So, I was checking out the metal subreddit today and came across a link to a joke video of Carcass playing "Corporal Jigsaw Quandry", but re-recorded with squeaky clean and bright guitar tone and melodic, non-growling vocals.
If you want to see it yourself, check it out here, it's worth a laugh:
Anyway, even though this was done as a joke, I couldn't help but think about how similar this structurally sounds to 1970s UK Prog Rock like Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, etc.
For an example, after you've listened to the joke video now listen to this:
This got me thinking about how these two genres have shared a lot of elements. Relative complexity in song structure is something that is embraced by both genres especially subgenres of metal like technical death metal and a lot of thrash. Extended song lengths are common between the two as well.
Lyrically, prog rock doesn't do the whole violence or nihilistic thing, but folklore and philosophical topics are at the forefront. Black metal and its derivatives as well as power metal and some NWOBHM owe a lot to folklore and fantasy themes also. Conceptually, neither genre has also never shyed away from albums with overall themes.
Maybe it's just me, but even album cover art seems to be inspired by the same aesthetics. Death metal album cover artists like Dan Seagrave almost seem to be paying homage to prog rock album cover artists like Roger Dean.
Was Venom's logo inspired by Dean? Compare this:
To this:
I'm personally a fan of prog rock, but it came to me organically, just like my love for metal. Outside of progressive metal bands, do any of you other metalheads like to listen to prog rock? What do you make of these similarities? Is prog rock, metal's older cousin?
If you want to see it yourself, check it out here, it's worth a laugh:
Anyway, even though this was done as a joke, I couldn't help but think about how similar this structurally sounds to 1970s UK Prog Rock like Genesis, Yes, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, etc.
For an example, after you've listened to the joke video now listen to this:
This got me thinking about how these two genres have shared a lot of elements. Relative complexity in song structure is something that is embraced by both genres especially subgenres of metal like technical death metal and a lot of thrash. Extended song lengths are common between the two as well.
Lyrically, prog rock doesn't do the whole violence or nihilistic thing, but folklore and philosophical topics are at the forefront. Black metal and its derivatives as well as power metal and some NWOBHM owe a lot to folklore and fantasy themes also. Conceptually, neither genre has also never shyed away from albums with overall themes.
Maybe it's just me, but even album cover art seems to be inspired by the same aesthetics. Death metal album cover artists like Dan Seagrave almost seem to be paying homage to prog rock album cover artists like Roger Dean.
Was Venom's logo inspired by Dean? Compare this:
To this:
I'm personally a fan of prog rock, but it came to me organically, just like my love for metal. Outside of progressive metal bands, do any of you other metalheads like to listen to prog rock? What do you make of these similarities? Is prog rock, metal's older cousin?
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