Legacy-Roots and Resurgence
North American Bands like; Ice Age,
Shadow Gallery and Magellan, (mostly under the Magna Carta Record label), appeared around the same year as the
now almost “Cult” Classic, When Dream and Day Unite, Dream Theater’s first
record released in 1988. On this my second part of reviewing Progressive Metal I'm also focusing on its other coming, which has produced new ensembles, offering a variety and new fusion in styles, here are some examples.
Fear Factory, USA, coming from a different and probably Heavier style fear factory
was Metal before Prog, and the usage of Growling came handy yet only secondary to
their sampling,Electronic and at times rapped Songs, since 1989 the band has released nine full-length
albums and have evolved through a succession of styles, Fear Factory are contemporaries and probable precursors of
the genre’s and subsequent resulting Bands like Anacrusis.
Strapping Young Lad, Canada, Before the Name "Devin Townsend", appeared resonating to a broader audiences, the "Man" had have been part of crossover Band SYL. Taking things to the extreme, yet combining experimental; Electronics, Choirs, Growling, and sometimes Maximum Speed, Gene Hoglan also from Testament and Former of Thrash precursors, the still nowadays powerful Sounding "Dark Angel"(the Band), formed part of the group towards its latter works, the Album "Chaos Years" tells their story from 1994 until its dissolution up to 2006.
Evergrey, 1995, Gothenburg, Sweden, they've released 11 albums between 1998 and 2016, their most recent one its The Atlantic, Singer took the role of fronting American band Redemption since 2017.
Evergrey has explored the more accessible aspects of the Art and the darker with Hymns of the Broken released 2014.
Porcupine Tree, UK, dates back to 1987 formed by Steven Wilson along
with Opeth , have cultivated a taste for exploring both worlds of "Prog", sometimes Pink Floyd, Sometimes Beatles and the Heavier, not my favorite mix, but the Band seems to have a huge following and is or was very prolific. I recommend their conceptual double record The Incident from 2009, which is their 10th studio album and their last to date.
Gogira, France, Active since 1996, another exception to the rule, Gogira mixes Godflesh, Tool and Metallica, the result sometimes is Extreme Death, due to Growling and maximum speed, but the progressive moments are memorable,also their themes deal with green Peace, sort of Ideals.
Leprous, Norway, since
2001 has released 5 albums since 2009, been their most recent Malina
2017, which continues the tradition of redefining and re inventing, The Prodigy
and Massive attack’s reminders are there yet strictly hidden, in contrast with
some more somber influences or hints from bands like Saga and Jeff Buckley. Leprous started as a Black Metal Band.
Opeth, Sweden, started in 1989,
and has released 13 full lengths between 1995 and 2016. Another gem
from Sweden have received acclaimed support from other Musicians like; Mike
Portnoy, Kamelot, and Fates Warning.
They Mix Folk, Prog and also Death Metal.
Spheric Universe
Experience, France,1999 they've released 4 Discs, the latest in 2012 Entitled “The New Eve”
which deviates from their more structured earlier works, into different and
more abstract territories, always with a good twist of well blended Heaviness,
their sound Live is impressive, they released a Live In London, featuring only
5 songs, three songs ranging the 5-7 minute format two the 9-10 minute length,
worth the check out, the singer uses a variety of tones, overall abstract at some times.
Myrath, from Tunisia pays homage to heir
faith in their Arabic and North African Roots and follow a folklore-oriented
style in Music, which dates back within the early 2000’s, their mixture of
percussion, oriental and pentatonic scales makes their Music more Classical
than any other before them, their most representative work I believe is 2011’s
Tales of the Sands, which is less commercial than their 2016’s Legacy.
Thought Chamber, USA formed in 2006 and with two impressive albums released 2007 and 2013, they represent
the American Influence from Bands like Boston, Kansas and Styx, cultivated or
followed by Bands Like Dream Theater, to my surprise, fronted by Enchant’s
singer Ted Leonard, who to me, does a much better Job here, the Music flows
into uplifting instrumental pieces touching a variety of territories memorably.
Haken, was formed in
2007 in London UK, they have released 6 albums between 2010 and 2020, In 2017 Mike Portnoy joined the
band on tour.
Also incorporating some "Monster" vocals or Growls, Syncopation and some expressionism in their Music Haken its an interesting but not easy to assimilate type of Music, still very original and at times reminiscent of similar bands like Periphery and Plini.
Redemption, USA, 2001 to
Present has included several members from other bands in it like Symphony X and Fates
Warning and Armored Saint, with solid influences on all the aforementioned
bands, Redemption inclines also to a more symphonic, yet darker arranging to suit Ray Alder’s voicing or for Evergrey's Tom Englund who is now singing for the Band, the result is both Progressive and Malmsteenian, (due to Ingwie's Orchestrated approach of the instrument), it has its very interesting movements of music,
guitarist virtuoso Vernie Versalles, formerly with both Armored saint and Fates
Warning it's also part of the Band.
An excellent and well blended bunch of great executioners at each of their instruments, Dark and Melancholic and Heavy, but no extreme.
They have that distinctive sound that was made popular by Deep Purple mixed with some Marillion, Great guitar work too, they also remind me of Roger Waters.
Headspace, UK, active since 2006 The Band features Keyboard Player Adam Wakeman, and to me one of the best singers in the genre Damian Wilson who had work with Father Rick Wakeman, The band follows the British Progressive in the lineage towards what Band mates Threshold had previously done, yet Headspace include some Darker arrangements extended instrumental parts, still giving enough space in their songs for acoustic melodies and quiet ambient, Album recommended is "All That You Fear is Gone" 2016 released on the Inside Out Label.
Symphony X USA, 1994 Another exception to the rule this time, due to Symphony X tendency to go power metal, yet and nevertheless inclined to Expressionism, and interesting blend of Speed and also Symphonic arrangements accompanied by the amazing singing of Russell Allen, on of the best singers Ive heard.
Along the years Russell Allen and other members of the Band have contributed withe several other Bands from the Genre.
Caligula's Horse, Australia,
2011 their Music has changed from Bloom 2014 to In Contact 2017.(both released on Inside Out Label)
A new and Fresh Progressive Metal approach in which each musician shines without the need of extended tracks
Up to date they've putted 5 records as of 2020.
Rodrigo Trupp for Música en Progreso April 2020 (Quarantine)
0 comments:
Post a Comment