Progressive Metal is my favourite metal. Why? Because it's so fucking diverse! Progressive Metal takes many forms, and it's a genre that can be confusing, alienating, and completely badass. Also, since Avant Garde is quite similar to Progressive Metal, I thought I'd bundle them in.
What is it?
It's metal that happens to be progressive. Shocker, I know. What that means though, is that progressive metal pushes the envelope for what the genre can achieve. This can take root in many forms: Odd time signatures, a lack of the pop structure, bizarre use of instruments, weird keys, and long fucking songs. Indeed, progressive metal doesn't even need to be that weird. It can even be something poppy that goes for 10 minutes and is constantly changing.
What is Avant Garde Metal?
Avant Garde metal is like progressive metal. However, instead of pushing the boundaries of a particular genre, it ignores the boundaries of genre entirely. Whereas Progressive Metal can sound normal, Avant Garde sounds entirely bizarre. Comparing it to the rock world, it's like the difference between Pink Floyd and Mr Bungle.
EXAMPLES!
Straight Progressive Metal - Dream Theater
Do you like technical wankery? Well Dream Theater is the band for you! This song goes through 128 time signature changes in 6 minutes. That is literally fucking insane. Plus it has keyboards, so it has to be progressive metal right?
Prog Metal With Soul: Riverside
This is progressive metal that's slightly poppier. It's catchy, but menacing and defiantly strange. the haunting vocals, mixed with the piano, organs, and funky but slightly off kilter riff.... it's definitely prog, but you can't stop tapping your damned feet to it!
Popular Prog Metal: Tool
"Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity.
Calculate what we will or will not tolerate.
Desperate to control all and everything.
Unable to forgive your scarlet lettermen."
Those and many other Tool lyrics were scribbled on so many of my high school notebooks that it bordered on obsessive. Everyone knows Tool. They are the weirdest band to ever get immensely popular. But again, odd time signature. It's mostly in 10/8, it's constantly evolving and has a strong emphasis on dynamics, as it shifts from soft to heavy at a moments notice. It also utilises a lot of odd and otherworldly sounds in the background. Pump this baby up and you'll hear all sorts of odd shit.
Also, the riff in this song is in every song, just with the notes in a different order. It's the same riff that's in Schism. Yeah, mind blown.
Progressive Death Metal: Opeth
Just how did Opeth get so damn popular? That's an easy question to answer: They make both death metal and progressive metal palattable. The growls aren't aggressive, they're more haunting. The production is cleaner than any other metal band, and the songs are undeniably catchy. This song is in fucking Saints Row 3!
Anyway, it's an Opeth song. It shifts from death metal to progressive rock to acoustic folk, mixes clean and distorted vocals, and steals riffs from latin Jazz. It's badass.
Time Signature Rape - Meshuggah
Unless you know Meshuggah songs, they're impossible to headbang to. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys live, and watching the moshpit try to work out what the fuck they were supposed to be doing was highly entertaining.
Oddball Prog - Devin Townsend
No two Devin Townsend albums sound the same. Except Addicted and Epicloud, but SHUTUP! Seriously, the only consistency is that Devin does not take himself seriously at all, and the songs are always catchy as herpes while being weird as fuck. This song is about songs not having to have a meaning, and it's awesome. "Music? It's just entertainment folks!"
Avant Garde Metal: Maudlin of the Well
This is my favourite band. Listen to this shit. They merge Jazz, folk, classical, death metal, doom metal, pop, indie pop, and just about everything else. They are awesome.
Since I've already shown you a kazillion songs, check out Thy Catafalque for electronica/metal/folk, Unexpect for batshit insanity, and Sleepytime Gorilla Museaum for a band so pretentious they named their band after a Dada Art museum.
Cool! I've listened to the first two so far. I love Dream Theater, love it in fact I might even own some. I really like the Riverside, I'm going to need to hear more. They've got a little Peter Murphy/ Bauhaus thing going on in the vocal area. Will listen more asap.
Riverside is great, although their new album is straight up 70's prog rock. Usually I'd dig that, but every prog metal band is doing that at the moment and it's fucking irritating.
I can see how that would be irritating. I was huge into prog in the 70's but it all got to be a bit much and punk was like a breathe of fresh air. :)
Could never get into Dream Theater, but I loved Tool and Opeth.
Don't worry, Dream Theater is very hit or miss for me.
You do realize that Townsend writing a song about songs not having to have a meaning gives his song a meaning. Therefore his hypothesis is flawed.
I'm not saying that there are not songs without meaning but by and large those songs are crap. Case in point Horse With No Name by America or fuck, every song by America. Or maybe those are just songs that make no sense.
Also Maudlin of the Well are awesome.
No his point was more about people trying to find deeper meaning in things when the artist didn't intend there to be so, not that songs shouldn't have meaning. A simple song is not an existentialist attack on homosexuality or whatever haha.
Glad you like MoTW though :)
I need to buy some Maudlin of the Well and some Riverside too.
I just played the Townsend track through in it's entirety and no matter what it is or isn't about it is one thing and that is incredible. He may not take himself too seriously but he puts a lot of thought into what he does (at least on that track). I'll add him to MotW and Riverside.
Keep up the good work Blake. I need more!
Oh yeah he really does. Also, his discography is extremely diverse. He does a little bit of everything and every album sounds different in some way.
Man I love all metal generes from progressive to avant garde to death , goth metal as well it really comes down to the band and there style but im so versatile in music I can find good in all styles. And Tool & Dream Theater rocks they have a bunch of stuff I like.
And I might add I can play the drums excellent to just about anything tool plays love it.....wow look Blake I responded to one of your blogs so I expect you to to respond to mine 
I'm going to see Townsend THIS WEEKEND!!!
OMFG!!!
We need review!
I'm so jealous I somehow missed this comment entirely! That's fucking awesome man!
Love me some Prog Metal!
Since you posted Tool here, I listened Lateralus a few days ago and now it's among my top 5 favorite albums. It's fantastic all the way through.
Lateralus is amazing...
I never knew much about Dream Theater other I always saw their stuff at the music store. Listening to your example, it gives a Rush vibe with some edge. This is a band I'll will check out.
Dream Theater are really just Rush if they embraced their heavier side fully.
Love me some Rush. Geddy and the boys played a high school dance I was at back before they became megastars. One of the good things about getting old is that I get to brag about stuff like that. LOL