The Heavyweights Of Prog Metal

Metal is a genre of music which started during the 1970s in the US and the UK. This genre of music has since grown and has become a culture, a way of life, for metalheads. The genre now has numerous subgenres under its umbrella. One of the prominent subgenres of Metal is Progressive Metal and these are the heavyweights that have played a significant role in popularizing, refining and improving the genre.

1.Opeth

This band hails from Stockholm and is one of the very few bands that combines beauty with brutality. Their music is a subtle mix of soft rock and death metal and maybe Opeth is the only band that can make these genres go so well together. The band also draws immense inspiration from Atmospheric metal. The band started off as a Death Metal band but a few albums into their career, their music witnessed a shift towards Prog Metal.

The band has six studio albums and two live albums as of today and are considered as messiahs of the genre.

2.Tool

Probably the most unique sounding band of them all, Tool emerged into the scene and saw a meteoric rise to fame and stardom. The band has many mysteries surrounding itself, thus adding to the band’s mystique reputation. The members of the band claim to practice Lachrymology – the study of crying. The members claim the existence of a book explaining how through pain, one can achieve nirvana. Although, nobody else knows about its existence. Tool’s music is eerie with strangely structured songs. Their theme revolves mostly around Lachrymology and the individual’s connection to the One. The band has NEVER offically filmed any of their concerts.

Tool only has five albums till date. Their last album released a decade ago and the next album is speculated to be released this year.

3.Dream Theatre

In the realms of Rock and Metal, the musicians are not really trained. Most of them are self-taught. But Dream Theatre boasts its lineup of all formally trained musicians. Dream theatres’ forte is their mastery of technicality which forms the backbone for their music. Over the years, they have developed their signature sound and fans can recognize the band seconds into any track. The band draws influence mainly from prog rock bands like Rush and Pink Floyd and heavy metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Their music has also been described as Art Rock.

The band has a staggering 14 studio albums under their banner and is one of the highest grossing bands in the world.

Metal is a genre liked by many and disliked by many more. But the unconventional music brings to light many unconventional ideas and thoughts. Prog Metal music happens to be even more unconventional than the usual metal music. Once people start listening to this type of music with an open mind, they will surely start appreciating it, if not love the music.