The title says it all... List a few (or more) of your most favorite prog metal albums. Describe their style, the vocal style, what you like about them.
Your Favorite Prog Metal Albums
- Thread starter wild bill guarnere
- Start date
Phanto
Alalalalalalalala.
Prog metal. Yes, well, ok. In no particular order, here's a few I'll start with:
Symphony X - V | If it wasn't for this album, I'd probably think that Symphony X would be a mediocre band today. This album alone makes them one of my favorite bands. Or was, if they continue down the path of Paradise Lost (meheherp).
Mechanical Poet - Woodland Prattlers/Handmade Essence (2cd compilation) | I think I'm the only person in the world who enjoys listening to this band. Think Alice in Wonderland-prog metal. Strayed Moppet, Natural Quaternion and Hermetical Orchard are awesome one-of-a-kind songs. This band turned into shit when they switched vocalist and stuff so avoid this band like the plague unless it's one of these two albums (or both, as I have them on a 2cd thingy).
Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness | Most people consider this a prog metal album, even though it's very heavy on the doom and gloom. A masterpiece that I haven't heard a single person not like, once they've given it a listen. Excellent guitar solos and amazing vocals... for 60 fucking minutes straight.
Dream Theater - Scenes from a memory | I consider this their magnus opus. If they release anything better than this I will eat my own penis. The best concept album with a 'story' I've actually been arsed to follow and go in-depth with. Even the gay songs on this one are A++.
Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle | It was a tough decision between this one and Universal Migrator pt1. But in the end, this one holds the best standard, even though I really like both albums. Damian Wilson (Threshold) and Fish (Marillion) are two of my favorite vocalists and they sing on the same fucking tack. Like, twice. I think. The Human Equation and 101010whatever haven't got shit on these two albums once you've really listened to them.
Vision Divine - The Perfect Machine | It's like a danish fucking James LaBrie singing (hahahahaha), but he can hold a fucking tone that's for sure. Great musicianship and a lot of catchy melodies. I actually consider this band to be a little underrated, and anyone who's into SX/DT/shit should give it a quick listen. If you don't strangle yourself after a minute, chances are you actually like it.
Communic - Waves of Visual Decay | Communic is a stupid fucking name because it doesn't mean anything and it's not really that cool. However, Fooled by the serpent from this albums is really fuckin cool. The songs are all like 6 minutes long (or longer) and pretty repetitive but it's all good stuff.
A.C.T - Silence | Underrated band. Chances are you've never heard of them before. Swedish Dream Theater copy-cats, but with jazzish influences, and really not that heavy. Actually they're quite poppy at times. But the musicianship is ace and so are all the fucking songs on this album. The Last Epic is another great album from these guys.
edit: I was listening to this now so I'll add it as well:
Conception - Parallel Minds | Great shit featuring that norwegian guy singing for Kamelot (Khan, is it?). So, yeah, except for Siege Perilous, Epica and the Fourth Legacy, I actually prefer this album and another Conception album called Flow. It's a little more pop, yet a little more raw. Beats the hell out of Ghost Opera/The Black Hole. And after they're done with the beating, they shit all over them. Wolf's Lair from this album is actually Khan's best song he's been involved in except for King's Eyes (Siege Perilous(.. of course)).
Symphony X - V | If it wasn't for this album, I'd probably think that Symphony X would be a mediocre band today. This album alone makes them one of my favorite bands. Or was, if they continue down the path of Paradise Lost (meheherp).
Mechanical Poet - Woodland Prattlers/Handmade Essence (2cd compilation) | I think I'm the only person in the world who enjoys listening to this band. Think Alice in Wonderland-prog metal. Strayed Moppet, Natural Quaternion and Hermetical Orchard are awesome one-of-a-kind songs. This band turned into shit when they switched vocalist and stuff so avoid this band like the plague unless it's one of these two albums (or both, as I have them on a 2cd thingy).
Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness | Most people consider this a prog metal album, even though it's very heavy on the doom and gloom. A masterpiece that I haven't heard a single person not like, once they've given it a listen. Excellent guitar solos and amazing vocals... for 60 fucking minutes straight.
Dream Theater - Scenes from a memory | I consider this their magnus opus. If they release anything better than this I will eat my own penis. The best concept album with a 'story' I've actually been arsed to follow and go in-depth with. Even the gay songs on this one are A++.
Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle | It was a tough decision between this one and Universal Migrator pt1. But in the end, this one holds the best standard, even though I really like both albums. Damian Wilson (Threshold) and Fish (Marillion) are two of my favorite vocalists and they sing on the same fucking tack. Like, twice. I think. The Human Equation and 101010whatever haven't got shit on these two albums once you've really listened to them.
Vision Divine - The Perfect Machine | It's like a danish fucking James LaBrie singing (hahahahaha), but he can hold a fucking tone that's for sure. Great musicianship and a lot of catchy melodies. I actually consider this band to be a little underrated, and anyone who's into SX/DT/shit should give it a quick listen. If you don't strangle yourself after a minute, chances are you actually like it.
Communic - Waves of Visual Decay | Communic is a stupid fucking name because it doesn't mean anything and it's not really that cool. However, Fooled by the serpent from this albums is really fuckin cool. The songs are all like 6 minutes long (or longer) and pretty repetitive but it's all good stuff.
A.C.T - Silence | Underrated band. Chances are you've never heard of them before. Swedish Dream Theater copy-cats, but with jazzish influences, and really not that heavy. Actually they're quite poppy at times. But the musicianship is ace and so are all the fucking songs on this album. The Last Epic is another great album from these guys.
edit: I was listening to this now so I'll add it as well:
Conception - Parallel Minds | Great shit featuring that norwegian guy singing for Kamelot (Khan, is it?). So, yeah, except for Siege Perilous, Epica and the Fourth Legacy, I actually prefer this album and another Conception album called Flow. It's a little more pop, yet a little more raw. Beats the hell out of Ghost Opera/The Black Hole. And after they're done with the beating, they shit all over them. Wolf's Lair from this album is actually Khan's best song he's been involved in except for King's Eyes (Siege Perilous(.. of course)).
Phanto
Alalalalalalalala.
Some samplers from stuff I listed, the Communic one in pretty bad sound quality (well they all are - Youtube...):
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Postulate
Have a nice day! :)
- Jul 17, 2008
- 1,474
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Symphony X - V
Pretty much everyone on this board is going to say this...
Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
So many great moments, and such a fitting name for a melancholy yet bizarrely uplifting album.
Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
Albums like this only come once in a lifetime. I am not entirely sure, but this may be my favorite album ever, period. It's just...special, and it is very hard to explain why. :/ It has a sort of ethereal, otherworldly beauty that no other band can imitate.
Dream Theater - Images and Words
This album helped me through high school. Ha ha, I'm such a fag.
Pretty much everyone on this board is going to say this...
Disillusion - Back to Times of Splendor
So many great moments, and such a fitting name for a melancholy yet bizarrely uplifting album.
Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
Albums like this only come once in a lifetime. I am not entirely sure, but this may be my favorite album ever, period. It's just...special, and it is very hard to explain why. :/ It has a sort of ethereal, otherworldly beauty that no other band can imitate.
Dream Theater - Images and Words
This album helped me through high school. Ha ha, I'm such a fag.
my favorites or most important are not very obscure and old, Im boring but I like most all of what I have heard that have real vocalists. Some may not consider all of these "progressive" bands or even "metal" but oh well
Dream Theater cant really pick a favorite but I&W is so important and I dont own the highly regarded Scenes
Savatage - Wake of Megallan
Symphony X - Divine Wings of Tragedy
Fates Warning - Disconnected
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
Threshold - Subsurface
Thanks for the samples Phanto, Mechanical Poet sounded good, Communic is real good, thats all so far.
Dream Theater cant really pick a favorite but I&W is so important and I dont own the highly regarded Scenes
Savatage - Wake of Megallan
Symphony X - Divine Wings of Tragedy
Fates Warning - Disconnected
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
Threshold - Subsurface
Thanks for the samples Phanto, Mechanical Poet sounded good, Communic is real good, thats all so far.
These two are at the top of my list because of the emotional feeling I get from listening to them and they both have varied vocal styles with some of it being aggressive..
Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
Opeth - Still Life
BTW... I really like the Mechanical Poet - Woodland Prattlers disc and will have to look for the other one..
Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element
Opeth - Still Life
BTW... I really like the Mechanical Poet - Woodland Prattlers disc and will have to look for the other one..
noble savage
Member
Cynic - Focus: I bought this album in 11th grade and it literally took me two years to even begin to appreciate some of it. Not only is this my favorite metal album, I would say that it is probably my favorite, period.
Spiral Architect - A Sceptics Universe: My second favorite metal album, which not so coincidently, draws heavily from Cynic. This album apparently took 7 years to write and it shows. At no point did I ever get the feeling that it was just thrown together. A lot of it isn't very logical by popular songwriting standards, but it works. Immaculately. The lyrics are very nihilistic, which is a big bonus. It made me realize that the happiness and optimism of The Flower Kings' lyrics were not only misplaced when talking about human nature, but just flat out wrong. Not to mention less interesting.
Symphony X - V: This is the album that got me into them. Very symphonic and well thought out songs. Especially the lyrics. When dealing with subject matter like this, it is so easy to make the lyrics laughable, but not in this case!
Opeth - Ghost Reveries: My first Opeth album and still my favorite. It really helped me to get past death growls and actually begin to appreciate them. I love the dark and haunting atmosphere (Thank you, Per Wiberg!) of this album a lot.
Dream Theater - 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence: This one seems to divide fans a lot, but after listening to their albums for years, this is the one that I go back to the most out of their entire discography. Blind Faithand Misunderstand have many goose bump inducing moments. As does the 40 minute title track.
Meshuggah - Chaosphere: I was visiting my grandparents a few years ago during the holidays and was looking around in the CD shop near them. I saw this CD used for $3.00 and bought it based solely on the fact that Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech) said in an interview that they were good. I had never even so much as heard a single note by them before. I listened to it through headphones right before I went to bed and, needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night. I love the cold, calculated energy and anger of this album.
Borknagar - Empircism: What more can I say other than blackmetal with hammonds/mellotrons and lyrics that could have been lifted from a Carl Sagan novel. Awesome!
Ayreon - The Human Equation: It takes someone of great talent to pull together that many vocalists and instrumentalists and make an a good album. Arjen did it here. I bought it when it first came out and still listen to it regularly. I have to admit, though, that the second disc isn't quite as good as the first. Oh well, Mystery and Voices are worth the price of the album alone.
Spiral Architect - A Sceptics Universe: My second favorite metal album, which not so coincidently, draws heavily from Cynic. This album apparently took 7 years to write and it shows. At no point did I ever get the feeling that it was just thrown together. A lot of it isn't very logical by popular songwriting standards, but it works. Immaculately. The lyrics are very nihilistic, which is a big bonus. It made me realize that the happiness and optimism of The Flower Kings' lyrics were not only misplaced when talking about human nature, but just flat out wrong. Not to mention less interesting.
Symphony X - V: This is the album that got me into them. Very symphonic and well thought out songs. Especially the lyrics. When dealing with subject matter like this, it is so easy to make the lyrics laughable, but not in this case!
Opeth - Ghost Reveries: My first Opeth album and still my favorite. It really helped me to get past death growls and actually begin to appreciate them. I love the dark and haunting atmosphere (Thank you, Per Wiberg!) of this album a lot.
Dream Theater - 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence: This one seems to divide fans a lot, but after listening to their albums for years, this is the one that I go back to the most out of their entire discography. Blind Faithand Misunderstand have many goose bump inducing moments. As does the 40 minute title track.
Meshuggah - Chaosphere: I was visiting my grandparents a few years ago during the holidays and was looking around in the CD shop near them. I saw this CD used for $3.00 and bought it based solely on the fact that Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech) said in an interview that they were good. I had never even so much as heard a single note by them before. I listened to it through headphones right before I went to bed and, needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night. I love the cold, calculated energy and anger of this album.
Borknagar - Empircism: What more can I say other than blackmetal with hammonds/mellotrons and lyrics that could have been lifted from a Carl Sagan novel. Awesome!
Ayreon - The Human Equation: It takes someone of great talent to pull together that many vocalists and instrumentalists and make an a good album. Arjen did it here. I bought it when it first came out and still listen to it regularly. I have to admit, though, that the second disc isn't quite as good as the first. Oh well, Mystery and Voices are worth the price of the album alone.
Lucius Octavion
Member
- Jun 9, 2007
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mark b
Prog 4 ever. Australia!!!
Lemur Voice ( Divided )
Enchant ( A Blueprint of the world )
Greyhaven ( greyhaven )
Koyaanisqatsy ( From the yearning to burst the perpetual circle )
Devil Doll ( The Sacrillege of fatal arms )
Enchant ( A Blueprint of the world )
Greyhaven ( greyhaven )
Koyaanisqatsy ( From the yearning to burst the perpetual circle )
Devil Doll ( The Sacrillege of fatal arms )
Phanto
Alalalalalalalala.
Don't know if I'd call Emperor prog metal... ~~ But Nightside is definitely one of my favorite albums
Lucius Octavion
Member
- Jun 9, 2007
- 528
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Yeah I don't know but they're definitely the most progressive black metal band there ever was. And if Paradise Lost by Symphony X is considered prog metal, then I'd say Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk is definitely prog metal too.
ABQShredHead
©1970
I like the Vision Divine album too. That was a good surprise for a close-my-eyes-and-hope eBay purchase.
Liquid Tension Experiment
They both count as 1 album, my rules.
Dream Theater- Images and words
LEAVE ME ALONE im not generic!
Symphony X- Divine Wings of Tragedy
Whats with everyone saying V? imo the only tracks on that album that arent weak are Egypt, C&O, and Rediscovery. But ill probly change my mind and say Odyssey
Dream Theater-BCSL
dont hate.
Angra- Rebirth
No, with the exception of Nova Era its not power metal so stfu.
Ayreon-Universal Migrator part 2
Not part 1, part 1 is ass.
thats all i can think of now. all the other albums i love arent really prog.
They both count as 1 album, my rules.
Dream Theater- Images and words
LEAVE ME ALONE im not generic!
Symphony X- Divine Wings of Tragedy
Whats with everyone saying V? imo the only tracks on that album that arent weak are Egypt, C&O, and Rediscovery. But ill probly change my mind and say Odyssey
Dream Theater-BCSL
dont hate.
Angra- Rebirth
No, with the exception of Nova Era its not power metal so stfu.
Ayreon-Universal Migrator part 2
Not part 1, part 1 is ass.
thats all i can think of now. all the other albums i love arent really prog.
Prismatic Sphere
We Carouse
Symphony X - "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy"
Fates Warning - "Disconnected"
Ayreon - "The Universal Migrator Pts 1+2"
Crimson Glory - "Transcendence"
Sieges Even - "A Sense Of Change"
Dream Theater - "Scenes From A Memory"
Mekong Delta - "The Music Of Erich Zann"
Chalice - "An Illusion To The Temporary Real"
Queensryche - "Operation: MINDCRIME"
A.C.T. - "Final Epic"
Fates Warning - "Disconnected"
Ayreon - "The Universal Migrator Pts 1+2"
Crimson Glory - "Transcendence"
Sieges Even - "A Sense Of Change"
Dream Theater - "Scenes From A Memory"
Mekong Delta - "The Music Of Erich Zann"
Chalice - "An Illusion To The Temporary Real"
Queensryche - "Operation: MINDCRIME"
A.C.T. - "Final Epic"
Kenneth R.
Cináed
Sense of Change is pretty solid. I can't think of anything I would personally recommend or call a 'favorite' at the moment.
mark b
Prog 4 ever. Australia!!!
Great taste, must be old schooler ?
I like how Zach and Jon trade off vocals on a few, Wake still hasnt grown old on me and its had many many listens.
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