I couldn't disagree more with this. I understand that prog metal was an important part of prog's development, but most bands in the 80s/90s crop of the genre only achieved a large degree of success in the US (largely because most of the budding prog metal groups were from the states anyway). But regardless of the US's size and population, we absolutely need to give at least somewhat of a nod to the British groups for their influence and fanbases abroad; that's why I made my Big Six a combination of prog metal, neo-prog, and crossover bands (specifically Saga in the latter category). Plus, even though commercial success is a factor in determining a Big Six like this, I feel like your post hinged a little too much on that. Regardless of the success of songs like "Walk in the Shadows" or "Summerland", how many bands actually emulate that style these days? I hate to say it, but it seems as though the most successful prog metal artists of today prefer to abide by the djent-oriented Meshuggah playbook (not saying I dislike Meshuggah, I just don't like a lot of what they influenced).

If you are going to try to quote me then do it right. I said "nascent" not "recent." Nascent means in the early stages of or embryonic. Prog metal didn't really become a focused thing until the 90s just like heavy metal didn't really become a focused thing until the 80s. Also, I definitely wouldn't put Rush in with those other bands. In the 80s their sound had changed and they really weren't metallish at all. You might be better off putting Triumph in there instead or maybe Crimson Glory, Savatage, Watchtower or Voivod. I don't usually see that era of Metallica (or any era for that matter) referred to as prog-metal either.

They were, in fact, pretty big in Europe, regularly playing to large venues and the support of the band to this day there can be traced right back to the Fugazi and Misplaced Childhood time. Further, they attracted a decent sized cult following in North America, certainly bigger than the sort of crowd you see on site such as Prog Ears. They were played regularly on FM radio over there.

I like it and while it is rather song oriented I personally don't think it really had much of a neo prog sound. Maybe for an american band they did but not enough for me to label it neo prog. If others believe that's the case I'm ok with that but they aren't even labelled neo prog on here. 

baiting and trolling again, good for you, man...

Something else is to decide on what basis to classify an artist. 

You're falling into the trap of pigeon-holing artists into only one genre when there's absolutely no reason why an artist can't be classified as both Symphonic Prog & Neo Prog at the same time, like The Flower Kings for instance, so neither of us is right or wrong. I don't want to state the obvious, but music genres are more a matter of opinion and not an exact science.  

That would surely be interesting and exiting.