Coheed and Cambria became a household name a few times in their career. Their hits “A Favor House Atlantic” in 2003, “Welcome Home” in 2005, the use of the latter in the animated movie “9”. And their diehard fan base of the music as well as the graphic novel never let them fade away. But the band is enjoying a bit of a resurgence as each tour brings bigger venues and more acclaim. The 2018 release of Vaxis I introduced a new story in the so called “Amory Wars” universe the band is famous for, and it’s sprawling 15 song (almost a full 80 minutes of music) was a bit much to digest, even for diehards. A new concept and some memorable hooks, but a lot of the vibe was set creating this prison planet known as “The Dark Sentencer”, and setting up the story of our two characters and their son. Now out imprisonment and on the run, the music was ready to soar along with them.
Vaxis II returns 4 years later, not only at a different place in the story, but in the world in general. COVID hit, as well as political turmoil, and personal growth in main songwriter Claudio’s own life as a father. It’s impossible for all these elements to not get put into this album. But Claudio alongside the other three members have created an album that seems more than ready to be unleashed upon live audiences who are ready to mosh and sing their hearts out.
The album starts with an orchestral reprisal of “Old Flames” from the previous album. From here the album charges through a whopping 9 songs all under 4 minutes long. These songs are quick, upbeat, well produced, layered, and straightforward. In other words, modern pop/rock. But that’s no surprise from a band that started in a pop punk style and added the progressive elements over time. It is almost an attack of catchy choruses, the antithesis of Part 1’s more brooding and atmospheric approach.
From the big anthemic chorus of “Beautiful Losers”, to the almost In Keeping Secrets feel of “Comatose”. It pushes through to the extremely heavy verse riffs of “Shoulders” before dropping another ear candy chorus your way. “A Disappearing Act” has a wonderful electronic element throughout, reminiscent of Muse or later Depeche Mode. It’s a slow and subtle transition as the mood of the album changes without you even knowing it, but this is followed by the equally electronic “Love Murder One”. Instead of bluesy hard rock riffs of “Shoulders”, we’re now treated to funky bass in the background. But be clear, if I spent the whole time talking about all the subtleties of every instrument, this would be a much longer review than it already is!
“Blood” slows things down a bit and has that perfect industrial influence that Year of the Black Rainbow had on its ballads as well. But this is quickly picked back up with “The Liar’s Club” which has the best parts of Vaxis I with it. “Bad Man” goes back to that modern electronic vibe combined with Claudio’s soulful vocal styles of the Afterman albums.
“Our Love” is a beautiful ballad that showcases Claudio’s voice, before electronics come in towards the end. This downtime makes way for the triple threat that closes out the album. “Ladders of Supremacy” is the first long song, and has a very progressive feel to it, seemingly returning to the style of “The Willing Well” and “The End Complete” for the first time since those albums. For Prog fans like me, it’s a welcome track that could have honestly been longer, but should make for an excellent addition in the live set.
“Rise, Naianasha” returns to upbeat and catchy style of the earlier songs on the album, but has some progressive and dissonant tendencies during the chorus. But the title track “Window of the Waking Mind“ goes full progressive again, with 5 very different sections, including an orchestral reprise of the “Old Flames” theme, perfectly bookending the album, as well as allowing the story to continue.
For a band who had made nine albums that were all very good and very different, it should be no surprise at this stage that they’re going to keep pushing themselves, try new things, and put out great records. But for me to like this one so much more than it’s predecessor is a testament to Claudio’s sense of storytelling, and the band’s continued inspiration with all styles of music. It’s clear they listen to heavy metal, blues, pop, electronic, and listen to their producers for new ideas (the one who worked on this one has worked with countless major artists as well).
All in all, this is an infectious album that will be great on your first listen, as well as on repeated listens as you continue to discover all the layering and tones. Good for a musician or fan of music alike!
The thrilling conclusion to the my last post. As stated in my previous entry (I suggest reading that one before reading this one), I have taken liberty with some terms, and essentially combined what some would call Neo-Prog (new bands influenced by 70s Prog) and Post-Prog (bands inspired by other styles that have progressive tendencies) together to make a more cohesive list.
Aside from that, Nothing else new needs to be said so let’s get right to it! Starting at #9!
9. Riverside – Second Life Syndrome
Riverside are Poland’s greatest progressive export, and picking an album by the was actually even harder than picking one by The Flower Kings. I love every album by these guys equally. Every album so far has shown a different side of this multi-faced band. So I tried going with the one that I felt covered all the bases, while still demonstrating the Riverside sound.
Their debut Out of Myself shows the boys at their most Pink Floyd with a soft and delicate sound on most tracks. Rapid Eye Movement introduced a dark electronic sound. Anno Domino High Definition was their most compact and frantically paced, while Shrine of New Generation Slaves was their most organically classic rock. And Love, Fear, and The Time Machine is probably their best choice as most balanced.
But Second Life Syndrome will always be the essential Riverside album in my mind. Taking the ambience from their debut and adding in inspirations from Tool and Dream Theater, this album is a monster of a listen. From the iconic intro (“After”) into an all out showcase of what this band is capable of (“Volte-Face”) and then bringing it down with a beautiful ballad like “Conceiving You”, they are only mentally preparing you for the 15+ minute masterpiece that is the title track. Divided into three parts, it is everything you love about the band: relatable lyrics, aggression, emotional soft spots, and an experimental jam session.
The second half is equally impressive with another ballad (“I Turned You Down”), a progressive instrumental (“Reality Dream III”), another epic track (“Dance with the Shadow”), and the fragile but intense outro “Before”. You can’t go wrong with this insanely talented band, but I always return to this one as my personal favorite by them.
8. Neal Morse – Sola Scriptura
I already made the Genesis connection with my Spock’s Beard review in part 1 of this list. But I’ll reiterate it here. When Neal Morse left the band, they got drummer Nick to replace him on vocals. And Neal’s solo career has done as well as “The Beard” as they’ve continued on their way, like Peter Gabriel’s did. The big difference is obviously that Neal’s solo career incorporates Christian Rock, after finding Jesus, detailed on his Testimony albums. And Neal has balanced his time between Christian solo albums, and Prog solo albums, among other projects.
I know many people who get turned off by the Christian aspect, but they are missing out on some really great music. And it doesn’t get better than his concept album about the life of Martin Luther. This 4 song album contains three epics (2 of them passing the 20 minute mark) and one lone ballad. Fans of Neal’s work won’t be surprised by either. He is a master of multi-part epics with all his projects (“So Many Roads” from Lifeline and “World Without End” from Momentum almost helped pushed their respective albums on this list alone!), and his albums usually contain at least one orchestral/emotional ballad to provide a breath between all the prog.
This particular albums contains some of the heaviest riffs and moments that Neal has ever been a part of, as well as some of the most incredible melodic and simultaneously technical musicianship that you will ever come across. This is thanks to an all star cast consisting of Randy George on bass, Mike Portnoy on drums, and Paul Gilbert on occasional guitar solos. Everyone gets their moment to shine. Neal gets his keyboard and piano solos, Randy has his aptly titled “jam”, and Paul’s three sections are among the highlights.
To try breaking down each section would be too long. This album is full of memorable melodies, brilliant transitions, and some of the best performances these musicians have ever put to record (and with their extensive individual histories, that’s saying something!). I invite you to get past the lyrics if Christianity or talk of God is not your thing, because the musicianship will astound you, and Neal’s sense of composition will leave you all feeling warm inside. From the overture to the last lines of the album, this album is perfection.
7. Frost* – Milliontown
How do I follow up such bold allegations on my last review? With the brilliant debut of one of the most under-appreciated bands on this list. That being said, this band might have the most to do (besides Marillion) with the actual definition of Neo-Prog, since many of the people who have played in it have also been members of Arena, IQ, It Bites, and Pendragon. So how did Frost* come to be?
It was formed by Jem Godfrey who is more known as a producer responsible for many British #1 hits such as “Whole Again” by Atomic Kitten. But Jem showed his own chops when Frost* released this album in 2006. Frost* has changed lineups, broken up, reformed, and changed sounds on each of their albums, and while their second one Experiments in Mass Appeal might actually be my personal favorite by them (I tend to flip flop back and forth), I can’t deny the mastery of the album that started it all.
It all starts with “Hyperventilate”, a 7 and a half minute jam session with equal parts of melodies and technicality. “No Me No You” starts off almost sounding punk before going into an explosive chorus. “Snowman” is a ballad that shows that what makes this album so brilliant is the production. The songs would sound simple if it wasn’t the ever present electronic elements filling up the empty space. And the tones Jem gets out of his keyboard are unreal.
The other brilliant trick is going back and forth between John’s warm vocals and Jem’s sharp ones. “The Other Me” picks it up again, starting with some interesting blues slides. “Black Light Machine” is a masterpiece, with one of the greatest guitar solos of all time (easily a top 10 for me) and its unique multi-part structure is a roller coaster of emotions. But it all leads up to the 26 and a half minute title track, that starts with a perfect movie soundclip to set the stage, and goes through a serious of memorable sections that rivals any of Neal Morse’s 20+ minute epics. Not bad for a band’s debut album!
6. Transatlantic – The Whirlwind
What is the formula for an album to beat some of the already incredible albums on this list? Easy. You make a supergroup featuring 4 band members that have already been on this list, with other bands of course. Transatlantic is the incredible combination of Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Pete Trewavas from Marillion and Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings. This is their third album, and honestly, their 2nd one, Bridge Across Forever could have easily been its place. That album is structure very similar to Sola Scriptura. 4 songs, 3 epics (2 over 20 minutes), repeated themes and motifs throughout, and the lone orchestral ballad. So, why did I choose this one?
The Whirlwind is something all its own. This 77+ minute epic song is split up into 12 parts, each of them memorable on their own, but of course this album is accomplished off of the sum of all its parts rather anything individually. Every member of this band is familiar with concept albums, and every member is familiar with “suite” composition. So it’s no surprise how well all the parts fit together.
From the “Overture” and the uplifting “Whirlwind”, to the gorgeous “The Wind Blew Them All Away”. Through the jam session of “On the Prowl”, the Flower Kings sounding “A Man Can Feel”, and the Spock’s Beard sounding “Rose Covered Glasses”. And onwards through the dark and emotional “Is it Really Happening?” to the grand finale of “Dancing with Eternal Glory” and the “Whirlwind Reprise”. It is an absolute ride.
It is a band that utilizes all the strengths of all the members. All 4 provide vocals at different times. Mike’s drums sound organic and full. Roine and Neal fully take command with their alternating vocal styles as well as their well thought out guitar and keyboard solos. And Pete always knows when to shine through, either with his warm vocal tone or standout bass tone. And for those of us in the year 2020, it seems like they will be revisiting this album’s style and structure on their next album in 2021, so be on the lookout for that!
5. Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning
Where do I start with summarizing my love for all things Steven Wilson? Most known for his work in Porcupine Tree, Steven has had a career some of us can only dream about. Between No-Man, Blackfield, Bass Communion, Continuum, IEM, Storm Corrosion, and his solo career (not to mention his guest appearance amd wonderful remixes of classic albums), he has had the ability to work with some of the greatest musicians on the planet, experiment, and satisfy all his creative desires in regards to different styles of music. From prog, to pop, to drone, he has done it all. And while his fans cry for the return of Porcupine Tree, his solo albums have pushed him into uncharted territory.
I struggled between this and Hand.Cannot.Erase, which would probably be the fan favorite. And why not? It was a brilliant concept album inspired by a documentary of a true story and contains some of the most exciting moments he’s ever done. However, Grace for Drowning is still my personal favorite, so I’m going for it.
The beauty of this album is that it is 2 albums, both around 40 minutes each. Steven listened to his own advice and didn’t make an album of emotional depth too long. Instead, he split up the songs, creating two well-crafted albums, each with their own unique flow. They both start with contrasting instrumental build ups (the gorgeous and lush title track and the haunting “Bella de Jour”, named after one of my favorite movies).
“Sectarian” is a dark and heavy jam session, showing off the chops of the incredibly talented musicians. I forgot to mention that Steven has quite the group of guys backing him up on these discs (Jordan Rudess on keys, Theo Travis on flute and sax, Tony Levin AND Nick Beggs on bass, Steve Hackett from Genesis, Trey Gunn AND Pat Mastelotto from King Crimson, as well as others). Each album has its own gorgeous title track (“Deform to Form a Star” and “Like Dust I Have Cleared From Eyes”), which are the first song with lyrics and the last song on the last album, respectively.
“No Part of Me” is an electronic based song with a dark and heavy second half. Similarly, “Track One” is an acoustic piece with a surprising dark ambient second half. “Postcard” is the typical gorgeous but sad Steven ballad. But it is the darkest moments that really set this album apart: The uncomfortable industrial sounding “Index”, the hypnotic dark jazz “Remainder the Black Dog” and the centerpiece, the 23+ minute “Raider II” about the BTK killer. Steven brilliant introduces the motif on disc 1 with its 2 minute prelude, which simultaneously acts as a break for that album. But when it comes back, it’s a full force song of heavy riffs, flute solos, anxiety raising quiet moments, and quite possibly Steven’s heaviest vocal delivery (aside from Porcupine Tree’s “Futile”).
If you haven’t heard this one in a while, it demands another spin. I guarantee, you’ve forgotten how good this one is.
4. Anathema – Weather Systems
I think the greatest irony of this album being so high is that Anathema has never considered themselves Prog. In fact, aside from Pink Floyd, the members admit to never growing up with bands like Rush or King Crimson. And yet, they constructed an album that is so perfectly a Prog-like concept album, that it became one of my top 2 favorite albums of all time. If I had to do “desert island pick”, BTBAM Colors would be my heavy pick and this would be my soft pick. Unfortunately, I had to leave behind my personal bias, and rate this fairly.
Anathema started out as a death/doom metal band, and over the years slowly transitioned from goth, to alternative rock, to this gorgeous blend of orchestral rock. Having more in common with Coldplay and Radiohead than Jethro Tull and Genesis, they released a string of albums from 2010 to 2014 that in my opinion is hard to beat. And while We’re Here Because We’re Here and Distant Satellites are just hairs below in my opinion, this album has a beauty that is just unmatched.
The overall theme simultaneously compares the the loss of a loved one with the changing of the seasons. Comparing the powerful emotions felt between two connected human being with the powerful effects of Mother Nature conjures up a ton of beautiful imagery. And the music and the lyrics work hand in hand to compliment the touchings of such a heartfelt subject. It starts with the two part “Untouchable”, in a brilliant format that they recreated on their next album with “The Lost Song”. Starting off with an in your face acoustic melody, it is a string of upbeat emotional melodies building up to a climax. When the song drops, part two comes in, and a ballad version based on the melody and lyrics is sung, first by Daniel (male) and then by Lee (female). This call and response is like a communication with the other side.
“The Gathering of Clouds” returns to the fast paced, almost frantic acoustic style and the transition into “Lightning Song” is genius. This song showcases Lee’s ethereal vocal style with some of the best harmonies and a huge ending. “Sunlight” brings it down for a bit, but the incredible balance of post rock, indie, hard rock, and folk keeps you on your toes. “The Storm Before the Calm” breaks all that with a dark turn from left field, with its hypnotic electronic element.
“The Beginning and the End” and “The Lost Child” counter all the brightness of the early songs, almost like the winter of the album. It shows their goth influence but in a more mature way than that of their early albums. They’ve got beauty, restraint, and a blistering guitar solo by Danny in the former, while the latter ends with some vocals in the stratosphere. This all leads to one of the best ending songs I can think of.
“Internal Landscapes” starts with a soundclip of a man recounting his “near death experience” before the band comes in and ties the album all together with its final lyrics, “I was always there, and I will always be there”, sending you off with a feeling of peace and hope. All in all, one of the most emotional experiences and one of the best ways to spend 55 minutes of your life.
3. The Mars Volta – Francis the Mute
One of the more well known bands on this list, The Mars Volto broke through the mainstream despite their eclectic and experimental sound. One of two bands formed from post-hardcore band At The Drive In, this new project allowed the band to branch out into more progressive territories. They famously stated wanting their debut to sound like Pink Floyd’s Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and while that’s not the album that comes to my mind, an hour long concept album was not a bad start for them!
Utilizing the incredible flow of the first album, they tried a different approach with their second album, and this is where they really shined. Frances the Mute at heart is a 5 song album, though the title track did get left off and the last song was split up on CD and Digital versions. But this album’s structure has always reminded me of another classic Prog record: In the Court of the Crimson King. So if you’ll indulge me, let me explain.
Frances the Mute starts with a bang. After lulling you in, it surprises you with its blend of jazz, hard rock, avant-garde, and Prog. It alternates between English and Spanish lyrics and has some of the most unique dynamic transitions of any album on this list. There are long ambient transitions between each song, including analog style tape warping and loops. If “Cygnus” is this album’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” with its heavy jazz, then it brings things down with its 2nd track ballad “The Widow”.
And while it may sound nothing like “I Talk to the Wind”, it creates the same effect. At heart, “The Widow” is an ambient blues jam, with a ripping solo to prove it. Things pick back up with “L’Via”, a heavy but catchy song with Latin rhythms and a haunting soft section. And again, has nothing remotely to do with King Crimson’s masterpiece “Epitaph”, they both have that middle album boost, because track 4 in both cases, are where things get really similar.
“Moonchild” and “Miranda” both start off with few quiet lyrics before extended tinkering sessions, or in Volta’s case, their attempt at a Spaghetti Western. In both cases, an unexpected hit signifies the fifth in final track; in Crimson’s case, the epic title track, and in Volta’s case, the 33 minute “Cassandra”. Cassandra might not be the band’s signature song, but it is epic beyond all belief. Flute and saxophone solos that would make Crimson happy, multi-part sections, and a fusion of genres inspired by albums like Bitches Brew by Miles Davis.
The point of this comparison is not to show that they cheated. It’s to show that despite mainstream success, The Volta’s forward thinking approach and unique combination of sounds ties everything together, just like it did when Crimson came out with their groundbreaking approach in the late 60s. This is a monster of an album and deserves to be on a list alongside more “traditional” Prog bands like Marillion. Not to mention it has Flea from the Chili Peppers playing trumpet, John Frusciante on two guitar solos, and cover art by the late great Storm Thergerson. What more do you want?!
2. Radiohead – Ok Computer
If you were to look at the song lengths of this next album alone, you’d think I was crazy for putting this so high on a Prog list. But there’s just no denying the importance of OkComputer. Radiohead is without a doubt the most well known band on this list, but have always tried to find a way to push or reinvent themselves with every release. When this album came out in 1997, grunge and Brit pop were all the rage. And while this album has elements of both, it’s progressive tendencies introduced a whole new generation of music listeners to forward thinking styles of music.
Referred to as “The Dark Side of the Moon of the 90s”, it really does feel like a revamped version of the themes tackled on that classic album. To all the things that already made us go crazy (war, time, money, literal mental illness), we could now add the growing developments of computers and the foundations of cyber wars, fear of micro-chips, chat rooms and eventual social media groundwork, as well as substance abuse of any kind of mind altering narcotic, and so much more. And the music pushed all this.
Between Thom York’s slightly off, but also hypnotic vocals and the wide range of guitar tones and production techniques, the band was in the perfect balance between their early guitar-driven rock and their later experimental/electronic phase. Starting off with “Airbag”, drawing you in gently with a slightly upbeat rhythm the way “Planet Telex” did on their previous release, it is an introduction to the kinds of weird tones and unique melodies that you’re in for. But that all changes with “Paranoid Android”.
Possibly one of the greatest songs of all time, it is a dark, nihilistic journey through 3 distinct sections with some of the best transitions I’ve ever heard in my life. Think of it as a grunge “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Not operatic, but just as exciting. “Subterranean Homesick Alien”, a play on a Bob Dylan song name, is an ethereal tune with some of nicest use of octaves on a guitar (alongside “Killing in the Name of” by RATM). “Exit Music (For a Film)” is one of the saddest sounding songs I can think of, which is unusual placement before the catchy “Let Down”, but somehow works.
“Karma Police” is a classic everyone has probably heard with a chord progression straight from “Sexy Sadie” by The Beatles. Next is a brief interlude spoken by “Microsoft Fred” (Im dating myself by remembering this) before picking up with “Electioneering”, the most rocking song on the album. “Climbing Up the Ways” is a “wall of sound” style song with elements of drone, trip hop, dub, and punk. “No Surprises” is a ballad that plays around with pop music of the 50s and 60s, conjuring up the “white picket fence American dream”.
“Lucky” is another dark ballad, with beautiful use of Mellotron sounding choirs, tremolo, slide guitar, and a soaring solo, and in that sense, probably has the most to do with Prog aside from “Paranoid Android”. It all ends with “The Tourist”, which has a slight jazz feel to it. Like the lyrics, everything “slows down” and gently lulls the listener to a full and complete stop before it is ok to take off their seatbelts or lap bar restraint. And though the songs aren’t your traditional “prog songs” it’s hard to deny the diversity and thought process involved.
With influences ranging from Bitches Brew by Miles Davis, to Elvis Costello, to REM, to PJ Harvey, to CAN, The Beach Boys, even Ennio Morricone, Radiohead (as Steven Wilson once described) “snuck up” on music journalists with ambitious albums that proved that concept albums could be cool again. And if it wasn’t for Ok Computer, we probably wouldn’t have had this next one…
1. Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet
I tried to balance this list with influence, mainstream appeal, ambition, uniqueness, as well as personal bias. That being said, there was no way this wasn’t going to be #1. One of my top 5 favorite albums of all time, and Steven Wilson’s second appearance on this list. If Ok Computer was Dark Side of the 90s, here’s Ok Computer of the 2000s.
By 2007, Porcupine Tree had already released a string of great albums and were getting more and more popular with every tour. What once was a joke side project for Steven while he worked in No-Man had now become his main focus. In Absentia and Deadwing were already being viewed as modern classics and were going to be hard to top. But while both of those albums balanced the pop aspects with their new found appreciation for heavy metal (courtesy of working with Opeth and the discovery of Meshuggah), Fear of a Blank Planet (a nod to the famous album by Public Enemy) pushed them into darker territories.
Fear of a Blank Planet is a concept album based on the book Lunar Park by author Bret Easton Ellis (famous for Less Than Zero and American Psycho). It’s lyrics describe a lost generation stumbling around malls with no real direction in life. Self medicating with prescription pills or other forms of drugs, as well as alcohol and sex just to pass the time. It is a dark and nihilistic look at growing problems with a generation raised on social media and only knows of what they are shown. In other words, the album does justice to the Bret Easton Ellis writing style.
The 6 song album is paced beautifully, taking hints from the Court of the Crimson King structure I mentioned above. The first song is the title track, which might be the most punk rock sounding song the band has ever done. Aggressive guitar playing, in your face lyrics, a Robert Fripp style guitar solo, Gavin’s incredible drum fills scattered throughout, and Colin’s bass and Richard’s keys filling in all the empty space gracefully.
The second song is a simple ambient ballad called “My Ashes” providing breathing room between the monster third track “Anesthetize”. This three part song is “Paranoid Android” on steroids. They both start with mid tempo sections and unusual chord progressions, the middle section is by far the heaviest, with some truly crushing riffs seemingly coming out of nowhere, and the last section is the soft reflective moment.
“Sentimental” was originally going to be another multi-part song before being cut down to a second ballad to provide more rest before the last two songs. It is among the catchiest Porcupine Tree choruses. “Way Out of Here” starts out soft before blasting with a string chorus. impressive middle section, and another fantastic guitar solo. And “Sleep Together” is one of the darkest songs by the band, with its unusual sounds, Middle Eastern and Indian influence, and climatic buildup towards the end. A fitting finale.
I’m tempted to break it down more and talk about every little thing I love on it, but it is best experienced as a whole. It perfectly encompasses the pop sensibilities of bands like Coheed, Dear Hunter, Radiohead, and Mars Volta, while equally paying tribute to the Prog that has come before it. Influenced from 70s bands like King Crimson, Rush, and Pink Floyd, while balancing modern influences like Tool and Nine Inch Nails, and even incorporating electronic and industrial music like Tangerine Dream and Massive Attack. It is one of the most perfectly balanced albums I can think of.
Well, it looked like my last list caused a bit of controversy but also was helpful to a few people. So I’ve decided to speed up the process for my next list. The difference between Prog Metal and Neo-Prog Rock is essentially that while Prog Metal (as the name would suggest) is a combination of the progressive genre with heavy metal (that started with Dream Theater, Queensryche, and Fates Warning but has grown substantially from there), neo-Prog is essentially a resurgence of the classic 70s Prog sound of Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, and many others.
Neo-Prog started in the 80s with Marillion, and still continues to this day. I must admit (at the risk of losing my credibility) that I did not include albums from a lot of other founding neo-Prog bands, because they didn’t have the same widespread influence, so let me give them a shoutout right now (I’m so sorry Jadis, Pallas, IQ, Arena, Pendragon, Twelfth Night, and a few others. You all deserve better). The reason I choose to specifically focus on Neo-Prog is because…
Well… frankly…. the progressive genre has expanded so much that there are so many different kinds of Prog these days. Bands that have very different approaches and inspirations are all kind of lumped together, from Muse to Opeth, from Mastodon to King’s X, to Karnivool and Periphery, Prog has become kind of blurred. And that’s not a problem for people who are now learning of new bands that way. But for a reviewer making a list, I strictly want to focus on bands that created albums that have a very direct link to the 1970s classic Prog sound.
Now many of these bands may still have their own approach, and may have included techniques or styles that would never have happened in the 70s or appeared on a 70s album, but that’s ok. as long as the link is direct and make sense, I’ll allow it.
Also, I’ve decided to split this up into two parts because of how long the last list came out to be. So here we go! Here’s my list of the 18 essential Neo-Prog Rock albums!
18. Dredg – El Cielo
Dredg had one of the more interesting string of albums to look at (5 from 1998 to 2011). What makes them so interesting is how much they changed from album to album while still retaining the band’s character. From the harsh heavy sound of their debut, Leitmotif (which looking back isn’t too far off from that of their good friends Deftones), to the alternative rock on Catch Without Arms, to the electronic pop sound on their final album Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy.
But it was their 2nd album El Cielo that is considered a crowning achievement. A concept album about dreams and sleep paralysis, it is inspired by one of Salvador Dali’s most famous paintings. It is a diverse album with unique transitions (done mostly by a series of interludes). It ranges from pop, hard rock, and post rock influences, but is always focused. From the catchiness of “Same ol’ Road” and “Sanzen”, to darkness of “I’m Sorry But it’s Over”, and ends on the glorious high note of “Whoa is Me” and “The Canyon Behind Her”. It starts off strong, ends strong, and takes you through many wonderful places throughout.
17. The Dear Hunter – Act II: The Meaning of, and All things Regarding Ms. Leading
We continue this list with a band who is more likely to be called indie rather than prog, but that doesn’t take away from the truly progressive things that these guys are doing. Multi-album concept albums based on a story that the singer created, 9 EPs with 4 songs each based off of moods and feelings associated with each color in the color spectrum, live transitions/jam sessions between songs that would make any band jealous, and a lack of fear when it comes to attempting/incorporating new styles of genres into their already diverse sound.
Act II is the 2nd in a 5 album concept cycle. Musically and lyrically picking up where the first part left off, we follow a boy who travels to the city after the death of his mother. There he falls in love with a prostitute and encounters heartbreak, one of many tragic events in this characters life. The band compliment with hard rocking tunes like “The Procession” “The Church and the Di’e”and “Dear Ms. Leading”, vaudeville style songs like “The Oracles on the Delphi Express” and “Vital Vessels Vindicate”, progressive moments (“The Lake and the River” and “The Bitter Suite”), ballads (“”Evicted”, “Where the Road Parts”, “Black Sandy Beaches”, “Red Hands”), and even upbeat pop tunes like “Smiling Swine”.
It is a phenomenal record, worth every second of every listen, and blends genres like folk, rock, blues, and jazz like it’s nobody’s business. The lyrics are emotional and require multiple spin to full digest.
16. Coheed and Cambria – In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Like The Dear Hunter, Coheed is probably more well known as an indie or “emo” rock band due to the pop punk aspects of their first album. And while those aspects are still a part of the band to this day, they have more than proven their Prog credentials.
This second release (and continuation of their “Amory Wars” saga) by the band not only shows improved songwriting and production, but also longer songs, and concepts within concepts. Starting with the epic battle cry that is the title track, we are treated to a few shorter tracks ranging from upbeat happy tunes, to darker songs with great dynamics and transitions like “The Crowning”. And aside from the well-known hit single “A Favor House Atlantic”, the second half sees the band channeling the attitude of bands like Rush.
From “The Camper Velourium” Trilogy which gets darker and angrier with each song, to the two 9+ minute epics “The Light and the Glass” and “21:13”, the band shows their knack for melodies, harmonies, instrumental moments, riff-writing, chord progressions, and tie-ing stories together by bringing back motifs from earlier songs.
15. 3 – The Ghost You Gave to Me
Poor 3. This band has never been given the recognition they deserve. Perhaps they were cursed with the hardest band name to “google”. But anyone who’s seen them live knows that they are a talented group of musicians, who interestingly blend funk, flamenco, hard rock, and space rock, all in a tight package that sounds like no other band.
Going into this list, I thought I was going to put their 2007 release The End is Begun. That or 2004’s Wake Pig perfectly showcase the balance between the band’s early sound and their later darker and heavier style as well. But their most recent release (which is now 9 years old) is the most focused released in terms of their Prog side. With a string of catchy hard rock tunes, they showcase their odd times and syncopation. But the real champions of the album are “One With the Sun”, “It’s Alive”, and “Only Child”, which showcase the band’s transitions, bright and ambient tones, build ups, and songwriting.
Plus, ending with the brilliant all-encompassing lyrical ballad of “The Barrier” really brings the album closure, as it almost acts as a recap of everything the band had done so far. The world needs more 3!
14. The Flower Kings – The Sum of No Evil
Going into this list, I knew this was going to be one of the most challenging tasks: picking a single album by The Flower Kings. These prog masters not only have an extensive catalog, but consistent as well. Known for long albums, double albums (Paradox Hotel, Unfold the Future, Stardust We Are), albums that flow through like 1 long song (Flower Power, Space Revolver) it is impossible to pick an essential album by the band.
So out of pure bias, this one has always stood out in my mind as my personal favorite. The problem with most albums by the band is that with so much material and lots of short interludes, their albums can sometimes feel overbearing and all over the place. In my opinion, this is the band at their most focused. No filler. Just 6 great songs.
With only one song written by Thomas Bodin and the rest written by frontman Roine Stolt, it doesn’t have as much diversity as some of their albums do, but it is no slouch. The album is full of beauty, melody, technicality, musicianship, moments of flash, moments of much needed rest, and hints of the darker tone the band started using. This is one of the best starting points for a new fan and is still a fan favorite as well.
13. Beardfish – Destined Solitaire / Mammoth
Since this is unlucky #13, I’m gonna go ahead and cheat on this one. Actually it has nothing to do with the number and everything to do with the fact that I literally can’t pick a winner between this two. It’s not that these are the most perfect albums ever, but they are so equally matched together that it would be a great injustice to separate them. These two albums represent the band’s transition from their sprawling double albums to the dark and heavy albums they ended their career with.
Beardfish are a Swedish progressive rock band with traces of everything 70s. From Genesis and Zeppelin, to Deep Purple and Frank Zappa. Perfectly blending the hard rock elements with the quirkiness and technicality of their heroes, they reached acclaim with Sleeping in Traffic Part 1 and 2.
Both albums start with strong progressive instrumentals, “Awaken the Sleeping” harkens back to Gentle Giant and Focus, “The Platform” showing hints of modern metal like Mastodon. Both albums have their signature songs (“Destined Solitaire”/“And the Stone Said: If I Could Speak”) ballads (“Tightrope”), grooves (“In Real Life There is No Algebra”), and plenty of epics that showcase so many styles of the band. They always know when to bring it down with a short time, but there’s so any catchy melodies on these albums that it’s hard to even know how to summarize them.
RIP Beardfish. Many hopes that the world gets to see you again some day.
12. Antimatter – Fear of a Unique Identity
This might be a divisive choice. Some might say that this band isn’t even progressive. Some might say that this isn’t even the band’s most progressive album. Antimatter started out as a collaboration between Mick Moss and Duncan Patterson, formerly of Anathema. This album was the first without Duncan, and was Mick’s time to prove that he could lead the band all on his own.
He exceeded all expectations, with an album that was heavier than anything the band had done thus far. Combining the electronic, dark wave, gothic, and acoustic elements of previous albums, Mick tied it all together in a very Pink Floyd-like way. A clear and focused theme of modern life, excellent production, beautiful tones, emotional delivery, and a strong album from start to finish.
While it may not have anything to do with Yes or Jethro Tull like many of these albums do, it is a rare treat to hear such a well put-together album, and that is very 70s of Mick and the boys. One of my all time favorite albums and worthy of the recognition.
11. Spock’s Beard – Beware of Darkness / X / Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep
If you thought my answer for Beardfish was cheating, you’re gonna hate this one. Spock’s Beard is one of the most loved American progressive rock bands to be influenced by the 70s style. Coming out of Los Angeles in 1992, they had the talent, the counter-melodies of Gentle Giant, and a twisted/dark sense of humor. They’ve also been blessed with the ability to reinvent themselves multiple times.
After a string of successful albums with Neal Morse, they pulled a Genesis and had their drummer Nick become their singer. After he left, the band recruited Ted Leonard from Enchant. And so I give you my pick of the essential albums from each era of the band, because each accomplished singer deserves a shoutout for what they all brought to “The Beard”.
Beware of Darkness is their second album with Neal and the most balanced in my opinion. I could have picked any from the Neal era really because they are all so unique, but this one has always stood out to me. It features a George Harrison cover in their style, the quirky “Thoughts” which continued in parts on later albums, the epic “The Doorway”, a showcase of the band’s classical style guitar sounds, a ballad, a band staple in “Walking on the Wind”, and a heavy and epic closer with “Time Has Come Today”.
Nick took a while to fit in, if you ask me. Some of the albums drag on and don’t gel quite right. But X shows the band at the most confident that they had been in quite some time. Three epics full of introspective lyrics, technicality, and beautiful moments (“Edge of the In-Between”, “From the Darkness”, and “Jaws of Heaven”), a fun song in “The Emperor’s Clothes”, the excellent instrumental “Kamikaze”, and the remaining two or three songs (based on the version you get) are catchy and memorable. From start to finish it’s a joy to listen to.
Ted Leonard made quite the impression with his first album with the band. Continuing the confidence and strong songwriting of the previous album, it felt like he had been in the band for years. His emotional and heartfelt delivery highlighted the band’s playing. From Enchant sounding songs like “Hiding Out” and the ballad “Submerged”, to the Nick led Spock’s Beard sound of “A Treasure Abandoned” and “Something Very Strange” even back to the Neal era sound of “I Know Your Secret” and “Waiting For Me”. It even has another edition in the “Thoughts” saga.
If I had to pick just one I’d give the Neal album the nod for the classic sound, but I have to give props to all three eras/singers.
10. Marillion – Misplaced Childhood
Picking a single album from Marillion’s discography is not an easy task, and yet, Marillion fans would most likely gravitate towards this one. Despite its love and acclaim, it doesn’t truly show all sides of Marillion. The first two albums were straight Genesis worship. The next two was the band’s “classic sound”, the next few saw the band’s new singer trying to continue that sound while also trying to be more mainstream, and since then the band has balanced long progressive albums with the introspective alternative rock sound similar to U2, Coldplay, and Radiohead. And while not every album is a classic, they’ve adapted beautifully with the times.
And while I wanted to pick one album that showcased singer Steve Hogarth and all he’s done for the band, I just couldn’t pick one album that reaches the same level of acclaim of this Fish-era masterpiece. Breaking away from just their love of everything Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel, the band showed that they were competent songwriters with Fish’s emotional lyrics and Steve’s Gilmour-like solos. The first of two Marillion concept albums written by Fish, the album looks at love, success, acceptance, and lost childhood.
The album starts with the gentle and delicate “Pseudo Silk Kimono” and travels through some of the band’s most memorable songs: its biggest hit “Kayleigh”, the touching “Lavender”, the multi-part “Bitter Suite”, and the triumphant “Heart of Lithuanian”. The second side flows as well as the first side, not as mainstream but equally as memorable. The upbeat “Waterhole” and “Lords of the Backstage” lead to the epic “Blind Curve” and the album ends on a high note with the title track and “White Feather”.
I would love to do an in depth review of this one and a few of the Hogarth releases such as Brave, Afraid of Sunlight, Marbles, and Somewhere Else. For now, enjoy this album and my in depth review of Clutching at Straws, which is also on this blog spot.
That’s it for part 1. Stick around for part 2 with albums 1-9. I should have it up soon.
Here is my acoustic guitar cover of “A Favor House Atlantic”, one of the most popular songs by one of my all time favorite bands, Coheed and Cambria. Hope you enjoy it! =)
View of the Sunrise 