How is my Devin Townshend comment contradictory at all?
I don't like Townshend much, and also don't find him very "progressive". Just because he doesn't shred doesn't necessarily mean I like him.
I like complex instrumentation and a certain degree of "wankery", as long as it's not just senseless wankery (i.e. Dream Theater, Spiral Architect). Frank Zappa's instrumental compositions are a good example of what I'm looking for, but in a metal context. It's very complex and technical, but it's all helps to further along the piece. Listen to the Hot Rats album. You'll thank me for it. Also, Magma is extremely technically blessed, but it's all very subtle, and has a nice amount of minimalist repitition in it.
The progressive metal bands I'm into that I've heard are:
Atheist, Sigh, Fates Warning (except their latest stuff has been all crap), Opeth (to a certain extent... I like their more mellow and melodic stuff, but sometimes they just get really aimless), Meshuggah's Destroy Erase Improve, some Mike Patton projects (Tomahawk is fucking worthless though), John Zorn (not necessarily metal, but has influences), Pain of Salvation's rare moments of non-cheese (but geezus christ can they be fucking horrible when they want to be), some Arcturus is okay, but some is dreadful, Maudlin of the Well, Voivod, and a few more.
The problem here is that I'm mainly into black metal and some death or thrash when I listen to metal, but my non-metal music is almost entirely really unique, avant-garde, complex, and bizarre (5uu's, Zappa, Magma, Thinking Plague, King Crimson, Doctor Nerve, Mr. Bungle, etc.). And I'm trying to bridge the gap. The only bands that even come close to bringing me the progressive feeling of these bands are Atheist and Sigh. I want something a nice amount of chaos and heaviness, but almost complex and unique. So, I'm not looking for the latest Rush wannabe or generic Dream Theater clone, but something new. It doesnt' necessarily have to be prog-metal, but some form of metal with unique elements. I would even fit Nokturnal Mortum or Dub Buk into this category.
To the bands I've already been recommended:
Voyager - I've never heard, but I'll look them up... Are they easy to find on Soulseek? I just read a review of them and it sounds like my kinda thing.
Mekong Delta - I believe I've heard them, but I'll check them out again.
Dream Theater - I'm not trying to sound bitchy, but obviously I've heard of Dream Theater (and hate them). Please recommend something slightly underground. Dream Theater embodies everything I loathe about prog-metal to a T. I used to be a huge fan (when I used to listen to shitty music), some of their stuff is musically decent, when they're not ripping off Rush or Tool, but overall the vocals suck more than anything that ever sucked, they wank too much, and they're boring.
Pagan's Mind - generic and bland.
Vanden Plas - same thing, if I remember correctly.
Balance of Power - I don't like Geoff Tate, and so I doubt I'd like this.
Devin Townshend - really boring for the most part. Terria is melodic and good, City is decently chaotic and fun, but other than that, I don't like him.
Symphony X - one of the only Dream Theater clone type bands that I actually like, but not necessarily something I would listen to often.
Transatlantic - not really metal at all, and I hate Spock's Beard (I like the Flower Kings though, oddly enough). Decent, somewhat.
Rush - not metal, and a band I loathe for the most part. They have some decent songs, but from the start they were a Genesis rip-off (after they stopped being Led Zeppelin rip-offs), and not a really good one (Genesis was a shitty band in the first place).
Opeth - everyone's heard of Opeth. I like them somewhat. The Drapery Falls is good and I love the My Arms, Your Hearse album. Plus their ballads are great. They were the band that got me into extreme metal and for that, I'm grateful. But they're nothing brilliant.
Watchtower - I remember hating the vocals, but I'll check them out again, as I always hear great things.
Symbyosis - sounds like my kind of thing. I will download.
Sun Caged - doesn't really sound like my thing.
Illogicist - I remember them being tech-death, but I'll download again.
Mars Volta - not metal, but pretty good, if a bit "fluff". It's a good CD to listen to in a car.
Anacrusis - I've heard great things and some horrible things. I'll give it a listen.
Psychotic Waltz - I downloaded a few albums of theirs, but haven't listened yet.
Cynic - blows ass. I've never heard the demos, which I've heard were better, but all the stupid robot noises are fucking crap and the music bores me.
Ayreon - fun, but cheesy.
Threshold - not a big fan.
Arabesque - will check out.
Pain of Salvation - some really good songs, some godawfully cheesy ones. I like the Patton influence though.
Mr. Bungle - awesome band. Too odd for a lot of people, but lots of fun. Patton is great live too!
Confessor - sounds cool. I'll download it.
Zero Hour - odd that I like this band, considering I don't like Spiral Architect (I don't hate them, they're just too wanky for me... better than Dream Theater by a long shot) much. By the way, liking prog doesn't mean I have to like Dream Theater. I could kick your ass in the prog knowledge game, so fuck off.
Queensryche - fun cheese.
Arcturus - like I said before, some of it is good, but some of it is dreadful.
Frantic Bleep - will check out.
Stratovarius - I like them to a certain extent, but wouldn't consider them prog necessarily.
Gorguts - I love Gorguts.
Andromeda - crap. sorry.
Liquid Tension Experiment - really crap.
Disillusion - I'll check it out.
OSI - just as bad as newer Fates Warning. Bad nu-metal cliches, hardly any prog at all.
Textures - will check out.
Peccatum - not really prog and pretty godawful. The new album has some okay moments.
Age of Silence - will check out.
Ram-Zet - I can't get into them.
Sigh - really great.
Lykathea Aflame - not prog, but I like them.
Borknagar - good band. some of their shit is boring, but overall, I like them.
Kekal - I have their albums on my computer, but haven't given them a good hard listen yet.
Solefald - blows. The most boring music I've ever heard, possibly.
Emperor - not even slightly prog, but I like Emperor.
Winds - horrible, boring, god-awful asscrap.
Vintersorg - Decent, not as good as Borknagar.
Pestilence - I've heard some of their earlier stuff, but I'll check out their last album.
Pineapple Theif - will check out.
Pendragon - they suck. Fuck off with your Dream Theater cock-chugging.
Anyways, thanks for the recommendations, and recommend more if you can.
your post is very contradictory...
