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Topic ClosedHello, thank you and prog journey to date

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twalsh View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hello, thank you and prog journey to date
    Posted: October 24 2014 at 14:37
Hi All,

I'm Trevor, 44, and really thrilled to find this site.  Journeying through the subgenres has been quite eye-opening and I'm finding that I still have a lot to learn about what I like.  However, since I registered, I've purchased 5 recordings, using subgenre lists, reviews and the MP3s to help guide me.  Despite its hugeness, the work of contributors actually makes this task manageable.

I'm a child of the 1980s and grew up most drawn to the heavy metal of the time.  Hair metal was the most popular, but I found I was drawn to bands with more intricate arrangements and thoughtful lyrics.  Iron maiden was an early favorite, along with Metallica, particularly MOP and AJFA.  However, it was Queensryche that really pulled me in with RFO and OM.  Operation: Mindcrime felt life changing at the time, and I felt that I got a sense of what could really be achieved through a concept album.  Mind you, this was from the mind of an eighteen year old, intelligent but culturally sheltered, suburban headbanger. What drew me to music in the first place was power and emotional intensity, but it was exciting to also see glimmers of intellect.  My imprinting on heavy metal seemed to have created limitations, as i strruggled to appreciate well crafted music that was 'not heavy enough.'

I'm grateful to my father who exerted a small influence with his 'prog lite' music collection (among other things).  From him, I received early exposure to bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Rush, The Moody Blues and Supertramp.  On my own, I learned to appreciate the more accessible side of Yes, Jethro Tull, and other more radio friendly vintage progressive rock.

Since signing up here, I've purchased Riverside's Anno Domini High Definition, Pain of Salvation's Be, Haken's The Mountain, Edison's Children's The Final Breath Before November and Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet.  I't s probably a toss up between Riverside and Pain of Salvation for my favorite and the only one that I haven't really taken to is Haken.

I'm really interested in recommendations from those who know more about (mostly) the heavier side of prog.  No 'death growl' vocals please!

Looking forward to posting more.

Cheers.
More heavy prog, please!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 14:46
Great introduction there Trevor, and welcome! 

Alrighty so here is a short list of artists/albums to look into, that i think you could be hooked on or eventually grow into. 

Karnivool - Sound Awake
Russian Circles - Enter
Cynic - Traced in Air
Jakob - Solace
Arcane - Chronicles of the Waking Dream

Hope you enjoy these and continue to visit the site. Cheers.

-Austin
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 14:47
Welcome! Great musical story you have. You can't go wrong with 'The Mountain' Thumbs Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 14:48
We are the same age, and your story sounds quite familiar to mine.  Bands that I would recommend offhand would be Vanden Plas, Everygrey, you may like the more recent Anathema albums, but should avoid their earlier albums which have growls.  You might like Ayreon, he deals in metal/rock operas which you may find to be really good or really cheesy.  I tend to find them to be really good, and highly recommend the Human Equation.  You might like Blind Guardian if you are interested in progressive power metal.  You also might like bands like Threshold and Deadsoul Tribe, which was founded by Devon Graves, aka Buddy Lackey from Psychotic Waltz, another band that you might want to check out if you aren't familiar with them.  If you find that you like these I probably have a good number more that I could recommend in this vein.  Welcome to the site!


Edited by rushfan4 - October 24 2014 at 14:50
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 15:01
One of the nicest introductions seen on the site....welcome

Nice to see you got the latest Edison's Children. As their first champion here in these parts, you must also get the debut album, which features as its special guests all members of the world's finest band, them Marillion boys.

Enjoy your time here and I know you will listen to so much great music.

Edited by lazland - October 24 2014 at 15:02
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 20:31
Wonderful to have you, and happy this place could assist your music buying needs... you poor, poor man.  

Good luck.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 20:48
Welcome, Trevor!  I'm also of the same generation/demographic as you (I'm 45, though my 80s youth was spent with punk and new wave rather than metal).  I'm not too well versed in the kind of bands you're looking for, but I know these guys and you can trust their recommendations.
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twalsh View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 22:49
Thanks all for the warm welcome!  I'm starting with Karnivool (so far quite good!) and running down the list, so I should be busy for a while.  A couple names (Evergrey, Aereon) were already on my radar.

Originally posted by Meltdowner Meltdowner wrote:

Welcome! Great musical story you have. You can't go wrong with 'The Mountain' Thumbs Up

I'm still reserving my opinion on this.  Of the new recordings I recently acquired, I think it's the largest stretch for me musically.  There are instrumental and vocal parts I find quite stunning inspired with parts I struggle to maintain my focus.  So far, I don't yet see how it all fits together musically.  time will tell if I ever 'get it.'
More heavy prog, please!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 24 2014 at 23:48
Haken may be a bit more on the "complex" side than the others.  Maybe come back to it later?

I am 45 and listened to the same metal as you it seems.  Have you ever heard Voivod?  Try Nothingface from 1989.  The vocals take a bit of getting used to, and the music is quite "angular", but they are a great early prog metal band.

For recent prog I recommend (along with all of the choices you already made!):
Sky Architect - Excavations Of The Mind
Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
Anubis - A Tower Of Silence
Vultress - Distance

If you want something a bit different than what you've heard so far:
Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
Diagonal - Diagonal
Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving - Deaden The Fields
iamthemorning - ~

--
Frank Swarbrick
Belief is not Truth.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2014 at 03:20
Thumbs Up  love the 'Vod, Nothingface very good, Dimension Hatross even better
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 25 2014 at 04:21
Welcome Trevor. Quite similarly to you, I bought tens of "new-old" titles on CDs after reading all those reviews and seeing all those ratings! Not disappointed in 99% of them, though. I'm rather not (mostly) the heavier side of prog fan, but as I saw you bought yourself into Riverside, I would sincerely recommend their other albums too. Krautrock would be another area worth the check. Did you try the Junk Farm? They recorded a very nice Ugly Little Thing album. There is one sample from this album available on this site as a teaser
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 26 2014 at 13:30
Geez, I'm gonna be busy exploring.  Karnivool sounds worthy from what I've heard so far, and the 'teaser' from Junk Farm is really cool.  After all that, spent yesterday checking out Voivod, a group I never gave a chance to in it's heyday.  Nothingface is totally worth another listen, though I'm not sure how much I will like it yet..

Now I think I shall disappear for a month to feast my ears.


Edited by twalsh - November 05 2014 at 16:50
More heavy prog, please!
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