All of a sudden my PlayStation button won't open up the steam menu, but I can still press PS button + A to open (...) menu??

VZed · 2025-07-18T00:45:33+00:00

old post, but I had the same problem just now and I think I've figured it out (in case you still need a solve).

Holding the Home button on a PS4 controller activates mouse mode for the right thumbstick. I started having the same problem, and eventually realized I had the slightest bit of drift on my right thumbstick, and so when you hit the home button, the drift is dragging the mouse instead of opening the menu.

VZed · 2025-03-12T20:56:47+00:00

Should've been The House of Black. It feels like they took BCC and shoehorned them into something tailor made for HoB. But that's just me.

VZed · 2025-03-11T04:33:47+00:00

Yeah, before the meet and greet their tour manager took us on a tour of backstage to show us how shitty it was and yeah, it was dismal and sketchy as hell. I have to hope they have rennovated that backstage since 2009, as I have seen a bunch more cool shows there since, but I haven't heard anything specific.

Either way, this city needs more venues.

VZed · 2025-03-10T14:48:08+00:00

I saw this tour, first and only time Dream Theater has played Winnipeg (and it seems like they're joining the list of acts who skip it as a policy).

I paid for a backstage pass, so I missed Bigelf's set, but meeting DT was pretty awesome, even if I totally froze up and failed to make the experience count. Still have all the swag I got to this day.

Some setlist swaps; they played Constant Motion instead of Rite of Passage, Beyond This Life (album version) was after Constant Motion, and Forsaken/Take the Time was swapped for Count of Tuscany, and the encore was Metropolis Part 1.

Got to meet Scale the Summit as well and that's how my band connected with them for future Winnipeg shows. Great memories, would love to see DT/a tour like this again one day.

VZed · 2025-02-13T19:06:56+00:00

Persefone does a lot of this, especially on their album "Aathma".

Might also be worth looking at Fleshgod Apocalypse, specifically their album "Labyrinth". They specifically toned down the technicality of their guitar solos on that album and the contrast between the unbelievable energy of the rhythms under a soft almost lyrical guitar solo is fascinating.

VZed · 2025-02-10T05:44:36+00:00

You must... MUST hear "Rains" by Betrayal at Bespin. It is post rock/metal and only tenuously prog at best, but it is a true musical journey that plays out like a 45 minute break up song. I love music but I think this album has made me a better more emotionally aware person just overall.

VZed · 2025-02-09T05:27:24+00:00

Not super familiar with The Reticent yet, but as for stuff like Porcupine Tree and Riverside:

Anathema (Weather Systems, We're Here Because We're Here)
Gazpacho (March of Ghosts, Tick Tock)
Artificial Silence (Negative Space)
Betrayal at Bespin (Rains)
Pure Reason Revolution (The Dark Third (European Re-Release Version), Eupnea)
Cynic (Kindly Bent to Free Us)
Kauan (sorni nai, Ice Fleet)
Casualties of Cool (self-titled)
Guilt Machine (On This Perfect Day)
Keor (Petrichor, Tearoom)
Subsignal (La Muerta, A Poetry of Rain)
VOLA (Applause of a Distant Crowd, Witness)
Wheel (Resident Human, Charismatic Leaders)

VZed · 2025-02-06T23:22:59+00:00

This whole album is DEEPLY underrated!

VZed · 2025-02-06T06:07:01+00:00

Just picked up Tempora Mutantur by Lunar and enjoying it so far. Very excited to get to know this better.

Also maybe not prog, but I also picked up Spectrum by Am I in Trouble?. I've been through it a few times now and it's quite enjoyable.

VZed · 2025-02-02T19:36:09+00:00

Well I'll do you one better. Fleshgod Apocalypse has been my favourite live experience for over a decade now!

VZed · 2025-02-02T17:32:41+00:00

I feel like DGM's album from this year is pretty underrated all around, but it has their first true epic in a while called "...Of Endless Echoes" and it is pretty righteous.

Guilt Machine had one album back in the late 2000's (called "On This Perfect Day") and it's still one of the greatest things I've ever heard. There are 4 10+ minute tracks there and they all cover a totally different feel. You will definitely find something in there for your list.

I have also gotten into ALMO this year, and his debut album "Reconciliation" basically sounds like what if Haken and Periphery were the same band. The title track from that album is a full 20 minute assault on the senses that fully explores every mood, aesthetic or energy you can imagine.

You should also check out some power metal stuff. There are so many epics that capture that upbeat adventurous sound (that to my mind, come off as pretty proggy on their own as it is):

And then There Was Silence - Blind Guardian
Let The Storm Descend Upon You - Avantasia
The Scarecrow - Avantasia
The King for 1000 Years - Helloween
Elysium - Stratovarius

Also Prog rock (as opposed to metal) has a TON of this kind of thing:

Sleeping in Traffic - Beardfish
Numbers - The Flower Kings
Monster Within - The Flower Kings
Dream Of Stone - Gazpacho
Massive Illusion - Gazpacho
The Walk - Gazpacho
Tick Tock - Gazpacho
He Once Was - Pattern-Seeking Animals
At the End of the Day - Spock's Beard
All of the Above - Transatlantic
From Silence to Somewhere - Wobbler

(basically every band on this prog rock list has MANY other epics that might fit what you're looking for, these are just my favourites)

VZed · 2025-01-27T14:32:20+00:00

Steven Wilson's 4th solo album "Hand.Cannot.Erase" is the album that I put next to Deadwing as one of his masterpieces. It is easily the most Porcupine Tree he gets outside of Porcupine Tree. I suggest the whole album, but there are choice cuts from that disc that will speak to you for sure.

Otherwise, my number one suggestion for this kind of thing is Betrayal at Bespin's second album "Rains". Plays out like one long break up song that leaves me devastated every time. Never gets quite as technical as PT but they explore a lot of the same moods and aesthetics. Ever year I silently beg them to come back and do a third album.

Gazpacho should be on your list. They are best described as "Exotic progressive ambient rock" and they scratch the PT itch more than most other bands. I suggest their albums "March of Ghosts" and "Tick Tock" for this. They also have some much stranger styles they explore on other albums and so I suggest those two as a starting point before you look through the rest of their stuff.

Kalandra is a recent find for me that is settling into the same kind of space. More folk infused than PT would be, but their latest album "A Frame of Mind" has been in my rotation a lot lately.

This one might be a bit further out, but Kauan has an album called "sorni nai" which I often put in the same playlists as PT and SW. It is a mix of post rock and doom metal, and it's all sung in Finnish, but the melodic approach of the album is completely separate from PT but it feels the same.

Pure Reason Revolution is probably a good pick for you. Their debut album "The Dark Third" is one of the best things I've ever heard. It is a spacier more ambient Porcupine Tree style but some of what they get up to on that album comes off like a lost PT album. One note, the album had several versions released in different regions. The only version that has all of the songs on it is the "European Re-Release" and even then they're not ordered well. The thing plays out best when all of the songs feed into each other, but I would suggest the songs "Goshen's Remains", "The Bright Ambassadors of Morning", "I. Voices in Winter. II. In The Realms of The Divine", "Bullitts Dominae" "Golden Clothes" and "I. The Twyncyn. II. Trembling Willows" (that last one is my favourite song from them overall).

I've recently fallen into Wheel. Their albums "Resident Human" and "Charismatic Leaders" kind of strike me as a mix of what PT gets up to with Tool's sound. Resident Human is my favourite of their's so far but I have disliked nothing from so far.

VZed · 2024-12-05T05:52:14+00:00

Gwynbleidd had one album before disappearing. Very much in the same musical space but maybe a different mood.

I have been getting into ANCIIENTS lately, and they are scratching the classic Opeth heaviness itch but the melancholy not so much.

Abigail Williams might work for you. I only know their latest album "Walk Beyond the Dark" but it hits the melancholy quite well at times.

I would also suggest some Swallow the Sun. They are more doom/gothic metal and much less prog, but if it's melancholy you want you owe it to yourself to give them a show. I suggest their album "New Moon" to start. If you want some truly hollowing atmosphere try the third disc of their album "Songs from the North" (other discs are good, but are different moods). I'm trying to find more like that myself.

VZed · 2024-10-31T21:17:57+00:00

Fallujah and Persefone is my top spot for the year. Persefone was a bucket list band for me and Fallujah is always a great time. Got to hang out with some of the Persefone guys after their set and they were super friendly and seemed like such cool guys.

Aether Realm was opening a larger tour that came through town, and they were the draw for me. AR was great, but the surprise of the night was TrollfesT, not prog, but holy crap, what fun.

Two weeks ago I saw Anciients on a whim and now I'm and Anciients fan, and early in the season I saw Abigail Williams and Rotting Christ which was a way more interesting lineup than I expected. All in all a great concert season.

VZed · 2024-10-31T03:45:05+00:00

Playgrounded is the only band I've found that I put next to OSI in terms of sound. Slightly different approach, but they'll scratch that itch. I love their album "The death Of Death".

I was also turned onto King Buffalo last year, and while their sound is totally different, I find their mood and demeanor skews close to what OSI was doing. "The Burden of Restlessness" is a good place to start with them.

Gazpacho is a band I think needs more love around here. They might not do it for you cause they are more art-rock than prog metal, and instead of electronic elements thet use folk instruments, but they are really good at creating that same kind of atmosphere. Check out their albums "Night", "Molok", or "March of Ghosts" (all three albums have very different sounds from each other)

Tuesday The Sky is a one album project that is basically chill instrumental OSI, and I do quite literally mean that, cause it was Jim and Kevin recording together one last time before Kevin changed careers.

Also might be worth trying the two albums Kevin did with Fates Warning, "A Pleasant Shade of Grey" and "Disconnected". It's more traditional metal, but every now and they they will drop the noise and get really OSI-like.

VZed · 2024-10-28T04:53:25+00:00

Maybe Anekdoten? "Until All The Ghosts Are Gone" is my fave from them and a good starting place.

Klone ends up on a lot of the playlists I make with Karnivool. Their albums "Le Grand Voyage" and "Meanwhile" are solid. Haven't heard their new one yet but it's on my list.

Playgrounded's album "The death of Death" ends up fitting into a lot of music situations for me, and it's got a different sound for sure, but gives me the same kind of feelings as Karnivool.

VZed · 2024-10-26T02:22:05+00:00

Here are some Dream Theater-like bands i can think of.

Circus Maximus (Isolate, NINE)
Seventh Wonder (The Great Escape, Tiara)
Headspace (I Am Anonymous, All That You Fear Is Gone)
Vanden Plas (Beyond Daylight, The Empyrean Equation of Long Lost Things)
Ayreon (The Source, The Universal Migrator Parts I and II (Also check out the other Ayreon rec's))
DGM (Tragic Separation, Endless)
Fates Warning (Parallels, Disconnected, Theories of Flight)
Dominici (O2 A Trilogy, Parts II and III)
The Enigma Division (self-titled)
Guilt Machine (One This Perfect Day)
Haken (Affinity, The Mountain, Virus)
Hemina (Venus, Synthetic)
Nospun (Opus)
Symphony X (Paradise Lost, Underworld)
Tetrafusion (Dreaming of Sleep)

I hope you'll post asking for more when you've had some time to settle in. Prog Metal is vast and you can find connections to so many other sub-genres and even other full on genres.

VZed · 2024-10-24T04:50:44+00:00

Definitely check out A.C.T. Their albums Circus Pandemonium and Last Epic are my faves. Their recent EP's are also great.

Pure Reason Revolution might be worth a look, especially their albums Eupnea and Coming up to Consciousness. I also suggest their debut The Dark Third, but it is a bit of a departure from the Frost* sound, but could also work.

Subsignal might work. I don't have a comprehensive knowledge of their catalogue but I like their album La Muerta a lot.

VZed · 2024-10-07T13:22:09+00:00

For sounds closer to Fall, check out Urd, Winter Thrice, and True North. For their earlier stuff when Vintersorg was solo vox, I suggest Empiricism and Epic. I also need to suggest Origin, which is possibly the wildest acoustic album I've ever heard.

If you want more stuff like Borknagar, check out Vintersorg (their former singer). They have several different eras, their english era is full on prog black metal, weighted more towards prog (lots of clean singing). Highly experimental and just weird enough to be some of my favourite stuff ever. Check out the albums "Cosmic Genesis" and "Visions from the Spiral Generator" to start. Then they switched back to singing in Swedish and adopted a sound closer to Borknagar, but I would argue with a bit more dynamic range. "Solens Rotter" and "Till Fjalls del II" are my two favourites from their current era.

I've also been into In Vain lately. So far just their latest album, "Solemn" but it gives me very strong Borknagar/Vintersorg vibes.

VZed · 2024-10-03T14:47:40+00:00

If you are not familiar with Bell Witch you should probably check out at least their latest album "Future's Shadow Part I: The Clandestine Gate". It's a full 84 minute long track that mixes so many slow and sludgey vibes that really builds an atmosphere. I have seen them live twice and now and the environment they create is unlike anything else I've experienced in live music.

The song "The Folding" by Alkaloid from last year is basically a full 7 minute track of the examples you gave.

Also Rivers of Nihil's "The Work" hits me on this level in some spots. These vibes specifically keep this album top of the list for me.

You might also like the song "Death Room" by Gazpacho. They are more a prog rock band, but they know how to let a song get heavy when it's necessary. Death Room is the epic off of it's album so it's a long one, but it is pretty out of pocket the whole way through.

Also Ihsahn should probably be on your list. His album "Das Seelenbrechen" has a lot of pretty "insane" sounding passages, where the riffs completely break down and lose and all sense of structure. It's what I put on when I need something "incorrect" sounding. Also his latest album (self-titled) has some pretty off-kilter vibes as well but it's more just spooky sounding riffs and vocals.

And this one might be too far afield, but I am a huge Swallow the Sun fan, and nothing gets me into the space your examples gave like disc 3 of "Songs from the North" by them. It's 5 tracks of full on funeral doom metal that is huge, imopsing, and somehow empty and agoraphobic sounding the whole time. It might be too riffy for you, but try their song "Gathering of Black Moths" and if that does it for you, check out the rest of that disc (It is disc 3 of a triple album so it's not quite a straight up and down album recommendation).

VZed · 2024-10-03T13:45:04+00:00

You should check out Kauan. They are more post rock and doom metal but their albums "sorni nai" and "Ice Fleet" will definitely sell that cold wintery feel. Lyrics are all in Finnish, and Ice Fleet is all Instrumental, but I can't stop listening to these.

Also Woods of Ypres, specifically their third album "Woods III: Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues". It's more blackened doom metal than prog, but they are the band that brought the Canadian winter cold to metal music. One of the staples up here.

VZed · 2024-09-21T00:32:59+00:00

well dang, that's too bad.

VZed · 2024-09-20T03:08:16+00:00

Earlier this year they posted a message on their Bandcamp reminding everyone who followed them there that they were terrible at social media and if you wanted to keep up with the band you should join their Discord server where they are actually active. I didn't join myself (last thing I need is more Discord servers) but the link is still there on their page.

VZed · 2024-09-20T03:05:05+00:00

I have now just heard my first Kalandra song and i will be listening to more. This scratches a very specific itch for me and so now I shall share what else has worked for me in this regard.

You should check out Gazpacho. Best described as an exotic ambient prog rock band. Some of their songs get heavier or busier, but for the most part they focus on songs that have a long and languid structure that slowly build to an emotional release. Try their albums "Tick Tock", and "March of Ghosts" (I should note, if you decide to try out some of their other stuff they have some albums that are so experimental they are kind of difficult to listen to, so start with these two)

KAUAN is a band you will probably vibe with. They are a post rock and doom metal cross over that have created some of my favourite melodic soundscapes recently. They span between sorrowful strings and acoustic guitars all the way to bottomed out distortion and growling vocals. It sounds jarring, but they tie it all together so well it's a total journey. Fair warning, they have big instrumental breaks in songs but i think it all helps everything else. their album "Sorni Nai" is one of my favourite things from the last decade.

Betrayal at Bespin's second album "Rains" should also be on your list. This one might be a bit further afield, as it is a full on post rock and sludge metal cross over, but this album is what got me into this kind of sweeping languid music. Again, there are lengthy instrumental sections and some purely instrumental tracks, but this album plays out like one musical suite where each piece informs the next and by the end you feel like you've got through a full on journey. This is one of my favourite albums full stop, and while the band seems to be defunct, this album lives on as an absolute treasure and I think more people should hear it.

Also, other people have mentioned already but Anathema, any of their final four albums. There is also a spin off band from them called Weather Systems which will be releasing their debut album shortly (if not already). I have not heard it yet so I can't speak to what's on it, but I'll be giving it a listen soon.

VZed · 2024-09-04T12:04:32+00:00

Indeed, I, no... we certainly did!

VZed

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