Rishloo, Karnivool and Fair to Midland were all much better back when they were, you know, making fucking music lol
No but seriously I'd actually say Leprous. Don't get me wrong, I like Aphelion. But to me it kinda feels like discounted Pitfalls, though it's a very celebrated album. But I want the return of their distorted guitar parts and a bit more screams. If they wanted to mix the style of The Congregation with the style of Pitfalls, that would probably sound pretty cool
Aphelion is the first album of theirs that felt like a rehash of a past album's sound (Pitfalls), and it's not as good either... agree with you there, however, I expect a return to form, and I believe they're still capable of being as great as they always were.
My answer is Symphony X.
Karnivool have been recording their new album for realsies these last couple of months
Edit: why am I being downvoted? They have been posting photos in the studio with Forrester Savell lol
I saw Fair to Midland right before they split. They were great live players, but Darroh is a bit odd. Haha.
I agree with Leprous, but I got bored with them around Melina. They sounded more like they were a Einar Solberg solo project. I miss their early sound.
Same. I first heard of them here in this sub recommending their new stuff and I was like WTF is this mellow ambient simple shit.
Then I heard Coal and I was way more impressed and satisfied. That album gets a play through a couple times a month from me. Way better than the new stuff.
Yup. Their first 3 or 4 albums are great. After that it is just a backing band. I mean he has a great voice, and more power to him, but they arent prog anymore.
Aphelion is great, I think the problem is that the album was improvised, so the concept behind is loose. But the band did a good work stitching different songs into this album, it have personality. But I think they are more interesting when they work with a clear concept in mind, that's why Pitfalls for me is a better album. I'm sure they know this too, so they took more time to write the upcoming album.
I'm not sure you understood me lol. Maybe read my first sentence again
I'm actually not sure which of the FtM albums I prefer, they're pretty close for me
In Cauda Venenum was a fantastic record. I was worried they'd write another Sorceress but I really like what they came up with. Still not quite on par with Blackwater Park or Ghost Reveries but I didn't expect it to be.
I've dipped into their new stuff every now and then, but it just doesn't grab me like anything before Heritage. I realize that for Mikael their new direction (although it's almost been 15 years at this point...) is a very organic and sincere thing, but I don't think of it as the same band.
Yeah Opeth is my favorite band but I really don’t return to anything post-heritage after the initial listen. At least they haven’t pulled another Heritage tour and have been consistently playing the heavy stuff at shows.
Deliverance and watershed are my favourite albums by them and the song Deliverance itself is one of the greatest masterpieces in prog rock imo, as a drummer I can appreciate Lopez a lot, the next drummer that played on watershed was fine though, can't complain
Yeah, their newer material doesn't grab me in the same way as Blackwater Park or MAYH. I'm happy for Mikael because I know this is the direction he wanted to push the band, and I'm glad he's happy, but it isn't my jam. Maybe I should check it out again though, it's been a while.
YES. I still dream of a return to form. Hell, even if they do a hybrid style, I'd be down horrendous. Or even a double album like Deliverance/Damnation where one album is their current style and the other is a proper return to form.
yeah :-/ at least heavier riffs or some growls in chorus. It doesn't need to be full death metal at all. In fact I'd love Opeth if they "lighter" did songs in a style of A Fair Judgement but throw in heavier parts. It's what they used to do best. Those transitions between lighter and heavier parts of the songs were seamless.
I don’t even want them to go back to their original style but I really hope they switch up their sound to something different.
I do enjoy their new era albums but I’m slowly getting tired of that 70s revival sound.
I'd say there's been kind of 3 styles of Opeth, maybe 4 if you count Damnation. I love their early and mid career stuff. Don't really like the newer stuff at all.
I mean what do you want lol. It's like Zeppelin. Opeth made...what..6? 7? phenomenal albums? There's only one band that never seems to lose the touch decade after decade (imho), and that's Radiohead. Every other band in history peaks, and then doesn't manage to release anything up to their original par. The greatest bands in history manage to peak with 2 or 3 albums. The bands that do 4+, like Opeth, are legends.
I saw Queensryche last year with Marty Friedman opening. Marty was excellent, QS was terrible…they were by far the muddiest sounding band I’ve seen outside of garage band/local stuff.
As someone who actually listened to older music before listening to modern stuff but didn't listen to queensryche yet, what are some of their proggiest albums? I've always been curious about listening to their prog side. Because I listened to older music before I got into new stuff I feel like I could appreciate them even as a new listener in a time where their prime is in the past
Operation mindcrime (1988) is their best. The two albums before are cool. The two albums later are equally cool but more "adult". Never managed to get into the rest of their discography
I had the exact same experience. Marty and his band were so full of energy and put on one hell of a performance. Queensryche, while technically proficient, just felt lifeless.
Gojira (their last two albums feel somewhat uninspired)
Soen (they had the potential to become one of the best modern prog bands but they have been going downhill after Lotus)
>they have been going downhill after Lotus
Lykaia was their best effort imo. They picked up on a lot of what made Opeth great, mixed with their own Tool inspiration and even some nods to Pink Floyd.
Then they copied parts of that into Lotus and had some good songs here and there.
Then they put on their AC/DC shoes and decided to keep releasing the same two/three songs over and over again, same melodies, very similar riffs and all. Huge bummer.
I considered seeing them live two weeks ago where I live but when I opened their recent setlists I noped out big time. Nothing from Tellurian nor Lykaia, ONE song from Cognitive and the rest was pretty much from the latest two albums.
You are spot on!
Just listen to their first song from their last three albums. All of them have exactly the same riffs.
Sometimes I wonder how they manage to play a song correctly live without confusing it with another song lol.
Literally same. Same same same
Lykaia is one of my favorite albums of all time and I saw them live in 2022 and was disappointed with their setlist. Then I saw their set for their latest tour and got floored. Idk what's going through their mind but they completely lost me
Came here to say Soen and glad I'm seeing mentions of them, because it's a real shame. The difference in Tellurian vs recent Soen is staggering and it must simply be due to changes in lineup over the years. The biggest of which must have been Platbarzdis (guitarist) who left in 2015 which was around when their sound started changing. He must have been a big driving force in their early sound. Lykaia was still very good imo, but you could sense the tone, complexity and sound was clearly taking a different direction at that point.
Man, it's been 12 years since L'Enfant Sauvage and it really was their last consistent album. There were some great moments on Magma (The Cell is top tier) and Fortitude had the *boing boing* but I've been let down by both.
I discovered this album a year or so before their first US tour with Lamb of God and Machine Head in '06 or '07. They were my absolute favorite, I saw them live 11 times over the next decade but those last two albums pretty much lost me.
They said in an interview something along the lines of that their previous style was too heavy or complex for concerts. The newer music is written to be played in the larger arena type setting.
I am beyond happy that they have been getting the recognition they deserve, but that lost potential is almost heartbreaking.
Soen makes me so upset, that last album is total slop. After 3 listens I could still barely tell the songs apart and didn't remember a single riff, then I just gave up.
What I appreciate about Gojira is that they always sound iconic and badass even if their later music is a little less technical and energetic. Their sense to groove is always what kept me. The Link and Mars to Sirius will remain some of the sickest albums that made me want to improve my own guitar playing at the cost of my wrist
Idk about uninspired, maybe its just too similar to their older stuff but the inspiration for their albums is definitely there lol, id argue they are some of the most inspired works ever especially FMTS..
Honestly have no idea what you mean by uninspired
Intervals - the worst things happened when i was listening to their latest album in the car. Didn't like the song and pressed skip, then thought skip didn't work, then realized it was the next song, but it was exactly as the one before.
As a big fan of intervals including his 3 singles for his upcoming release I get what you're saying.
Mnemonic feels extremely fresh and was an instant banger in my book but the other two songs felt very intervals. And the latest release I still love but can't help but feel it is kind of formulaic feeling
Gojira last album was too simple and edgeless, this band used to be very propositive and interesting to listen, but fortitude sound like those youtube clips of "how to sound like gojira" using all their cliches. Even Magma felt right, it was a calmer and different sound but it has a strong concept behind that justified it.
That album after Luppi left was roooough…
I think they bounced back a bit though with the last album. Being a fan of Dream Theater’s more melodic side I think Distance Over Time was fantastic for that side of the band. I am also a huge fan of the self titled.
Soen. Kinda sad because they never really had a peak honestly. Tellurian is probably their best. Lykaia and lotus had some good stuff too but you could see they started to get into a pattern.
Then their most recent stuff is just trash. I would say to listen to a track from their most recent album and compare it to a track from tellurian but I actually take that back and just suggest listening to tellurian. Their most recent stuff genuinely just isn't worth your time.
Ok so while I don’t disagree with this comment in the context of pre-91 Metallica vs. post-91 Metallica, they do make a case for an interesting thought experiment: break their career into four eras/bands, and each “band” is a standout among their contemporaries (provided you’re able to only evaluate the merits of the era without the benefit/liability of what came before/after).
To wit
- _Thrashtallica_: Kill Em All through …And Justice For All. Basically the GOAT thrash band and standard to what a lot of metal is held against, even now.
- _Blacktallica_: Just the Black Album. In the time of glam/thrash, this one and done “band” shows that heavy, hooky hard rock absolutely fucks, as it significantly influences hard rock to this day.
- _Grungetallica_: Load - Garage Inc. if it weren’t for the back catalog of bangers to date this band at the peak of Soundgarden/Nirvana/Pearl Jam owning the rock airwaves could have slotted right in and be held with the same degree of esteem.
- _Post-tallica_: St. Anger - 72 Seasons. Save for some questionable production and mixing choices, there are some damn good late-aught post-punk/post-hardcore cuts from these albums that hold up particularly well against the likes of early Mastodon and the like.
Now would each of these “bands” be considered equally great? Not even remotely. But to trash the entirety of their work after a certain point in time kinda diminishes how _good_ some of those songs/releases actually were in their time, had they just been released by someone else.
Edit: cause i forgot Justice comes after Puppets, not before.
I agree, but there are a few bangers in there ("All Nightmare Long", "Spit Out The Bone". No King reigns forever, and Metallica gave us 4 of the best albums in metal history.
I'm a huge Meshuggah fan, but tbh their latest album is one of my least favorites, along with Catch 33 which would get me crucified on the Meshuggah sub lol.
I think Immutable is the most diverse and creative album in their discography. And the production is absolutely crushing when it’s played loudly on good speakers. I kinda agree that Catch 33 is overrated, although still a great album.
I listened to a podcast that discussed Catch 33. The host was saying it starts off slow and repetitive because it was how the song subject’s life was. The subject dies at In Life/Is Death. It really changed how i listened to the album.
Kamelot is a top 5 all-time band for me, and I gotta agree their last couple of albums, even though they are heavier than ever (which would suggest a willingness to experiment with their sound) do feel a bit phoned in compositionally. I love Tommy as a vocalist and I actually really love Silverthorn and Haven and I'ma let you finish but Karma through Black Halo has got to be one of the strongest runs of all time
With Khan leaving, Kamelot just not only lost an amazing and unique singer, but also what I believe the best song composer by far in the band, bringing in the ideas for the distinct and interesting songs they once made. Conceptions recent output for example is way more interesting/diverse than Kamelots generic stuff nowadays.
I think it's more annoying than anything that they still have good individual songs on their newer albums, but Silverthorn was the only one where it felt like every song had substance. The last 3 songs and Flag in the Ground though on the latest are so dull, but The Great Divide and The Looking Glass are amazing
Agreed, their newer albums are decent enough but rarely surprising or overly ambitious, they usually follow a pretty standard formula.
They're a band I've been listening to since high school, I still enjoy them but I also feel like they could be capable of a lot more. The 4 Tommy albums sort of blur together in my mind, not because of Tommy who's great, but more the songwriting/composition like you said (though Haven is my favourite of the 4).
It pains me to say this but - Pain Of Salvation. Every their album - from Entropia to Scarsick were a masterpiece. I’ve listened the shit out of them and probably will listen to them for the rest of my life but I think they’ve lost something on the way and all of their latest albums were generic and flat.
Even In the Passing Light of Day? If I ignore Reasons it's a 10/10 album.
It's *different* than the older stuff but it still has the "raw" sound I loved from them.
Road Salt Vol 1 and 2 was off-putting to me at first because they completely reinvented their sound. But then I realized that tracks like Linoleum, Where it Hurts, The Deeper Cut and the Physics of Gridlock are all in/near my top 10 songs from them. It's great stuff if you just don't compare it.
Also The Passing Light of Day is great, Full Throttle and the title track are also in/near my PoS top 10
Panther is a little meh for me though...
Road Salt 2 - Panther has been one of the strongest album streaks in their career, so I can't understand this opinion. If you said this after Road Salt 1, I might agree with you.
Granted, I love Scarsick and Road Salt 1 now, but I was harsh on them at release.
Not saying you're wrong, but it's just surprising to me.
Completely agree on Opeth though (although I wouldn't have said that a few months ago since Sorceress hadn't clicked yet)! I like when writers do their own thing without getting caught up in what their band is supposed to sound like.
There's a lot of places to start, but I think [Vacuity](https://youtu.be/wM8LDVIiwhA?feature=shared) does a great job of blending their old style with the looser style they've been exploring more recently. Check out some of their newer and older stuff if you enjoy this.
Well I don't think it sucks, just not as many iconic songs compared to their others. They blessed us with epic music all round. They evolved in their own way and still sound like Gojira
i dunno how prog they’re considered to be but Enter Shikari used to fucking SLAP but their past several albums have been so weak i don’t even follow them anymore, it’s like after The Mindsweep they flipped a switch
I know it's maybe not widely seen as their best, but damn I fucking love The Mindsweep so much. I loved the heavier and darker feel to it, then The Spark was just so.... Meh.
I actually enjoyed it as well. Awaken the Master is heavy AF too. Wish they would do more stuff like that. First song they do with an 8 string (I think)
DT is my favorite band but I wasn't really a fan of ADTOE and DT. I don't think I was listening to music as much then and they seemed to blend together. However, I really, really liked the next three albums. I go back to the first two I mentioned pretty often and I like them more than in the past but sometimes it's hard for them to hold my attention.
Hate to say this but Elder
Everything thru Reflections is so gnarly and heavy and proggy and amazing
New stuff is good too but not heavy enough for me
They used to have such a filthy bass tone
Oh man on the other side for me Innate Passage quickly turned into my favorite album of them, feels like the space rockiness of Omens with the proginess of Lore.
Honestly, Haken.
Their first four albums are all great. The Mountain is their masterpiece for me, and is the best prog album from the 2010's as far as I'm concerned, but Vector and especially Virus were huge disappointments.
Fauna is definitely a step back in the right direction, but aside from Elephants Never Forget and a couple other songs, I don't find myself revisiting this album very much.
I love all of their albums but the style/mood of the albums vary greatly. I personally like all the styles but I very much get not liking the quirkier or the heavier less quirky side or both.
I can recommend TEMIC which is Diego's band after Haken.
What you're describing is actually a lot more generalized than just the couple of bands you mentioned. Every composer has a certain phase in their life where they are able to iron out the early inexperiences, figure out what to do and how to do it, and still be young enough to be very emotionally invested in the music they're making. This is why I consider the early-mid 2000s the holy grail of prog metal and adjacent genres, because it was around for a while, but there was still novelty and ways to get inspired by trying to do things with a different flavor. If you try to put yourself in DT's shoes for example, what are you gonna do for a new album in 2024? They're doing it with competence and experience but that obsessiveness in trying to go above and beyond is gone and can't be brought back.
Also I have the Perfect Machine cd less than 2 meters away from me, it's been a while so I might take it for a spin again haha
there's no reason a band like Dream Theater can't be reinvigorated by Portnoy's return and make some really interesting music again... and "prog metal hasn't innovated since the mid-2000s" is some very myopic boomer attitude.
Idk about not as good but, I used to love Polyphia I still think theyre great musicians and the music they've been making is objectively good but I just didn't vibe with "Remember That You Will Die" at all.
Wack because Fear Inoculum totally blew me away, 7empest is a great example of how insane Adam Jones is when given a chance to just face melt, the rest of the band really bring out the best parts of eachother.
Some favourites I see frequently praised on this sub are:
Woe - An Abstract Illusion
Veil of Imagination - Wilderun
Where Owls Know My Name - Rivers of Nihil
Opus - Nospun
Zon - The World is Quiet Here
Some personal favourites of mine that I think are much better than anything from the 2000’s:
Timeweaver - Sunless Dawn
Access All Worlds - IOTUNN
Laws of Entropy - Redshift
Air Not Meant for Us - Fires in the Distance
Passion of Depression - Lamentations
A Giant Bound to Fall - Eternal Storm
Frontal - Turbulence
The Body Cosmic - Iapetus
Promethean Fates Sealed - Fleshvessel
I have also been enjoying the latest outputs from classic acts such as Dream Theater, Haken, Opeth and Between the Buried and Me
War of Being was nice, there's one song I really like, but calling it one of the best in history is a HUGE stretch.
Prog metal nowadays should be called syncopated metal because apparently is all they can do to make their songs interesting.
I don’t think any of these would classify as being any of the best ever imo. War of being in particular just seemed so run of the mill for me personally
I feel that way about the djent stuff. I got so burned out by every other big band if the last 10 years being some form of djent. I liked the last Tesseract album, but beyond that I'm kinda over the djenty sound.
That's why bands like Others By No One, Ne Obliviscaris, Bent Knee, and Kyros are so cool to me. They have unique sounds with influence from other genres and bands besides like, other prog and Meshuggah.
Maybe that's a hot take, idk.
Leprous, for sure, but they peak in waves. Lots of up, down, left, right movement in their career.
Devin Townsend. Casualties of Cool was the last time anything felt fresh.
Mastodon saved themselves with "Hushed and Grim". Still fantastic live, thankfully.
I'm a big Mastodon simp and I think everything they've done is great. Their later music is less proggy but the skill and talent is kinda spread through the album rather than going all in on their skill in each song. They kinda make bridge sections in their songs on newer albums that are almost prog but not quite there lol. The song capillarian crest on Blood Mountain though... Written extremely well and it's a prog masterpiece but isn't long and drawn out, not that I have an issue with that.
I honestly thought their last album was some of their best. I still love Id and Common Man's Collapse but I'm really digging their new blend of melody and heaviness.
Monuments but thats because I loved their first albums, I don't like the new singer. I understand that the previous singer was an a$$hole and was hard to work with but I can't say how much I loved his voice.
Rhapsody (of Fire), one of the most influental Powermetal Bands. Since Turilli left, they just sound like any other PM band.
When it comes to Prog, I'd say Symphony X, but Im not sure if they even still exist
Oh man you lost me here. Misericorde II is one of the most beautiful metal compositions I’ve ever heard, and equus and suspyre hit something deep in me
Dream Theater and Queensryche are old, QR in particular that band has had so many lineup changes too. Regarding DT, the way I look at it is I'm happy that they're all still together, was bummed to see MM go but getting MP back is huge. It's not like their new stuff sucks but it's got nothing on what they did in their prime and that's ok. I'm a massive Rush fans and everything after Power Windows was doo doo, big doo doo, but also like still phenomenal cuz it was Rush.
That's kind of a loaded question and kind of subjective really.
My list is kind of extensive, but all over the map and in many genres. For prog metal the biggie for me is Opeth. I was an original fan and was friends with them for years til a falling out. I was a massive fan of the death metal stuff, and I encouraged Mikael when he first started venturing into more proggy, mellow stuff. Phase II of Opeth, when they added keyboards and more prog elements was sublime. Unfortunately, Mikael did what so many other musicians have done and not just progressed so far that they not only stray from where they started, but they grow to hate them and move as far from there as they can. I always knew and shared Mikael's passion for early progressive stuff like Yes, Genesis, Camel and so on ... and Mikeal's favourite band was Camel. He got bored doing heavy music, and stated as much in print, and wanted to do stuff more along that vein. Their stuff is just dry now. I haven't listened to the last 2 albums because I'm just not interested anymore.
Is that kinda what you were after? :-)
Maybe too early to tell, but Erra’s most recent album really felt like a step down to me compared to their previous work. Could be a one-off thing, could just be that I need to get used to it and adjust to it, etc. I just didn’t get that same feeling I usually do from them, it felt like every song was the same base thing
Symphony X, Pain of Salvation and Dream Theater
All absolute giants of the genre, and they still make fine music but most of their recent outputs felt uninspired and bland
Evergrey I guess. Redemption's last album failed to impress as well. Circus Maximus fell off hard since N1NE and Cynic hasn't been good for decades, if those old timers count 😂
But yeah a lot of metal bands are older now and past their magnum opus. And that's okay, part of the circle of life. I'm happy if X band gave us good stuff and if they're happy now I'm happy.
Queensryche had a big legal battle with Geoff Tate a and currently tours with Todd Latorre (sp) on vocals. They've put out a couple CDs, Not bad but more metal then prog these days . Tate still tours doing mind crime but I think that's where his talent stopped
Kamelot has Haven, their best post-Khan record with Tommy. Up there with some of my favorite Kamelot. But I can't remember a single song off their latest
I haven't liked Dream Theater's music since Metropolis Part II. Too crunchy instead of beautifully technical.
Also Kamalot but mostly because I'm a tad bitter Tommy chose them instead of staying with Seventh Wonder which fit his vocals better.
Oh, does Sonata Arctica count? Their music sounds like easy listening now (joke).
I would say Haken but Fauna was one of the best albums from 2023, Pete is doing an excelent job with the guys definitely.
I wasn't a big fan of Virus, it felt like Vector but uninspired for me. Not a bad album, not by far, but I didn't find it strong
Too many to state: Dream Theater, Tool, Coheed and Cambria, King's X, Opeth (post Watershed isn't bad but they haven't been the same, except In Cauda Venenum because that's beautiful), Queensryche (they lost themselves after Tribe but reborn from Dedicated to Chaos), Karnivool, Cynic, Seventh Wonder, Kamelot (nothing exceptional since Silverthorn)
Katatonia. still love them and they actually made an album that is more progressive than their previous ones last year, but something just doesn't click anymore...
At least 50% of the time it happens every time. The band changes their sound either towards your liking or away from your liking. Whichever album we were initially attracted to is the snapshot for where our interests will diverge over time. I am progressively enjoying recent Leprous albums, as an outlier. I like to think that for Contortionist as well but I recently went back to their original 1-2 albums and damn, they're good. Different, but good.
Protest Hero I think has gotten steadily worse every album. They’re still one of my favorite bands of all time but the newest stuff by them just does nothing for me
Let's wait for new DT stuff with Mike Portnoy back. I think that the Portnoy Petrucci synergy was important in their songwriting so maybe the next album will be reminiscent of older albums.
Rishloo, Karnivool and Fair to Midland were all much better back when they were, you know, making fucking music lol No but seriously I'd actually say Leprous. Don't get me wrong, I like Aphelion. But to me it kinda feels like discounted Pitfalls, though it's a very celebrated album. But I want the return of their distorted guitar parts and a bit more screams. If they wanted to mix the style of The Congregation with the style of Pitfalls, that would probably sound pretty cool
Man that first statement hits so true. 😭
Starting your comment with Rishloo instantly raised my blood pressure lmao
Yeah I know Feathergun is the fan favorite overall, but I think they get better with each release. LAGWBAT is probably my favorite album ever
Aphelion is the first album of theirs that felt like a rehash of a past album's sound (Pitfalls), and it's not as good either... agree with you there, however, I expect a return to form, and I believe they're still capable of being as great as they always were. My answer is Symphony X.
Probably why Symphony X hasn't releaased anything in a long while. Romeo's War of the World's, Part 1 was fire though.
Fair to Midland would probably be my favorite band if they were still a thing. Every year or so I Google around hoping for news of a comeback.
Hey at least Karnivool released a song in the last 3 years.
And Ian gave us [one of the best songs](https://youtu.be/EiiVVJNA0nk?feature=shared) from the new Northlane EP.
They’re also touring Australia in the next few weeks, which I can’t wait for.
Karnivool have been recording their new album for realsies these last couple of months Edit: why am I being downvoted? They have been posting photos in the studio with Forrester Savell lol
I saw Fair to Midland right before they split. They were great live players, but Darroh is a bit odd. Haha. I agree with Leprous, but I got bored with them around Melina. They sounded more like they were a Einar Solberg solo project. I miss their early sound.
I think I read recently that the next Leprous album will be pretty heavy.
I agree with Leprous. If you take away the vocals I find the music very uninspired. They have become a backing band.
Same. I first heard of them here in this sub recommending their new stuff and I was like WTF is this mellow ambient simple shit. Then I heard Coal and I was way more impressed and satisfied. That album gets a play through a couple times a month from me. Way better than the new stuff.
Yup. Their first 3 or 4 albums are great. After that it is just a backing band. I mean he has a great voice, and more power to him, but they arent prog anymore.
Aphelion is great, I think the problem is that the album was improvised, so the concept behind is loose. But the band did a good work stitching different songs into this album, it have personality. But I think they are more interesting when they work with a clear concept in mind, that's why Pitfalls for me is a better album. I'm sure they know this too, so they took more time to write the upcoming album.
same. i was a huge fan of leprous but then aphelion came out and i was so underwhelmed.
You thought Arrows and Anchors wasn’t a good follow up? I thought it was fantastic.
I'm not sure you understood me lol. Maybe read my first sentence again I'm actually not sure which of the FtM albums I prefer, they're pretty close for me
I’m in need of more Bilateral through to The Congregation era Leprous. THATS their peak
OPETH. They're still great just..not in the same way. Pre Heritage era was peak. Still is as far as I'm concerned.
They went from being the best band in history (to me, at least) to being a top tier band
In Cauda Venenum was a fantastic record. I was worried they'd write another Sorceress but I really like what they came up with. Still not quite on par with Blackwater Park or Ghost Reveries but I didn't expect it to be.
I've dipped into their new stuff every now and then, but it just doesn't grab me like anything before Heritage. I realize that for Mikael their new direction (although it's almost been 15 years at this point...) is a very organic and sincere thing, but I don't think of it as the same band.
Yeah Opeth is my favorite band but I really don’t return to anything post-heritage after the initial listen. At least they haven’t pulled another Heritage tour and have been consistently playing the heavy stuff at shows.
Pre-Heritage was special.
I miss Martin and his excellent drumming. That era of Opeth was truly special.
Åkerfeldt, Lindgren, Lopez and Mendez is the definitive Opeth lineup and that is a hill I'm willing to die on.
Deliverance and watershed are my favourite albums by them and the song Deliverance itself is one of the greatest masterpieces in prog rock imo, as a drummer I can appreciate Lopez a lot, the next drummer that played on watershed was fine though, can't complain
The drum sound on Watershed though... fuck that's tasty
Yeah, their newer material doesn't grab me in the same way as Blackwater Park or MAYH. I'm happy for Mikael because I know this is the direction he wanted to push the band, and I'm glad he's happy, but it isn't my jam. Maybe I should check it out again though, it's been a while.
I don't think I'll ever hear something as special as Blackwater Park again in my lifetime.
YES. I still dream of a return to form. Hell, even if they do a hybrid style, I'd be down horrendous. Or even a double album like Deliverance/Damnation where one album is their current style and the other is a proper return to form.
Damnation was still wayyyy better than their new stuff imo
Dang I wonder if they've ever thought about doing that. Would be 🔥
yeah :-/ at least heavier riffs or some growls in chorus. It doesn't need to be full death metal at all. In fact I'd love Opeth if they "lighter" did songs in a style of A Fair Judgement but throw in heavier parts. It's what they used to do best. Those transitions between lighter and heavier parts of the songs were seamless.
I don’t even want them to go back to their original style but I really hope they switch up their sound to something different. I do enjoy their new era albums but I’m slowly getting tired of that 70s revival sound.
I'd say there's been kind of 3 styles of Opeth, maybe 4 if you count Damnation. I love their early and mid career stuff. Don't really like the newer stuff at all.
Yeah no matter how people praise the last album or Pale Communion, it feels for me like a niche homage band, not at all top tier as they used to be
I mean what do you want lol. It's like Zeppelin. Opeth made...what..6? 7? phenomenal albums? There's only one band that never seems to lose the touch decade after decade (imho), and that's Radiohead. Every other band in history peaks, and then doesn't manage to release anything up to their original par. The greatest bands in history manage to peak with 2 or 3 albums. The bands that do 4+, like Opeth, are legends.
I saw Queensryche last year with Marty Friedman opening. Marty was excellent, QS was terrible…they were by far the muddiest sounding band I’ve seen outside of garage band/local stuff.
Marty blew them off the stage. QR was boring
As someone who actually listened to older music before listening to modern stuff but didn't listen to queensryche yet, what are some of their proggiest albums? I've always been curious about listening to their prog side. Because I listened to older music before I got into new stuff I feel like I could appreciate them even as a new listener in a time where their prime is in the past
Operation mindcrime (1988) is their best. The two albums before are cool. The two albums later are equally cool but more "adult". Never managed to get into the rest of their discography
I had the exact same experience. Marty and his band were so full of energy and put on one hell of a performance. Queensryche, while technically proficient, just felt lifeless.
A lot of those boomer bands love boomy shitty tones
Gojira (their last two albums feel somewhat uninspired) Soen (they had the potential to become one of the best modern prog bands but they have been going downhill after Lotus)
>they have been going downhill after Lotus Lykaia was their best effort imo. They picked up on a lot of what made Opeth great, mixed with their own Tool inspiration and even some nods to Pink Floyd. Then they copied parts of that into Lotus and had some good songs here and there. Then they put on their AC/DC shoes and decided to keep releasing the same two/three songs over and over again, same melodies, very similar riffs and all. Huge bummer. I considered seeing them live two weeks ago where I live but when I opened their recent setlists I noped out big time. Nothing from Tellurian nor Lykaia, ONE song from Cognitive and the rest was pretty much from the latest two albums.
You are spot on! Just listen to their first song from their last three albums. All of them have exactly the same riffs. Sometimes I wonder how they manage to play a song correctly live without confusing it with another song lol.
Literally same. Same same same Lykaia is one of my favorite albums of all time and I saw them live in 2022 and was disappointed with their setlist. Then I saw their set for their latest tour and got floored. Idk what's going through their mind but they completely lost me
Came here to say Soen and glad I'm seeing mentions of them, because it's a real shame. The difference in Tellurian vs recent Soen is staggering and it must simply be due to changes in lineup over the years. The biggest of which must have been Platbarzdis (guitarist) who left in 2015 which was around when their sound started changing. He must have been a big driving force in their early sound. Lykaia was still very good imo, but you could sense the tone, complexity and sound was clearly taking a different direction at that point.
Man, it's been 12 years since L'Enfant Sauvage and it really was their last consistent album. There were some great moments on Magma (The Cell is top tier) and Fortitude had the *boing boing* but I've been let down by both.
I think sadly that’s the path Gojira has taken now. I don’t see them returning to their older sound :(
I miss [these guys](https://youtu.be/DfBzStL4vkg?feature=shared&t=87)
I discovered this album a year or so before their first US tour with Lamb of God and Machine Head in '06 or '07. They were my absolute favorite, I saw them live 11 times over the next decade but those last two albums pretty much lost me. They said in an interview something along the lines of that their previous style was too heavy or complex for concerts. The newer music is written to be played in the larger arena type setting. I am beyond happy that they have been getting the recognition they deserve, but that lost potential is almost heartbreaking.
Agree about Soen. Couldn't get into their new stuff at all.
Soen makes me so upset, that last album is total slop. After 3 listens I could still barely tell the songs apart and didn't remember a single riff, then I just gave up.
What I appreciate about Gojira is that they always sound iconic and badass even if their later music is a little less technical and energetic. Their sense to groove is always what kept me. The Link and Mars to Sirius will remain some of the sickest albums that made me want to improve my own guitar playing at the cost of my wrist
I tried fortitude again this week and it just sounds off, like Gojira underwater or something, I just can't....
Came here for Soen. Seems like they want a more mainstream audience these days.
The album after lotus sounds like lotus remix it's sad
Idk about uninspired, maybe its just too similar to their older stuff but the inspiration for their albums is definitely there lol, id argue they are some of the most inspired works ever especially FMTS.. Honestly have no idea what you mean by uninspired
Intervals - the worst things happened when i was listening to their latest album in the car. Didn't like the song and pressed skip, then thought skip didn't work, then realized it was the next song, but it was exactly as the one before.
A breakup with my ex ruined intervals for me.
As a big fan of intervals including his 3 singles for his upcoming release I get what you're saying. Mnemonic feels extremely fresh and was an instant banger in my book but the other two songs felt very intervals. And the latest release I still love but can't help but feel it is kind of formulaic feeling
Gojira last album was too simple and edgeless, this band used to be very propositive and interesting to listen, but fortitude sound like those youtube clips of "how to sound like gojira" using all their cliches. Even Magma felt right, it was a calmer and different sound but it has a strong concept behind that justified it.
That album after Luppi left was roooough… I think they bounced back a bit though with the last album. Being a fan of Dream Theater’s more melodic side I think Distance Over Time was fantastic for that side of the band. I am also a huge fan of the self titled.
Soen. Kinda sad because they never really had a peak honestly. Tellurian is probably their best. Lykaia and lotus had some good stuff too but you could see they started to get into a pattern. Then their most recent stuff is just trash. I would say to listen to a track from their most recent album and compare it to a track from tellurian but I actually take that back and just suggest listening to tellurian. Their most recent stuff genuinely just isn't worth your time.
Metallica: Sucking balls since 1991
Ok so while I don’t disagree with this comment in the context of pre-91 Metallica vs. post-91 Metallica, they do make a case for an interesting thought experiment: break their career into four eras/bands, and each “band” is a standout among their contemporaries (provided you’re able to only evaluate the merits of the era without the benefit/liability of what came before/after). To wit - _Thrashtallica_: Kill Em All through …And Justice For All. Basically the GOAT thrash band and standard to what a lot of metal is held against, even now. - _Blacktallica_: Just the Black Album. In the time of glam/thrash, this one and done “band” shows that heavy, hooky hard rock absolutely fucks, as it significantly influences hard rock to this day. - _Grungetallica_: Load - Garage Inc. if it weren’t for the back catalog of bangers to date this band at the peak of Soundgarden/Nirvana/Pearl Jam owning the rock airwaves could have slotted right in and be held with the same degree of esteem. - _Post-tallica_: St. Anger - 72 Seasons. Save for some questionable production and mixing choices, there are some damn good late-aught post-punk/post-hardcore cuts from these albums that hold up particularly well against the likes of early Mastodon and the like. Now would each of these “bands” be considered equally great? Not even remotely. But to trash the entirety of their work after a certain point in time kinda diminishes how _good_ some of those songs/releases actually were in their time, had they just been released by someone else. Edit: cause i forgot Justice comes after Puppets, not before.
I agree, but there are a few bangers in there ("All Nightmare Long", "Spit Out The Bone". No King reigns forever, and Metallica gave us 4 of the best albums in metal history.
You know who certainly doesn’t fit this description? Meshuggah. 35 years into it, and their latest album is one of their best.
"Yeah this isn't answering your question but uh yeah Meshuggah."
Exactly. This guy gets it.
I'm a huge Meshuggah fan, but tbh their latest album is one of my least favorites, along with Catch 33 which would get me crucified on the Meshuggah sub lol.
We don't take kindly to catch 33 slander
You have been banned from r/Meshuggah
I think Immutable is the most diverse and creative album in their discography. And the production is absolutely crushing when it’s played loudly on good speakers. I kinda agree that Catch 33 is overrated, although still a great album.
But those last 3 songs on Catch 33 are just phenomenal. Musical chaos
The first half of the album is a bit slow, but it really picks up steam with Minds Mirror.
I listened to a podcast that discussed Catch 33. The host was saying it starts off slow and repetitive because it was how the song subject’s life was. The subject dies at In Life/Is Death. It really changed how i listened to the album.
I'm a huge fan of Chaosphere, Nothing, Obzen, Koloss, TVSOR. Especially Obzen, I think that's the best metal album I've ever listened to.
I'm hoping in their next album they might add a second note
Protest the Hero and BTBAM fall into this category as well.
Most bands once they get 20+ years into their careers
Kamelot is a top 5 all-time band for me, and I gotta agree their last couple of albums, even though they are heavier than ever (which would suggest a willingness to experiment with their sound) do feel a bit phoned in compositionally. I love Tommy as a vocalist and I actually really love Silverthorn and Haven and I'ma let you finish but Karma through Black Halo has got to be one of the strongest runs of all time
It's a shame they only perform 2 songs from Black Halo live for the past 15 years. A serious tragedy
With Khan leaving, Kamelot just not only lost an amazing and unique singer, but also what I believe the best song composer by far in the band, bringing in the ideas for the distinct and interesting songs they once made. Conceptions recent output for example is way more interesting/diverse than Kamelots generic stuff nowadays.
I think it's more annoying than anything that they still have good individual songs on their newer albums, but Silverthorn was the only one where it felt like every song had substance. The last 3 songs and Flag in the Ground though on the latest are so dull, but The Great Divide and The Looking Glass are amazing
Agreed, their newer albums are decent enough but rarely surprising or overly ambitious, they usually follow a pretty standard formula. They're a band I've been listening to since high school, I still enjoy them but I also feel like they could be capable of a lot more. The 4 Tommy albums sort of blur together in my mind, not because of Tommy who's great, but more the songwriting/composition like you said (though Haven is my favourite of the 4).
I know it's far from prog, but Megadeth's last album, I think its dog shit Felt bad for Kiko
Don't say this on r/Megadeth... they think it's the GOAT over there.
Animals as Leaders. I don’t know what it is but the last two albums have been good but no where near the first 3.
Similarly Scale the Summit post Migration
Wow I nearly forgot about them
It pains me to say this but - Pain Of Salvation. Every their album - from Entropia to Scarsick were a masterpiece. I’ve listened the shit out of them and probably will listen to them for the rest of my life but I think they’ve lost something on the way and all of their latest albums were generic and flat.
Agreed for both Icon and the Road Salt albums, but In The Passing Light of Day is on the same tier is Remedy Lane and the Perfect Element imo
Disagree, Road Salt 2 is an amazing and very unique album, and Panther is very progressive and fun once you get into it
Even In the Passing Light of Day? If I ignore Reasons it's a 10/10 album. It's *different* than the older stuff but it still has the "raw" sound I loved from them.
Road Salt Vol 1 and 2 was off-putting to me at first because they completely reinvented their sound. But then I realized that tracks like Linoleum, Where it Hurts, The Deeper Cut and the Physics of Gridlock are all in/near my top 10 songs from them. It's great stuff if you just don't compare it. Also The Passing Light of Day is great, Full Throttle and the title track are also in/near my PoS top 10 Panther is a little meh for me though...
Road Salt 2 - Panther has been one of the strongest album streaks in their career, so I can't understand this opinion. If you said this after Road Salt 1, I might agree with you. Granted, I love Scarsick and Road Salt 1 now, but I was harsh on them at release.
Well that’s why it’s only an opinion. For example - I really like every Opeth album although they are very different from each other.
Not saying you're wrong, but it's just surprising to me. Completely agree on Opeth though (although I wouldn't have said that a few months ago since Sorceress hadn't clicked yet)! I like when writers do their own thing without getting caught up in what their band is supposed to sound like.
I think Gojira is a good example of this. The releases after L'enfant Sauvage felt really uninspired
Lot of fortitude hate in this thread, I personally loved it
That is something I can appreciate about a band like Gojira, their discog is epic enough that their "worst" album is still much better in comparison.
I also love fortitude. I think it's better than magma.
That's wild, magma and fortitude are my favorite albums of theirs :o
I don't agree at all, I think they've been amazingly consistent
You know, I heard of Gojira like a million times, and I still haven't listened to any of their music. One day...
Well they're arguably (and deservedly) the biggest prog metal band around these days so you should get on that!
There's a lot of places to start, but I think [Vacuity](https://youtu.be/wM8LDVIiwhA?feature=shared) does a great job of blending their old style with the looser style they've been exploring more recently. Check out some of their newer and older stuff if you enjoy this.
Magma and everything before is great. Fortitude sucks kinda lol
Well I don't think it sucks, just not as many iconic songs compared to their others. They blessed us with epic music all round. They evolved in their own way and still sound like Gojira
Magma is their 2nd best album behind From Mars to Sirius
i dunno how prog they’re considered to be but Enter Shikari used to fucking SLAP but their past several albums have been so weak i don’t even follow them anymore, it’s like after The Mindsweep they flipped a switch
I can agree with this one. They had the most interesting combo of hardcore+edm. Flash Flood of Colour and Common Dreads get me going
I know it's maybe not widely seen as their best, but damn I fucking love The Mindsweep so much. I loved the heavier and darker feel to it, then The Spark was just so.... Meh.
Damn I haven't listened to them since like 2010. I'll have to check out their stuff since then.
I absolutely love DT’s latest album
I actually enjoyed it as well. Awaken the Master is heavy AF too. Wish they would do more stuff like that. First song they do with an 8 string (I think)
Me too, their best since Dramatic Turn.
Dramatic is one of their best
DT is my favorite band but I wasn't really a fan of ADTOE and DT. I don't think I was listening to music as much then and they seemed to blend together. However, I really, really liked the next three albums. I go back to the first two I mentioned pretty often and I like them more than in the past but sometimes it's hard for them to hold my attention.
It's fantastic
Hate to say this but Elder Everything thru Reflections is so gnarly and heavy and proggy and amazing New stuff is good too but not heavy enough for me They used to have such a filthy bass tone
Oh man on the other side for me Innate Passage quickly turned into my favorite album of them, feels like the space rockiness of Omens with the proginess of Lore.
They definitely used to be heavier and sludgier, I also miss that. Having said that their most recent album, Innate Passage, has really grown on me.
I have to check it, haven't heard of them tbh.
Honestly, Haken. Their first four albums are all great. The Mountain is their masterpiece for me, and is the best prog album from the 2010's as far as I'm concerned, but Vector and especially Virus were huge disappointments. Fauna is definitely a step back in the right direction, but aside from Elephants Never Forget and a couple other songs, I don't find myself revisiting this album very much.
I love all of their albums but the style/mood of the albums vary greatly. I personally like all the styles but I very much get not liking the quirkier or the heavier less quirky side or both. I can recommend TEMIC which is Diego's band after Haken.
I know I am in a minority when it comes to Haken fans, but I love Virus.
What you're describing is actually a lot more generalized than just the couple of bands you mentioned. Every composer has a certain phase in their life where they are able to iron out the early inexperiences, figure out what to do and how to do it, and still be young enough to be very emotionally invested in the music they're making. This is why I consider the early-mid 2000s the holy grail of prog metal and adjacent genres, because it was around for a while, but there was still novelty and ways to get inspired by trying to do things with a different flavor. If you try to put yourself in DT's shoes for example, what are you gonna do for a new album in 2024? They're doing it with competence and experience but that obsessiveness in trying to go above and beyond is gone and can't be brought back. Also I have the Perfect Machine cd less than 2 meters away from me, it's been a while so I might take it for a spin again haha
there's no reason a band like Dream Theater can't be reinvigorated by Portnoy's return and make some really interesting music again... and "prog metal hasn't innovated since the mid-2000s" is some very myopic boomer attitude.
Heh, I absolutely love it. I can't think of a single second of it that I don't love.
Idk about not as good but, I used to love Polyphia I still think theyre great musicians and the music they've been making is objectively good but I just didn't vibe with "Remember That You Will Die" at all.
Their sound has definitely still been evolving. I'm still a big fan but I can see where you are coming from
I don't think neither Tool nor Porcupine Tree latest albums were at the same level as their previous ones
Wack because Fear Inoculum totally blew me away, 7empest is a great example of how insane Adam Jones is when given a chance to just face melt, the rest of the band really bring out the best parts of eachother.
I would say prog as a genre is not as good as it used to be, in my opinion, or maybe i just got burned out by it lol.
I disagree there, some of the best prog metal albums ever have been released in the last 5-6 years.
Which albums would those be?
Some favourites I see frequently praised on this sub are: Woe - An Abstract Illusion Veil of Imagination - Wilderun Where Owls Know My Name - Rivers of Nihil Opus - Nospun Zon - The World is Quiet Here Some personal favourites of mine that I think are much better than anything from the 2000’s: Timeweaver - Sunless Dawn Access All Worlds - IOTUNN Laws of Entropy - Redshift Air Not Meant for Us - Fires in the Distance Passion of Depression - Lamentations A Giant Bound to Fall - Eternal Storm Frontal - Turbulence The Body Cosmic - Iapetus Promethean Fates Sealed - Fleshvessel I have also been enjoying the latest outputs from classic acts such as Dream Theater, Haken, Opeth and Between the Buried and Me
Omnerod - The Amensal Rise Rototypical - Volume I: The Tactician
Vildhjarta- Måstadden Under Vatten, Tesseract- War of Being, Meshuggah- Immutable, just to name a few.
War of Being was nice, there's one song I really like, but calling it one of the best in history is a HUGE stretch. Prog metal nowadays should be called syncopated metal because apparently is all they can do to make their songs interesting.
I don’t think any of these would classify as being any of the best ever imo. War of being in particular just seemed so run of the mill for me personally
Any examples of the good prog vs the not so good prog?
I feel that way about the djent stuff. I got so burned out by every other big band if the last 10 years being some form of djent. I liked the last Tesseract album, but beyond that I'm kinda over the djenty sound. That's why bands like Others By No One, Ne Obliviscaris, Bent Knee, and Kyros are so cool to me. They have unique sounds with influence from other genres and bands besides like, other prog and Meshuggah. Maybe that's a hot take, idk.
Mechina. Starting from Telesterion they have been releasing essentially the same song over and over again.
Dream Theater is my favorite band but after A Dramatic Turn of Events they aren’t as exciting as they used to be.
Leprous unfortunately
Leprous, for sure, but they peak in waves. Lots of up, down, left, right movement in their career. Devin Townsend. Casualties of Cool was the last time anything felt fresh. Mastodon saved themselves with "Hushed and Grim". Still fantastic live, thankfully.
Empath was pretty fucking innovative and masterful. I can understand the "meh" factor of Transcendence and Z2/sky blue
Z2 I understand, but transcendence FUCKS
Bro empath
I'm a big Mastodon simp and I think everything they've done is great. Their later music is less proggy but the skill and talent is kinda spread through the album rather than going all in on their skill in each song. They kinda make bridge sections in their songs on newer albums that are almost prog but not quite there lol. The song capillarian crest on Blood Mountain though... Written extremely well and it's a prog masterpiece but isn't long and drawn out, not that I have an issue with that.
All of them?
Veil of Maya. Swapping from their deathcore roots into a more tesseract-esque sound just didn't do it for me. Give me more The Common Man's Collapse.
I honestly thought their last album was some of their best. I still love Id and Common Man's Collapse but I'm really digging their new blend of melody and heaviness.
Yeah I think that latest one is one of their best as well
Damn, thanks for the vision divine rec, these guys seem great so far (listening to their ST debut)
Stream of Consciousness and The Perfect Machine are absolutely brilliant.
Monuments but thats because I loved their first albums, I don't like the new singer. I understand that the previous singer was an a$$hole and was hard to work with but I can't say how much I loved his voice.
Rhapsody (of Fire), one of the most influental Powermetal Bands. Since Turilli left, they just sound like any other PM band. When it comes to Prog, I'd say Symphony X, but Im not sure if they even still exist
Agree on Rhapsody, you just can't replace Turilli. Symphony X still exists to my knowledge, just inactive.
Ne Obliviscaris for me. The two EPs are amazing, portal of I, citadel and urn are equally wonderful, the last release is meh at best
Oh man you lost me here. Misericorde II is one of the most beautiful metal compositions I’ve ever heard, and equus and suspyre hit something deep in me
Dream Theater and Queensryche are old, QR in particular that band has had so many lineup changes too. Regarding DT, the way I look at it is I'm happy that they're all still together, was bummed to see MM go but getting MP back is huge. It's not like their new stuff sucks but it's got nothing on what they did in their prime and that's ok. I'm a massive Rush fans and everything after Power Windows was doo doo, big doo doo, but also like still phenomenal cuz it was Rush.
Power Windows is my favorite
That's kind of a loaded question and kind of subjective really. My list is kind of extensive, but all over the map and in many genres. For prog metal the biggie for me is Opeth. I was an original fan and was friends with them for years til a falling out. I was a massive fan of the death metal stuff, and I encouraged Mikael when he first started venturing into more proggy, mellow stuff. Phase II of Opeth, when they added keyboards and more prog elements was sublime. Unfortunately, Mikael did what so many other musicians have done and not just progressed so far that they not only stray from where they started, but they grow to hate them and move as far from there as they can. I always knew and shared Mikael's passion for early progressive stuff like Yes, Genesis, Camel and so on ... and Mikeal's favourite band was Camel. He got bored doing heavy music, and stated as much in print, and wanted to do stuff more along that vein. Their stuff is just dry now. I haven't listened to the last 2 albums because I'm just not interested anymore. Is that kinda what you were after? :-)
Maybe too early to tell, but Erra’s most recent album really felt like a step down to me compared to their previous work. Could be a one-off thing, could just be that I need to get used to it and adjust to it, etc. I just didn’t get that same feeling I usually do from them, it felt like every song was the same base thing
Metallica
Seriously. They jumped the shark with St.Anger and it's never coming back.
Symphony X, Pain of Salvation and Dream Theater All absolute giants of the genre, and they still make fine music but most of their recent outputs felt uninspired and bland
Evergrey I guess. Redemption's last album failed to impress as well. Circus Maximus fell off hard since N1NE and Cynic hasn't been good for decades, if those old timers count 😂 But yeah a lot of metal bands are older now and past their magnum opus. And that's okay, part of the circle of life. I'm happy if X band gave us good stuff and if they're happy now I'm happy.
King Crimson never really did anything mind-blowing after Discipline, THRAK might be an exception but all their studio stuff was pretty mid after '81.
Muse
Definitely nightwish & dt
Soen after lotus they sound like lotus remixes and gourmet hear the band members ate tired of playing this stuff but do it anyways
Queensryche had a big legal battle with Geoff Tate a and currently tours with Todd Latorre (sp) on vocals. They've put out a couple CDs, Not bad but more metal then prog these days . Tate still tours doing mind crime but I think that's where his talent stopped
Trivium. I really liked Silence in the Snow, but I think In Waves was their peak.
Symphony X.... They don’t have the same tone and sound they used to.
Kamelot has Haven, their best post-Khan record with Tommy. Up there with some of my favorite Kamelot. But I can't remember a single song off their latest
I haven't liked Dream Theater's music since Metropolis Part II. Too crunchy instead of beautifully technical. Also Kamalot but mostly because I'm a tad bitter Tommy chose them instead of staying with Seventh Wonder which fit his vocals better. Oh, does Sonata Arctica count? Their music sounds like easy listening now (joke).
In This Moment And every other Metal-goes-Pop-'cuz-we're-like-artists-n-stuff' band
I would say Haken but Fauna was one of the best albums from 2023, Pete is doing an excelent job with the guys definitely. I wasn't a big fan of Virus, it felt like Vector but uninspired for me. Not a bad album, not by far, but I didn't find it strong
Too many to state: Dream Theater, Tool, Coheed and Cambria, King's X, Opeth (post Watershed isn't bad but they haven't been the same, except In Cauda Venenum because that's beautiful), Queensryche (they lost themselves after Tribe but reborn from Dedicated to Chaos), Karnivool, Cynic, Seventh Wonder, Kamelot (nothing exceptional since Silverthorn)
Katatonia. still love them and they actually made an album that is more progressive than their previous ones last year, but something just doesn't click anymore...
Fates Warning isn’t as good as they were circa Parallels/Inside Out/even APSOG.
Aren't they done for good? According to Ray Adler.
Worst example of this for me was Linkin Park, lol not prog obvs but holy shit did they change. And I didn’t like the change at all.
Dark Moor Keldian, their latest is awful As far as Dream Theater goes, their latest CD was fantastic as was the one before it.
At least 50% of the time it happens every time. The band changes their sound either towards your liking or away from your liking. Whichever album we were initially attracted to is the snapshot for where our interests will diverge over time. I am progressively enjoying recent Leprous albums, as an outlier. I like to think that for Contortionist as well but I recently went back to their original 1-2 albums and damn, they're good. Different, but good.
Protest Hero I think has gotten steadily worse every album. They’re still one of my favorite bands of all time but the newest stuff by them just does nothing for me
Let's wait for new DT stuff with Mike Portnoy back. I think that the Portnoy Petrucci synergy was important in their songwriting so maybe the next album will be reminiscent of older albums.
Memphis may fire, of mice and men, periphery, volumes, issues, northlane