Ten essentials albums of progressive metal

[Platinum Maze]

crap! how could i have POSSIBLY left Queensryche off my list?!!!

although i'd have to give "Mindcrime" the nod over "Rage", but that's just my personal preference.

If I'm still limited to only 10 in my list, I'd have to replace Kamelot's "Karma" with QR's "Mindcrime", since Kamelot is really only BORDERLINE progressive... more of a power-metal thing, really.

Actually, I can never decide between Rage for Order, Operation: Mindcrime, or The Warning (3 of my favorite albums ever.), so I went with what I thought was their most progressive album. I also wanted to get a few other bands in there.

Engine and The Quiet Room would probably get bounced in favor of The Warning and O: M.

 

[The Patient]

I always loved AC/DC's "Highway To Hell", but I would never list in the "Ten essential albums of progressive metal". Hope you get the point.

Missed the 'progressive' part...
I've cleaned up the mess...

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Uh...what about Queensryche, people?

And Tool are shit.

 

[Serge...]

Man, Zero Hour kicks so much ass. Rarely do you run into a band that kicks that much ass, but they do, indeed, kick a lot of ass.

I don't feel like coming up with a top 10 but definitely Symphony X, Dream Theater, Zero Hour, Adagio, Spiral Architect, Pain of Salvation, Opeth, Sun Caged, would be on there.

 

[Kronikle66]

1: Dream Theater - Images and Words
2: Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
3: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
4: Angra - Holy Land
5: Andromeda - Extension of the Wish
6: Liquid Tension Experiment - 2
7: Adagio - Underworld
8: Angra - Rebirth
9: Ayreon - The Final Experiment
10: Dream Theater - Awake

Just my list I'm surprised no one even mentioned Ayreon, one of the best (and most prog) bands ever!

-Kronikle

 

[SevenString]

heh... technically, Star One sort of IS Ayreon, since it's all Lucassen's brainchild anyway.

But IMO, the Star One stuff is a little more "Metal", so that's why it made my list over the other recordings.

 

[The Patient]

Just my list I'm surprised no one even mentioned Ayreon, one of the best (and most prog) bands ever!

-Kronikle

Uh, it's up there on my list. Into the Electric Castle.

 

[ramses]

in no order

Queensryche - Rage For Order
Fates Warning - Perfect Symmetry
Fates Warning - APSOG
Symphony X - The Odyssey
Symphony X - V
Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus
Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding
Dream Theater - Images and Words
Engine - Engine
The Quiet Room - Introspect

Rage For Order!!!! Yes!!!! A great schizophrenic, Pink Floydian prog/ power metal album!!!
70's prog
Yes-Tales From Topographic Oceans
Genesis-Selling England By The Pound
Camel-Moonmadness
Rush-Caress of Steel
King Crimson-Lark's Tongue in Aspic
80's prog
Rush-Permanent Waves
Queensryche-Rage For Order
Fates Warning-Perfect Symmetry
Dream Theater-When Dream And Day Unite
Clockhammer-Klinefelter
90's/00's prog
Dream Theater-Awake
Shadow Gallery-Carved In Stone
Symphony X-The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Opeth-My Arms Your Hearse
Gordian Knot You mentioned Psychotic Waltz..Do you have A Social Grace? It's the only one I can't find anywhere!

 

[Demonspell]

It's being reissued along with the other three PW albums...awesome list BTW.

 

[LoneWolfMusic]

My top 5:

1. Dream Theater- Images and Words (perhaps one of the greatest albums ever)

2. Shadow Gallery- Tyranny

3. Sym X- The Oddessy

4. Fates Warning- Perfect Symetry

5. Dream Theater- Met. pt 2

---------------------

Still pondering the remaining 5. Tool is Prog........just abit mainstream.

-----------

JWC

www.lonewolfmusic.com

 

[ramses]

It's being reissued along with the other three PW albums...awesome list BTW.

THANKS Demonspell!! Of course, it's more than ten, I find it hard to limit it to ten, because of the resurgence of prog rock/metal the last 10+ years!! With Queensryche RFO is my favorite, most everyone else tends to lean towards operation Mindcrime. That's my third fav. The Warning my second. to me, unfortunately, Promise Land was the last decent album. But in saying that, when I saw them less than a year ago with Fates Warning and Dream Theater, they still sound great live!

 

[ramses]

Tool..prog or not prog...to me, by radio standards,it is. When compared to most bands discussed on this thread...barely prog. but, I do like Tool a lot. My only complaints are, I guess, is that I wish they would try playing up-tempo a little more, and throw in just a few guitar solos. Mind you, guitar solos, not for self indulgence sake, but to me, it would make some of their songs a little sronger in spots.

 

[ProgMetalFan]

I always have a tough time deciding between "Operation:Mindcrime", "Rage for Order" and "Promised Land". They're my triumverate of Queensryche masterworks. I love each for very different reasons.

 

[karelrulez]

I just don't understand why a lot of bands with a lot of talent refuse to play a few guitar solo's. Well maybe Joe Satriani's right.. guitarists got lazy.

 

[Platinum Maze]

I always have a tough time deciding between "Operation:Mindcrime", "Rage for Order" and "Promised Land". They're my triumverate of Queensryche masterworks. I love each for very different reasons.

I love Promised Land too! But it's my 4th fav from them.

 

[Demonspell]

I think Rage For Order is just as good as Mindcrime, and definitely more adventurous musically...Promised Land I don't worship like other QR fans, but it has some undeniably great songs on it and they were able to reinvent themselves completely...for the last time.

 

[Prismatic Sphere]

Okay....
(In no particular order)


1. Sieges Even - "A Sense Of Change"
2. Ayreon - "Into The Electric Castle"
3. Rush - "Caress Of Steel"
4. Fates Warning - "Disconnected"
5. Symphony X - "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy"
6. Iron Maiden - "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"
7. Queensryche - "Operation: Mindcrime"
8. Dream Theater - "Scenes From A Memory"
9. Black Sabbath - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
10. Crimson Glory - "Transcendence"

 

[ramses]

Okay....
(In no particular order)


1. Sieges Even - "A Sense Of Change"
2. Ayreon - "Into The Electric Castle"
3. Rush - "Caress Of Steel"
4. Fates Warning - "Disconnected"
5. Symphony X - "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy"
6. Iron Maiden - "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"
7. Queensryche - "Operation: Mindcrime"
8. Dream Theater - "Scenes From A Memory"
9. Black Sabbath - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
10. Crimson Glory - "Transcendence"

Speaking of Crimson Glory, the album after that "Strange and Beautiful" has to be one of the biggest letdown follow up albums of all time. I knew that it would be hard for them to top Transcendence, but to try to sound like a Zeppelin type clone was to me, terrible!

 

[progdrumman]

I am a new member and this is my first post!!
1. Symphony X – The Divine Wings of Tragedy
2. Dream Theater – Images and Words
3. Symphony X – The Odyssey
4. Adagio – Underworld
5. Symphony X – V
6. Time Requiem – self titled
7. Evergrey – Recreation Day
8. Dream Theater – Train of Thought
9. Symphony X – Twilight in Olympus
10. Symphony X – The Damnation Game

Basically, just stick with Symphony X because they are the best.

 

[Technetium]

No order implied here...
1. Dream Theater - Metropolis pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
2. Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity
3. Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
4. Opeth - Blackwater Park
5. Opeth - Deliverance
6. Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
7. Andromeda - II=I
8. Eternity X - The Edge (I bet no one else thought of this one)
9. Shadow Gallery - Carved In Stone
10. Ayreon - Actual Fantasy