The metal and prog worlds are fusing

[Dick Sirloin]

My, my, my... Did Opeth do all this?

I only bring this up now because Agalloch, Ulver and Diabolical Masquerade are now listed on www.progarchives.com along with many more adventurous metal bands. And bands like Symphony X, Opeth, Arcturus, In the Woods, Orphaned Land are (as well as being listed) mentioned quite often on the forums. On the flipside, I've been a member of UM for 4 years now and in just the last year I have seen a dramatic rise in the proliferation of progressive rock: bands like King Crimson, Genesis, Camel, Gental Giant, etc. as well as the more obscure bands like High Tide, Magma, Metamorfosi and Renaissance.

So what about it? Can grim, long-haired virgins actually get along with balding, long-haired burnouts?

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Um, so no one else finds this trend moderately interesting?

 

[Reign in Acai]

Don't really care much bro.

 

[J.]

Um, so no one else finds this trend moderately interesting?

Interesting? No.

Fuck off nowadays prog? Of course.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

OK, some questions then:


- Does this mean that we will start seeing a fuckton more bands that claim to play "prog black metal" and such but really just sound like ripoffs of Vintersorg? And will it be worth it if 3% are actually good?

- Can the worlds of prog rock and extreme metal successfully fuse? Is it still at "experimental" stage at this point, or have Enslaved and Opeth set the standard?

- Will this be the new "trend" in metal? Has Opeth set the stage for a larger breakthrough?

- Did progressive rock ALWAYS have close ties to metal? (see Rick Wakeman's involvement with Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin's dabbling in both genres, and the heaviness of songs like Jethro Tull's "Minstrel in the Gallery," King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King", Genesis' "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" and "The Knife", etc.)?

- Is part of the metal aesthetic simply and fundamentally similar to the prog aesthetic (i.e. long songs, virtuosic instrumentation, epic feel, etc.)? A better way to phrase this question would be: is "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" just "The Gates of Delerium" one dimension over?


Answer in 1400 words or less.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Interesting? No.

Well, "interesting" being more along the lines of this-is-a-definitely-a-trend-that-is-growing-exponentially-in-the-metal-community.

 

[J.]

Well, "interesting" being more along the lines of this-is-a-definitely-a-trend-that-is-growing-exponentially-in-the-metal-community.

Oh, OK.

No.

 

[Reign in Acai]

You're micro analyzing this too much my friend.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

BWAHAHAHAHA. Reviews!


AGALLOCH - "The Mantle" 1/5 stars
You think 60 minutes of drone music is boring, right? Wrong! Listen to this dud. The album tries hard to create a gloom 'end of the world' atmosphere, but the only feeling that it induces to me is that I should listen to something else. Sorry, but I can't find anything of interest here. If this is considered progressive rock, then this musical genre haters will use this album to prove their point. Maybe a good editor could trim this album to about 40 minutes worth of 2 stars music..."

 

[Reign in Acai]

BWAHAHAHAHA. Reviews!


AGALLOCH - "The Mantle" 1/5 stars
You think 60 minutes of drone music is boring, right? Wrong! Listen to this dud. The album tries hard to create a gloom 'end of the world' atmosphere, but the only feeling that it induces to me is that I should listen to something else. Sorry, but I can't find anything of interest here. If this is considered progressive rock, then this musical genre haters will use this album to prove their point. Maybe a good editor could trim this album to about 40 minutes worth of 2 stars music..."

That guy needs to die.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

You're micro analyzing this too much my friend.

Um, so we can't analyze anymore here? Especially when it concerns a growing trend in the *bum-bum-bum* metal community? One that we can possibly make fun of?

Just go to The End Records mailorder and see for yourself: Gentle Giant, Happy the Man, King Crimson, Marillion, etc. etc.

 

[Reign in Acai]

Nope, no analyzation on this forum sir. You didn't get the memo? The forum is dedicated to Beer, Food, and Porn!

 

[Ellestin]

- Will this be the new "trend" in metal? Has Opeth set the stage for a larger breakthrough?

ok if you want my word on that, "prog" is one of the most misused and blur conception in the history of music talks. To be brief, I think metalheads and proggies have been getting along long before UM existed and it was just a matter of time before someone brought up the idea hthat some metal bands are going progressive when they're merely moving towards less straightforward and more theatralized song structures.

Frankly I would even turn your asumption around: I think an increasing number of people originally into rock and prog rock alone are losing their metal virginity as heavy distorted guitars and grunted vocals become less of an issue.

 

[Jim LotFP]

My, my, my... Did Opeth do all this?

Considering the trend is more than a decade old, no. Opeth is an effect, not a cause.

 

[Dick Sirloin]

ok if you want my word on that, "prog" is one of the most misused and blur conception in the history of music talks.

I agree.

To be brief, I think metalheads and proggies have been getting along long before UM existed and it was just a matter of time before someone brought up the idea hthat some metal bands are going progressive when they're merely moving towards less straightforward and more theatralized song structures.

Ah, but we're talking about the last year or so, are we not? If so, then this theory is sort of negated; four years ago I was posting at UM and ABSOLUTELY NO progressive bands were EVER mentioned, other than maybe Rush here and there. This includes the General Music Discussion, the Opeth board and many others that existed at the time.

Now? Look at the kiddies everywhere mentioning Camel, Anekdoten, shit, even stuff I've never even heard like England, Locanda and others. And then look at this "new wave of prog metal" such as nu-Opeth, Age of Silence, Subterrenean Masquerade, Farmakon, Green Carnation, Mechanical Poet, etc. and tell me this stuff isn't coming out of the woodwork.

But to get a perspective on "the prog and metal crowd have always been chums" idea, one would probably have to ask a long-term progger or metal-head, right? Chances are, though, that if you were big into Kraftwerk in the 80s, you probably weren't listening to Venom at the same time.

Frankly I would even turn your asumption around: I think an increasing number of people originally into rock and prog rock alone are losing their metal virginity as heavy distorted guitars and grunted vocals become less of an issue.

Of course it works both ways. Or did you miss my original post where I said that extreme metal bands are becoming prominent at prog archives including the message boards?

 

[Dick Sirloin]

Considering the trend is more than a decade old

How so?

And keep in mind we're talking about "extreme" metal (death/black), not stuff like Queensryche and Fates Warning.

 

[Ellestin]

This includes the General Music Discussion, the Opeth board [...]

Dude you certainly know how to invalidate your own arguments

No but seriously, I tend to agree with your points. I just honestly don't care much because most of them "new" progressive heavy metal bands do not appeal to my tastes. at. all.

 

[Reign in Acai]

If this discussion is regarding bands the nature of Farmakon & Sub Masq. Keep the trend coming!

 

[NAD]

Will this be the new "trend" in metal?

I've been saying it for a few years now, King Crimson's The Power to Believe will be seen as one of those THE metal albums in like 2015. Not that they are the only ones who are truly progressing metal, but it's the best and most blatant example I know of.

Oh, and so-called "prog" metal is SO GOD DAMN NOT PROGRESSIVE. Ugh, I hate that fucking term, it's interchangeable with power metal. Lame.

Or something, whatever.

 

[KILL TULLY]

BWAHAHAHAHA. Reviews!


AGALLOCH - "The Mantle" 1/5 stars
You think 60 minutes of drone music is boring, right? Wrong! Listen to this dud. The album tries hard to create a gloom 'end of the world' atmosphere, but the only feeling that it induces to me is that I should listen to something else. Sorry, but I can't find anything of interest here. If this is considered progressive rock, then this musical genre haters will use this album to prove their point. Maybe a good editor could trim this album to about 40 minutes worth of 2 stars music..."

\m/\m/ This guy is the man.