Posts tagged as:

progressive metal

Voyager’s Meaning of I: clever and intriguing, catchy and entertaining progressive rock

27 September 2011 American Culture

There’s something about Voyager’s sound on their fourth LP The Meaning of I that I can’t put my finger on, that I can’t quite describe. With their interesting polyrhythmic sensations, illustrative, sometimes quirky, keyboards, and Danny Estrin’s both consistent and mercurial vocals, this work sounds like a collision of 80′s electronic new wave with more [...]

A Dramatic Turn of Events is classic Dream Theater, so forget the controversy of Portnoy leaving the band

11 September 2011 American Culture

One would think that the hype of drummer Mike Portnoy leaving Dream Theater would have subsided by now. But on the eve of the release of their eleventh album, A Dramatic Turn of Events, remaining members are still taking swipes at him. It’s a shame really as the title of this album declares this simple [...]

In Waves: Trivium stays the course on this unusually entertaining, somewhat predictable, album of modern metal

15 August 2011 American Culture

Honestly, I expected more from Trivium on their new album In Waves. They still offer a mystifying blend of death metal, thrash metal, and metalcore within a sometimes melodic wrapper, including harmonious vocal arrangements against death growls and screams. So then this is essentially the state of modern metal, same old same old, nothing ventured, [...]

With Iconoclast, Symphony X returns with a monumental piece of American progressive metal

30 May 2011 Entertainment

Heavier might be a good word to describe Symphony X’s return on Iconoclast. But being Symphony X that would be too simplistic of a description. Founder and guitarist Michael Romeo states, in the press material, “This record will only become accessible to the listener after several runs. That was our purpose … to create a [...]

Images of Eden’s Rebuilding the Ruins: great American progressive metal from central Pennsylvania

28 February 2011 American Culture

When you find an American metal band that doesn’t do the latest trends of death metal, melodic or otherwise, metalcore, deathcore, hardcore metal, or some other such ‘core’ nonsense, you must sit up, take notice, and listen. Images of Eden is such a band, offering strong (American) progressive metal. Oh yeah, they’re local boys based [...]

Devon Graves returns with The Shadow Theory and debut album Behind the Black Veil, fine progressive metal

20 January 2011 Entertainment

If you been wondering what has become of eclectic prog visionary Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz, Deadsoul Tribe) take heart and not of his new project The Shadow Theory and debut album Behind the Black Veil. Composing on his own for several years, Graves decided to form a band with the best of his peers to [...]

Halcyon Way’s significant Building the Towers and the future of American melodic progressive metal

4 November 2010 American Culture

Georgia’s (USA) Halcyon Way could be the future of American melodic progressive metal. Their significant and entertaining sophomore effort Building the Towers certainly suggests this promise. With new vocalist Steve Braun (ex-Ashent) on board, Halcyon Way brings a perfect blend of metal heaviness, melodic sensibility, and technical fireworks to Building the Towers.

Stolen Memories The Strange Order: fine new progressive power metal from France

24 October 2010 Commentary

Straight out of the gates, the debut work, The Strange Order, from France’s Stolen Memories is different, even modestly perplexing. The Strange Order is both everyman’s progressive metal, but also something more delightful. Something like Dream Theater meets Manticora, but not that predictable.

Terrific, unconventional and entertaining prog rock: Tetrafusion’s Altered State

4 October 2010 American Culture

Louisiana-based Tetrafusion scored big with their self-released debut Absolute Zero, a satisfying work of instrumental progressive metal. Prog critics and fans were uniformly impressed by this young musical depth and maturity. The praise was well deserved. Now signed to Nightmare Records, Tetrafusion returns with Altered State, and things are about to get interesting. Without adding [...]

Poetry for the Poisoned: Kamelot’s latest progressive metal classic

7 September 2010 Entertainment

Three years is too long to wait for a new Kamelot album. Yet, when it’s as good as their latest release, Poetry for the Poisoned, it is certainly worth the wait. After holing up in a cabin in Norway for three weeks, and then venturing to a German studio, Kamelot has produced a remarkable album [...]

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