your definition of prog?

[JoeVice]

we have had this thread before...i'm just curious what you guys and gals have to say.

 

[Tubbs]

Prog: anything that's not normal (progressing into a new genre). At least that's what I think.

 

[R0l0]

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive-rock.asp#definition

 

[vampyrouss]

yeah, besides prog rock/metal bands who have coined the term "prog" I think any musician or band who develops a style and lets it evolve naturally is progressive. I think a lot of so called progressive bands are NOT progressive at all as they haven't actually developed or progressed, just written a bunch of deliberatly long songs.

But that definition of prog rock describes that brand of music perfectly. I like to define the word a bit more like the dictionary intended, even in regard to music...

 

[JoeVice]

it seems like a lot of folk tend to think that "prog" is a particular style of music...key changes, long songs, tempo changes, mellotron, folky, etc...

those are just common characteristics...and when a band tries to copy another progressive band's style, i don't think that is progressive at all...then it becomes a genre defined by cliches.

 

[perfecterror]

i would say that prog is part power metal part melodic death metal

 

[dishcloth]

I would define prog as an experimental genre of music in which the songwriting is often unstructured (not verse chorus verse standstyle writing) which encorporates elements from many different sources/styles. Progressive music is music that changes and evolves during the song. The music is kind of progressive in a way that it doesn't stay the same and it actually progresses.

Confusing...meh.

 

[Braighs]

My definition has no credibility. But this is what I think.
Prog is music that has progressed beyond the textbook definitions of a genre. It often looses the mainstream audience, but it is embraced by those who crave something unique and meaningful. I don't think of prog as a genre. (obviously...or it would have a textbook definition.) I think labelling something "progressive" is only a compliment.

 

[Godhead's Lament]

Something different and unique. As Mikael said "unpredictable music".

 

[NicholasDWolfwood]

I think something that goes beyond the specific genre title, but at the same time when I think of prog, stuff like switching time signatures every 2 seconds, keyboard elements (in the case of Yes and Camel etc), stuff like that. Just stuff that's out of the norm for "metal" or "rock"

 

[OpethNZ]

meh theres taking the term literally which means a combo of what people have said above, but then i guess theres 'traditional prog', which is a certain time of music, dominated in the 1970's...

 

[Nomansvally]

Well, it depends on what kind of prog. Within the progressive rock genre there are:

Art Rock
Canterbury Scene
Experimental/Post-Rock
Indo-Prog/Raga Rock
Italian Symphonic Prog
Jazz Rock/Fusion
Krautrock
Neo Progressive
Prog Folk
Prog Related
Progressive Electronic
Progressive Metal
Proto-Prog
Psychedelic/Space Rock
RIO/Avant-Prog
Symphonic Prog
Zeuhl

So please check out this excellent music page for definitive definition instead of having me to write it all down. :Smug:

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive-rock.asp#genre

 

[affinityband]

anything that is pretentious.

 

[all_sins_undone]

i would say that prog is part power metal part melodic death metal

That's a horrible definition.

 

[affinityband]

Agreed^

 

[affinityband]

Agreed^

 

[vampyrouss]

My definition has no credibility. But this is what I think.
Prog is music that has progressed beyond the textbook definitions of a genre. It often looses the mainstream audience, but it is embraced by those who crave something unique and meaningful. I don't think of prog as a genre. (obviously...or it would have a textbook definition.) I think labelling something "progressive" is only a compliment.

After all it is a WORD as well as a genre, or base genre, whatever, but yeah, I much prefer it as a word and use it as such!

 

[angelofdeath9308]

These are words I associate with progress (which is one of my favorite words): Change (for the better), Innovation, Avant Garde, Advance, Evolution, Pragmatism, Leaving the rest behind!

But we are talking about music here, not philosophy!

 

[Fredy_Brown]

Progressive Metal: Progressive Metal is properly a mix of the progressive art rock of the 70's such as Yes, Rush and King Crimson with the basic sound of melodic Traditional Metal to produce more musically challenging and intricate sounds. The founders and most influential bands in modern Prog Metal would have to be Queensryche and Fates Warning. Both these bands emerged in the early to mid 80s with a definite Traditional style, but distinguished themselves with advanced musicianship and a penchant for elaborate songwriting. Queensryche (or their marketing department) were the first to use the phrase "thinking man's metal" as a selling point, but in fact it was Fates Warning, with their obtuse and elaborate arrangements, that were the more progressive of the two. On their transitional album "Perfect Symmetry" they created a dry, very Rush-influenced sound that was still unmistakably a metal sound, and almost all modern Prog Metal is derived from it in some measure.

But no discussion of Prog can be complete without mention of Dream Theater – without doubt the most influential band in the genre. DT took the basic Fates Warning approach and added layers of keyboards as well as utterly opulent, over the top songwriting that placed a premium on complexity and showy musicianship. Modern Prog Metal was born. Now it is hard to find a Prog album that does not to some degree sound like Dream Theater's defining "Images and Words" album, and equally hard to find a reviewer who can avoid making comparisons. Now that Dream Theater have moved farther and farther away from a metal sound, other bands have moved in to fill the void. And we have bands like Spiral Architect and Power Of Omens who place an even greater emphasis on high-wire musicianship and incredibly technical songwriting. Like jazz and prog rock, Progressive Metal inspires its share of snobbery, and the mantle of "thinking man's metal" has sometimes been used dismissively on the rest of the metal scene. This is a genre that by its very pretensions invites animosity, and probably has as many fervent detractors as fans. Nevertheless it remains a vital and significant genre, not least of which by way of its influence on other genres, for where Prog and Power cross there are some very good bands to be found indeed.

 

[MetalManCPA]

I would define prog metal as just another genre to pigeon-hole a band into yet another useless musical sub-category that further confuses the masses and misdefines the band