Prog-Rock/Metal

exact33 wrote:

powermacho wrote:

exact33 wrote:

powermacho wrote:

So I am new with FLYIN COLORS and am rediscovering TRANSATLANTIC. The new video for the upcoming album of flying colors came out today. Any tought about it? For the potential the band has, it is a let down, but then again maybe the rest of the album is diferent

i tinhk its fantastic. A lot of folks hated the first one because lack of proginess (although i love it) but this one should receive a better reception.

You are right, the lack of prog is the downfall but the song is really well played and catchy. We have to give them credit for going out of their comfort zone and play something different

I think FC has a lot of talent and are not afraid to play music that sounds good, and not be pigeonholed into being prog.

It's definitely got one foot planted solidly in prog-rock, but the other kind of toe-taps different genres, like pop rock, maybe, indie rock, etc. I don't know, whatever it you want to call it, it's really good.

Eyesore wrote:

exact33 wrote:

powermacho wrote:

exact33 wrote:

powermacho wrote:

So I am new with FLYIN COLORS and am rediscovering TRANSATLANTIC. The new video for the upcoming album of flying colors came out today. Any tought about it? For the potential the band has, it is a let down, but then again maybe the rest of the album is diferent

i tinhk its fantastic. A lot of folks hated the first one because lack of proginess (although i love it) but this one should receive a better reception.

You are right, the lack of prog is the downfall but the song is really well played and catchy. We have to give them credit for going out of their comfort zone and play something different

I think FC has a lot of talent and are not afraid to play music that sounds good, and not be pigeonholed into being prog.

It's definitely got one foot planted solidly in prog-rock, but the other kind of toe-taps different genres, like pop rock, maybe, indie rock, etc. I don't know, whatever it you want to call it, it's really good.

I agree. I get the impression that Flying Colors was intended to be more song-based than an out and out prog album. After all, Morse and Portnoy have got Transatlantic for the latter, so this was an opportunity for them to do something a little different.

I'm just glad that there's a second album. Portnoy's involved in so many different projects that you never know whether something's going to last or not.

Most have lasted, though. Sure, I don't think he wants to settle down and make one band his main focus, but most are still alive if not extremely active.

Amazing how quickly they write albums, though. If I remember correctly, the last Transatlantic album was mostly written and recorded in two weeks. And it's SO good! Crazy.

Eyesore wrote:

Most have lasted, though. Sure, I don't think he wants to settle down and make one band his main focus, but most are still alive if not extremely active.

Yeah, that's true. What came to mind when I made that comment was him leaving Adrenaline Mob after one album, but you're right that the other bands he's been involved in as a full member (and not just a guest appearance) have lasted.

Quote :

Amazing how quickly they write albums, though. If I remember correctly, the last Transatlantic album was mostly written and recorded in two weeks. And it's SO good! Crazy.

I think a lot of that has to do with Neal Morse. I did a quick tally, and since 1995 he's recorded 6 studio albums with Spock's Beard, 4 with Transatlantic, 2 with Flying Colors and 12 solo albums. And I haven't counted 5 worship albums (which may have included original material) and 2 cover albums (which wouldn't have). So in 19 years that's 24 albums, some of which have been lengthy ones, and he's been the sole writer on most of them!

Citanul wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Most have lasted, though. Sure, I don't think he wants to settle down and make one band his main focus, but most are still alive if not extremely active.

Yeah, that's true.  What came to mind when I made that comment was him leaving Adrenaline Mob after one album, but you're right that the other bands he's been involved in as a full member (and not just a guest appearance) have lasted.

Quote :

Amazing how quickly they write albums, though. If I remember correctly, the last Transatlantic album was mostly written and recorded in two weeks. And it's SO good! Crazy.

I think a lot of that has to do with Neal Morse.  I did a quick tally, and since 1995 he's recorded 6 studio albums with Spock's Beard, 4 with Transatlantic, 2 with Flying Colors and 12 solo albums.  And I haven't counted 5 worship albums (which may have included original material) and 2 cover albums (which wouldn't have).  So in 19 years that's 24 albums, some of which have been lengthy ones, and he's been the sole writer on most of them!

Oh yeah, Morse is brilliant. He definitely forms the skeleton of the songs, I think, but if you watched the behind-the-scenes stuff from the last album, a lot of those songs get heavy input from everyone else; they just sit there and jam and talk and the songs grow. The Flower Kings are the same way.

It's also amazing that these kinds of musicians who play relatively complex music and write complex songs can bang out entire hour-long (or more) albums in a few weeks, and a band like Linkin Park needs to do a year of pre-production on what ends up being barely 30 minutes of very simple music. Makes no sense to me.

Eyesore wrote:

It's also amazing that these kinds of musicians who play relatively complex music and write complex songs can bang out entire hour-long (or more) albums in a few weeks, and a band like Linkin Park needs to do a year of pre-production on what ends up being barely 30 minutes of very simple music. Makes no sense to me.

Talent. The more skilled the songwriter/musician, the less time it takes in both pre-production and actual recording.

S.D. wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

It's also amazing that these kinds of musicians who play relatively complex music and write complex songs can bang out entire hour-long (or more) albums in a few weeks, and a band like Linkin Park needs to do a year of pre-production on what ends up being barely 30 minutes of very simple music. Makes no sense to me.

Talent.  The more skilled the songwriter/musician, the less time it takes in both pre-production and actual recording.  

I knew someone was going to say that, but I don't think that's the case. Talent is relative. If Neal Morse tried to write a Linkin Park-type song, it'd probably be shit. And vice versa. I don't think Linkin Park have trouble writing their kind of music, you know, but I really don't know why they have to fuss with it so much. Maybe that's how mainstream bands work, I don't know.

When it comes to recording, instrumental skill is not relative. A professional session player can walk into a studio, have a piece of sheet music handed to them and pull off the part flawlessly in just a couple takes. On the other end of the spectrum a fairly workmanlike player might need 20 or more passes to pull off their part correctly. That is measurable skill.

Now, as far as songwriting goes it's more of a personal thing. Some musicians seem to be able to crank out a dizzying amount of material in a very short time...while others may spend 5 years putting together an album. Too many variables to even consider there.

Eyesore wrote:

Steel Prophet is a power metal band, not prog-metal.

Anyway, not sure what their best album is, as I only have Beware, Genesis, and Messiah, but I dig them.

It does have a little of prog but for the most part it is power/thrash. I'll have to check "BEWARE" out. Thanks

ProgArchives has a top 100 albums from 2014, most of those bands I have no clue who they are. So I checked the Top 1 band called "IQ". And songs from that album sound like PETER GABRIEL's Genesis era with some prog metal added to it, the result is amazing.

Any information about this band? Your fave albums that I should pick up?

Here is their single from the new album, it reminds me a lot like Peter Gabriel on the begining of the song, then it goes into more prog metal as time progresses

IQ has been around since the early 80s. They were part of the neo-progressive movement along with bands like Marillion and Pallas.

Now that progressive rock is finally being taken seriously again some of these groups are getting long overdue exposure.

S.D. wrote:

IQ has been around since the early 80s.  They were part of the neo-progressive movement along with bands like Marillion and Pallas.

Also worth checking out from that movement are Pendragon and Twelfth Night.

As for IQ, my favourites are The Wake and Subterranea. I would suggest initially avoiding Nomzamo and Are You Sitting Comfortably? as they went in a bit more of an accessible, less progressive direction with those two. I actually don't think they're bad albums and I do like them, but get their other albums first.

Citanul wrote:

S.D. wrote:

IQ has been around since the early 80s.  They were part of the neo-progressive movement along with bands like Marillion and Pallas.

Also worth checking out from that movement are Pendragon and Twelfth Night.

As for IQ, my favourites are The Wake and Subterranea.  I would suggest initially avoiding Nomzamo and Are You Sitting Comfortably? as they went in a bit more of an accessible, less progressive direction with those two.  I actually don't think they're bad albums and I do like them, but get their other albums first.

I dig Twelfth Night they put out some really good albums. Even the Virgin album is good! I used to have all of their stuff on LP before I traded them in when I bought the expanded cds.

Those are the only two IQ albums I have on LP. Some decent prog/pop on those two.

A band that is more on the pop side of things is It Bites. Mostly complex pop with some really nice harmonies and good prog moments when they go in that direction. They have released new stuff with John Mitchell of Arena(another good neo-prog band) that I haven't heard yet.

That is one genre that I really dug into and still love....


Check out Frost* they are a pretty good 2000s neo-prog band.

powermacho wrote:

ProgArchives has a top 100 albums from 2014, most of those bands I have no clue who they are. So I checked the Top 1 band called "IQ". And songs from that album sound like PETER GABRIEL's Genesis era with some prog metal added to it, the result is amazing.

  Any information about this band? Your fave albums that I should pick up?

The last two before Road of Bones are very cool; Frequency and Dark Matter. The old stuff hasn't aged very well IMO. Very pretentious super cereal British prog, I personally enjoy my prog rock a bit more rockin'. But if you like Genesis and Marillion, dive in.

I'll echo the Pendragon recommendation as well, their second latest effort Passion being the pinnacle so far for me.

Really looking forward to hearing the latest IQ album, but I haven't picked it up yet. I pledged to Pallas campaign for a new album, which should be out soon I believe. Another great band.

LE has the A.C.T back catalog. I really enjoyed Circus Pandemonium and the previous stuff is good.

exact33 wrote:

LE has the A.C.T back catalog. I really enjoyed Circus Pandemonium and the previous stuff is good.

Cheap?

Eyesore wrote:

exact33 wrote:

LE has the A.C.T back catalog. I really enjoyed Circus Pandemonium and the previous stuff is good.

Cheap?

4 albums for $52.

chewie wrote:

Check out Frost* they are a pretty good 2000s neo-prog band.

I have Frost*'s first album and I couldn't really get into it, which is weird as it's the sort of thing that I should like.

We're moving a bit away from the thread topic, but a couple more neo-prog bands that I like are Galahad and Final Conflict.  Galahad started off as something of a standard neo-prog band but in recent albums have started to do things like incorporate dance elements into their music, which sounds odd but does work.  Final Conflict have a slightly unusual setup in that they have two lead guitarist who are also the band's two vocalists - I can't actually think of another band who does that, although I wouldn't have thought they're the only one.

And of course, you can't go wrong with anything Clive Nolan's done.

Citanul wrote:

chewie wrote:

Check out Frost* they are a pretty good 2000s neo-prog band.

I have Frost*'s first album and I couldn't really get into it, which is weird as it's the sort of thing that I should like.

We're moving a bit away from the thread topic, but a couple more neo-prog bands that I like are Galahad and Final Conflict.  Galahad started off as something of a standard neo-prog band but in recent albums have started to do things like incorporate dance elements into their music, which sounds odd but does work.  Final Conflict have a slightly unusual setup in that they have two lead guitarist who are also the band's two vocalists - I can't actually think of another band who does that, although I wouldn't have thought they're the only one.

And of course, you can't go wrong with anything Clive Nolan's done.

Speaking of Nolan, I picked up that Casino album years ago with Clive Nolan and Geoff Mann on it, but haven't listened to it since.

Yeah, I have a LOT of that 1990s Neoprog stuff:
Arena
Arrakeen
Edgon Heath
Iluvatar
Rocket Scientists
Abel Ganz (I think that they started in the 1980s, though)
Aragon
Asgard
Chandelier
Visible Wind
Animator
Cathedral (NOT the doom band. The keyboard player would form the band Ad Infinitum.)
Phreeworld
Landmarq (I just have the one with Damien Wilson on it. Infinity Parade? I dig that guys voice.)
etc.

I should check out the later Galahad...

I don't think that we strayed too far, a lot of these bands got heavier or had a metal edge to them. Basically, and I'm no fan of labels but it's the only way I can describe it, neo-prog metal (early Marillion with metal guitars).

I'm not hearing any metal in these bands. More like prog rock (not that there is anything wrong with that - Seinfeld).

Temple of Blood wrote:

I'm not hearing any metal in these bands.  More like prog rock (not that there is anything wrong with that - Seinfeld).

The bands being discussed right now—IQ, Frost, etc.—are definitely prog-rock.

chewie wrote:

Citanul wrote:

S.D. wrote:

IQ has been around since the early 80s.  They were part of the neo-progressive movement along with bands like Marillion and Pallas.

Also worth checking out from that movement are Pendragon and Twelfth Night.

As for IQ, my favourites are The Wake and Subterranea.  I would suggest initially avoiding Nomzamo and Are You Sitting Comfortably? as they went in a bit more of an accessible, less progressive direction with those two.  I actually don't think they're bad albums and I do like them, but get their other albums first.

I dig Twelfth Night they put out some really good albums. Even the Virgin album is good!    I used to have all of their stuff on LP before I traded them in when I bought the expanded cds.

Those are the only two IQ albums I have on LP. Some decent prog/pop on those two.

A band that is more on the pop side of things is It Bites. Mostly complex pop with some really nice harmonies and good prog moments when they go in that direction. They have released new stuff with John Mitchell of Arena(another good neo-prog band) that I haven't heard yet.

That is one genre that I really dug into and still love....


Check out Frost* they are a pretty good 2000s neo-prog band.

I check MARILLION as recomended here, and I liked it so much that i picked up "misplaced childhood" and "Script For a Jester's Tear''.  I'll check the other bands out eventually but at the moment i am enjoying MARILLION, i can't believe not a single of my friends recomended me this band before.

As for IQ, I do like the new album a lot but $30 for a new album is to much money, plus they other albums seem to be expensive.
Subterrranea sounds really good but expensive too, THE WAKE I can only find it used on amazon. I'll try to hunt these 3 album for a cheaper prize, any recommendations?lol

Pendragon's base style reminds me of TOOL, so i may look for albums from that band. any must have album from that band?

Marillion is a favorite. Their first singer, Fish's, solo catalog is really good too, but that seems to be hit and miss for most people. No two of his albums really sound alike and he's gone for a slightly more straightforward, blues and hard rock style than the old Marillion vibe.

New Beardfish!

Quote :

A new Beardfish record?! That's right!!!

The band just announced '+4626-COMFORTZONE'!

The follow-up to 2013's 'The Void', and now they are pleased to reveal that their brand new eighth studio album, '+4626-COMFORTZONE' will be released in North America on the 27th of January 2015.

The band had this to say about the new album: "The comfort zone is the invisible protective suit of negative thinking, almost like an entity of itself. It's been with you since birth: your parents and your teachers and your friends and your neighbours all teaching you the way the world works - this is how it is and will be and there's nothing you can do about it. The negative vibe is like a voice living inside of you, a companion through life. With time you start to like that voice and the place it takes you to: your comfort zone. I'm so sick and tired of it and I want to address it and maybe in that way start to work my way out of it"

The full track-listing for the album is as follows:

1. The One Inside Part 1 - Noise In The Background
2. Hold On
3. Comfort Zone
4. Can You See Me Now
5. King
6. The One Inside Part 2 - My Companion Throughout Life
7. Daughter Whore
8. Ode To The Rock 'N' Roller
9. If We Must Be Apart (A Love Story Continued)
10. The One Inside Part 3 - Relief

Amazing band! Can't wait.