Please recommend very diversified neo-prog albums

Another good one 

Edited by Cristi - March 17 2025 at 10:49

Hosydi wrote: Rexorcist wrote: I need to be clear about past and future recommendations.  If it's too conventional, I'm not going to tag it as neo-prog.  And I'm specifically looking for neo-prog.  Several of the last few recs had too many albums that just didn't make the cut.  I don't want to get into this genre to listen to AOR.  If it's not neo-prog, I'll tag it as AOR, pop rock, maybe art rock at best. Right now, as pretty as this Violet Hour album is, I'm on track 4 and there's barely anything proggy about it, just artsy.  I can't keep taking recommendations if they're not going to actually work.  So if you recommended an album that doesn't fit this standard, then please re-evaluate your recommendations. The Violet Hour is listed on this site database as a Neo Prog band, where they indeed historically belonged, because as an early 90s progressive rock band, they were still an act of the original British neo-progressive rock movement and even toured with Marillion. I recommended their sole album from 1991 because you asked for "very diversified neo-prog albums." Otherwise, I wouldn't have recommended The Violet Hour, a female-fronted band whose awesome stuff sounds a lot like a blend of the approach of various acts, such as the late 60s Beatles, late 70s Genesis & Pink Floyd, and Marillion, even with elements of gothic folk, and hence showcases enough diversity to give them a unique sound.  Sorry, but The Violet Hour recommendation fits the opening post request as you set it. Rexorcist wrote: To give you an idea of what qualifies as neo-prog do me: Script for a Jester's Tear, Fugazi and Clutching at Straws: Yes. Misplaced Childhood: No. It NEEDS to be proggy.  It's okay, but your own request to "please recommend very diversified neo-prog albums" is actually in disagreement with that. You should have pointed out that you search for, say, "the proggiest of very proggy neo-prog."

Edited by Rexorcist - March 17 2025 at 17:50

Rexorcist wrote: To give you an idea of what qualifies as neo-prog do me: Script for a Jester's Tear, Fugazi and Clutching at Straws: Yes. Misplaced Childhood: No

Childhood is literally a concept album with several suite-like songs on it (one of these is 9 minutes long btw), with its third single being mostly in 5/4. If this is not prog I don't know what is!

Arguably, Clutching is less proggy simply by being Childhood's carbon copy structurally but with less captivating songwriting

Rexorcist wrote:  I'm not going to introduce someone to prog through something even poppier than Invisible Touch.  .

These is a lot of modern symph prog that isn't particularly diverse and arguably even some of the classic era releases don't always do that. Wobbler are great but their music is set on doing one thing very well. If you want keyboards, keyboards and more keyboards then great. I remember though listening to Hinterland and feeling like I was being bashed over the head with mellotron (if that's even a thing). The Lars Fredrick Froislie (the keyboard man from Wobbler) album from 2023 is probably better than Wobbler for being a bit more diverse and embracing the more folkier aspect of Norwegian prog that Wobbler sometimes leaves behind in its attempt to be the new Yes and then there are those Chronicles Of Father Robin albums that are a lot more fun imo.

Rexorcist wrote: Dominion is an album I would choose to introduce someone to neo-prog

yikes, no wonder people hate neo-prog maybe they too got recommended stuff like Dominion, IQ's most lifeless, boring and beige autopilot-album to date unfortunately

Prog-jester wrote: Rexorcist wrote: Dominion is an album I would choose to introduce someone to neo-prog yikes, no wonder people hate neo-prog maybe they too got recommended stuff like Dominion, IQ's most lifeless, boring and beige autopilot-album to date unfortunately

Guys, I didn't say it was my number one neo-prog album, just that it gives a good idea of what neo-prog is about.

Hrychu wrote: I quite like Dominion. It sucks to have a different opinion than the forum's leading choir of critics. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯