Similar style bands

[jimbobhickville]

I'm curious to know how many bands are similar in style to Watchtower. I know Spastic Ink is similar, as is Spiral Architect. I've heard Atheist is, but I haven't heard them. What other bands are there that play this style of technical metal?

 

[Lee_B]

Sieges Even are recommended, especially the "Steps" album.

 

[metalized]

Sieges Even's "Steps" is a very technical album indeed! Excellent one.
End Amen's "Your Last Horizon" is quite technical too!
I always thought that the early Hades albums were something like a forerunner of what's to come (esp. "Resisting Succes").
I guess it is all cause of Techio on the vox. I really like the way he sings.
I have been hearing that after "CaR" he needed to go to a shrink to calm down a bit...
SA is the ocntinuation of Watchtower as i see it.
Psychotic Waltz... well, not on the musical parts, but morelike in the thought structure.
Mind Over Four are quite paranoid as well.

The above mentioned bands do not copy Watchtower in the musical parts, yet they could be of interest to someone who likes SI/WTWR...
I know they r interesting to me.

 

[jimbobhickville]

I shall check out Sieges Even. I already have most of the Pyschotic Waltz CDs. Great stuff. I didn't have any luck finding End Amen songs when I looked a while ago, but I'll try again. I haven't heard Mind Over Four, either, so I'll check them out, too.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[metalized]

Originally posted by jimbobhickville
I shall check out Sieges Even. I already have most of the Pyschotic Waltz CDs. Great stuff. I didn't have any luck finding End Amen songs when I looked a while ago, but I'll try again. I haven't heard Mind Over Four, either, so I'll check them out, too.

Thanks for the suggestions.

U can find End Amen on the Psychotic Waltz site. Buy it from there. If you don't like it i will give you a full refund and buy it from you...!

Edit: End Amen is a project of PW members...

 

[jimbobhickville]

Thanks, metalized. I already knew that, but thanks.

 

[jimbobhickville]

downloading some Sieges Even. Still couldn't find End Amen. metalized, have you bought the "Indy-Pendance" represses from PW's site before? I just wonder if they are as high quality as the originals. Someone else to check out (metalized, you already know them) is Gracepoint. It isn't as technical as Watchtower, but pretty damn close.

 

[metalized]

No i have the original CDs and can't compare...
sorry jimbob.

 

[jimbobhickville]

That's cool. I'll keep looking.

Another recommendation is Zero Hour. They aren't as chaotic, but definitely technical and damn good.

The Sieges Even stuff was pretty cool. I need to sit down and really listen to it, though.

Later.

 

[Demonspell]

Sieges Even' album A Sense Of Change is brilliant, three great musicians in Markus Steffen and the Holzwarth brothers, and some incredible songs like These Empty Places and Epigram For The Last Straw. Zero Hour's Towers Of Avarice is mindblowing.

 

[metalized]

Originally posted by Demonspell
Sieges Even' album A Sense Of Change is brilliant, three great musicians in Markus Steffen and the Holzwarth brothers, and some incredible songs like These Empty Places and Epigram For The Last Straw. Zero Hour's Towers Of Avarice is mindblowing.

I second your SE opinion! But steps is awesome too. And their first is more close to power metal, but still veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrry original!
Uneven (4th SE album) is more heavy than the previous two, and more jazzy!
Sophisticated, their latest haven't heard it yet. It is really hard to track down here, in Greece.

Towers of Avarice is indeed mind blowing.
And their first S/T mini CD (3trcks and one fourth divided in 5 parts/different tracks, duration (for the whole CD) arround 37 mins) is awesome as well. Really, really awesome. Mind blowing!

 

[jimbobhickville]

Sieges Even is pretty cool. I will probably end up buying it, but I'll listen to it a couple more times first. I'll check out their other CDs, also. I downloaded some of their debut CD, also, and am listening to it now.

 

[metalized]

Knowing that you pretty much into prog, i don't think you should find it hard to get into SE as well.

One of Europe's greatest Prog bands ever imho.
And Germany in specific has so many burried treasures...

Really hidden secrets. Jewels that will forever stare from the top (where they stand now - and forever -), downwards, laughing at the DT, FW, QRyche clones trying to reach climb the top.
This mountain is hard to climp though. And only few have reached its top. and fewer still will make it up there from now on. but i guess it is the effort that counts, right?

 

[Demonspell]

I've heard some of Sophisticated through Audiogalaxy and www.metalmayhemradio.com, it is definitely up to the band's high standards...Middle Course, Dreamer, and Water The Barren Tree are excellent.

 

[jimbobhickville]

I'm listening to a band on mp3.com name "Cea Serin" right now. They definitely aren't as technical as the bands mentioned but it is pretty cool stuff. I'd definitely recommend them from what I've heard so far. Go check 'em out.

Later.

 

[jimbobhickville]

Found some End Amen .mp3s finally. Haven't had a chance to sit down and really listen to them yet.

Later.

 

[MajesticTwelve]

ANYONE who's into progressive metal should check out Theory in Practice from Sweden. Seek out their album "The Armageddon Theories" for some totally mindblowing musicianship (esp. guitar-wise). It's firmly rooted in the death metal formula, but it's got equal amounts of prog-metal and vintage jazz/fusion-inspired guitar shredding. As far as messed-up time signatures, they're one of the few bands since Watchtower/Spastic Ink or Spiral Architect who mess with the time so much...

...they've got a new album coming out this month on Listenable Records also (and no I'm not a band-associate), called "Colonizing the Sun" that is simply essential! (I have a promo copy )

Aside from them, I'd say Atheist, Cynic, Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, Gordian Knot, Zero Hour, or just about any album by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, they always had a "technicality" all their own, imo. Not metal, but pure innovation (they'd be in the jazz section btw)

And one more thing, those Bobby Jarzombek clinic MP3s absolutely SHRED! My jaw drops every time I play them!

 

[RETIREDTrapped]

Theory in practice are great... but they are more Technical Death than Prog...

I love 'em.

 

[Tarkus]

A couple I've disocvered recently are RH Factor and Annon Vin, both were purchased at www.lasercd.com, both are in the
Watchtower/Sieges Even vein though not quite as heavy. You can here RH factor at MP3.com. cool stuff
Marc

 

[Pure Absurd]

I've got Annon Vin too, but think they are not of Sieges Even class IMO. Not enough skills and musicianship is far from top notch.

Just looking through this thread I see that nobody mentioned that *real* technical metal are only debuts of Sieges Even and Psychotic Waltz. Some people even consider album "Life Cycles" as an attempt of clonning. Really great album(s) though!

Vadim