Main differences between Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal

[Luis]

Whats your opinion??? I think that the big differences are the guitars and drums, also the age of progressive metal begins fifteen years ago and prog rock is much older.

Please tell me what you think

 

[Yngtchie Blacksteen]

Prog metal is heavier than prog rock. Prog metal mixes metal riffs, vocals and drumming with traditional prog.

 

[Alexander TG]

Much of prog metal has that 'chugga chugga' guitar thing goin on whilst prog rock tends to be more creative with the keys. Prog metal has more in common with power metal than it does with prog rock, throw in some odd tempos and background keys and you have prog metal. Prog rock is much more diverse and imaginative if you ask me where's most prog metal leans toward a formula, hence there are many average prog metal bands all copying each other.

Also I don't believe you can use sub-genres with prog metal but with prog rock you have neo, symphonic, hard etc.

But prog metal is the fastest growing genre on the prog/rock/metal scene so I hope somebody can take it forwards from the usual band of DT wannabes. Looking at it now it would seem Adagio, Sun Caged and Andromeda look like the new innovators and mighty fine they are to.

 

[Demonspell]

Progressive metal, as the name suggests, borrows from progressive rock and traditional metal in terms of composition, although the balance varies between bands. Another key difference is that it embraces the more rigid structures common in metal as opposed to the improvisational aspect found in progressive rock.

 

[Kate Bush Rules!]

Actually, progressive metal began 29 years ago with King Crimson's "Red" album.

 

[Yngvai X]

Actually, progressive metal began 29 years ago with King Crimson's "Red" album.

This depends on what one's defenition of "metal" is. Personally, I don't hear much of what I consider "metal" in Red (ie - anything similar to Maiden, Priest, Rainbow, Helloween etc), tho it is heavy rock. Maybe by the standards of the 70s it was metal, but its not really metal to me. Dream Theater were the first progmetal band in as much as what we think of as progmetal today. Tho I think the major forerfather of progmetal was Rush.

 

[MorphineChild205]

Maybe it's just me, but I've never viewed anything metal about Rush. The only thing they've done that's even remotely close to metal is the intro to the opening track on Vapor Trails (One Little Victory). However, they must have had a great effect on influencing prog metal, since almost every prog metal band lists Rush as one of their biggest influences.

 

[Yngvai X]

Maybe it's just me, but I've never viewed anything metal about Rush. The only thing they've done that's even remotely close to metal is the intro to the opening track on Vapor Trails (One Little Victory). However, they must have had a great effect on influencing prog metal, since almost every prog metal band lists Rush as one of their biggest influences.

Thats why I call them a forefather of progmetal, and not one of the originators. Just as Iron Maiden, Rainbow, Priest, and Deep Purple can be named as the forefathers of powermetal.

 

[Alexander TG]

Rush were one of the first to make the transition from Led Zepplin esq. heavy rock to heavy progressive rock, 2112 was probably as close to metal as they got. I can confidently say Rush were not the innovators of prog metal although there is an indirect link to Dream Theater being heavily influenced by Rush.

I still rebel against the idea the prog metal takes the majority of it's structure from prog rock. My main gripe with prog metal is the use of keyboards which I think are far under-utilised, it adds such depth and colour to the music but still countless bands opt for the guitar crunch and still call themselves progressive.

 

[Zax666]

I'm rather reluctant to use "standards of the **s " construction. Listen to Black Sabbath's self titled - it's still considered metal and heavy (even by "nowadays' standards").

 

[Demonspell]

I'm a huge fan of both King Crimson and Rush, and while it is impossible to underestimate their impact, I'm reluctant to call either metal despite the fact that both bands put out some material that was extremely heavy for its time, largely because neither one embraced the conventions of metal across an entire album, and KC viewed their 73-74 work as being improvisational.

And I agree that what we call prog metal is not necessarily derived from progressive rock...

 

[The Stormbringer]

Actually, progressive metal began 29 years ago with King Crimson's "Red" album.

True. Many people believe that Rush are the originators of Prog Metal, but "Red" with songs such as "Providence", "Starless" and the title track is a couple of years older and even heavier.
And if you don´t count King Crimson and Rush, there´s still Watchtower´s "Energetic Disassembly", released 1985.