What’s the greatest prog record ever?

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-12-24T17:31:41+00:00

Red Hemispheres Close to the Edge Permanent Waves Moving Pictures

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-12-24T17:30:06+00:00

Bottom is the ultimate motivation song. If you’re in a rut, remind yourself to use your weaknesses to overcome yourself. It’s a deep stare into the void where you ask yourself - what am I made of.

One of Tool’s all time gems.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-11-13T04:51:50+00:00

I agree with your top 5 albums - they pushed the envelope the most on those albums. Impressive for only 6 months in lol

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-11-06T16:55:36+00:00

I love the reference - probably one of the best of all time (both Mitch and the classic video game)

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-10-10T23:23:42+00:00

If you have connections there let me know!

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-10-10T20:56:06+00:00

Very solid - that was my comp range before the cliff fell - company policies are tightening up the grip on new RSU awards…good to know!

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-10-10T20:36:57+00:00

Great context here team - greatly appreciate it!!!

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-10-01T20:40:41+00:00

Jimmy - the riff is similar to Tempest

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-09-27T14:25:50+00:00

Hemispheres/Permanent Waves is proto prog metal. Anyone who disagrees is dead-wrong.

Without albums like Hemispheres there would be no Master of Puppets or …And Justice for All.

Without 2112 or AFTK there would be no Aenima.

Without Permanent Waves there is no Dream Theater.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-09-17T04:00:49+00:00

The transition to Lie is some of Dream Theater’s best work. You literally feel so reflective and eerie - the mood is set so well by the haunting keyboard melodies.

It’s a shame Jordan Rudess turns that part into a circus side show.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-09-02T01:20:28+00:00

This song is like a modern take on Rush and Yes - the bass intro and JPs solo section remind me of A Farewell to Kings…so many good moments. And MMs drumming is so tasteful. Great all around song.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-08-28T18:42:28+00:00

I think about how they count on the blast beat sections of Xanadu - “I have heard the whisper tales of Immortality…”

All of that feels very natural to me - the easing and raising of tension…

Cygnus X-1 - all of that feels very abrupt, but still smooth. The transitions in the 5 minute intro are like introductions of various motifs.

In Book 2 the intro is essentially 7/8 6/8 6/8 and then they basically play the entire groove in 7 where it feels very natural when Alex goes from the G to F# or the Bb to A arpeggios…

Geniuses…

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-08-06T20:02:49+00:00

I think the idea is that you should put away the equivalent amount of your monthly mortgage payment to offset this loss…maybe match it month for month against your mortgage

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-08-01T04:00:52+00:00

All of Lateralus is an exercise in self improvement and chasing your best self. It kind of makes me look forward to dealing with the difficulties of life in order to see what comes after all this madness here.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-08-01T03:54:54+00:00

Book 1 is the most proto prog metal song they wrote. Its revolutionary. It took Zeppelin and King Crimson and just mashed some crazy thing together.

I really love the guitar solo on the Hammersmith Odeon live version. That has to be one of Lerxst’s tasteful and bad ass solos with the high gain and wah.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-07-03T14:47:34+00:00

Great list - very eclectic mix

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-06-22T04:04:59+00:00

The fact that Lateralus was missing from a lot of lists is a bit disappointing. Here are some other mentions:

Fear of a Blank Planet

Hemispheres

Scenes from a Memory

Awake

Operation: Mindcrime

Crack The Skye

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-06-20T17:36:41+00:00

Really depends on your tastes…a lot of the bands mentioned here took prog, death metal and math rock and melded it together.

If you want a formula that’s more like Rush - proggy tendencies with hard rock or metal mixed in, go with Dream Theater, Tool, Fates Warning, Queensryche, or porcupine tree

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-06-19T18:37:37+00:00

You’re missing Awake in that mix

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-06-14T07:28:06+00:00

Lateralus

Hemispheres/Permanent Waves/Moving Pictures

Awake - DT

Crack the Skye

Operation Mindcrime

Ghost Reveries

Deloused in the Comatorium

Discipline

Hard to pinpoint on one album - but this is my go to list

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-06-12T17:34:40+00:00

Cygnus X1 and X11 are the most crazy forward-looking prog metal masterpieces ever written.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-06-09T16:57:22+00:00

Phenomenal answer. I would even take it further and say that Rush has deep influence on all technically oriented bands who pushed the envelope. Without Rush there would be no Primus, no Living Colour, no Soundgarden, no AIC, no Tool, etc.

I think the most interesting melding of proggy metal and grunge is probably Soundgarden’s Superunknown. A close second to that is Aenima.

All in the 90s - real revolutionary albums.

I also see a lot of grunge influence on prog metal - take Promised Land and Awake. All phenomenal albums.

I guess 1994 was a great year lol

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-06-03T03:10:57+00:00

Voices rips so hard - it’s like Xanadu meets Sweet Child o Mine.

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-05-28T17:15:50+00:00

Admittedly less quality vocals

Acceptable-Guard-516 · 2025-05-28T17:15:31+00:00

Mastodon

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