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TheSanityAssassin My name is awful. from A prison in space Since: Jan, 2010
My name is awful.
#101: Aug 23rd 2010 at 9:37:55 PM

Orne - The Conjuration By The Fire is a good album.

last.fm
Bananaquit Since: Jan, 2001
#102: Aug 27th 2010 at 2:05:12 AM

So, people looking for cool new albums from the past 5 years or so:

Astra: The Weirding If you like stuff that sounds like Pink Floyd, I mean really sounds like them, this should be an auto-buy.


Beardfish: I run hot and cold on these guys. On the one hand, their singer's not so hot and their "we're hip and with it because we use curse words!" lyrics are beyond awful. On the other side, they are, instrumentally, one of the most amazing bands out there today. I only own their latest, Destined Solitaire, but what I've heard from their earlier albums is actually better.
Bigelf: Cheat the Gallows Their sound's changed little over the years—sort of Pink Floyd meets Deep Purple with psychedelic Beatles-era songwriting—but this album's as good as anything in their catalogue and would make a good place to start.
Big Big Train: Not your ordinary neo-prog band...not anymore anyway. Their latest two albums, The Difference Machine and The Underfall Yard, are both seriously great and highly recommended.
The Dear Hunter: Act III: Life and Death I don't really care for their singer, but what I've heard from this album is one of the more exciting "modern" prog releases out there.
Minimum Vital: Capitaines The latest by this French folk/symphonic/fusion group is honestly one of the best of their career. I expected to like it, but not for it to be this good.
Moth Vellum: I can't recommend these guys highly enough, especially if you're into the classic Yes sound. They mate it with classic Brian Wilson pop songwriting/Beach Boy harmony vocals and a modern touch making this really something special. It's a pity they only made the one album.
TEE: The Earth Explorer Superb instrumental flute-driven album from Japan.
There's some other good stuff out there I could recommend, but that ought to be enough to get you started.

edited 27th Aug '10 2:06:29 AM by Bananaquit

TheSanityAssassin My name is awful. from A prison in space Since: Jan, 2010
My name is awful.
#103: Aug 31st 2010 at 9:30:51 PM

So, what do you guys think of Caravan?

edited 1st Sep '10 11:39:59 AM by TheSanityAssassin

last.fm
Bananaquit Since: Jan, 2001
#104: Sep 1st 2010 at 1:41:03 PM

So, what do you guys think of Caravan?

If you like your prog upbeat and folky with bursts of jazz fusion and orchestration, you could definitely do worse. I started off with For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night and was initially disappointed, then went through a period where I couldn't get enough of the album and played it once a week. For a while, I even wanted to emulate Geoff Richardson and learn to play the viola! [lol]

ImipolexG frozen in time from all our yesterdays Since: Jan, 2001
frozen in time
#105: Sep 1st 2010 at 7:28:17 PM

Haven't listened to Caravan yet, but I must say I love the title For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night.

no one will notice that I changed this
Neccy60 Resident Oreo from Chicago, IL Since: Nov, 2009
Resident Oreo
#106: Sep 3rd 2010 at 8:58:42 PM

Pure Reason Revolution and Oceansize are great, in case no one's mentioned them.

http://www.last.fm/user/BlueGhost60
TheGloomer Since: Sep, 2010
#107: Sep 5th 2010 at 7:07:04 AM

I don't mind progressive rock. As far as the major seventies bands go, Jethro Tull and Genesis are probably the ones I enjoy the most. Additionally, I will concede to liking Yes (Relayer was the first prog album I heard), even though they exhibit the problems outlined below.

As for modern prog rock/metal, I think that a lot of bands have the same problem that sometimes undermined Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They tend to exhibit unparalleled virtuosity, but it comes at the expense of really enjoyable songs. Take Dream Theater, for example, who are some of the best musicians I've heard but generally have kind of naff and somewhat uninteresting lyrics.

edited 5th Sep '10 7:07:29 AM by TheGloomer

yukijin from behind the scenes Since: Feb, 2010
#108: Sep 5th 2010 at 8:43:25 AM

I read an article describing Warpaint as prog rock the other day. I kinda see where they're coming from.. not entirely accurate, but still strongly recommended, especially live.

^^ Definitely concurring on Oceansize there.

...is out to lunch.
Neccy60 Resident Oreo from Chicago, IL Since: Nov, 2009
Resident Oreo
#109: Sep 5th 2010 at 9:20:21 AM

Speaking of Oceansize, I just found out they have a new album. It's called Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up. Getting it now. :o

http://www.last.fm/user/BlueGhost60
InstantRadical Instant Radical from Atlanta Since: Jul, 2010
#110: Sep 8th 2010 at 9:22:50 PM

I absolutely love Rush. Not all of their albums are prog, but Hemispheres is their unsung masterpiece, which I think is even better than 2112.

Yes is good too. The Yes Album, Fragile, and Closer To The Edge have the classic lineup and sound fantastic. Haven't ventured further than that in their disco.

Porcupine Tree is okay. I like Deadwing pretty good, but their other records typically have just one or two songs I like. Mew isn't quite progressive rock but they're well worth checking out. Ling Tosite Sigure is a Japanese band that compacts the complex, twisting song structures of prog into the guise of high-strung indie rock. Midsummer is one of my favorites, an obscure California band that's the perfect blend of prog, shoegaze, and post-rock.

Bananaquit Since: Jan, 2001
#111: Sep 8th 2010 at 11:34:14 PM

Pure Reason Revolution and Oceansize are great, in case no one's mentioned them.

PRR’s The Dark Third is good, but I rather went off them after I saw them *ahem!* “live.” I should probably listen to their second album at one point, but reviews have been less than flattering.

edited 8th Sep '10 11:34:36 PM by Bananaquit

THERAZOREDGE from black hole Since: Aug, 2010
#112: Sep 30th 2010 at 4:27:06 PM

PRR's second album, Amor Vincit Omnia, just bombdived. Compare this to The Dark Third and you can easily see The Dark Third is a better album. AVO is kinda good though...but Victorius Cupid is the only song thats close to TDT

...on a gleaming razor's edge...
BlixtySlycat |like a boss| from Driving the Rad Hazard Since: Aug, 2011
|like a boss|
#113: Oct 22nd 2011 at 9:42:45 PM

AWAKEN YE MAN, FROM THINE SLUMBER

can I get any good instrumental Prog Rock / Space Rock albums?

edited 22nd Oct '11 9:42:57 PM by BlixtySlycat

go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagine
Erock Proud Canadian from Toronto Since: Jul, 2009
Proud Canadian
#114: Oct 23rd 2011 at 2:10:13 PM

[up]Early Pink Floyd.

If you don't like a single Frank Ocean song, you have no soul.
BlixtySlycat |like a boss| from Driving the Rad Hazard Since: Aug, 2011
|like a boss|
#115: Oct 23rd 2011 at 2:11:53 PM

Pink Floyd were instrumental?

I have Dark Side of the Moon, but...

go ahead and do every stupid thing you can imagine
Erock Proud Canadian from Toronto Since: Jul, 2009
Proud Canadian
#116: Oct 23rd 2011 at 2:18:14 PM

Well, not all of it, but Interstellar Overdrive has no vocals.

Cheers.

If you don't like a single Frank Ocean song, you have no soul.
x86x Since: Dec, 1969
#117: Oct 23rd 2011 at 3:55:04 PM

[up][up][up][up]If you're looking for good instrumental space rock, I suggest Planet X, which was fronted by former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian.

Also, while I'm on the topic of Prog rock, I'm amazed that nobody has mentioned Flower Kings yet. They're quite a good prog band that takes quite a bit of influence from Yes, especially the Sum of No Evil, which I think is their own Tales From Topographic Oceans. Their most grandiose epic is the 59-minute "Garden of Dreams".

edited 23rd Oct '11 4:48:52 PM by x86x

ThirtyH Since: Jun, 2011
#118: Oct 23rd 2011 at 4:42:19 PM

I don't get the band, magma.

MidnightRambler Ich bin nicht schuld! 's ist Gottes Plan! from Germania Inferior Since: Mar, 2011
Ich bin nicht schuld! 's ist Gottes Plan!
#119: Mar 25th 2012 at 4:09:06 PM

Now listening to Birth Control's second album. Excellent prog rock: interesting compositions, soulful vocals and lots of exciting guitar and Hammond work. It's a shame they're so unknown - I only heard about them in the first place because Gamma Ray took their name from a song of theirs.

Mache dich, mein Herze, rein...
Erock Proud Canadian from Toronto Since: Jul, 2009
Proud Canadian
#120: Mar 25th 2012 at 5:23:21 PM

[up][up][up][up]Damn, I thought that was prog? Shoot.

edited 25th Mar '12 5:23:55 PM by Erock

If you don't like a single Frank Ocean song, you have no soul.
Jhimmibhob Since: Dec, 2010
#121: Mar 26th 2012 at 8:59:46 AM

Highly recommend Spock's Beard to one & all. They're all brilliant instrumentalists, and their songs are all listenable—even the lengthy epics never descend into noodling; they keep introducing fresh melodic hooks & ideas. Their magnum opus is Snow, but you also couldn't go wrong with V, Octane, or their '06 eponymous album.

The band's only problem has been underwhelming vocalists: Neal Morse was too bland and poppy, and Nick D'Virgilio's voice was simply weak. Haven't yet heard the new guy's pipes, but am hopeful.

Jhimmibhob Since: Dec, 2010
#122: Mar 27th 2012 at 8:18:19 AM

Am I the only human being who'd like to see Genesis reunite as Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, and a new rhythm section?

AsTheAnointed Since: Jan, 2010
#123: Mar 27th 2012 at 3:50:20 PM

What I've heard of Spock's Beard is cool. And I personally like Neal Morse's voice, even if it isn't super sweet sounding or technically impressive. His solo album Testimony 2 is also awesome and his stuff with Transatlantic is insanely epic. Really great composer and keyboardist, probably one of my favourite musicians at the moment.

x86x2 Eternally dreaming... Since: Nov, 2011
Eternally dreaming...
#124: Mar 27th 2012 at 4:54:02 PM

Yeah, Spocks Beard is quite a good prog band. I got into them when I first discovered Transatlantic, which had Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater. Then I checked out the members of that group and their main projects, and that's how I got into Spocks Beard and The Flower Kings. That's basically how I search for modern prog nowadays, I search through the Transatlantic tree (as the Prog-Archives site calls it) because the members in Transatlantic are quite prolific in terms of how much music they've composed and how many projects they're in.I look up the members of those bands and see what projects they're in, and vice versa.

Can't wait for Spocks Beard's new album this summer, as well as a new Flower Kings album in June, and a new Neal Morse album this year. And I heard that Transatlantic may be working on some new material this year, so it ought to be quite exciting to see what comes out of that. So many bands I'm interested in are putting out albums this year, it just seems so crazy.

edited 27th Mar '12 4:55:22 PM by x86x2

Someone wake me from this nightmare, I've become my darkest fear...
Jhimmibhob Since: Dec, 2010
#125: Mar 27th 2012 at 5:43:30 PM

[up][up]Yeah, Morse's voice certainly is not objectively bad. It always struck me as a little too Top-40ish for the SB material, but that's just personal taste talking.


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