Was U.K. the dawning of Prog Metal?

danbo wrote: chorus of one wrote: Umm no I don't think so. Prog metal came much more from metal than it did from prog. 'splain....

Seems obvious to me, just take a listen to most of the modern prog metal bands. They don't sound anything like Uriah Heep or U.K., but I can usually draw comparisons with Iron Maiden or Metallica. To me, it's not progressive rock mixed with metal elements, it's metal mixed with progressive elements. A lot of them are fairly straightforward metal, only with a few additions (symphonic keyboards, longer songs, more solos etc) that give them the progressive label.

chorus of one wrote: Seems obvious to me, just take a listen to most of the modern prog metal bands. They don't sound anything like Uriah Heep or U.K., but I can usually draw comparisons with Iron Maiden or Metallica. To me, it's not progressive rock mixed with metal elements, it's metal mixed with progressive elements. A lot of them are fairly straightforward metal, only with a few additions (symphonic keyboards, longer songs, more solos etc) that give them the progressive label.

The way I see it, the first wave of prog metal bands in the 80s sounded nothing like prog rock. To me it sounds like the only reason they were labelled prog is because they had the same mindset of pushing the boundaries of metal as prog bands in the 70s did of pushing the boundaries of rock. However a lot of the metal bands that are called progressive I find quite banal; they may progressive because they shove in the odd "neoclassical" riff and put loads of keyboard arpeggios in, but often it's nothing that a few hundred other bands wouldn't have come up with. The modern metal bands I hear true progressive elements in are the more oddball ones like Voivod, Mr. Bungle, Estradasphere, (maybe Orthrelm although I'd place them more in the avant-garde) and some of the more deeply operatic rooted ones (by which I mean, the ones that aren't
a) just normal power metal with the same old "neoclassical" riffs and then a high pitched singer, or
b) a gothy band with the same old vocals from one clean male singer, one growling male singer and one clean female singer) like Arcturus or Devil Doll (maybe not metal, but damn good).

Then there's the entirely different idea of tech metal, which I usually don't find very progressive but often like a lot, like Spastic Ink, Behold... the Arctopus, Canvas Solaris, Orthrelm again.

Edited by Reed Lover

Uriah Heep has only occasional progressive tendencies?

Please Chorus, Look at Yourself, Demons and Wizards and Magicians Birthday have a perfect symphonic structure with the strenght and power of metal. They have a couple more albums clearly Prog' oriented when Gary Thain was still on the band and even when John Wetton replaced him, this is more than just occasional moments.

Iván

I get the idea - but I hear a lot of Colosseum II in UK's style - I think that UK just took it a bit (read A LOT!) further - the accent is much more strongly on the prog (although a little too Yes inspired for my taste).

As for Uriah Heep - gimme a break! Uriah Heep produced Hard Rock that had progressive inflections. The "prog" style is far more evident in Colosseum II, IMO. I'm still hunting down cheap copies of "Salisbury" and "Look At Yourself", and am looking forward to having my opinion changed.

As for "Demons and Wizards" and "Magician's Birthday" - there is no prog on either album, to my ears, just Rodney Matthews covers and pretensions. There is no symphonic structure either - it is all simple rock song structure - I don't even hear progressive "moments" on those two albums, except for the ridiculous "Spinal Tap" moment at the end of the title track on "MB".

The first time I ever heard the term "Progressive Metal" was in connection with Diamond Head, who I think are linchpins of the genre - but UK without question had a more "full-on" prog sound, and Colosseum II predated them - indeed, moments on UK's debut remind me of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Variations" (played by most of Colosseum II and Phil Collins, if you want the prog credentials of that album!).

Edited by Certif1ed

wallace wrote: It all stairted wiv Black Sabbath's lame track, "Paranoid". THA'S where ye can point t'blame. Duntcha ken? ... Gary Moore cooks onna Colesseum II, but Yosh prefers dem bristols onna coverart fer solo lp, "Grinding Stone".('73)

Should be rid of Wallace tomorrow.....the Michael Jackson (alleged) kiddy-rape trial starts Monday.

There is nothing here to dissuade me from asserting that Rush are the missing link twixt prog and metal.

In fact it is so obvious that this is a non topic!

Hands up everyone who wishes Wallace would f**k off !

 

wallace wrote: Awricht. Grant'd Blue Cheer 'ed t'reet formuleur - bleedin' big amps,distortioon,discoordant power chords - but whan dems bring oop Blue Cheer an' HR oosually ainly t' track "Summertime Blues" be stress'd.

Quite possibly - but I think both "Vincebus..." and "OI" are amazing metal/grunge albums with some highly inventive ideas (albeit due to large quantities of narcotics, amphetamines and hallucinogens...). There's quite a bit in their music that points to Black Sabbath - and you can also hear roots of Sabbath in the music of Spooky Tooth, especially on "Spooky Two". The latter is a hugely influential album on many, IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

WALLACE :

The people have voted!