I don't know about you, but after a certain point Progressive metal bands seem to cross a threshold and suddenly I find myself listening to a King Crimson worship project, or here is what one final Mahavishnu Orchestra record would have sounded like. Nothing against either of those bands, LOVE THEM BOTH!!! Point is, I wants me some brutality in my progressive metal, the more the merrier.

The perfect combination for me is Obscura - "Omnivium." That album is front-kick-to-the-genitalia heavy, impliment of modern warfare fast and progressive enough to remind me of, that's right, Mahavishnu. How do they do it?

So how prog is too prog? Which bands (*cough* OPETH) have crossed the line out of metal?

And at what point is it is just technical metal (Cryptopsy, Nile)? You can be brutally technical and not progressive and you can be progressive but not "tech-death," as in later Death albums.

And then there is progressive black. Can this exist?!

Ne Obliviscaris are definitely progressive, but they sure as heck aren't death metal. I'd call it black metal, but isn't black metal supposed to be about simplicity, even minimalism? I personally love how bands challenge those tired assumptions, but some criticize whether it's valid to call it black.

"Total production cost more than 12 Euro, so it's not black metal!!!" or "The band members' lead guitarist and songwriter didn't learn to play while being sexually molested at Christian School, eventually killing himself by impaling his body on the spire of a church, which he vomitted blood on as he died!!" etc.

I personally don't care, but the same duality applies as with death metal. You can be too prog to be black metal, or too black metal to be prog. Where's that line?

For me that line exists somewhere in Ihsahn's career between the releases of "The Adversary" and the latest release, "Arktis." The man goes a lot of directions with his music, and I LOVE the use of saxophones, especially on "Eremita." That was definitely a WTF IS THIS on first listen turned into one of my favorite albums. Somewhere, though, he's delved into spoken word, industrial, electronica or something, and I would definitely say it is no longer black metal, per se.

What does a topic about prog have to do with extreme metal?

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 02.08.2016 at 21:08

What does a topic about prog have to do with extreme metal?

Maybe he means extreme prog metal that don't include bands like Dream Theater or Symphony X perhaps? More like Opeth or... another extreme prog metal bands.

What? Are you implying black and prog can't blend?
That the rawness of black and the complexity of prog are somehow mutually exclusive?
check again =D

Written by Karlabos on 02.08.2016 at 22:04

What? Are you implying black and prog can't blend?
That the rawness of black and the complexity of prog are somehow mutually exclusive?
check again =D

there is reason why i cant stand modern fusion of genres and one of prime example would be this.Nothing in that song fits together for my taste anyway.cant really explain what it is but there is something that just dont click right...

Written by Karlabos on 02.08.2016 at 22:04

What? Are you implying black and prog can't blend?
That the rawness of black and the complexity of prog are somehow mutually exclusive?
=D

Not at all! I love that combination and want to hear more.

Where do you think the perfect combination is (like what band/album) for absolute extreme prog death/black domination?

One band I am particularly fond of lately is The Faceless who are categorized as Deathcore, but I find them more tech death, and lately more progressive. Great band! Mis-genrefied, imo.

And yes to everyone, Obscura "Omnivium" is extreme, or I'm a fucking chipmunk. :p

Written by Enteroctopus on 02.08.2016 at 22:27

Written by Karlabos on 02.08.2016 at 22:04

vediog svaor

Not at all! I love that combination and want to hear more.

Glad that you like it. Nice to see at least someone otherr than me liking this band :3

Quote:

Where do you think the perfect combination is (like what band/album) for absolute extreme prog death/black domination?

To be honest I'm not enough of a death fan to have many ideas. The first band name blending prog and actual death metal which comes to mind is Pan.Thy.Monium. Perhaps not that extreme though?
On the same vein I can think of Anthropomorphic Soul. But in those cases it's like the extremeness of death metal is indeed a bit "erased" by the incorporation of progressive elements. I mean... I don't think I can name an example working for death as good as Vediog Svaor worked for black :3

Quote:

The Faceless

Yeah, The Faceless are great. I like the latter ones because they kinda remind me of Extol =p

Oh, also to cite some examples of technical black metal:
There's Drottnar for tech raw black
Or the more modern Imperial Triumphant...

Having read the entire opening post I am of the opinion this should have gone into the general metal sub forum.

Not much at all really

The sky's the limit for me.

Not much into prog and will certainly maintain my cold relationship in future as well. Whenever i hear about new prog record to release, King Crimson, Rush, Dream Theater become a scoring sheets for other bands. Well, especially for newer bands which I feel they do not able to explore themselves and lives in a vaccum of intiating old-prog style. It is a bit cliche that pissed me off and has maintained a fair distance.

How much can i handle? Well, barely.

Hey guys check out this new prog death project from Portugal!
I think the balance between prog and extreme metal is at a nice balance in this fresh project.

Hope you like it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmnB8XZmM2A

I like my metal very proggy, but I don't mean that in the way of what most prog metal bands are doing nowadays.
I'm talking actual progressive songwriting here; shit like Leprous, Shining, Ihsahn (ironically all Norwegian) or even some of the more extreme acts which are sadly no more like Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Give me something fresh, new and interesting, and not just riffs in 5/4.

The bands who push the genre are the ones which take risks and sadly a lot of prog metal isn't doing that nowadays.

So everybody is just gonna ignore the original post and reply based only on the title now? :3
I guess that's what you get for posting with a not very specific title

Written by Lethrokai on 04.08.2016 at 19:45

Leprous, Shining, Ihsahn

Huge Ihsahn fan. I need to check out those other two bands. Just did, Leprous: shit yeah!! (I fucking love the Internet)

Written by Lethrokai on 04.08.2016 at 19:45

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

Great band as well.

Written by Lethrokai on 04.08.2016 at 19:45

I'm talking actual progressive songwriting here

Yes, there is a difference. Being a virtuoso =/= progressive, and vice versa.

Hated prog rock for the longest time, but I've recently been getting into King Crimson, Yes, and Rush kind of hard. Especially with some THC in my system.

Hope you'd like this, death with prog touch:
http://www.facebook.com/caelesteus

Written by Guest on 03.08.2016 at 01:12

Not much at all really

Same. Not feeling the need for it at all lately.

The only prog release I look forward to listen in the coming future is BTBAM's next full length, if any.