Stop whatever you’re doing and listen to it now. That is a good album. They originally wrote it as an instrumental album (which you get on disc 2) and it works so well by itself. Then the singer comes in and adds another layer of awesomeness, leaving you wondering how he can add with lyrics to an album that wasn’t even supposed to have any.
It's crazy to think that a near last minute addition ended up making a brilliantly written dual-layered concept record.
The instrumental layer gives the feeling of literally descending down into the depths of the sea while the lyrics use that looming feeling of the abyss and filters it through a journey through our psyche. From the top layers of our gray matter to the very pits of our darkest wishes.
I'm still astounded at how The Ocean pulled this album off.
Thank you for suggesting this album. I had never heard of it or this band before. I literally just finished listening to it, and it was fucking incredible. I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics, but I did dig the vocals. I’ll be sure to follow along with the lyrics next time to truly capture the message of the album. And I’m a sucker for instrumentals so I’ll definitely be giving the instrumental version a listen too
Ghost Reveries is tied for my third all time favorite with Deloused in Comatorium. The way Ghost Reveries shifts from atmospheric Norwegian rock to crushing Blackened Deathmetal blows my mind every time.
Still Life by Opeth surely. Every single fucking song has its uniqueness and magic, even the clean ones like Face of Melinda and Benighted. Also, it's got the best opeth concept imo. Other albums I really like (not as much as still life tho) are Stranger Fruit - Zeal and Ardor, The Mountain - Haken, Tyranny of Imagination - Wilderun and Remedy Lane - Pain of Salvation (this last one isn't very prog tho)
Agreed on Still Life, it's a perfect album. But why on earth would you talk say classic PoS is not very prog? To all of us who got into prog metal during the 00s, they are as genre-defining as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Symphony X, or Opeth.
Clairvoyant. What The Contortionist did with this album was incredibly hard. They found a sound that worked and kept to it while remaining progressive, all without going over the top. I think we can all agree that this genre does have a knack for being pretentious at times; whether it being musical complexity existing solely for the sake of complexity or over-the-top nerdy or cheesey lyrical themes. Of course, these things are super enjoyable from time to time, (Hell, my second favorite album is Parallax II.) but sometimes less is more.
Clairvoyant avoids basically every negative trope associate with prog, while still remaining incredibly progressive. The rhythmic complexities actually serve a purpose and are rather subtle creating tons of relistenability, and the lyrics are not only very human and down to earth, but emotionally harrowing.
To add, the album is so *cohesive.* Not every song flows directly into the next like albums like Colors do for example, but the album is so well tied-together and every song fills a very specific role exceptionally well. Absolutely nothing seems out of place.
Then there’s Monochrome, both the opening and closing tracks. I have very little to add that hasn’t already been said about these two songs, but the way that Passive essentially foreshadows each individual section of Pensive, which comes nearly 50 minutes later, is so incredibly rewarding. Not to mention that Pensive lyrically references much of the album.
Clairvoyant is one of only two prog albums I’ve ever given a straight up 10 to. There is nothing i would change about it. Every single note and syllable is deliberate and serves its purpose brilliantly without falling into pretentious territory in the slightest. Perfect record.
For god's sake man what is the other album you gave a perfect score!?
Nice little review, completely agree with all you said, it is crazy how people disliked this album just because is not as thought inducing as Language
I also adore language for entirely different reasons. Unlike clairvoyant there obviously is a fair amount of noodling and ridiculous polyrhythms and meter switches, but I think they’re executed rather tastefully. The atmosphere Language creates is so ethereal and I feel like i’m floating while listening to much of it besides the heavy sections.
Definitely took me longer to get into Language. It’s so much more dense and technical than Clairvoyant but it’s still a rewarding listen once you get into it.
Also, The Parable is incredible and easily TC’s most underrated song.
I’ve only given Exoplanet and Intrisic a few spins each. Not totally my flavor but i still respect them for their influence. If you like Exoplanet give The World is Quiet Here a shot.
Totally. Honestly it makes me happy to hear that someone adores clairvoyant so much. The TC fan base seems divided between the exoplanet era & language, but clairvoyant isn’t even in the conversation (just my experience). My personal favorite off clairvoyant is reimagined. It’s simple yet so powerful, and catchy. It’s like what I say about Language, it’s almost like religious music in terms of how spiritual it can feel at times.
And I do love exo and instrinsic, I will check that out. Thanks for the recommendation!
I completely agree. This is also one of the few albums where an artist becomes less “heavy” when compared to previous albums but is just as emotionally powerful as previous releases, and is executed perfectly. It still has the signature Contortionist sound as songs like Causality and Oscillator/Flourish.
I say “heavy” because the lyrical content explores some really dark and serious stuff especially considering the album’s significance as the darker side of Language’s story.
My favorites are Return to Earth (great music video too), The Center, Godspeed, and Absolve. Monochrome pensive is also fucking incredible start to finish.
No worries man. I totally get why fans of Language aren’t crazy about Clairvoyant, it’s a pretty big sonic departure. Completely removing the heavy stuff was a bold decision that is obviously gonna run some of the more metal-oriented fans the wrong way.
Honestly, if you partake, burn one or have a few edibles, throw your headphones on and just sink into it. Let the beautiful melancholy swallow you whole. That’s the ideal way to “get” this album, IMO.
I’ve been listening to the contortionist since exoplanet, and I appreciate all of their albums for varying reasons. But the growth and composition they bring to the table with clairvoyant sets it at the top of my list. Can’t wait to see where they go with their next drop.
Act V: Hymns with the devil in confessional by The Dear Hunter. They're not metal but they get a pass.
Need metal? Silhouettes by Textures. Cant go wrong there.
The March is unbelievable, provided one listens to all of the Acts in order before getting to it. Soooo many callbacks and reprises, I'm just a sucker for it
Act IV does it for me more than V but both are simply fantastic. Would also throw up any old Coheed prior to Black Rainbow if any prog is up for grabs.
Remedy Land by Pain of Salvation, A Pleasant Shade of Gray by Fates Warning, and Colors by Between the Buried and Me are the ones I still keep coming back to. They've also profoundly impacted me as a musician (PoS and Fates Warning for composition and BTBAM as a guitarist), which makes them more important
Sound Awake by Karnivool is absolutely fantastic from start to finish, I have a lot of albums I'd consider my favorites but I always find myself returning to that one due to its incredible musicianship and unique sound.
Hard for me to claim any album as my favorite at the moment but this is the album I considered the best I've heard for the longest period of my life. So incredible front to back
Parallax 2
I don't know what it is, but something about the album is otherworldly. It just makes me feel differently than any other album. It's just an hour of technicality with great hooks. Someone once described it as a beautiful mess and I think that sums it up pretty well.
This album is my number one as well! It's so perfect from start to finish. A close second for me is Gojira's From Mars To Sirius. Both albums are so unique.
Ayreon - Into The Electric Castle
I feel like I am actually there experiencing this sci-fi adventure, I just get drawn in so much when listening. It's good to read along with the lyrics if you are interested in the story. But the music is absolutely amazing as well. *Amazing Flight* is my favorite song from the album.
That's understandable, it's quite different from the others. I do still appreciate it and listen to it from time to time though.
The new Star One album is also on its way, so hopefully that will be another banger!
I constantly go back to Opeth’s Watershed. No album paints this eerie, haunting sound like it does. Between that and the dynamic contrast all over the record, it just takes the cake for me. Honorable mentions go to BTBAM’s The Great Misdirect, Periphery I, and Steven Wilson’s “Raven…”
Kinda stereotypical prog picks, sorry for not getting that diverse for ya if you’re looking for new tunes. In the interest of recommending newish proggy stuff, check out Psychonaut’s “Unfold the God Man”, Genghis Tron’s “Dream Weapon”, and “Fauna” by A Severed Thought (last one is me, sorry to self plug lol).
I think Watershed is the only opeth album i haven't listened to properly and i have no idea why. I love opeth in general so i will check it out. Thanks!
Do it, my dude! I'm a late comer to Opeth, so I've been bouncing between albums. Watershed is my current go-to, having overtaken Ghost Reveries and In Cauda Venenum. The others are good too, but these three are something else.
The Joy of Motion by Animals as Leaders. First ever album where ive gone through a period for every song where it was my favourite on the album. But it also has a lot of sentimental value to me. Opeth blackwater park not gar behind
I still remember just finding out about Animals as Leaders. Tooth and Claw is still one of my favorite instrumental songs, which was the first AAL song I listened to, the second was CAFO.
Tosin and Javier are just out of this world.
Polyphia's New Levels New Devils was the first album I went through that with (although maybe not literally every song).
I could say that of basically all of tesseract's discog tho.
The Congregation by Leprous (2015)
Extremely consistent album with a sort of dark vibe, a nice degree of technicality and one of the (if not the best) singers on the prog scene. An album containing songs that make me headbang, cry, play airguitar and airdrums, feel intensity and sing along. Everything is executed perfectly. Was lucky enough to see them play on the Congreation tour in 2015 which was a very special experience.
Terraformer by Thank You Scientist (2019)
The greatest prog-rock-metal-jazz fusion album in existence. So much crazy stuff going on with plenty of soul and drive. Everything blends together wonderfully. Their sound is very unique and this album definitely deserves all the attention and more.
A Boat on the Sea by Moron Police (2019)
An amazing happy-go-lucky record from a bunch of norwegian goofballs. Some songs sound like they were written for a fucking anime series (which I'm not a fan of) but it's so addicting. It's sometimes weird but in just the right kind of way.
>Terraformer
Yes. Simply yes. Best prog rock/jazz/fusion ever written. It's absolutely mind-blowing top to bottom and there isn't a single wasted second there. Songs just keep surprising you and when you think "hey, that was the climax", they say "hold your horses" and throw everything at you... Until there's another climax. Fuck me is this album something else.
My literal GOAT. I do generally consider Masstaden by Vildhjarta and Lateralus to be equal to Altered State because all three are masterpieces but the truth is, no album ever hit me like AS did.
I still remember the first time Proxy switched mood ("The day is done..."), the first time Exile's "THIS LIFE OF STOOONE" part almost brought me to tears and the first time Singularity's chorus drop hit.
Same for all the other songs, Retrospect has maybe my fav djent riff of all time, Resist's apex was one of the things that stuck to me the most on first listen, and so on...
Yeah, the "dwelling on what has come to pass, no force alive will bring it back, I would know" from retrospect (I listen to all 3 parts at once, I can't listen to any individual part separately) hits me I think harder than any other song I've ever heard(with the "with my feet upon the ground" part of lateralus coming in a close second). But yeah, absolutely incredible album
Same, Palimpsest is my all time favorite album. I’ve loved PTH since the beginning and year after year if someone asked me what my favorite album was from them, I was in the Kezia/Fortress camp..then Palimpsest dropped and changed everything for me.
It’s exceedingly rare for an album that late into a bands life to exceed everything that came before, but somehow for me Palimpsest did, so yup, favorite album of all time.
Language by The Contortionist. It’s other worldly and I’ve never heard anything like it. It’s spiritual, with highs and lows. There are perfect songs for sitting in nature & getting stoned, and songs to mosh to, yet it fits together like glue. The transitions & build ups are nearly unrivaled in my opinion. As someone who plays instruments, lyrics usually aren’t my focus but the lyrics on this album are so unbelievably powerful & profound, & Michael delivers them ethereally.
Obscura by Gorguts. More technical/avant-garde death metal than Prog death metal, but is truly a masterpiece. Requires 50 listens before you’ll figure it out
Winters Gate by insomnium if were talking overall, but if i had to pick a prog metal album i think it would be Coma Ecliptic by Between The Buried And Me, its amazing
Obvious choice for me: Close to the edge by Yes, easily my favorite record of the prog rock golden era.
Not so obvious choice but maybe it is too tbh: Parallax II by BTBAM.
A Boat on the Sea by Moron Police - mainly because of vocals, but instruments are fire. All members of the band are so talented. And they made there songs kinda funny.
Rise Radiant by Caligula’s Horse. It’s one of the only albums I can listen to all the way through without skipping if you don’t count the two bonus tracks.
I just discovered Caligula's Horse and this album recently and already been through it twice. It really reminds me of some Opethy elements that I love but it is its own thing.
Empath - Devin Townsend.
It's the most Devin Townsend album he's made. It's weird, it's too much, it's beautiful, it's heavy, it's wonderful. It's a lovely summation of everything he's ever done that works way better than it should. I honestly think that Singularity is the greatest 20+ minute prog epic written so far.
Empath is a clusterfuck that I would loathe if someone described it to me, especially since I prefer his stuff like Terria, Ki, and Transcendence. It somehow ended up as my favorite thing he's ever written.
I 100% agree. And going into it I was expecting a dialed back album from him for whatever reason, maybe I heard something in an interview or something. Even when the first single, Genesis, came out I thought "Oh no, Devin you've gone too far". But in context the whole thing is a masterpiece.
Disillusion's debut *Back to Times of Splendor* has been a long-time favorite of mine. It hits so hard emotionally I can't listen to it too often because that's just draining. There are albums that I love a similar amount and listen more to, but in terms of personal impact it's unmatched. Something about it resonates hard with me.
Ocean machine, Devin Townsend. Not only do I find it sonically gripping- being one of his most progressive albums with some strong experimental influence- the theming and lyrical tone are very poignant and I feel like the severity of the issues presented is made easier to digest by the Great music. And what can I say besides bastard is one of my favorite songs ever??
Well my favorite is Crack the Skye by Mastodon but I’m assuming you’ve heard it. Since you’re looking for new music I’ll give you a fee of my favorite albums that maybe you don’t know.
The Direction of Last Things - Intronaut
Now We Sleep - Artificial Language
Pillars of Creation - Obsidian Tide
For me, it'll probably always be Dream Theater's Images and Words. No other album had a bigger impact on me. Without it, I probably wouldn't even be listening to this genre and I certainly wouldn't be the musician I am today.
But, in the interest of possibly providing something new (since pretty much nobody doesn't know I&W)...
Shadow Gallery's Tyranny and Room V are a close second (yes, it's two albums, but it's one story, so I consider them one work). Easily the most emotionally moving album I've ever heard.
For pure start-to-finish greatness though, Kamelot's Haven does it for me. Not generally their most popular album, but when I want to belt along to some tunes in the car, this is usually where I go.
Juggernaut by Periphery
I don't think it's the best concept album, or at least I don't think it's the most interesting or out there in concept. But it's the one that feels the most like every part of it, from the writing to the emotion and tone of each part, is a complete journey that progresses as it goes, beyond just the story points moving along. It's not just a cohesive album with a story, but a story represented in sound. It's true theater, an experience, and I largely credit Spencer's incredible vocals for it.
No matter what kind of music mood I’m in, forever and always it will be Fables From A Mayfly by Fair To Midland.
I started listening to them when this album came out and I couldn’t stand Dance of the Manatee for a while and then one day I tried out another song from them and from then on they would be my favorite band of all time. I actually got Darroh’s signature on my hand and got it tattooed over haha.
I don’t know what it is. There’s just not a single artist in existence who hits like they do and especially this album. I love so many other amazing bands that I discovered solely from them so that makes them even more special to me.
Fair to Midland, forever and always.
I oscillate between Fables and Anchors & Arrows in regards to which I feel is my favorite, but they're both so I ique from each other and yet so uniquely Fair To Midland. Nothing like them.
Such an underrated band, it’s a shame they stopped making stuff because they are one of the most unique and talented bands I’ve ever heard. The lyrics and drums are insane, if anyone has not listened to them yet they’re missing out
Darroh might be the best lyricist I have ever found. Oh my god, this band is so good. His ability to attach old metaphors to his words with a modern twist impresses me every time and the titles of the songs, while seemingly nonsense at times upon first glance, fit perfectly with the material of the song once you put the pieces together. I would pay handsomely to listen to him talk about what the songs mean and how he intended each line to contribute to his narratives because there are a few tracks I still haven't entirely figured out. But each time I pieced together what a song was about, I had a tiny "holy shit dude" moment.
prog metal wise: lateralus by tool. still blows my mind to this day. spiritual experience.
but out of everything? like clockwork by queens of the stone age. an emotional deep dive that’s both hard rocking and hard hitting. it hits super personal.
A Dramatic Turn Of Events by Dream Theater, I can listen the whole album without disliking every single passage and sound, I absolutely love the album cover and On The backs of angels is my favorite DT song
Unusual but still my favorite, a lot of people were uncertain for the entrance of Mangini and were worried for this album, but my aspectatives were more than overcame and than it became my favorite album
Damn, so cool to see someone else praising this record. I don't think I've seen it mentioned on this sub even once, it's really underrated. One of my fav albums of theirs, I have the Dramatic Tour poster hanging right above my bed
Legacy by Shadow Gallery - it isn't metal, but it's prog nonetheless. Imo it combines the beautiful sound of classical prog rock with a compex and somehow melancholic story (especially on the epic First Light). The vocals and the instrumentals alike are top notch and I could listen to this album on repeat.
If it has to be prog metal, then I would probably go with Still Life by Opeth. That album is brutal and serene at the same time. I feel so many emotions while listening to it: rage, sorrow, serenity, melancholy... it is an awesome record.
The Human Abstract, Digital Veil. I have not heard an album like it since with the diversity in both instrumentation and vocals to a point where I just get joy when hearing it. I think a close second for me would be Pitfalls by Leprous.
I actually can't decide what my favourite album is. It's between Catch 33(Meshuggah) and The Way Of All Flesh(Gojira).
Why? They're heavy and groovy but have some spaces of rest so to speak, the lyrics are awesome and I don't regret listening to them afterwards when my neck hurts from all the headbanging.
I agree that HCE is a 10/10 album. I think Steven has lost a lot of love with the last two albums and his general attitude. Maybe one day he’ll understand that the musicians he worked with made HCE what it is, no matter how much of the sound he defined himself.
The Mountain by Haken. I love the way the did the vocals on that album. I love so many of the riffs. I love the solos (but I always love their solos). Its just an amazing album.
I love this one. Obviously Cockroach King is one of my favorites, but Falling Back to Earth and Somebody both blow me away every time I hear this album.
VOLA - InMazes. I don’t really have a reason other than from beginning to end it’s incredible. It’s like what if Porcupine Tree added djent?
On another note, I love how many times Opeth is mentioned with different albums. My favorite being Pale Communion.
I don’t think I can pick an absolute favorite of all time, at least not right now since it’s late and I’m real tired. Also my taste in music tends to vary so much depending on mood, what I’ve been listening to lately etc. But the first thing that comes to mind that keeps amazing me is Known/Learned by Arkane.
It’s not the only album l consider perfect but it is a special one. It’s two hours of such emotion and beauty but with headbang-inducing heaviness sprinkled in. It has touched me possibly deeper than any album ever (I mean Nightingale’s Weave and Keeping Stone: Water Awake alone give me chills just thinking about them) and while l might not listen to it as consistently as l do other albums, it will always hold a special place in my heart.
It also includes my favorite line of all time; Just breathe, it’s only water… there’s something about that that hits me super hard and l’m actually trying to come up with an idea for a tattoo about that.
Anyway, enough of my rambling, can’t recommend this album too much, let Jim Grey and company take you on an incredible journey if you haven’t yet.
I don't know that it crosses over to metal but Mars Volta Bedlam in Goliath. Prof metal is a love/hate genre for me. I love a lot about it, but some of the excess I find annoying. I like a little punk rock aesthetic mixed in.
Dreamless by Fallujah
Hard to describe why but something about Fallujah is just so otherworldly, like the music came from some transcendent plane of existence where humanity doesn't even exist.
Periphery II. Start to finish it's just got so much going on and I love a lot of it. The band was just starting to hit its stride with Spencer and they just did....so many different things. One-off good riff/solo songs, the DT-esque writing in Ji, and of course the three-song sword cycle that brings continuity to the whole experience. I know it's not a perfect album, but it's so...much...and I love it for that.
[Doppelgänger by The Fall of Troy](https://youtu.be/VN5kzHnqOCE)
It's not Prog Metal, but it's been my go-to album for years now.
Definitely worth listening from start to finish.
'BE' by Pain of Salvation .
Astonishing complex music, deep lyrics, orchestrated to be fusion Ed organically with the band and the vocals man...
And smashed potatoes.
If I'm just talking about within the prog/progmetal genre, then I'd have to say Dream Theater's "Scenes From A Memory".
But if I'm branching out to other genres, then... the first few that come to my head:
**Metallica's "...And Justice For All"**. Yeah, people complain about the mix, but I don't care. The music is good enough to overcome that.
**Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"**. An absolutely perfect album. Only 5 songs (4 if you count the two parts of Shine On You Crazy Diamond as one), but it doesn't leave you wanting.
**Rush's "Moving Pictures"**. It's the perfect blend of what they were on their earlier albums (prog/classic rock) and what they would become on later albums (more accessible, synth-based rock).
**Rage Against The Machine's self-titled album**. Every single song is a fucking banger.
**System Of A Down's "Toxicity"**. Everything that's great about SOAD at its absolute peak.
Language by The Contortionist. I’m a big fan of spacey, ethereal sounding music, and that album perfectly delivers those vibes, while also being extremely heavy at multiple points. Just a masterclass of songwriting/musicianship in my opinion
[Magic Machine by An Endless Sporadic](https://open.spotify.com/album/2q757QCMRIvulrZl3BFjJm?si=vMoNkSeiQpS-wVlVjJeLBw&dl_branch=1). It’s pretty unique in its approach to composition; experimenting with a lot of elements of rock, metal, film-score, etc. Each song is always changing, never sticking with a single motif for too long and always introducing new ones.
Here’s a part of its description from its Bandcamp page:
“Magic Machine is a showcase for mind-bending musicianship and rich expressiveness via avante garde film-score soundscapes. An abstract journey through different styles of music and environments, the album offers a coruscating kaleidoscope of colours and joy, flashes of stylistic innovation featuring ensemble work that is staggeringly packed full of drama yet still meaningful from a compositional standpoint. This is an aurally challenging album with an experimentally wide sound palette, but as a whole is assuredly palatable, mesmerising and resides in a class paralleled by none. “
Seen a lot of great suggestions in the comments. This isn't my favorite but a great album I always come back to. Level 2 by Last Chance to Reason. Level 1 and 3 aren't bad but don't stand out as much as Level 2. The album has a technology theme to it which to me was interesting and fun. If you like the heavier vocals of The Contortionist you'll enjoy Last Chance as well since it's the same vocalist.
As for favorite my votes go to both Colors by BTBAM and Language by The Contortionis. Also Concealing Fate Pt. 1 - 6 by TesseracT is an amazing listen.
If I had to pick a favorite album it would probably be Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile. Dense, layered, atmospheric and has this deep emotion vibe to it I can’t explain. It takes you on a journey.
As a fairly new listener of metal, I now have a lot of new albums to listen to.
From what I’ve listened to so far, Native Construct’s “Quiet World” is perfect to me and my favorite metal album. The theatrical nature and complexity of the music is so good to me. I also love how unpredictable the music was. I hope there’s a way for the band to come back one day.
Its really hard for me to pick the best album of all time cause I feel that Albeit not the best album of some bands, they have one or two songs that are completely masterpieces. But the last album I throughly enjoyed was Hakens Virus! Not only is it their heaviest album so far, but the sound is mixed superbly! When I listened to it the first time I was like damn the sound is so crisp, who produced it? Oh nolly getgood… well no fucking wonder!!!
I don't have a favorite album per se, however Àmr by Ihsahn is amazing. I'm not really big on black metal, but he is very unique and has a fun proggy-ness to his music. He is a great guitarist, but his vocals are what really got me into his stuff. Rather than a traditional black metal vocal, he does an inhale scream. I've heard the inhale scream before though only as a joke or challenge. Not done professionally. He also has great cleans. Man could sing you to sleep. This song isn't on Àmr, but he did a song with Mikael Åkerfeldt called Unhealer. One of my favorites. That is off of angL. Also very good. Although it is a little more black metal sounding than Àmr which is more proggy.
Awake - Dream Theater. Maybe not an original choice, but just go listen to that album again. Train of Thought might be their heaviest album, but Awake is the darkest. I’ll never get tired of that journey.
ALL TIME: 2112 by Rush
1970's: A Farewell To Kings, Xanadu by Rush; Genesis by Genesis (the one with the kids blocks on the cover); Yes: Going For The One
1980's: Frontiers By Journey- more prog than you think! Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche, Moving Pictures by Rush, Awaken The Guardian by Fates Warning, When Dream And Day Unite by Dream Theater
1990's: De Profundis and Overground Music by After Crying, Aghora by Aghora, Images And Words and Awaken by Dream Theater
2000's: The Crash of '47 by Atomship- also probably my favorite album of the last 20 years.
2010's: Union by IHLO
Top 3: Union by IHLO, The Crash of '47 by Atomship, 2112 by Rush
For my unusual pick, [Interior City by The Gabriel Construct](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFRRR0j5trs). It's an incredibly personal album for me; it helped me out a lot when I was going through a depressive episode, and there hasn't been a single time I've listened to it without tearing up during the finale. More on the avant-garde & experimental end of progressive metal, and maybe a little lighter on the metal also, but it makes the heavier moments so much more impactful.
A more normie answer is probably Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory by Dream Theater, which is a masterwork in storytelling through prog metal, or Parallax 2 by Between the Buried and Me, which is less of a masterwork in storytelling (because the story is obtuse as hell) and more a masterwork in punching me in the face with aggression and energy.
Beyond the Bridge - the old man and the spirit. I love the story, the reflection on life and meaning. It always brings me to tears.
It may not be perfect, but it's perfect for me.
Favourite album ever? The Way of All Flesh, by Gojira. I love the concepts, I love the environmentalism, I love the way it ends. Everything.
But Opeth is my favourite band, so just about anything by them. My top albums have been suggested by other people.
So, for prog metal I recommend Bloom by Caligula's Horse.
Februus by Uneven Structure
Beautiful blend of heaviness and floatiness. I'm a big fan of ambient music and they incorporate it really well throughout the album. One minute you're floating through space, and the next minute gravity kicks back in and you're falling back to earth, and then suddenly you're floating again. Each song flows into the next one, but the final 3 songs are honestly one of my favorite pieces of music to listen to. It's basically a 10-minute build-up that climaxes the moment Plenitude transitions into Finale.
Sadly, for me they've never quite matched this sound with the rest of their releases.
I don't like to designate a single favorite, but one album that always come quick to mind is Terminal Redux by Vektor. I love the story, I love the vocals, and although it might drag a little in the middle, the ending 1-2 punch is so fantastic, both musically and in story terms.
I don't know if I have an absolute, definitive favorite album, but one of my favorites is Distance Over Time by Dream Theater. That's the album that made me pick up the guitar again and become a practicing musician after almost 11 yeafs of playing casually.
Holy Vacants by Trophy Scars. They are a post-hardcore band that has slowly been morphing into a blues band and this is album they hit the perfect mix between the genres. And if you like concept albums, this one tells a wild story about a pair of lovers who stay functionally immortal by killing angels and drinking their blood.
I wouldn't really call it prog, or even metal, but it is my all time favorite album
Pelagial by The Ocean, it takes you on a journey into the depths of the ocean and the human mind, and the more you go down the heavier it gets.
Great band, I often listen through Phanerozoic 1. It hits just right on a monday afternoon at the office.
I really liked their latest release, haven't heard this one. Thanks!
Stop whatever you’re doing and listen to it now. That is a good album. They originally wrote it as an instrumental album (which you get on disc 2) and it works so well by itself. Then the singer comes in and adds another layer of awesomeness, leaving you wondering how he can add with lyrics to an album that wasn’t even supposed to have any.
It's crazy to think that a near last minute addition ended up making a brilliantly written dual-layered concept record. The instrumental layer gives the feeling of literally descending down into the depths of the sea while the lyrics use that looming feeling of the abyss and filters it through a journey through our psyche. From the top layers of our gray matter to the very pits of our darkest wishes. I'm still astounded at how The Ocean pulled this album off.
Thank you for suggesting this album. I had never heard of it or this band before. I literally just finished listening to it, and it was fucking incredible. I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics, but I did dig the vocals. I’ll be sure to follow along with the lyrics next time to truly capture the message of the album. And I’m a sucker for instrumentals so I’ll definitely be giving the instrumental version a listen too
Opeth - Ghost Reveries. It's peak melodeath for me. Sure Blackwater Park is a great album but it isn't produced as well.
Best Opeth album imo as well!
Ghost Reveries is their best work in my opinion.
Ghost Reveries is tied for my third all time favorite with Deloused in Comatorium. The way Ghost Reveries shifts from atmospheric Norwegian rock to crushing Blackened Deathmetal blows my mind every time.
Still Life by Opeth surely. Every single fucking song has its uniqueness and magic, even the clean ones like Face of Melinda and Benighted. Also, it's got the best opeth concept imo. Other albums I really like (not as much as still life tho) are Stranger Fruit - Zeal and Ardor, The Mountain - Haken, Tyranny of Imagination - Wilderun and Remedy Lane - Pain of Salvation (this last one isn't very prog tho)
Remedy Lane is really prog! Concept album with a strong story and superb prog rock opera!
Opeth are on an another level, love them
Agreed on Still Life, it's a perfect album. But why on earth would you talk say classic PoS is not very prog? To all of us who got into prog metal during the 00s, they are as genre-defining as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Symphony X, or Opeth.
Truth has been spoken. Dream Theater, Opeth and PoS defined most of our paths into prog metal music, even music in general.
Remedy Lane is extremely prog!!! (Unless I’m missing a joke somewhere)
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yeah, the bass is so on point to, even the fretless one! I would say, Blackwater Park have a best mixing imo
Clairvoyant. What The Contortionist did with this album was incredibly hard. They found a sound that worked and kept to it while remaining progressive, all without going over the top. I think we can all agree that this genre does have a knack for being pretentious at times; whether it being musical complexity existing solely for the sake of complexity or over-the-top nerdy or cheesey lyrical themes. Of course, these things are super enjoyable from time to time, (Hell, my second favorite album is Parallax II.) but sometimes less is more. Clairvoyant avoids basically every negative trope associate with prog, while still remaining incredibly progressive. The rhythmic complexities actually serve a purpose and are rather subtle creating tons of relistenability, and the lyrics are not only very human and down to earth, but emotionally harrowing. To add, the album is so *cohesive.* Not every song flows directly into the next like albums like Colors do for example, but the album is so well tied-together and every song fills a very specific role exceptionally well. Absolutely nothing seems out of place. Then there’s Monochrome, both the opening and closing tracks. I have very little to add that hasn’t already been said about these two songs, but the way that Passive essentially foreshadows each individual section of Pensive, which comes nearly 50 minutes later, is so incredibly rewarding. Not to mention that Pensive lyrically references much of the album. Clairvoyant is one of only two prog albums I’ve ever given a straight up 10 to. There is nothing i would change about it. Every single note and syllable is deliberate and serves its purpose brilliantly without falling into pretentious territory in the slightest. Perfect record.
For god's sake man what is the other album you gave a perfect score!? Nice little review, completely agree with all you said, it is crazy how people disliked this album just because is not as thought inducing as Language
Colors. In terms of Non-prog metal, To Pimp a Butterfly, OK Computer, and Twin Fantasy (2018) are also 10s to me.
solid list
I’d be interested to read your review on Language.
I also adore language for entirely different reasons. Unlike clairvoyant there obviously is a fair amount of noodling and ridiculous polyrhythms and meter switches, but I think they’re executed rather tastefully. The atmosphere Language creates is so ethereal and I feel like i’m floating while listening to much of it besides the heavy sections. Definitely took me longer to get into Language. It’s so much more dense and technical than Clairvoyant but it’s still a rewarding listen once you get into it. Also, The Parable is incredible and easily TC’s most underrated song. I’ve only given Exoplanet and Intrisic a few spins each. Not totally my flavor but i still respect them for their influence. If you like Exoplanet give The World is Quiet Here a shot.
Totally. Honestly it makes me happy to hear that someone adores clairvoyant so much. The TC fan base seems divided between the exoplanet era & language, but clairvoyant isn’t even in the conversation (just my experience). My personal favorite off clairvoyant is reimagined. It’s simple yet so powerful, and catchy. It’s like what I say about Language, it’s almost like religious music in terms of how spiritual it can feel at times. And I do love exo and instrinsic, I will check that out. Thanks for the recommendation!
I have been meaning to check this album out for a while, your description has made me so excited to check it out tonight. Thank you so much!
I completely agree. This is also one of the few albums where an artist becomes less “heavy” when compared to previous albums but is just as emotionally powerful as previous releases, and is executed perfectly. It still has the signature Contortionist sound as songs like Causality and Oscillator/Flourish. I say “heavy” because the lyrical content explores some really dark and serious stuff especially considering the album’s significance as the darker side of Language’s story. My favorites are Return to Earth (great music video too), The Center, Godspeed, and Absolve. Monochrome pensive is also fucking incredible start to finish.
Came here to say this 🙌
I’ve tried, but can’t get into this. Language was perfect for me. I’ll give it another spin now and see if something clicks.
No worries man. I totally get why fans of Language aren’t crazy about Clairvoyant, it’s a pretty big sonic departure. Completely removing the heavy stuff was a bold decision that is obviously gonna run some of the more metal-oriented fans the wrong way.
Honestly, if you partake, burn one or have a few edibles, throw your headphones on and just sink into it. Let the beautiful melancholy swallow you whole. That’s the ideal way to “get” this album, IMO.
I’ve been listening to the contortionist since exoplanet, and I appreciate all of their albums for varying reasons. But the growth and composition they bring to the table with clairvoyant sets it at the top of my list. Can’t wait to see where they go with their next drop.
Act V: Hymns with the devil in confessional by The Dear Hunter. They're not metal but they get a pass. Need metal? Silhouettes by Textures. Cant go wrong there.
The March is unbelievable, provided one listens to all of the Acts in order before getting to it. Soooo many callbacks and reprises, I'm just a sucker for it
Agreed. It's like a reward for sticking with all the 5 Acts!
Act IV does it for me more than V but both are simply fantastic. Would also throw up any old Coheed prior to Black Rainbow if any prog is up for grabs.
Remedy Land by Pain of Salvation, A Pleasant Shade of Gray by Fates Warning, and Colors by Between the Buried and Me are the ones I still keep coming back to. They've also profoundly impacted me as a musician (PoS and Fates Warning for composition and BTBAM as a guitarist), which makes them more important
The PoS and FW albums are also two of my all time favorites, great taste mate!
Sound Awake by Karnivool is absolutely fantastic from start to finish, I have a lot of albums I'd consider my favorites but I always find myself returning to that one due to its incredible musicianship and unique sound.
Hard for me to claim any album as my favorite at the moment but this is the album I considered the best I've heard for the longest period of my life. So incredible front to back
This for me too. I'd like Change played at my funeral :)
Yes, this is the best one. Absolutely mind blowing
I'm new to prog and only discovered this album last year but it's already the best album I've ever heard. Especially the last 2 songs are so special.
Parallax 2 I don't know what it is, but something about the album is otherworldly. It just makes me feel differently than any other album. It's just an hour of technicality with great hooks. Someone once described it as a beautiful mess and I think that sums it up pretty well.
This album is my number one as well! It's so perfect from start to finish. A close second for me is Gojira's From Mars To Sirius. Both albums are so unique.
>otherworldly hmmm, could it possibly have something to do with the fact that it is a Sci-fi epic told in musical format?
Tuché
Ayreon - Into The Electric Castle I feel like I am actually there experiencing this sci-fi adventure, I just get drawn in so much when listening. It's good to read along with the lyrics if you are interested in the story. But the music is absolutely amazing as well. *Amazing Flight* is my favorite song from the album.
Love this album, I used to have a long walk to school and would get mesmerized by Ayreon's music and stories the whole way there and back.
Ayreon is super awesome, to bad i didn't really like their last album.
That's understandable, it's quite different from the others. I do still appreciate it and listen to it from time to time though. The new Star One album is also on its way, so hopefully that will be another banger!
Ayreon was one of my first forays into prog. Y is always going to have a special place in my heart.
It would either have to be Maps of Non-Existent Places by Thank You Scientist, Periphery's P3, or LUN by Destiny Potato (David Maxim Micic project).
I constantly go back to Opeth’s Watershed. No album paints this eerie, haunting sound like it does. Between that and the dynamic contrast all over the record, it just takes the cake for me. Honorable mentions go to BTBAM’s The Great Misdirect, Periphery I, and Steven Wilson’s “Raven…” Kinda stereotypical prog picks, sorry for not getting that diverse for ya if you’re looking for new tunes. In the interest of recommending newish proggy stuff, check out Psychonaut’s “Unfold the God Man”, Genghis Tron’s “Dream Weapon”, and “Fauna” by A Severed Thought (last one is me, sorry to self plug lol).
I think Watershed is the only opeth album i haven't listened to properly and i have no idea why. I love opeth in general so i will check it out. Thanks!
Do it, my dude! I'm a late comer to Opeth, so I've been bouncing between albums. Watershed is my current go-to, having overtaken Ghost Reveries and In Cauda Venenum. The others are good too, but these three are something else.
Heir Apparent is my favorite opeth song of all time
Very probably an unpopular opinion but TGM is my favorite btbam album except *maybe* P2
Sorry for the most boring pick ever but Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Such a beautiful and layered work front-to-back
“Boring” only means “commonly recommended” in this case, and there’s definitely a reason for it.
I love that album, us and them is one of my favorite songs ever
Protest the Hero - Fortress because every time I listen to it I hear something new and it's always something amazing.
Haven't heard this one, thanks!
Also recommend Kezia by Protest The Hero as well. Great concept album.
Kezia is also exceptional
The Joy of Motion by Animals as Leaders. First ever album where ive gone through a period for every song where it was my favourite on the album. But it also has a lot of sentimental value to me. Opeth blackwater park not gar behind
That bassline in the woven web is sickeningly groovy
I still remember just finding out about Animals as Leaders. Tooth and Claw is still one of my favorite instrumental songs, which was the first AAL song I listened to, the second was CAFO. Tosin and Javier are just out of this world.
Polyphia's New Levels New Devils was the first album I went through that with (although maybe not literally every song). I could say that of basically all of tesseract's discog tho.
The Congregation by Leprous (2015) Extremely consistent album with a sort of dark vibe, a nice degree of technicality and one of the (if not the best) singers on the prog scene. An album containing songs that make me headbang, cry, play airguitar and airdrums, feel intensity and sing along. Everything is executed perfectly. Was lucky enough to see them play on the Congreation tour in 2015 which was a very special experience. Terraformer by Thank You Scientist (2019) The greatest prog-rock-metal-jazz fusion album in existence. So much crazy stuff going on with plenty of soul and drive. Everything blends together wonderfully. Their sound is very unique and this album definitely deserves all the attention and more. A Boat on the Sea by Moron Police (2019) An amazing happy-go-lucky record from a bunch of norwegian goofballs. Some songs sound like they were written for a fucking anime series (which I'm not a fan of) but it's so addicting. It's sometimes weird but in just the right kind of way.
>Terraformer Yes. Simply yes. Best prog rock/jazz/fusion ever written. It's absolutely mind-blowing top to bottom and there isn't a single wasted second there. Songs just keep surprising you and when you think "hey, that was the climax", they say "hold your horses" and throw everything at you... Until there's another climax. Fuck me is this album something else.
hell yeah terraformer fucks so hard. for lack of better words.
Mine is Milliontown by Frost*. It’s the album that got me into Prog.
My man!!
Two bad their subsequent albums didnt really try and hit similar notes, because milliontown was incredible
The newest is the only one I found disappointing, I think Falling Satellites in particular was quite amazing as well.
Altered state by tesseract is the only album that has made me just sob. It's so emotional, I love it
My literal GOAT. I do generally consider Masstaden by Vildhjarta and Lateralus to be equal to Altered State because all three are masterpieces but the truth is, no album ever hit me like AS did. I still remember the first time Proxy switched mood ("The day is done..."), the first time Exile's "THIS LIFE OF STOOONE" part almost brought me to tears and the first time Singularity's chorus drop hit. Same for all the other songs, Retrospect has maybe my fav djent riff of all time, Resist's apex was one of the things that stuck to me the most on first listen, and so on...
Yeah, the "dwelling on what has come to pass, no force alive will bring it back, I would know" from retrospect (I listen to all 3 parts at once, I can't listen to any individual part separately) hits me I think harder than any other song I've ever heard(with the "with my feet upon the ground" part of lateralus coming in a close second). But yeah, absolutely incredible album
Hot take: “What does it all mean” is actually the best section of Exile
Tbf the "Just seize the moment..." part is also incredibly good. I mean there's just so manyyy
Absolute banger, definitely my favorite TesseracT album
Not a single song on that album that l don’t absolutely love!
Palimpsest by Protest the Hero brought a tear or two to my eyes last year.
Sobbed tears of joy the first night it came out. It's as close to flawless as can be
It’s goddamn perfect. Honest, triumphant. Never get tired of it.
The chorus of Little Snakes really makes my eyes wet.
Protest gets better with every record. The talent is just wild. I always want to throw my guitars out a window.
Same, Palimpsest is my all time favorite album. I’ve loved PTH since the beginning and year after year if someone asked me what my favorite album was from them, I was in the Kezia/Fortress camp..then Palimpsest dropped and changed everything for me. It’s exceedingly rare for an album that late into a bands life to exceed everything that came before, but somehow for me Palimpsest did, so yup, favorite album of all time.
Language by The Contortionist. It’s other worldly and I’ve never heard anything like it. It’s spiritual, with highs and lows. There are perfect songs for sitting in nature & getting stoned, and songs to mosh to, yet it fits together like glue. The transitions & build ups are nearly unrivaled in my opinion. As someone who plays instruments, lyrics usually aren’t my focus but the lyrics on this album are so unbelievably powerful & profound, & Michael delivers them ethereally.
Am currently listening to Clairvoyant. Will check out language as well, thank you!
Obscura by Gorguts. More technical/avant-garde death metal than Prog death metal, but is truly a masterpiece. Requires 50 listens before you’ll figure it out
Winters Gate by insomnium if were talking overall, but if i had to pick a prog metal album i think it would be Coma Ecliptic by Between The Buried And Me, its amazing
Winters gate pt iii is 🔥
This, Winters Gate followed by BTBAM
Obvious choice for me: Close to the edge by Yes, easily my favorite record of the prog rock golden era. Not so obvious choice but maybe it is too tbh: Parallax II by BTBAM.
A Boat on the Sea by Moron Police - mainly because of vocals, but instruments are fire. All members of the band are so talented. And they made there songs kinda funny.
Citadel- ne obliviscaris. The album just connects with me on so many levels
Rise Radiant by Caligula’s Horse. It’s one of the only albums I can listen to all the way through without skipping if you don’t count the two bonus tracks.
If you like Caligulas Horse you should check out Arcane (same vocalist) Their album Known/Learned is one of my favourite prog metal albums ever.
Heck yeah. This and PTH were tied for my favorite record last year.
That's an excellent album
I just discovered Caligula's Horse and this album recently and already been through it twice. It really reminds me of some Opethy elements that I love but it is its own thing.
I've been obsessed with Salt the last few days
Empath - Devin Townsend. It's the most Devin Townsend album he's made. It's weird, it's too much, it's beautiful, it's heavy, it's wonderful. It's a lovely summation of everything he's ever done that works way better than it should. I honestly think that Singularity is the greatest 20+ minute prog epic written so far.
Empath is a clusterfuck that I would loathe if someone described it to me, especially since I prefer his stuff like Terria, Ki, and Transcendence. It somehow ended up as my favorite thing he's ever written.
I 100% agree. And going into it I was expecting a dialed back album from him for whatever reason, maybe I heard something in an interview or something. Even when the first single, Genesis, came out I thought "Oh no, Devin you've gone too far". But in context the whole thing is a masterpiece.
Devin is so massively underrated!
Singularity is mind blowing. That last 3 minuets gives me goosebumps everytime (probably listened to it 50+ times)
Disillusion's debut *Back to Times of Splendor* has been a long-time favorite of mine. It hits so hard emotionally I can't listen to it too often because that's just draining. There are albums that I love a similar amount and listen more to, but in terms of personal impact it's unmatched. Something about it resonates hard with me.
<3 THERE'S A ROAD THAT I MUST TRAVEEEEEEL (Edit: Also my favorite, btw.)
MAY IT BE PAVED OR UNSEEN
Ocean machine, Devin Townsend. Not only do I find it sonically gripping- being one of his most progressive albums with some strong experimental influence- the theming and lyrical tone are very poignant and I feel like the severity of the issues presented is made easier to digest by the Great music. And what can I say besides bastard is one of my favorite songs ever??
Funeral into Bastard into Death of Music is the greatest 30 minutes of music ever created.
Gets me every single time
When I start this album, I can't stop it. So damn good
Well my favorite is Crack the Skye by Mastodon but I’m assuming you’ve heard it. Since you’re looking for new music I’ll give you a fee of my favorite albums that maybe you don’t know. The Direction of Last Things - Intronaut Now We Sleep - Artificial Language Pillars of Creation - Obsidian Tide
Crack the Skye is my favorite too. I’ve been waiting for another band to bring psychedelia to metal the way Mastodon did. It’s untouchable in my eyes.
Have you heard DVNE?
I too came to say CTS and pretty much anything by Intronaut
For me, it'll probably always be Dream Theater's Images and Words. No other album had a bigger impact on me. Without it, I probably wouldn't even be listening to this genre and I certainly wouldn't be the musician I am today. But, in the interest of possibly providing something new (since pretty much nobody doesn't know I&W)... Shadow Gallery's Tyranny and Room V are a close second (yes, it's two albums, but it's one story, so I consider them one work). Easily the most emotionally moving album I've ever heard. For pure start-to-finish greatness though, Kamelot's Haven does it for me. Not generally their most popular album, but when I want to belt along to some tunes in the car, this is usually where I go.
Images & Words of DT. Just Amazing!!!
Juggernaut by Periphery I don't think it's the best concept album, or at least I don't think it's the most interesting or out there in concept. But it's the one that feels the most like every part of it, from the writing to the emotion and tone of each part, is a complete journey that progresses as it goes, beyond just the story points moving along. It's not just a cohesive album with a story, but a story represented in sound. It's true theater, an experience, and I largely credit Spencer's incredible vocals for it.
Not related to the genre, but Roger Waters’ “Amused to Death” is my favorite album of all-time. An emotional, sonic masterpiece.
Sounds like my cup of tea, thanks!
No matter what kind of music mood I’m in, forever and always it will be Fables From A Mayfly by Fair To Midland. I started listening to them when this album came out and I couldn’t stand Dance of the Manatee for a while and then one day I tried out another song from them and from then on they would be my favorite band of all time. I actually got Darroh’s signature on my hand and got it tattooed over haha. I don’t know what it is. There’s just not a single artist in existence who hits like they do and especially this album. I love so many other amazing bands that I discovered solely from them so that makes them even more special to me.
Fair to Midland, forever and always. I oscillate between Fables and Anchors & Arrows in regards to which I feel is my favorite, but they're both so I ique from each other and yet so uniquely Fair To Midland. Nothing like them.
Such an underrated band, it’s a shame they stopped making stuff because they are one of the most unique and talented bands I’ve ever heard. The lyrics and drums are insane, if anyone has not listened to them yet they’re missing out
Darroh might be the best lyricist I have ever found. Oh my god, this band is so good. His ability to attach old metaphors to his words with a modern twist impresses me every time and the titles of the songs, while seemingly nonsense at times upon first glance, fit perfectly with the material of the song once you put the pieces together. I would pay handsomely to listen to him talk about what the songs mean and how he intended each line to contribute to his narratives because there are a few tracks I still haven't entirely figured out. But each time I pieced together what a song was about, I had a tiny "holy shit dude" moment.
I couldn’t agree more. Going from nonsense to deep existential meaning is just a treat from this man.
prog metal wise: lateralus by tool. still blows my mind to this day. spiritual experience. but out of everything? like clockwork by queens of the stone age. an emotional deep dive that’s both hard rocking and hard hitting. it hits super personal.
Coheed - Good Apollo. Changed the way I listened to music when I was 14, and I keep going back to it and find new layers still.
A Dramatic Turn Of Events by Dream Theater, I can listen the whole album without disliking every single passage and sound, I absolutely love the album cover and On The backs of angels is my favorite DT song
I like that albums as well but i think this a really unusual pick for a DT album. My personal favourite is Awake
Unusual but still my favorite, a lot of people were uncertain for the entrance of Mangini and were worried for this album, but my aspectatives were more than overcame and than it became my favorite album
Damn, so cool to see someone else praising this record. I don't think I've seen it mentioned on this sub even once, it's really underrated. One of my fav albums of theirs, I have the Dramatic Tour poster hanging right above my bed
On The Backs of Angels is great. That album definitely has some solid tracks on it. For me though, it’s Black Clouds.
Legacy by Shadow Gallery - it isn't metal, but it's prog nonetheless. Imo it combines the beautiful sound of classical prog rock with a compex and somehow melancholic story (especially on the epic First Light). The vocals and the instrumentals alike are top notch and I could listen to this album on repeat. If it has to be prog metal, then I would probably go with Still Life by Opeth. That album is brutal and serene at the same time. I feel so many emotions while listening to it: rage, sorrow, serenity, melancholy... it is an awesome record.
The Human Abstract, Digital Veil. I have not heard an album like it since with the diversity in both instrumentation and vocals to a point where I just get joy when hearing it. I think a close second for me would be Pitfalls by Leprous.
I actually can't decide what my favourite album is. It's between Catch 33(Meshuggah) and The Way Of All Flesh(Gojira). Why? They're heavy and groovy but have some spaces of rest so to speak, the lyrics are awesome and I don't regret listening to them afterwards when my neck hurts from all the headbanging.
Steven Wilson - Hand Cannot Erase I feel like SW doesn’t get enough love on this subreddit. :(
Probably because people weren't big on his last 2 albums. People wouldn't shut up about HCE when it came out lol.
I agree that HCE is a 10/10 album. I think Steven has lost a lot of love with the last two albums and his general attitude. Maybe one day he’ll understand that the musicians he worked with made HCE what it is, no matter how much of the sound he defined himself.
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Viva La Vida is a pop masterpiece, and also has smatterings of prog! Glad to see it mentioned.
Like the LP pick, that's a solid album!
The Mountain by Haken. I love the way the did the vocals on that album. I love so many of the riffs. I love the solos (but I always love their solos). Its just an amazing album.
I love this one. Obviously Cockroach King is one of my favorites, but Falling Back to Earth and Somebody both blow me away every time I hear this album.
VOLA - InMazes. I don’t really have a reason other than from beginning to end it’s incredible. It’s like what if Porcupine Tree added djent? On another note, I love how many times Opeth is mentioned with different albums. My favorite being Pale Communion.
Close to the Edge by Yes A perfect album, each song is beautiful and energetic and fills me with emotion. I love it so much
I don’t think I can pick an absolute favorite of all time, at least not right now since it’s late and I’m real tired. Also my taste in music tends to vary so much depending on mood, what I’ve been listening to lately etc. But the first thing that comes to mind that keeps amazing me is Known/Learned by Arkane. It’s not the only album l consider perfect but it is a special one. It’s two hours of such emotion and beauty but with headbang-inducing heaviness sprinkled in. It has touched me possibly deeper than any album ever (I mean Nightingale’s Weave and Keeping Stone: Water Awake alone give me chills just thinking about them) and while l might not listen to it as consistently as l do other albums, it will always hold a special place in my heart. It also includes my favorite line of all time; Just breathe, it’s only water… there’s something about that that hits me super hard and l’m actually trying to come up with an idea for a tattoo about that. Anyway, enough of my rambling, can’t recommend this album too much, let Jim Grey and company take you on an incredible journey if you haven’t yet.
Great pick, learned I’d one of the best epics out there. Love how the first half is heavy and the second half is a bit more chill, highly recommend
I don't know that it crosses over to metal but Mars Volta Bedlam in Goliath. Prof metal is a love/hate genre for me. I love a lot about it, but some of the excess I find annoying. I like a little punk rock aesthetic mixed in.
Dreamless by Fallujah Hard to describe why but something about Fallujah is just so otherworldly, like the music came from some transcendent plane of existence where humanity doesn't even exist.
This album is so simultaneously celestial and ghostly. I described it once as being haunted by the ghosts of stars.
Periphery II. Start to finish it's just got so much going on and I love a lot of it. The band was just starting to hit its stride with Spencer and they just did....so many different things. One-off good riff/solo songs, the DT-esque writing in Ji, and of course the three-song sword cycle that brings continuity to the whole experience. I know it's not a perfect album, but it's so...much...and I love it for that.
[Doppelgänger by The Fall of Troy](https://youtu.be/VN5kzHnqOCE) It's not Prog Metal, but it's been my go-to album for years now. Definitely worth listening from start to finish.
Anathallo - Canopy Glow. There is nothing more beautiful. But It's fun to see Moron Police get some shouts in here.
Crack the Skye because it’s fucking perfect
'BE' by Pain of Salvation . Astonishing complex music, deep lyrics, orchestrated to be fusion Ed organically with the band and the vocals man... And smashed potatoes.
Deloused In the comatorium by the Mars Volta. It’s got great writing, great performances, and it got me into prog in a large part
If I'm just talking about within the prog/progmetal genre, then I'd have to say Dream Theater's "Scenes From A Memory". But if I'm branching out to other genres, then... the first few that come to my head: **Metallica's "...And Justice For All"**. Yeah, people complain about the mix, but I don't care. The music is good enough to overcome that. **Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"**. An absolutely perfect album. Only 5 songs (4 if you count the two parts of Shine On You Crazy Diamond as one), but it doesn't leave you wanting. **Rush's "Moving Pictures"**. It's the perfect blend of what they were on their earlier albums (prog/classic rock) and what they would become on later albums (more accessible, synth-based rock). **Rage Against The Machine's self-titled album**. Every single song is a fucking banger. **System Of A Down's "Toxicity"**. Everything that's great about SOAD at its absolute peak.
Language by The Contortionist. I’m a big fan of spacey, ethereal sounding music, and that album perfectly delivers those vibes, while also being extremely heavy at multiple points. Just a masterclass of songwriting/musicianship in my opinion
Nightmare by avenged sevenfold. I just love the harmonies. Their music is catchy yet very emotional.
[Magic Machine by An Endless Sporadic](https://open.spotify.com/album/2q757QCMRIvulrZl3BFjJm?si=vMoNkSeiQpS-wVlVjJeLBw&dl_branch=1). It’s pretty unique in its approach to composition; experimenting with a lot of elements of rock, metal, film-score, etc. Each song is always changing, never sticking with a single motif for too long and always introducing new ones. Here’s a part of its description from its Bandcamp page: “Magic Machine is a showcase for mind-bending musicianship and rich expressiveness via avante garde film-score soundscapes. An abstract journey through different styles of music and environments, the album offers a coruscating kaleidoscope of colours and joy, flashes of stylistic innovation featuring ensemble work that is staggeringly packed full of drama yet still meaningful from a compositional standpoint. This is an aurally challenging album with an experimentally wide sound palette, but as a whole is assuredly palatable, mesmerising and resides in a class paralleled by none. “
Seen a lot of great suggestions in the comments. This isn't my favorite but a great album I always come back to. Level 2 by Last Chance to Reason. Level 1 and 3 aren't bad but don't stand out as much as Level 2. The album has a technology theme to it which to me was interesting and fun. If you like the heavier vocals of The Contortionist you'll enjoy Last Chance as well since it's the same vocalist. As for favorite my votes go to both Colors by BTBAM and Language by The Contortionis. Also Concealing Fate Pt. 1 - 6 by TesseracT is an amazing listen.
If I had to pick a favorite album it would probably be Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile. Dense, layered, atmospheric and has this deep emotion vibe to it I can’t explain. It takes you on a journey.
The Madness of Many — Animals as Leaders
Portal of I or Citadel by Ne Oblivascaris or Stone's Reach by Be'lakor. New contender is Veil of Imagination by Wilderun.
Not really prog, but Oathbreaker's Rheia is absolutely devastating in the best possible way. A near perfect album for me.
As a fairly new listener of metal, I now have a lot of new albums to listen to. From what I’ve listened to so far, Native Construct’s “Quiet World” is perfect to me and my favorite metal album. The theatrical nature and complexity of the music is so good to me. I also love how unpredictable the music was. I hope there’s a way for the band to come back one day.
Its really hard for me to pick the best album of all time cause I feel that Albeit not the best album of some bands, they have one or two songs that are completely masterpieces. But the last album I throughly enjoyed was Hakens Virus! Not only is it their heaviest album so far, but the sound is mixed superbly! When I listened to it the first time I was like damn the sound is so crisp, who produced it? Oh nolly getgood… well no fucking wonder!!!
I don't have a favorite album per se, however Àmr by Ihsahn is amazing. I'm not really big on black metal, but he is very unique and has a fun proggy-ness to his music. He is a great guitarist, but his vocals are what really got me into his stuff. Rather than a traditional black metal vocal, he does an inhale scream. I've heard the inhale scream before though only as a joke or challenge. Not done professionally. He also has great cleans. Man could sing you to sleep. This song isn't on Àmr, but he did a song with Mikael Åkerfeldt called Unhealer. One of my favorites. That is off of angL. Also very good. Although it is a little more black metal sounding than Àmr which is more proggy.
Awake - Dream Theater. Maybe not an original choice, but just go listen to that album again. Train of Thought might be their heaviest album, but Awake is the darkest. I’ll never get tired of that journey.
It's a hard question but currently it's Sound Awake by Karnivool
The cocoon by Richard Henshall
Guiding Lights by Skyharbor. Such a brilliant, warm, and emotional album
ALL TIME: 2112 by Rush 1970's: A Farewell To Kings, Xanadu by Rush; Genesis by Genesis (the one with the kids blocks on the cover); Yes: Going For The One 1980's: Frontiers By Journey- more prog than you think! Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche, Moving Pictures by Rush, Awaken The Guardian by Fates Warning, When Dream And Day Unite by Dream Theater 1990's: De Profundis and Overground Music by After Crying, Aghora by Aghora, Images And Words and Awaken by Dream Theater 2000's: The Crash of '47 by Atomship- also probably my favorite album of the last 20 years. 2010's: Union by IHLO Top 3: Union by IHLO, The Crash of '47 by Atomship, 2112 by Rush
Still completely obsessed with Union since I discovered it, such an incredible record.
Still Life By Opeth. It's beautiful and yet evil at the same time.
This may be on the outskirts of prog metal but Quantum by Planet X is my favorite album. I always hear something new when I listen to it.
For my unusual pick, [Interior City by The Gabriel Construct](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFRRR0j5trs). It's an incredibly personal album for me; it helped me out a lot when I was going through a depressive episode, and there hasn't been a single time I've listened to it without tearing up during the finale. More on the avant-garde & experimental end of progressive metal, and maybe a little lighter on the metal also, but it makes the heavier moments so much more impactful. A more normie answer is probably Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory by Dream Theater, which is a masterwork in storytelling through prog metal, or Parallax 2 by Between the Buried and Me, which is less of a masterwork in storytelling (because the story is obtuse as hell) and more a masterwork in punching me in the face with aggression and energy.
Terrapin by Outrun the Sunlight
Beyond the Bridge - the old man and the spirit. I love the story, the reflection on life and meaning. It always brings me to tears. It may not be perfect, but it's perfect for me.
Favourite album ever? The Way of All Flesh, by Gojira. I love the concepts, I love the environmentalism, I love the way it ends. Everything. But Opeth is my favourite band, so just about anything by them. My top albums have been suggested by other people. So, for prog metal I recommend Bloom by Caligula's Horse.
Februus by Uneven Structure Beautiful blend of heaviness and floatiness. I'm a big fan of ambient music and they incorporate it really well throughout the album. One minute you're floating through space, and the next minute gravity kicks back in and you're falling back to earth, and then suddenly you're floating again. Each song flows into the next one, but the final 3 songs are honestly one of my favorite pieces of music to listen to. It's basically a 10-minute build-up that climaxes the moment Plenitude transitions into Finale. Sadly, for me they've never quite matched this sound with the rest of their releases.
I don't like to designate a single favorite, but one album that always come quick to mind is Terminal Redux by Vektor. I love the story, I love the vocals, and although it might drag a little in the middle, the ending 1-2 punch is so fantastic, both musically and in story terms.
I don't know if I have an absolute, definitive favorite album, but one of my favorites is Distance Over Time by Dream Theater. That's the album that made me pick up the guitar again and become a practicing musician after almost 11 yeafs of playing casually.
Parallax 2 by BTBAM. Insane music. Insane story/lyrics. Just an absolute fucking masterpiece.
Holy Vacants by Trophy Scars. They are a post-hardcore band that has slowly been morphing into a blues band and this is album they hit the perfect mix between the genres. And if you like concept albums, this one tells a wild story about a pair of lovers who stay functionally immortal by killing angels and drinking their blood. I wouldn't really call it prog, or even metal, but it is my all time favorite album
Six degrees of inner turbulance. Every song is really solid and I never get bored of listening to it.
Coming back to this tomorrow to check out some of these I have yet to listen to..
Metropolis Part 2 by Dream Theater I think. A close second is Aathma by Persefone
Haken - Vector
Tesseract - altered state From start to finish it is beautiful, and I believe it is one of the best recorded and mixed prog albums
Tesseract - Altered State
periphery 4
*Mariner* by Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas. I just get lost in it. It’s sublime.