Does 'extreme metal' have a place in ProgPower?

[LucioArgento]

Opeth are magnificient, but do they deserve a place on the ProgPower roster? I'm quite sure they do, but are the crowd ready? An Opeth gig is typically quite hysterical and filled with pandemonia...quite the opposite to a prog/power crowd perhaps?

Also, what about other extreme metal acts? Without naming specific artists, there are other categories of metal that can quite easily qualify as being 'progressive'.

Power metal is quite self explanatory, but 'progressive' is a very loose term these days.

Personally, I would love to see some North European folk acts come this way....Ensiferum or Thyrfing perhaps. "Vansinnesvisor" is a phenomenal album, and I think it's very progressive.

 

[Jim LotFP]

I fail to see how Opeth is less appropriate than Thyrfing or Ensiferum...

If it's a progressive act, I'd say let em in... the extremity of the band shouldn't matter.

 

[Soul_Schizm]

I would have to agree with Jim. The term "progressive" implies that interesting--or even extreme--elements might come into play.

It would be hard for someone to defend a progressive festival that bars bands because they are "too progressive." What would you call it? The 'Slightly Prog/Power USA fest'? Or 'Not-too-Prog/Power fest'? etc. etc.

--S

 

[LucioArgento]

Originally posted by Jim LotFP
I fail to see how Opeth is less appropriate than Thyrfing or Ensiferum...

Absolutley. But Opeth are certainly the more obvious choice. And if they didn't headline, they'd probably only be able to squeeze in 3-4 songs.

Opeth headlining at PP4 would be a step in a fantastic direction. Especially back to back with Iced Earth.

But I would also take Soilwork, Mastodon, and perhaps Bodom or Kalmah.

 

[ProgMetalFan]

Although I would certainly accept a band like Opeth and Maudlin of the Well... I would rather not see the ProgPower fest inundated with extreme metal acts such as Benediction, Skinless or Amon Amarth, etc.

 

[Jim LotFP]

Originally posted by ProgMetalFan
Although I would certainly accept a band like Opeth and Maudlin of the Well... I would rather not see the ProgPower fest inundated with extreme metal acts such as Benediction, Skinless or Amon Amarth, etc.

That's where differentiating between progressive and not progressive comes in...

 

[ricochet]

Originally posted by Jim LotFP
If it's a progressive act, I'd say let em in... the extremity of the band shouldn't matter.

Agreed.

 

[aztattooedsean]

An Opeth gig is typically quite hysterical and filled with pandemonia..

There is SOMETIMES minimal moshing at some opeth gigs but please, I wouldn't call there shows Slayer like where everyone Kills each other

 

[LucioArgento]

Originally posted by tattooedsean666

There is SOMETIMES minimal moshing at some opeth gigs but please, I wouldn't call there shows Slayer like where everyone Kills each other

There is ALWAYS moshing at an Opeth gig.

And the ProgPower venue does not allow moshing anyhow.

 

[Creeps]

bands like Benediction and Soilwork just sound like good old fashioned Thrash Metal to me. I don't hear any progressive sounds on those albums when compared to some of the bands that you guys have mentioned or that have played at PP.

 

[VeganSupremacy]

"There is ALWAYS moshing at an Opeth gig."

I've seen them twice and no moshing at either show. People were just watching and really into the music. I think Opeth will fit awesome on ProgPower 4 's line-up. Also by then their new cd Damnation will be out and it's not aggressive at all. It's an all prog album with clean vocals.

Jay

 

[JayKeeley]

Wow no moshing at an Opeth gig? I wonder if it depends on where you see them? The moshing at Opeth in NYC was huge, although it was very 'careful'. The moshing during Napalm Death and Nile a few weeks later was a little more 'hectic' in comparison.

Still, I'd be interested to hear where Opeth played and nobody moshed....

 

[rhavin2112]

Originally posted by JayKeeley
Wow no moshing at an Opeth gig? I wonder if it depends on where you see them? The moshing at Opeth in NYC was huge, although it was very 'careful'. The moshing during Napalm Death and Nile a few weeks later was a little more 'hectic' in comparison.

Still, I'd be interested to hear where Opeth played and nobody moshed....

The Masquerade
Atlanta GA

Opeth supported Nevermore. They played 6 songs.

There was no moshing.

 

[rhavin2112]

Originally posted by VeganSupremacy
"There is ALWAYS moshing at an Opeth gig."

I've seen them twice and no moshing at either show. People were just watching and really into the music. I think Opeth will fit awesome on ProgPower 4 's line-up. Also by then their new cd Damnation will be out and it's not aggressive at all. It's an all prog album with clean vocals.

Jay

I agree 110%!

I have long been a supporter of the notion that Opeth deserves a slot at ProgPower, just as Amorphis, Agalloch, Scholomance, Green Carnation, Borknagar, Vintersorg and a ton of others do.

I am extremely appreciative of Glenn's efforts to allow that one "curve ball" act on the bill like Devin Townsend last year and Nightingale the year before and I think its just a matter of time before we see that one extreme act make the bill.

My vote for this year's curve ball act:Madder Mortem!

 

[Demonspell]

Agreed, I consider bands like Opeth, Agalloch, Maudlin Of The Well, and many others mentioned in this thread to be just as progressive, if not more so, than the typical PP act, and they definitely should be given the same consideration...

 

[Soul_Schizm]

Moshing depends largely on the venue anyway. There was moshing at the Blind Guardian gig in Chicago--for both Symphony X and Blind Guardian. I thought it was a little out of place--but I think the point is a different demographic will behave differently.

There's nothing wrong with moshing or not moshing--but if Glenn or the venue prohibits it then everyone should respect that. I don't see the "mosh-ability" of a band being the deciding factor keeping them out of a PP event. But then again, the ultimate decision is Glenn's.

--S

 

[alexofbodom]

Some of the more "extreme" metal bands that I believe would be a nice addition to a ProgPower include:
-Children of Bodom (I consider them power metal, but some people might think otherwise because of the vocals)
-Soilwork
-Dark Tranquillity
-Therion (I wouldn't consider them extreme, but certainly not Power nor Prog)
-Eternal Tears of Sorrow (not possible....R.I.P.)
-In Flames (great band, but already tour US enough....plus they are heading in the wrong direction with thier Slipknot meets Limp Bizkit style)
-Kalmah
etc.......

 

[DrBell]

I also saw opeth with nevermore and saw no moshing.