I’ve been struggling with Opeth for years now, trying to reconcile their reputation with what I hear on record. My biggest issue on earlier records has been the categorization of them as “progressive metal” when I’ve felt like I’ve been hearing “melodic death metal.” Now, that might seem like I’m picking nits but, as a …
Tag: Progressive Metal
Destroy Erase Improve (1995) by Meshuggah
Metal is a curious thing, a world which values extreme forms of expression but which often doesn’t value diversity of expression. So many metal classics are albums that establish the conventions of a particular sub-genre, which will later ossify into something many people view as inviolable. Not this record.
Fear Inoculum (2019) by Tool
Tool goes Rush (circa late ’70s/early ’80s)!
Gutter Ballet (1989) by Savatage
I find myself stuck with a lot of progressive metal, especially ’90s progressive metal. I often find that it’s either too metal for the description – not a bad thing in and of itself – or too proggy and not metal enough. Apparently I’m nitpicky about this but I believe there is a happy medium …
Still Life (1999) by Opeth
Guys, I think I don’t like Opeth.
Chaosphere (1998) by Meshuggah
I listen to every record I review a bare minimum of three times (but rarely more than that unless I own the album and have heard it before). But every so often I listen to a record three times and I’m pretty sure I need to listen to it more to figure it out. This …
Focus (1993) by Cynic
Most of the time, when I encounter “progressive death metal” (which this sounds like to me, but which it isn’t categorized as on RYM), I think “this isn’t very progressive.” It usually sounds like more ambitious death metal, but it doesn’t sound very proggy. Well, not so here. If there is one thing this record …
My Arms, Your Hearse (1998) by Opeth
This is the first Opeth record I’ve ever heard. I thought I had listened to one of their more recent ones a few years ago, but I must have confused them with another one-word, two-syllable metal band. I’ve of course heard of Opeth but I guess I just never got around to listening to them …
Undertow (1993) by Tool
I have come at Tool backwards from the very beginning of when I started listening to them: The first time I ever listened to a full album was 10,000 Days. When I discovered I liked them I got Lateralus. Then once I finally discovered I liked Lateralus, I got Aenima. This is relevant (for my …
The Divine Wings of Tragedy (1997) by Symphony X
Dream Theater remains the only prog metal band I’ve listened to on the progressive side of the spectrum. And I can’t help but hearing their (massive) influence here, for good or ill. (This includes at least one reference in the lyrics to the only Dream Theater album I know well, and I’m sure there are …