Forum Home Forum Home > Other music related lounges > General Music Discussions
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Slipknot Are Now Masters of Prog!
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedSlipknot Are Now Masters of Prog!

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
~Rael~ View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: April 11 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 247
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Slipknot Are Now Masters of Prog!
    Posted: December 26 2008 at 14:36
First, I like Slipknot, never loved them. Always good for a heavy jolt. Though, this new one has caught me off guard. I just listened to the first five tracks, and it is amazing. Well written, and it even has guitar solos, one in every song so far.

So, as I listened, I noticed that it almost sounded progish. It has some odd time changes, awesome musicianship, so, I figured why not open up a can of worms and ask, is All Hope is Lost (the title of the new album) verging on prog?

At least listen to the first couple of songs.


Edited by ~Rael~ - December 26 2008 at 23:54
I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . .
Back to Top
~Rael~ View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: April 11 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 247
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2008 at 23:54
Fine, I'll change the title to something a but more alluring, then.
I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . .
Back to Top
Petrovsk Mizinski View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: December 24 2007
Location: Ukraine
Status: Offline
Points: 25210
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 26 2008 at 23:57
It's just a metal album dude. Not a hint of prog to be found.
Odd time signatures and good musicianship is practically found in any decent metal band nowadays.
Time signatures is such a meaningless measure of a band's prog credentials to be honest, because every second non prog death metal band uses odd time signature, thrash metal bands use odd time signatures, Post-Hardcore uses odd time signatures. Basically any band that
It's their best so far (by that I mean, I can actually listen to a whole song without turning it off mid song).
But I still don't like it that much:P


Edited by HughesJB4 - December 26 2008 at 23:58
Back to Top
JLocke View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: November 18 2007
Status: Offline
Points: 4900
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2008 at 00:42
Not prog in the slightest.
 
I love the record, though. Great playing.
Back to Top
~Rael~ View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: April 11 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 247
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2008 at 02:06
Oh. I thought time signatures were one of the main attributes for something to be prog. In any case, I still say some of the songs sound a bit progressive. 
I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . .
Back to Top
topofsm View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 17 2008
Location: Arizona, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 1698
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2008 at 02:13

Odd time signatures are a good indicator that the band might be prog. I find it one of the bigger traits of prog as well, but you definetely cannot base your judgement on what is prog or not based on if the band uses odd time signatures a lot.

As it's been said, especially in metal you cannot judge whether it's prog based on that. Maybe if the band pushed boundaries a bit, created a few atmospheres, started making songs with unusual structures, or added an eclectic mix of styles into their music, then you've got a solid prog metal band.
 
However, 70's bands are different. Since rock back then was generally more blues based, songs were either in 4/4 or a triplet meter like 3/4 or 6/8. Using odd time signatures often almost certainly designated that a band was prog.

Back to Top
Petrovsk Mizinski View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: December 24 2007
Location: Ukraine
Status: Offline
Points: 25210
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2008 at 02:37
But the thing is though, "sounding a bit progressive" "using odd time signatures" is so common among today's metal bands.
Face it, the standard non prog metal band of today, is more complex musically than it was 30 years ago.
I mean, Megadeth sounded a bit progressive.
Testament sounded a bit progressive. Crytopsy sounded a bit progressive. See what I mean?
It's just that a lot of metal nowadays is more intricate and technical than pop music obviously and basically third metal band can sound like prog compared to that.
Slipknot's latest is no different.
Compared to much pop music, it's way more intricate, detailed, technical and a bit more complex too, but it's not even close to the complexity of true progressive metal like Between the Buried and Me, Canvas Solaris or Spastic.
These 3 bands make Slipknot look like pop music in comparison really. The songs on All Hope is Lost, they are just metal songs at the of the day, and not bad ones at that either.

And hey, look at the vast amount of prog metal bands that regularly use simple and compound time and aren't really into odd time signatures.
That tells me that odd time signatures is a pretty superficial and meangingless indicator of prog in the world of progressive metal.
Throwing a few odd time signatures in a verse/chorus/verse/bridge/solo/chorus structured song doesn't make it prog in the slightest.
Progressive metal is about the composition as a whole really and being able to incorporate the odd time signatures to increase the overall complexity of a prog metal composition is really where the use of odd time signatures as a prog element is about, as opposed to sticking them into the aforementioned standard song structure pieces of music.
Back to Top
~Rael~ View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member


Joined: April 11 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 247
Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2008 at 18:30
Originally posted by HughesJB4 HughesJB4 wrote:

But the thing is though, "sounding a bit progressive" "using odd time signatures" is so common among today's metal bands.
Face it, the standard non prog metal band of today, is more complex musically than it was 30 years ago.
I mean, Megadeth sounded a bit progressive.
Testament sounded a bit progressive. Crytopsy sounded a bit progressive. See what I mean?
It's just that a lot of metal nowadays is more intricate and technical than pop music obviously and basically third metal band can sound like prog compared to that.
Slipknot's latest is no different.
Compared to much pop music, it's way more intricate, detailed, technical and a bit more complex too, but it's not even close to the complexity of true progressive metal like Between the Buried and Me, Canvas Solaris or Spastic.
These 3 bands make Slipknot look like pop music in comparison really. The songs on All Hope is Lost, they are just metal songs at the of the day, and not bad ones at that either.

And hey, look at the vast amount of prog metal bands that regularly use simple and compound time and aren't really into odd time signatures.
That tells me that odd time signatures is a pretty superficial and meangingless indicator of prog in the world of progressive metal.
Throwing a few odd time signatures in a verse/chorus/verse/bridge/solo/chorus structured song doesn't make it prog in the slightest.
Progressive metal is about the composition as a whole really and being able to incorporate the odd time signatures to increase the overall complexity of a prog metal composition is really where the use of odd time signatures as a prog element is about, as opposed to sticking them into the aforementioned standard song structure pieces of music.


Thanks a lot for that explanation. I guess when you compare Slipknot to Canvas Solaris or BtBaM, there isn't much comparison at all.
I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress . . .
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.477 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.