Progressive Metal - Tumblr Posts
September 17, 2024
Song #222
Coma by Guns N’Roses
It was released on September 17, 1991 in their album Use Your Illusion I
Fun fact:"Coma" was written by Rose and Slash about their drug overdoses. It is Guns N' Roses longest song to date. It features hospital sound effects and a real defibrillator.
September 17, 2024
Song #222
Coma by Guns N’Roses
It was released on September 17, 1991 in their album Use Your Illusion I
Fun fact:"Coma" was written by Rose and Slash about their drug overdoses. It is Guns N' Roses longest song to date. It features hospital sound effects and a real defibrillator.
You enjoy prog for its complicated time signatures and instrumental virtuosity. I enjoy prog for its potential as theater kid music. We are not the same.
Happy Bandcamp Friday!
Just treated myself to Of Valleys and Mountains, by Pull Down The Sun, and the entire Diplodocus back catalogue.
Of Valleys and Mountains is great slice of Aotearoan metal from way back in 2020, though I only discovered Pull Down the Sun in 2021 and listened to the album in 2022. The band probably sits somewhere in the realms of post-metal, and the album is delightfully heavy, and has a real groove to it. Definitely one of my new favourites :)
Diplodocus, on the other hand, was much more of an impulse buy, in fact I only heard them for the first time yesterday. It's dungeon synth, by way of dinosaurs. So, dino synth. :D
It's heavy synth ambient music with shades of DIY black metal. Feels like this is going to get a lot of rotation when I'm playing prehistoric-themed tabletop games. It's honestly kinda delightful.
Ometh - After the Burial (2008 version)
If you have Spotify reblog this and tag what your number one song on your “on repeat” playlist is.
Richard Z Krupse Von Rammstein!
♪♫~ Bands I'm currently obsessed with and a couple songs I would recommend ~♫♪
↪Glasslands
Back and Forth Misery Game
↪Parting Gift
Ensom Rensing
↪Stellar Circuits
Go With Your Ghost Ways We Haunt
⌞If you like ambient progressive metal I think you'll like these sounds⌝
၊၊||၊⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆၊၊||၊
Tutorial for Exploring Metal
New to the genre? Already familiar and just curious? Regardless, I’m here to give a short guide and some tips. Mind you this isn’t a strict thing, more so some suggestions and some (hopefully) helpful advice!
Genres
Now, you might be under the impression that genres are stupid, but in a lot of people’s experiences those labels can be very helpful when describing and finding what sounds you like and don’t like. You want something with keyboards with spooky church organs or choir-like effects? Maybe something more Gothic might be up your alley!
I’m not going to go and describe every genre for you, I’d rather you give a listen and learn the history of genres and to form your own opinions. Wikipedia, despite its flaws, can be a very helpful resource for learning the history of genres and getting at least a vague idea of what a genre might sound like. Hell, you might even find a new band you like out of the bands mentioned on a given genre’s article.
Also, remember, this is all made-up and held only by consensus, form your own opinions on what a genre is and isn’t! It’s okay! Even if someone might call you stupid for your opinion, as long as you’re educated on the history you’re still going to have an understandable opinion.
If someone ever asks you what the first black metal band is, and you say could say “Venom”, and someone might disagree with you and say “No, it’s Bathory”, but those disagreements are okay and neither of you would be objectively wrong. Hell, you’re even allowed to disagree with me and say that these genres ARE objective. Just don’t be a dick about it and you’ll be fine.
Useful Tools
I already mentioned Wikipedia, but that’s not going to be your best resource. Your best resource is going to be the Metal Archives website. Now, one thing I must warn you about before you use it. They don’t allow any bands that they deem to have more non-metal influence than metal influence, because to them it all starts at the riff. If they have one album that is predominately original metal riffs, then it is going to be accepted. What is a metal riff? It’s a “You know it when you hear it” kinda thing. If you hate that, I’m not the one who designed the website. Essentially what this means is that Nu Metal, most metalcore or deathcore bands, “kawaii metal” (as in babymetal, babybeard type stuff), vkei with metal elements (Dir En Grey), industrial rock (KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails), whatever Primus is, Prog Rock (Tool), are not allowed on the archives. Also, please understand that a band being deemed non-metal has nothing to do with the quality or aesthetic of the band, it just means they don’t think they have any albums or releases with predominately original metal riffs.
With that out of the way, let me explain why the website is useful as a tool.
1. If you decide you like a band that also happens to be on the Metal Archives, then it’s going to have a “Similar Artists” tab, which will recommend bands that other people have voted to be similar to that specific band. (Mind you this isn’t completely reliable, for instance, Danzig is at the top of Type O Negative’s Similar Artists tab and they have very few similarities).
2. The forums have a section dedicated JUST to recommendations! It’s called “Recommendation Central”, and if you make an account you can post and ask about recommendations for bands of specific sounds and genres.
3. Avoiding problematic bands. I will elaborate further in the next part.
Avoiding Bigotry
This is a huge concern for people getting into metal, I’ll give some tips on things to avoid.
1. Avoid anything labelled NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) or RAC (Rock against Communism), as both are heavily associated with white supremacist music.
2. Look at the “Themes” portion of the Metal Archives page for a given band, if it says some shit like “Misogyny”, “White Supremacy”, or “Antisemitism”, then you’ll know to throw it in the garbage.
3. Do a simple google search. I’m serious, sometimes people will make entire write-ups about everything that’s problematic about a band.
4. If you’re really paranoid, look for the lyrics of individual songs before you go and add them to your playlists. Often times albums on the Metal Archives will have lyrics.
If you really loved a band, deep dive into them. My two favorite bands are Type O Negative and Death, and yet I could absolutely infodump about everything wrong those bands have done.
Don’t be afraid to consider your own values and principles, if a band has problematic themes or a problematic background consider how it might make the people around you feel if you listened to them, especially promoting the music openly. Consider things like, if the musician(s) behind the music project is/are dead, does it matter? If the art is the problem, do I only listen to the songs that aren’t the problem? If the music is bigoted against my identity and I am personally okay with listening to it, does that make it okay? If I am okay recommending a band with problematic themes or backgrounds to another person, should I warn them what they’re about to get into? If I’m okay with listening to music with problematic themes, where do I draw the line, if I even do?
I’m not going to tell you what you ought to think, I just want you to develop your own thoughts and feelings.
With all that said, I will say. If you listen to and/or promote music with White Supremacist themes literally fucking DNI with me. I don’t want to make friends with NSBM fans.
That’s all! Happy Listening!!
![The Ilusen's Fallacy [DEMO], by Keegan Ostrowski](https://78.media.tumblr.com/a6e42f769a253d104f1ce675b214e130/tumblr_pe1uwnqYvJ1w7dja0_540.jpg)
Ilusen's Fallacy by Keegan Ostrowski
Technical Progressive Death Metal solo project from San Diego, California, with melodic and jazz elements. Features a 7 string fretless bass, and the upcoming remastered rerelease includes some guitarwork from Jeff Loomis, as well as drums by Marco Minnemann.
The album is 88.88 minutes long, and is superbly executed throughout. The 7 string bass is a wonderful element, and is played masterfully. The vocals include harsh, clean, and female vocals, and weave into the music while still remaining distinct. The guitar tone and effects blend seamlessly, and the playing is precise yet organic feeling.
Wall of Fog is probably my favorite track.
Imperial Triumphant
Vile Luxury
New York jazzy progressive blackened death. These fellows are insanely talented, and bring a variety of musical elements together into a terrifyingly beautiful experience. Their latest album, Vile Luxury, is a streamlined, precise mixture of all their influences, and it is a powerful creation to behold.
They are currently wrapping up the Blood Sand Ash tour with UADA and Panzerfaust, and you really should not miss it.
Hinayana
"The Window"
-Order Divine-
New music video from Austin, Texas based progressive melodeath band Hinayana. Got to see them play earlier in the year, they are an incredibly talented bunch and its cool to see them getting picked up by a label like Black Lion Records (who are also in charge of the fantastic symphonic black metal group Hyperion as well).
If you're a fan of bands like Insomnium, Dark Tranquility, Paradise Lost, Opeth, etc. then check these fellows out.
NEW DEVIN TOWNSEND IS COMING!!
Dutch progressive black metal duo Urfaust are easily one of my favorite 21st century black metal bands. Their mix of ambience, atmosphere, and the avant-garde is excellent, and they consistently release quality music.
Their 2016 release, Empty Space Meditations, is a slow building crescendo of ambience that morphs into aggressively majestic howls, a bellowing wail into the void of existence. Each track builds upon the last, flowing seamlessly into one another while still maintaining individual identity.
This duo are exceptional musicians, and they work together flawlessly. This is some of my favorite black metal vocal work, from the tormented screeches to the majestic roaring cleans. And the drumwork. Meditatum V is my favorite track, mostly for the drumming. Its perfectly woven around the chant-like vocals, blending wonderfully with the riffs in a ritual of cosmic comprehension.
I believe most of their material is available from Van Records, and can be found easily on Bandcamp. Highly recommend them if you want a powerful and magical music experience.
Eden in Reverse
Hail Spirit Noir
(Preorder/Upcoming)
Looking forward to the newest release from Greece's psychedelic black metal wizards Hail Spirit Noir, to be released June 19th from Agonia Records. Two tracks have been released so far, with the second featuring guest vocals from Borknagar's Lars Nedland (who released a fabulous album last year).
So far the tracks have leaned heavily towards prog, capitalizing on the bands kooky, ethereal capabilities. The insane spiraling synth of The First Ape on New Earth is simultaneously creepy and beautiful, with the guitars following suit. And the soft clean vocal work hides an undertow of foreboding that permeates the track.
Nedland's vocals work wonderfully on Crossroads, a perfect match of progressive musical beauty. The track might have almost fit in on Borknagar's last album, but yet not at all, with HSN injecting their usual infectious strange into the track.
I've definitely enjoyed the teasers, but really look forward to getting to hear the whole thing, as HSN are one of those bands where the whole album is simply an experience unto its own.
----The album is available for preorder, though depending on your location you may not want to preorder physical copies from Agonia Records' Bandcamp page, as shipping is rather hefty. You may check local record distributors for your home country, and it also looks to be available on at least the American Amazon store as well, depending on where you shop. -----
Mestarin Kynsi
Oranssi Pazuzu
The latest release from Finnish psychedelic black metallers Oranssi Pazuzu is possibly my favorite release of theirs yet. This is primarily due to the track Uusi Teknokratia, the first single off the album.
Overall the album is more of their maddening, psychotic black metal weirdness, but the whole thing seeps an anxious tension that ramps the listening experience up a notch. Several of the tracks exemplify a slow descent into auditory lunacy, with melody giving way to wild noise and back again. The eerie, ethereal synths steadily morph into fuzzy, aggressive guitars, with the crescendo of insane vocal howls dragging the listener through the muck of madness. The last track in particular devolves into utter wild noise to close out the album, fittingly enough.
As for the aforementioned Uusi Teknokratia, it is a lesson in anxiety. The track builds at just the right pace, a crawling, mounting tension that erupts into full blown chaos. It is creeping dread incarnate, before becoming completely unhinged. The synths and vocals blend perfectly, carrying the first part of the song, as the rest of the instruments begin to alter their repetitive melodies and rhythms before exploding. Yet even in the midst of the chaos the synths and vocals continue dragging the listener through the spiraling madness. Finally, you're given a seemingly peaceful reprieve, yet one that continues the anxiety of the first half of the track, with sounds that would suit the lead-up to a jump scare in a horror film. Honestly I cannot say enough good things about this song, and have become obsessed with it.
Kuulen ääniä maan alta is another stand out track, terrifyingly grating, and with the same extreme tension. Despite the fuzz and dissonance, the track remains thoroughly catchy, and is easily my second favorite on the album. This album is a great outing from a band that have really begun to absolutely master the art of dissonant weirdness, and I strongly encourage giving it a listen.
There's also a great Silent German Expressionism/ Film Noir style music video for Uusi Teknokratia, though it is a shortened version of the song, primarily missing the haunting outro.
You can pick up a digital copy from the band's Bandcamp page (cassettes are sold out), and physical copies via Nuclear Blast or even Amazon.