Seeing as Prog Metal is such a diverse genre I was wondering what peoples favorite band in this genre is and why. What album is your favorite, what do you think of this bands live preformance, and anything else you would like to add. My favorite Prog Metal band is Tool because all of their albums are amazing. My favorite is Aenima though because it contains most of my favorite songs by them like Hooker With a Penis. Although I haven't seen Tool live yet I would say it looks like they have a sick live show with their lights and everything else that's going on. Other favorites of mine include Opeth, Symphony X, Ayreon, Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend, Evergrey, Shadows Gallery, Star One, Circus Maximus, Rush, and Dream Theater.

Porcupine Tree forme is art itself, I can't put to words how much their music means to me, it's better then alcohol sometimes. So, yeah, they would be my fav prog band, next to Opeth, wich also makes me speechless. I still enjoy some early Pink FLoyd (Animals, Dark Side Of The Moon), but basicly these are my top prog gods. And even The 3rd And the Mortal, but they are more jazz then prog.

Prog. Metal is my second favorite genre to Thrash,I enjoy bands such as Fates Warning,Dream Theater,Symphony X,and Savatage.Those are examples of the best Progressive groups.Savatage is one of the most talented and most underatted bands around,they are always changing it up each album,and Zak Stevens and Jon Olivia are exceptional vocalists.So if your looking for something new checkout Savatage

I would have to say Dream Theater, it´s one of my favorite bands overall, and I think all of them including the former members of the band, are just the best musicians you can ever find. Their talent is just amazing, for me they are the best musicians you´ll ever see

Prog is quickly becoming one of my favourite genres. I used to find it boring but I just keep discovering so many great bands. I've been proven very wrong

My personal favourite is Beyond Twilight. Their album 'Section X' is such a masterpiece, maybe even a top 15 albums of all time (personally). It was one of my favourite releases of last year and I've sought out their other 2 albums, both amazing musical journeys. Finn is such an innovative composer who is out to please NO ONE but himself. Love that

Other favourites are Star One, Edenbridge (their last album is very proggy), After Forever and Andromeda

I hate most prog bands.

Tool would be the best imo.

If it can be considered prog, i'd also like to mention Red Sparrows, Capricorns and Pelican, which are all pretty good to me.

Tool isn't a progressive band.
IMO Dream Theater is the best no way... If u prefer something more complex Liquid Tension Experiment and if u want something catchier Symphony X...

Tool IS a prog band.

Tool isn't really a prog band, it's on the edge though, and Peican and Red Sparrows are expeimental, wich is the opposite of prog

Alright let's not get caught up in wether or not Tool is or isn't a Progressive band because many people have different views about that and this isn't what this thread is about. Alright so let's try to stay on topic now and also please try not to confuse experimental bands with prog like Damnated said.

this is a rather un fair question. reason being, as most people who are new to metal listen to dream theater, and they automatically become the gods of metal(to them).

as for Tool...i dont really think they are progressive metal. i wont really consider them as metal. or if i would, then perhaps darkend avant grade, or darkend hard rock. but i dont knw


as for me, i would say Symphony X and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. reason being, they both have some amazing classical elements to them. they arent all too cocky. sure romeo from SX can be a bit too random and annoying. but entertaining none the less.

other progressive metal artists i like are Buckethead. though he is a guitarist, but just awsome. and then Echo's Of Eternatiy. i like EOE coz they are i believe the first heavy/prog/gothic metal around. i may be wrong, but whatever. really incredible new band from america that has some serious potential, but lets see what happens with them. they got signed with napalm records recently. and i think also with century media. or something like that

Written by Soliloquy on 14.07.2006 at 02:38

this is a rather un fair question. reason being, as most people who are new to metal listen to dream theater, and they automatically become the gods of metal(to them).

as for Tool...i dont really think they are progressive metal. i wont really consider them as metal. or if i would, then perhaps darkend avant grade, or darkend hard rock. but i dont knw


as for me, i would say Symphony X and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. reason being, they both have some amazing classical elements to them. they arent all too cocky. sure romeo from SX can be a bit too random and annoying. but entertaining none the less.

other progressive metal artists i like are Buckethead. though he is a guitarist, but just awsome. and then Echo's Of Eternatiy. i like EOE coz they are i believe the first heavy/prog/gothic metal around. i may be wrong, but whatever. really incredible new band from america that has some serious potential, but lets see what happens with them. they got signed with napalm records recently. and i think also with century media. or something like that

I like Trans-Siberian Orchestra alot,probably cuz all of the Savatage members play the instruments and Jon Olivia and Zak stevens occasionally do vocals.

For me it's Symphony X. They aren't pure progressive metal, as they include some elements from power metal, but all of their works are wonderful, especially the V album. Maybe Romeo isn't as good as Petrucci in the guitars, but he (Romeo) is still one of the best. Dream Theater and Adagio are also two of my favorite bands, not only in progressive metal, but of all bands. I like Ayreon too. Most of Lucassen's guests are great musicians, and he's a great guitarrist too.

About Tool... I do consider them as progressive metal, or at least progressive rock. They aren't part of that school of well-known progressive bands (like Dream Theater, Adagio, Symphony X, etc.) but despite being very experimental, in most of their songs, the rythms are very complex. They have also incorporated pipe-bomb micros and dissonances, which are typical elements from progressive rock/metal.

Written by Guest on 14.07.2006 at 01:17

Tool IS a prog band.

Tool has progressive tendencies, but Tool is dark alternative rock...they certainly have a very dark atmopshere, all their music is far from normal and thus alternative and they're not as chunky and metallic as other metal bands which makes them rock...sure, they are very artful, creative and forward thinking musically and that would probably make them dark alternative art rock I guess...

Um, to me there isn't any 'best progressive metal band'...there used to be once but now there seems to be so much equality in the sub-genre due to a lot of generic styling in the musicianship...I guess each sub-sub genre has it's best band...my favorite genre of progressive metal is the technical side...my choice would be Spastic Ink...

I will go for Opeth, i think is the best one, my prefered from all, but there are other good progressive bands (or with progressive influencies) like Alchemist, Isis, Riverside, Pelican, Red Sparowes, Dream Theater (without that horrible voice it will be a good band).
Tool is very good too. I think this band have progressive metal influencies, specialy in theyr last album 10.000 days

Written by Damnated on 14.07.2006 at 01:33

Tool isn't really a prog band, it's on the edge though, and Peican and Red Sparrows are expeimental, wich is the opposite of prog

I feel dumb asking this but... why is experimental the opposite of prog? Both styles seem to primarily seek out new way to express metal. Help I'm new, thanks

Written by Susan on 15.07.2006 at 01:19

Written by Damnated on 14.07.2006 at 01:33

Tool isn't really a prog band, it's on the edge though, and Peican and Red Sparrows are expeimental, wich is the opposite of prog

I feel dumb asking this but... why is experimental the opposite of prog? Both styles seem to primarily seek out new way to express metal. Help I'm new, thanks

Maybe I'm wrong on this, but this is how I know it: experimental is music is based mostly on improvisation, it really doesn't have RULES. progressive music has strict rules, even if it seems that the solo is an improvisation (for example)it isn't, it is studied out to the last damn note, carefuly made. Experimental music isn't really jazz though, as it allways brings something new, so in this way, it does have rules.

I believe progressive music is meant to strech boundries and take music to a place where it has not gone before and thus progressive music should have no boundries because if there was boundries it would be extremely hard for it to progress any further. So for this reason some experimental music can be considered progresive on the other hand though you can still be a progressive band by following the same basic blueprint that have been provided by other bands such as extensive use of soloing and improvisation, complex and odd time signatures throughout songs, polyrythms and other wierd rythms throughout songs and other things like that. So they are not complete opposites at all infact as far as I know experimental music and progressive music are both very similar and thus it can be hard to deferentiate which is which.

Thanks guys! Damnated, I understand exactly what you mean now. I agree with Endoftherainbow that the styles have many similarities but I understand your different distinctions. Thanks

Definally Pain of Salvation, I dont think there is any band that can compet with thier music, each album you'll find something new, their music is complex, in my opnion they are better than Symphoni X and DT, even though their sound is diferent than PoS' sound

Dream Theater and Opeth. Both unique in their genres.

Im a huge prog rock and progressive metal fan. If this were prog rock I would say Genesis,but seeing as this is metal im gonna have to say a number of bands.Fates Warning (Awaken the Guardian is arguably one of the greatest metal albums of all time),Dream Theater,Savatage,Pain of Salvation,Crimson Glory,Queensryche,Symphony X,its all too hard for me to decide but these bands are easily some of the best. Also tool isnt prog just had to add my two cents

My favorite Progressive Metal band is Opeth. They are simply brilliant. They have been consistent throughout their career with all the great albums they have released. Every album they have released is a masterpiece, but Still Life is something else. Still Life is a breath taking work of metal art. The Moor, Benighted, and Face Of Melinda are all among my favorite songs by Opeth.

Dream Theater for me. They're infinitely creative and they revolutionized the genre.

Antoher awesome band that I've been enjoying loads if Wolverine. They are really pretty in sound and have some good prog rock as well as prog metal. The drummer drums and growls simultaneously!

Pain of salvation, Ark,anomaly,pagans mind ,shadow gallery,beyond twlight, freak neil inc,attention deficit,communic,canvas solaris,circus maximus,evergrey magnitude 9,tool,frantic bleep,riverside,spastic ink,Ayreon,symphony x dream theater .....
All that i can think of
I just love prog metal and technical prog even more

I think tool is prog no doubt

mmm, well my 3 favorite progressive bands are

1. symphony X
2. vahladian
3. dream theater

Top 3:

1. Beyond Twilight/Opeth
2. Symphony X
3. Pain Of Salvation

1. Dream Theater
2. Mayadome
3. Symphony X
4. Andromeda
5. Sun Caged
6. Circus Maximus
...

Please stop just posting the names of the band. Please explain why you are choosing the bands and if you're not going to do this please do not post in this thread.

The last album of blind guardian ( a night at y¡the opera) could be prog, so i think i choose them as the best prog band!