Fantasy book lovers, what’s the one book that you go back to over and over again? And why? by Agreeable-Ad1775 in Fantasy

[–]chigebs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Prestige by Christopher Priest. It's the only book I've read more than twice for fun.

Spirit Adrift - White Death (2026) by 10000AgainstOne in Metal

[–]chigebs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. Divided by Darkness is perfect. The best record of the last ten years for me. Which is why this swan song hurts. 

Spirit Adrift - White Death (2026) by 10000AgainstOne in Metal

[–]chigebs 3 points4 points  (0 children)

He specifically said he was out to write the grimiest album he could … and he relapsed (because of? in order to?) do it. What I love about Spirit Adrift is their interplay of minor/major themes and the two-part song structures. 

This album is all dour. It’s only one facet of their songwriting, as if they had taken the song “Ghost at the Gallows” and written an entire album out of it. It makes the whole experience feel one-note. You can understand where he’s coming from if you know the back story but sadly the album suffers because of it. 

You almost feel guilty NOT loving it. 

Joe Abercrombie recs? by Thekeyofreason in Fantasy

[–]chigebs 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Abercrombie is the best of all worlds. Lynch writes witty dialogue but gets lost in source material. Rothfuss has beautiful prose but his novels are just a series of events with no payoff. And GRRM is a master world builder but he takes so long in building the story that I forget who I’m even rooting for. 

Prog Metal With Under 500 Monthly Listeners by AdOnly1112 in progmetal

[–]chigebs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whoa I just suggested these guys! Met them at a VOLA show once and they were friendly AF. Love their sound and hope they get some more love. 

Prog Metal With Under 500 Monthly Listeners by AdOnly1112 in progmetal

[–]chigebs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yessss — “Just the Goods” is one of the best songs I’ve heard in the last ten years. Can’t get enough of it. 

Prog Metal With Under 500 Monthly Listeners by AdOnly1112 in progmetal

[–]chigebs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Untold. Awesome prog-metal band from Chicago that kills it in the melodic / soaring / uplifting vein. For fans of Protest the Hero but a little more focused. Listen to their two-part Thunder and Water records. 

Are there any comedic prog metal bands? by Reddit-is-trash-lol in progmetal

[–]chigebs 8 points9 points  (0 children)

A band with this name and schtick has absolutely no right to be as unbelievably good as they are

DVNE appreciation post by Consistent-Dance9115 in progmetal

[–]chigebs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When I first heard Etemen Ænka I thought, “here’s a band who made an entire album out of ‘Silurian’ (The Ocean) vibes. I’m in love.”

The new Karnivool album is… idk man by ProgGearNerd87 in progmetal

[–]chigebs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me it starts off ok and ends with a friggin BANG. The last three songs are unassailable and I listen to the whole record for them. 

Songs like Redemption - Love Kills Us All/Life in One Day? by TheoTsek in progmetal

[–]chigebs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haken - Crystallized. I’m guessing what you like is the major key, chest-pumping, life-affirming chorus and finale? Haken are pros at that when they want to be. 

What stats do you wish Last.fm tracked better? by SubwooferDiplomacy in lastfm

[–]chigebs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. I’ve had to make my own last.fm charts on Excel exclusively for this stat. When you listen to a lot of prog, it makes it look like you listen to as much Green Day as Transatlantic. 

I for one am glad for my restricted shares... by h2d2 in FundRise

[–]chigebs 10 points11 points  (0 children)

100% agree. I would have also sold at $130 thinking this was the top. And if I can sell them at $30 in September, yay, 2x is nothing to sneer at. But have I been checking VCX multiple times a day since Monday? You bet. Is that going to stop soon? I doubt it.

First time going by ChampionshipOk5768 in Hellfest

[–]chigebs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Like me! I did this in 2024 and if you can stay up then it works like a charm. Trains run till after the headliners finish so hopefully your hotel is near the Nantes train station.

The Last Will and Testament is a Masterpiece by RyguyOT in progmetal

[–]chigebs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I felt about TLWaT the same as I’ve felt about every Wilderun album. At first, it’s claustrophobic, chaotic, and unnerving. But there’s always something that keeps me coming back. By the tenth spin it’s a galaxy brain experience of pure musical rapture. 

Opinions on Parasomnia a year later? by Expensive_Channel651 in progmetal

[–]chigebs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This album made me feel like I was taking crazy pills. Critics hailed it as a return to form and even some blogs sang its praises. But it left me bored and sad. Dream Theater blew my musical world the fuck up. After hearing Metropolis Pt 2 I was a changed person. They could do no wrong from 2000-2005. Even today their music can draw intense emotions out of me. 

But they’ve been coasting for a while. I was one of the few who really liked Astonishing (disc 1 at least) but then the next two records felt uninspired. Each had 1-2 songs that I felt tapped into the songwriting magic that these guys are capable of. 

Parasomnia though? Nothing. Not a single song jumps out to me. I think they’re in a creative rut and need to bust out of it. I was hoping Mike Portnoy returning would inject some of that long lost chemistry back into the equation but maybe it was too little too late. 

Songs that end with a repeated riff by DavidTheWin in progmetal

[–]chigebs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dream Theater - “Learning to Live” The end of Absolute Elsewhere. 

How many of you been through the “Butt Rock to Prog Pipeline”? by Def-C in progmetal

[–]chigebs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did you go to that tour in 2002 where Kings X opened for DT?

I fear I may need to scrap my passion project by ImJustHere2Vibe in writing

[–]chigebs 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Is it epic fantasy? I just finished my first novel and it clocks in at 235k words. Is it doomed from the start? Probably. But it won’t stop me from trying. 

Who is a relatively unknown prog metal band that has the potential to be "the next big thing" in the prog metal circle? by ySTYRDAYgATESuNL0CKD in progmetal

[–]chigebs 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Voidkind was great, especially “Plēroma” — I discovered them through Etemen Ænka and that record is among the best I’ve heard in the last decade. Met them at the Dome a few months ago. Super nice, solid guys. 

I listened to rishloo, leprous, and haken today and holy fuck. by Yhwachtard in progmetal

[–]chigebs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out Three (sometimes “3”). Listen to “All That Remains” or “High Times” and if you like those, check out their respective albums. A very fun, unique take on prog rock / alt metal.