This post focuses on my personal favorite sub-genre of metal. People love to watch dancers perform amazing dance moves that take an intense amount of training. People like to purchase and view art that not simply anyone could make due to the skill involved. People like to watch skilled fighters, and martial arts movies. When I seek this same desire in music I am often drawn back to Progressive styles. I previously wrote about Progressive Rock in this series. I described Progressive as really meaning experimental and a willingness to mix styles and explore new sounds. The second word Rock, Metal, etc simply defines the root genre/sound that seems to be the crossroads where these experiments tend to be based around.

As with other posts in this series this episode is inspired by the Metal Evolution documentary series by Sam Dunn and Banger Films. I saw the awesome chart that Sam shows in that series and he would not cover all the names listed, and in many cases there were tons of branches that unfortunately never got coverage. This is what inspired me to write this series. I wanted to thoroughly investigate each of the branches on that chart, add my own additions, and also learn about some cool new music I may have been aware of.

Unfortunately this is one of the episodes that the full thing is unavailable on youtube. Here is a 2 minute teaser for the episode.

It is available on itunes here.
Or Muchmore.ca here: muchmore.ca/category/shows/metal-evolution - I am not in Canada and that link seems to do nothing for me. These were in the notes below the above video on youtube.

Let Us Begin

It should be noted that in MOST cases any band that ends up creating a new sub-genre of metal could be considered Progressive from the experimental side of things. One thing that progressive tends to also have is some of the most technically skilled musicians on the planet. They may not be celebrated as such, but there are Progressive Metal guitarists that could dance circles around some of the famous guitarists. Why? Practice, Practice, Practice and they practice tons of styles. So they don't focus on just classical, just jazz, just blues, or a specific sound of rock, or metal. They constantly explore many styles and generally can play just about anything you throw at them. Most famous guitarists cannot make this claim. They are good at a specific style, or maybe a couple of styles, and that is about it. They will be called God when in reality they should have been called God of Blues, God of Jazz, God of Classical, God of Power Chords, etc. There are Progressive Guitarists that would crush those guys in a head to head competition. The reason you don't hear about them is that Progressive music tends to be really technical. This means it can be unappealing to the general public. For example I often refer to Dream Theater as the Musicians' Band. A band for musicians to go watch and be in awe of. The mainstream may be in awe of musicians, but when those musicians want someone to be inspired and in awe of who can they turn to? This answer is often some Progressive band.

Rush

Band First Released: 1974
Nationality: Canada
Rush was already covered in the post on Progressive Rock. They are perhaps the earliest band that could be considered Progressive Metal, though this is highly debatable. Since I have so many bands in this post and they were already covered in the linked post, I am only posting a single video of them here.

Savatage

Band First Released: 1983
Nationality: United States
I remember seeing all of these "Dungeons are Calling" ads in metal magazines long before I heard these guys. I actually didn't really get into them until they did The Hall Of The Mountain King, but they are known for making kind of Rock Operas.
The Dungeons Are Calling

Hall of the Mountain King (HD) Official Video

The Story of Savatage (1978-2012)

Fates Warning

Band First Released: 1984
Nationality: United States
Fates Warning is a band I really like. They may be the first Progressive Metal I ever got into. It took a bit for them to grow on me, but I purchased their album Awaken The Guardian purely by chance because it had a cool Album Cover at a time when I tended to purchase at least one new cassette per week. I got a lot of junk. This is one of the best exceptions to the grab bag approach.
Fates Warning live 1986 (full) - 1:10:57

Anarchy Divine (Official Video) HQ

Chasing Time

I like every piece of music Fates Warning has ever made. I could keep listing videos and songs for a long time, but there are a lot of bands in this post so I am setting a maximum of three per band, and less in some cases.

Voivod

Band First Released: 1984
Nationality: Canada
I encountered Voivod for the first time on a Speed Kills compilation album I purchased from a Walmart like place. They were being lumped with up and coming Thrash acts. They do have a unique sound, and fit the Progressive Metal label, though I never made that connection until I was making this post.
Dave Grohl discusses Voivod

Ravenous Medicine

Kluskap O'Kom (Official Video)

Queensrÿche

Band First Released: 1984
Nationality: United States
Queensrÿche featured Geoff Tate on vocals with his opera training and massive range, and started doing a Progressive Metal sound before the sub-genre had found a title. They became famous when they released the amazing concept album Operation Mindcrime and they went on to be quite successful and get a lot of radio play. They may be one of the more successful Progressive Metal bands in terms of getting visibility early on.
I Don't Believe In Love

Empire

Silent Lucidity

King's X

Band First Released: 1988
Nationality: United States
I actually heard about King's X from a friend who partied with them and knew them in the Houston, Texas area before they became famous. They released the album Out of the Silent Planet and it was something quite different.
Then & Now Documentary - Part 1

Over My Head

Sometimes

Mordred

Band First Released: 1989
Nationality: United States
This is one of those bands that was short lived, but I discovered watching Headbanger's Ball on MTV back when it still was music focused. This band was mixing a lot of sounds including rap/hip-hop type sounds with metal. They were very different at the time and that appealed to my friends and I.
Falling Away

In This Life (Full Album)

Fool's Game (Full Album)

Dream Theater

Band First Released: 1989
Nationality: United States
This is one of my favorite bands. I am awe of them whenever I watch them live as what they can do together is simply insane. I have posted about them before and would direct you to this post. I will only link two videos of the same song here for the sake of leaving room for all the other bands I have in this sub-genre.
Metropolis Part 1 Full HD - Drum Cam - Mike Portnoy on drums

Metropolis Pt. 1 (Live At Luna Park DVD) - Mike Mangini on drums (Awesome performance - recommend watch it in its entirety to get the complete DT experience... they do an improv session in the middle)

Primus

Band First Released: 1990
Nationality: United States (almost typed Mars)
You may not think metal when thinking of Primus as they are a beast of their own. Yet that is kind of what makes something Progressive as well. If they seem to be clearly running a path no one else is. It could be argued that this is Rock, or Metal depending on what song you pick of theirs. Les Claypool (bassist/vocalist) did try out for Metallica after Cliff Burton died, and is their friend, so he does have metal roots. Primus came out after that. I have to wonder what Metallica might have sounded like in an alternate universe if Les Claypool had gotten the gig rather than Jason Newstead.
Blame It On The Fish a DVD - 1:10:01

Tommy The Cat

My Name is Mud

Meshuggah

Band First Released: 1991
Nationality: Sweden
I first heard the name Meshuggah when referring to the vocal singing style. I didn't know a lot about them until I watched the episode of Metal Evolution and Sam Dunn interviewed them. They are different. :) They have a very powerful drum and guitar percussive approach that is totally unique to them as far as I can tell. These guys also feature into the sub-genre known as Extreme Metal.
Making of Koloss -25:00

Bleed (Official Music Video)

Demiurge (Official Music Video)

Porcupine Tree

Band First Released: 1992
Nationality: United Kingdoms
I definitely consider this band extremely Progressive though I would have considered them more Rock oriented as the titles that lend to metal don't seem as common, but I guess in reality they are as common as Rush doing the same and perhaps more than them, so here they go. This is a unique band with a unique back story. This is essentially a band formed to express the music written by Steven Wilson who I believe is clearly a musical genius. I recommend ALL of their albums, they are extremely unique and quite the sonic and often weird journey. They go from Metal to Pink Floyd sounding stuff. He even was responsible for producing (and performing some parts) on some Opeth albums.
Interview with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) (Part 1)

Blackest Eyes (HD) - LIVE (If you like it check out the studio version)

Time Flies (Official Video)

Tool

Band First Released: 1993
Nationality: United States
Tool is one of those eccentric bands that is recognized for the genius in the way they approach music. No one else does what they do, and they unlike most Progressive Bands seem to be very commercially successful. They are also known for being very reclusive.
The Ultimate Review (Subtitulado) - 1:14:04

Sober (HQ Fullscreen)

Live DVD 2016 (Full Concert) -1:35:36

Angra

Band First Released: 1993
Nationality: Brazil
I first encountered Angra when I was doing a google search to try to find some Progressive Metal acts to cover I hadn't heard before. They didn't end up in this branch on the Metal Evolution chart, but this is where I believe they should reside. Metal Evolution places them in the Power Metal sub-genre and I do see quite a bit of overlap from that sub-genre and progressive metal.
Carry On - HD - Live

Silent Call(Official Music Video)

Storm of Emotions (Official Music Video)

Symphony X

Band First Released: 1994
Nationality: United States
This is a progressive band I am way into with Michael Romeo on guitar and the Dio inspired vocal stylings of Russel Allen you get a great combination. Then you throw in Keyboardist Michael Pinnella, Drummer Jason Rullo, and Bassist Michael Lepond and you get a recipe for some absolutely symphonic/progressive metal. There are a diverse number of youtubers that do guitar, vocal, and other covers of Symphony X songs. They are enjoyable to watch.
Symphony X - Bloodstock Festival - 2016 - 58:15

Iconoclast (2011) Full Album - 1:22:49 (I love this album)

Paradise Lost (2007) Full Album - 1:01:03 (another brilliant Dante's Inferno inspired album)

Opeth

Band First Released: 1995
Nationality: Sweden
It is interesting that the three bands I consider my favorite bands will all appear in this post. Opeth is one of these. They are not the most technical of the three, but they have some brilliant textures and song writing. I have written a post on them before and you can view it here. I will therefore only be showing a single video in this post. It should be noted these guys began as a Swedish Death Metal band. They mix death metal growling vocals with clean almost folk sounding vocals done on the fly by the same genius song writer Mikael Akerfeldt. Their last couple of albums have not been Death Metal or growly at all and would fit right in during the late 60s or 70s.
Wacken Open Air 2015 (Full) HD 720p - 1:18:21

Ayreon

"Band" First Released: 1995
Nationality: Denmark
Ayreon is not really a BAND per say. They are a creation, a gathering, an experiment, a rock/metal opera. They are the creation of Arjen Lucassen and he creates concept albums that great and the albums actually work together with earlier albums as well. He invites musicians and vocalists from many bands to perform on these albums. They are exceptional works of art. I highly recommend them. They very likely involve musicians and vocalists from other bands that you know.
01011001 (Part 1) - 50:11

The Theory of Everything - Fill Album CD 1 - 44:49

The Theory Of Everything Full Making Of - 2:32:04

Kamelot

Band First Released: 1995
Nationality: United States
I already listed Kamelot in the post on Power Metal. I therefore will only show one additional video here. It should be noted that the vocalist for Kamelot is one of the voices in The Theory of Everything album by Ayreon above.
Ghost Opera(Official Music Video) - Original vocalist, not the current one that is also on Ayreon.

Nevermore

Band First Released: 1995
Nationality: United States
This is one of my favorite bands though they are no longer together, so I will likely have to find a new band to occupy my top 3 band slots. They are often called Thrash, and other forms of metal. They can be very technical with the amazing guitar work by Jeff Loomis (now with Arch-Enemy). They also feature perhaps my favorite metal vocalist in the form of Warrel Dane who I wrote a post specifically on many months ago. This WAS definitely an interesting band.
Dreaming Neon Black (Full Album) 1999 - If I had to pick a favorite album it is this one though I love them all

The Obsidian Conspiracy (Full Album) 2010 - Their final album before they split up

What Tomorrow Knows (Official Video)

Apocalyptica

Band First Released: 1996
Nationality: Finland
I wrote a post not long ago specifically dedicated to this band. If you like these guys please check out that post called Have Cello Will Metal. I am only going to share one video of theirs here since there are so many bands in this particular post. I believe these guys also deserve to be listed in the Progressive Metal sub-genre.
I'm Not Jesus ft. Corey Taylor

Pain of Salvation

Band First Released: 1997
Nationality: Sweden
This is another one of those bands I discovered awhile back when I was searching the internet for Progressive Metal acts I hadn't heard. This band has an exceptional vocalist in the form of Daniel Gildenlöw. This guy is one of my favorite vocalists. He is much more than a vocalist though, he is also a multi-instrumentalist.
*BeThe Perfect Element, Part 1 (Full Album) - 1:32:41

Linoleum (Official Video)

Undertow (Official Video)

The Dillinger Escape Plan

Band First Released: 1999 (Mathcore)
Nationality: United States
The style of music by this band has been dubbed Mathcore by some people. They can be very violent and aggressive and engage the audience in very unique ways. They also can take a sound of chaos though knowing it is repeatable you become aware it is not actually chaos, it is just complex order. This band has not really excited me yet, but I occasionally get curious and check out some of their videos.
The Dillinger Escape Plan confess to never practicing and almost killing HeavyHeavyLowLow | Moshcam - 8:16

Milk Lizard (Official Music Video)

The Dillinger Escape Plan (Crazy Moments Compilation) - live is part of their act so thought I should show some

Gojira

Band First Released: 2001
Nationality: France
A progressive metal band out of France that keeps coming up in name, and has a pretty big fan base. I haven't listened to them much, but they have been on my radar to take a deeper look into.
Gojira Spring 2014 (Full Video) - 21:50

Stranded (Official Video)

L'Enfant Sauvage (Official Video)

Mastodon

Band First Released: 2002
Nationality: United States
Mastodon is a Progressive Band that approaches Prog Metal a bit different from other bands. They tend to have a bit of a tribal throwback quality embedded into their very Progressive Music. They are one of the most successful Prog bands out there today.
Blood and Thunder (Official Music Video)

The Motherload (Official Video)

White Walker (Game of Thrones - new song)

Coheed & Cambria

Band First Released: 2002
Nationality: United States
I first encountered this band as some titles on either a Guitar Hero or Rockband type video game that I was playing with my kids. I had never heard of them prior to that. They have a really interesting Progressive Metal sound.
The Fiction Will See The Real - Coheed and Cambria Documentary (Full) - 1:18:03

Welcome Home - the song I first heard

The Running Free

The Mars Volta

Band First Released: 2003
Nationality: United States
This is one of those bands that it could be debated whether they are Rock or Metal, but I don't think the fact that they are Progressive is even debatable. They were also exceptionally amusing and entertaining to watch. As far as I know it they are no longer together as a band.
Wax Simulacra on Letterman 2008

The Widow

Goliath

Protest The Hero

Band First Released: 2005
Nationality: Canada
This is a very energetic band that definitely has some Progressive Metal elements and also has some of the Core style metal elements. They are quite interesting to watch and write some powerful music.
Bloodmeat (Official Video)

Blindfolds Aside - The first song and video I ever saw after a friend recommended them to me.

Sequoia Throne (Official Video)

Haken

Band First Released: 2010
Nationality: United States
I wrote a post earlier about Haken, it doesn't say a lot it just shares some cool videos and music. I will still link it here, but I will be doing the customary three videos per band for this post since that other one is pretty old. This is a band I am really starting to enjoy quite a bit. I really love their song The Architect.
Pareidolia (Official Video)

Initiate (Official Video)

Darkest Light (Official Video)

Twelve Foot Ninja

Band First Released: 2012
Nationality: Australia
This band is one of those treading a very unique sound. They mix comedy and metal, and disco, and funk, and just about everything else. In otherwords, they are definitely a Progressive Metal band. They are a very odd and interesting band to listen to. I wrote a post about them earlier that has some great videos, I am going to post different ones this time around, so if you have time check out that older post. It has some of the best ones that are just great fun to watch.
Sick (Official Video) - Music doesn't start until close to 4 minutes in... it is good... they like doing comedy video stuff

Invincible (Official Lyric Video)

Shuriken

Closing

This is probably my favorite metal sub-genre so I added a lot of bands to this list beyond those on the Metal Evolution chart and I could have added more. I also had to limit how much I shared to make sure that this post actually would fit on a block on the blockchain. I hope you enjoy my sharing of this information, and if I turn you onto some new bands and information that is even better...

Enjoy until my next post.

Steem On!