Cages - German prog metal with a unique singer...released 3 quality albums
Everon - Very consistent German prog metal with other elements of neo-prog and hard rock with another very unique singer
Nemesis - Crunchy prog metal from Hungary that now goes by the name of Age Of Nemesis
Stonehenge - Also from Hungary...they released one of the real prog metal gems in recent memory with "Angelo Salutante"
Mind's Eye - More in the neo-prog rock category with metal touches...the two albums to get are "Wating For The Tide" & "A Work Of Art", their 3rd and 4th albums, respectively and indulge yourself in Frederik G's clever guitar playing.

 

[5150]

Shiva http://www.myspace.com/shivahardrock

Debatable this is progressive metal, but the third album comes close. I love this woman’s gritty vocals. Best female vocalist since Benatar. None of that silly opera stuff that has become so popular of late.

Siam http://www.myspace.com/officialsiam

When The Empire Falls http://www.myspace.com/whentheempirefalls

Once again, debatable about progressive metal. But it is a big juicy and crunchy metal disc without being boring speed metal. The vocalist and even the music reminds me of Superior. Vastly underrated disc and needs a better label. They also need a good CD vendor … calling on Ken at Laser CD.

Warmen http://www.myspace.com/jannewarmenproject

Best modern metal instrumental keyboard albums. Jane Warmen by himself is ten times better than the death vocals of Children Of Bodom.

Tunnel Vision http://www.progressiveworld.net/tunnelvision.html

Transcendence – The Meridian Project http://www.transcendencemusic.net/lores/bios.htm

Thessera http://www.myspace.com/thessera

Soul Cages http://www.soulcages.com/en/index_en.html

Section A http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=6649

Indukti http://www.indukti.com/

OK maybe not obscure and debatable metal, but some great moody songs that reach into the metal zone.

 

[mark b]

Only familiar with the first two, but hellsyeah! Especially the Greyhaven mention. Their first (and only) CD was probably one of the most impressive and inspiring debut CD's (for me) ever. Truly an astounding and groundbreaking, though little heard, gem.

Guitarist/keyboardist/composer, Ethan Matthews, from GH, has his newly equally impressive ECHO US project, as well.

Yeah, I have one Echo us cd, not as good as greyhaven though, probably because Brian Francis is not on vocals.

 

[mark b]

I saw someone post Altura before, definately criminally underrated!!

 

[The Fiddler]

Bands I haven't seen mentioned or might have accidently missed... Pretty old school for the most part.

01. Leviathan
02. Twilight (now, "Beyond Twilight")
03. Lion's Share
04. Valley's Eve
05. Edwin Dare (Indiana, USA)

06. Chroming Rose
07. Third Degree (Minneapolis, MN, USA)
08. Conditioned Response (Minneapolis, MN, USA. Killer Tate-esque vocals)

09. Imperium
10. Trivial Act (Claus already has this one on his list, but it's worth another mention).
12. Magnitude 9
13. Psyco Drama (Colorado, USA. Corey Brown on vocals)

14. Recon (Christian Metal)
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGQsUbK7WoU&feature=related[/ame]
15. Watchtower
16. Empire
17. Jackal (Vague Visions)

I'll have to check out my collection when I get home for more. This is a GREAT thread.

 

[Pelata]

Man, I miss MAGNITUDE 9...think they'll ever do anything else? I need to call Joe...

 

[The Fiddler]

Okay, here's my list of "obscure forgotten classics" in prog metal - I might be forgetting some right now, but this is a quick run down of the more important ones in my collection:

Australia:
Vauxdvhil (their "To Dimension Logic" is a progressive album in the

Norway:
Manitou (Fates Warning worship!!! Oyvind (later in Spiral Architect) is a brilliant vocalist)
http://www.myspace.com/manitouband

As mentioned above, there's a lot of bands I have forgotten here, but these were the ones that came to mind first, so give some of them a shot ...

c.

Thanks for these two!!! I remember trying to track down the Vauxdvhil for a couple years ('96 - '97) back when the internet was a shell of what it is today. All I had to go on were reviews posted by guys with similar tastes to mine. Just gave up trying to find a copy of the disc when I graduated from college (again) in '97 and had a lot less time to surf the net for music of this genra. Forgot all about them until now (and finally get to hear them now for the first time). Just placed an order on Amazon.com for a still-wrapped digipack for no less than $35. $ Well spent though for a trip back in time when I lived and breathed prog metal that sounded like this. It's an era of time long gone by.

http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3676



[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO1GhqksSu4&NR=1[/ame]

Glad these guys are alive and well...

http://www.myspace.com/manitouband