Catching Up - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Hi all, Long time collaborator here, I've been out of the prog scene for the past five years or so but have been starting to get the bug again. So, what do I need to catch up on? My tastes are centered on the more melodic side of things, Crossover, Neo, Symph. I do enjoy a certain amount of Heavy Prog, Prog Metal and Eclectic. So, to catch up, what do i need to listen to?

-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------

I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms.

I think IQ, Arena, Jadis, Galahad and Pendragon have continued to keep the neo-prog flag flying in recent years. Marillion's last couple of albums have been exceptional. Big Big Train have hit a rich vein of quality of consistency ever since The Underfall Yard album - mixing a English pastoral melodic style with prog and a hint of folk. Lifesigns are very melodic, even if the second album didn't match the debut. Threshold have hit a high with melodic metal with the 'Shires' album. Haken and Tesseract go from strength to strength. Anathema continue to develop that ethereal prog style, along with Riverside and others. John Mitchell's various projects: Lonely Robot, Kino, It Bites.... are high on melodic content and Mystery and Southern Empire's two recent releases don't necessarily push the progressive boundary, but are very enjoyable all the same. All very random, personal views.... a hell of a lot has happened over the last 5 years, which others can summarise better, but hopefully it gets the chat going! Welcome back!

P.S. Don't know if Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson were your cup of tea - but he's produced a lot of very good solo stuff over recent years, with Raven, Grace, Hand and 4.5 highlights. To the Bone isn't to everyone's taste - but it has its moments amongst the poppy moments.

Edited by Squonk19 - December 21 2018 at 13:36

“Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”

I agree wholeheartedly with Squonk19 on what I'm familiar with (Marillion , IQ and Big Big Train and Riverside on the heavier side of things). Also, I am enjoying the heck out of iamthemorning.

"Into every rain, a little life must fall." ~Tom Rapp

That is a fantastic solo project (with guests)....thanks for bringing that up, something not to be missed for those who enjoy stellar musicianship.

"Into every rain, a little life must fall." ~Tom Rapp

I'll have to listen to that Mike Oldfield Return to Ommadawn...I loved the original, Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge...

"Into every rain, a little life must fall." ~Tom Rapp

Snicolette wrote:

I'll have to listen to that Mike Oldfield Return to Ommadawn...I loved the original, Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge...

I really loved this new one... a real return to form. I don't think I have heard someone return to the sound of the glory days decades after them and managing to sound so good and not tired and like just going through the motions. It really works nicely among those original albums. I mean, it doesn't really top the original Ommadawn album, but it doesn't have to, since the original is one of the best albums ever (in my opinion, side A is top 5 songs material). Return to Ommadawn sounds as if it was made just after Incantations without trying to fit into the next decade.

Magenta - We Are Legend (assuming you like Seven) and also the live DVD which showcases both those albums. Happy listening!