I took a girl I was dating to a Dream Theater concert because I didnt want to go by myself. I dont think she enjoyed it too much, but she went for me so I greatly appreciated it. Also for some reason she decided to marry me so I guess it wasnt that bad.
I took future wife to see Sparta at the Middle East in Cambridge Mass. She suffered through waves of shitty local bands and didn’t like Sparta at all but didn’t hold it against me.
Not only that but he mocks the fans of certain genres or bands like an older brother and not a bully. I used to really dislike him because sometimes he would state his opinions almost like facts but thats how many state their opinions when they believe the listener is smart enough to not have to be told something is his opinion when we know what opinions are, we should recognize it as such, and not doing so is your fault lol now hes on of my favorites. Im into hardcore more because od him too.
Finn putting on a 20 minute Rush song, listening to 5 random seconds, saying “the vocals are bad” and then shutting it off is gonna piss off so many dads and I’m here for it
@@elaceyb I *think* I like him. I try to imagine Rush with a more conventional sounding, “better” vocalist and just don’t know if it’d still work. And Geddy’s vocals are absolutely the template for later bands like Coheed and Cambria, The Mars Volta and the like
The vocals grow on you like most "weird" vocals have a tendency to do. Judging based off 5 seconds and then disregarding is stupid as fuck. If I did that I never would have gotten into mercyful fate and king diamond because I could not stand the vocals at first but it took me a few album spins to slowly grow into them and now I love them. Protest the hero falls into this too
As far as I’m concerned, Devin Townsend is one of the best you can ask for when it comes to prog. Incredible musician, but doesn’t forget to write actual songs with actual hooks. Incredible talent.
I think prog gives something to people like me who don't just want to hear the same bands playing the shit over and over again. The complexity of the music keeps it interesting and keeps it from getting bland and repetitive.
They are so incredible. Genuinely one of the best to ever exist. Still Life is my favorite album, following it would be Ghost Reveries. Still Life is a 10/10 masterpiece.
As a pop punk kid before, I think what introduced me to prog rock is Coheed and Cambria. Loved their earlier albums very catchy songs and really cool prog parts. Then discovered prog metal in Tool and it took me to another world again
The Ocean Collective. I will continue to push this band because I think they are totally underrated and are the definition of progressive. Each album is a different style with new musicians. Each album is conceptual and thematic either lyrically, musically or both. They even released instrumental versions of their last 4 or 5 albums.
They supported Leprous a few years back and were fantastic (despite a powercut at one point!). I've been listening to them for about a decade, it was great to see them live!
@@andykay2310 they played the circle bar in New Orleans touring Pelagial. They could not get the PA to work and Loic still screamed into the mic even though no one could hear a word. Mad respect!!
Not only is Devin Townsend (another Canadian) a talented musician but he has as great sense of humor, I always appreciate when great musicians don’t take theirselves too seriously
Do we really consider Car Bomb prog metal? There are proggy elements, sure, but it doesn't feel like an appropriate genre to associate them with if you get what I mean?
As a woman who enjoys Dream Theater, and have willingly bought tickets to go see them... I wasn't sure if laugh or cry at Finn's statement. Either way, I'm gonna hide at home and listen to the 12 Step Suit in peace.
@jacobrichards967 Really? I guess you just arnt a fan of poppy vocals then. I think Aviations is really cool cause they have a super interesting sound that grabs a lot of influences from the world of Prog and mixes it super well with those poppy vocal melodies. Their choruses get stuck in my head like the best of music earworms.
Yeah I love Rush and have been listening to them for about 3 years. I never thought Rush was ever doing "weird" stuff or making their songs too long (they've only done that about 3 to 4 times). To me they seemed ever influenced by the music of the time going forward. They got better, tighter, and more complex as time went on, never straying too far from their sound.
Just saw Gojira and Mastadon live, and having been to 100s of metal shows, they blew the top right off my head. They performed perfectly, so much so that the sherrifs (massive outdoor show) didn't even bother doing their jobs and couldn't look away from the stage 😅. Hard to look away when you're seeing 2 of the best drummers in the world. 3rd time seeing Gojira, so I know they are the best live, but Mastadon really did impress me.
I'm a huge fan of both bands and saw them on the first leg of the tour and I must say, mastodon absolutely ruled the show. They came out with the heaviest deep cuts on their set.
Caligula's Horse is a band I respect and recognise the greatness of, but I just can't get into them. I've tried a few times, but it just doesn't work for me. If I were to try again, what album would you recommend I listen to from start to finish in order to convince me?
I'm a big prog metal fan but I think your opinion is spot on. I listen to Animals As Leaders probably more than any other band, but they are not for everyone.
@karl_margs Happened to me at a CHON show, and these bois were especially obnoxious, shitting on the opener hard and saying the guitarist was lucky to have parents that bought him a Music Man. Prog and technical music in general is my favorite, I love gear (though at a show I'm more about.. enjoying live music.. lol) but things like that made the image people have of gatekeepers so much more relatable.
Sorry picked the wrong track if you wanted metal from Porcupine Tree! I recommend Blackest Eyes or Strip The Soul from In Absentia preferably the later! Heck even Wedding Nails if you want to avoid Steven Wilson's vocals! Lol Regardless you were given a terrible recommendation and you, Finn, should give them a second chance! Personally I find In Absentia and Fear of A Blank Planet there best albums in its entirety! Also I'll listen to Aviations if you do! Thanks and have a great day!
@@burningtheevidence8038Trains is a fantastic song and probably in my top 3 for PT songs. But for someone interested in hearing prog metal, it would not be my first choice for sure.
That was the first metal band you ever heard. You literally heard no Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica or even early Motley Crue or Dio? Seriously? That's your story and your sticking to it? As a 5 year old, who is supplying you with access to Dream Theater?... but NOT Metallica?
Thanks for that Aviation plug Finn, will definitely check them out more. Fav "prog" band has always been The Tea Party, best song to start with is probably The Bazaar. As much as I dont mind prog, finding ways to fit prog type concepts into shorter more accessible songs was a good idea.
Devin Townsend's voice is fucking aces, too. like he is legit a good singer. not my preferred vocal style but any who denies he has a good voice is lying to themselves.
But from protest the hero, he should have checked out Bone Marrow instead, same album, which is genius, vocals take time to get used to, but without them the song loses so much
10:43 I saw Devin back in the skullet era and that's when I became a fan. He was touring with Strapping Young Lad at the time; I believe it was for the Alien album. Such a great show.
Dev is probably my all time favorite artist. Every album sounds different and even though I'm not as crazy about his most recent stuff that has almost a Christian rock vibe which isn't my thing, I still think he's a genius. Namaste is what got my attention and that song fucks hard. Ocean Machine, Terria, Physicist and Infinity are all masterpieces.
damn that’s so cool you’ve been with us that long! Hope you’re vibing with the new album! It’s been a long time coming and has some themes in there from A Declaration of Sound if you listen close ❤
I love prog and heavily technical music, but I also love simple, quick and aggressive punk. No one has to take sides on this. You can love both. Dream theaters 'Count of Tuscany' is an amazing song, and so it Minor Threats 'Minor Threat' song. They are nothing like each other. Love'em both. It's also okay to not enjoy something. There shouldn't be any shame around your taste in music.
Great Video. I agree with most of this. I grew up in the prog scene due to my dad. But I ended up venturing out after going to one too many boring shows (e.g. Seeing Dream Theater's The Astonishing live is still my worst live music experience). Now years later as a dedicated slam and crabcore fan, I will every so often revisit some prog stuff that I used to listen to. Most of the bands that I still like put strong hooks and good songwriting before the prog-ism (e.g. Leprous not doing solos for most of their recent albums as it would not fit the songs, rather than needlessly forcing in it *coughcough Dream Theater coughcough*). So yeah, like in any other genre, for me strong and memorable hooks with good songwriting should come first, everything else is just an embellishment to the song. On this note, 80's King Crimson, especially Discipline is the best.
I fully agree with this comment. I used to really be into prog rock and prog metal, but after a while it got tedious and boring. I’ve been enjoying this trend of bands making really proggy songs but in shorter, more standard song lengths. It forces them to actually use the best ideas to their full potential in a supercharged format, rather than make it intellectual masturbation.
With some of the bands mentioned in this video, The Mars Volta should've been included. Better at prog metal than bands which are exclusively of that genre.
To be fair, the argument "great prog metal is great, but there is so much mediocre shit" applies to almost everything. Obviously there are the great bands that are trailblazers and then waves and waves of copycats, but I don't think it's fair to judge a subgenre by saying "the genre is bad because the copycats are bad". I personally feel attracted to the most important/relevant bands of different subgenres of metal (and not even their whole discographies), only in some cases I dig deeper and deeper to find hidden gems. Does that make me a poser? Maybe, but that's the way I've found I enjoy music the most.
I think Dream Theatre perfectly embody the evolution of prog metal as a genre: the started with amazing, heartfelt songs and, over many years of career, moved to guirar exercises for people who want to improve their skills I also suggest you Ne Obliviscaris "Portal of I" and "Citadel" and Rivers of Nihil "Where owls know my name"
even prog fans hate most prog music. They just have a couple of favorite bands who's discography they listen to enough times, to acquire a taste for it
Prog music isnt bad and I like a lot of it. I love gojira and listened to toxic garbage island on repeat after it came out. My main issue with it is that the fans are among the most condescending people I have met. They talk down to you for not knowing what song was written by the bum under the bridge on september the 18th of 1987 at exactly 4:32 pm. Last time I was at a hardcore show a man who im sure paid to get in just to talk shit about everyone there sat at the bar and told me that it must be nice to be able to be entertained by music so simple.
Finn: Prog bad Also Finn in a "Prog Bad" video: all of those prog bands are great, everyone is so talanted, it's incredible, but in general prog bad, although I won't show a single bad song Also Aviations sounds like Thank You Scientist.
Okay, so I'm more of a Prog/power kinda guy. I came into this video with completely different expectations to what wound up being the focus. Like, I'd heard most of these names ('cept for Aviations and they seem really sick!) but the only bands I actively listen to of the set are Rush and Dream theater. 2112 is not even close to heavy by today's standards, but I mean, it's fast approaching 50 years old! It's often grandfathered in because it's success in it's time is the proof that sometimes when you ignore what's proven to work and make the art you want to make, it can find success. Of course, can does not mean will, or necessarily should. A lot of the art that people put genuine time, effort, and emotion into is garbage. To ignore that is to fall victim to survivorship bias. I totally get the question of "is it still prog if it's formulaic?" and have seen a number of bands I enjoy become all too formulaic after finding success with something. I think what I enjoy the most is when musicians are making the music *they* want rather than what they think other people want. Some of it is... Extremely cheesy. But, I can enjoy that too. I think there's genuinely a treasure trove of fantastic prog metal beyond just the surface level, but as with all art, you need to sift through the trash to find it.
Audience: "You should check out Porcupine Tree who are partially influenced by prog metal, among many other styles." Finn: (listens to 10 seconds of a random song with an acoustic guitar intro) "THis iSn'T ProOG MetAL I dON'T LIKE it BOOOOOO"
Boomer finally has to comment. You have to realize the reaction of people who thought YYZ (Rush) was the greatest thing ever when DT came out. Pull Me Under is the hookiest thing they did, so most of the world loved it, but ignored them after that. These guys are my age. They grew up idolizing the great musicians of the 1970s and trained their whole lives to be even better. I think their musicianship is as good as anyone ever needs to be. When Zappa had Steve Vai in his band he credited him as playing "stunt" guitar. I feel that way about most of the overly technical new music I've heard. PT isn't metal. Exactly Pink Floyd for this generation. But Steven Wilson's "genius" just makes me want to listen to Yes. Saw Devin Townsend. Sixty minutes worth was too much, but I appreciate what's he's doing. Saw BTBAM with Trivium. Would like to see them in a headline setting with other prog bands. Just listened to 2 hours of Polyphia. Great musicians but not memorable to me in the least. DT is the best for me as someone who was basically prog free for almost 30 years, then went back 2 years ago . I listened to the 15 albums or so and I have a couple of hours worth of stuff that I love as much as the Rush/Crimson/Floyd I cherished as a kid. IMHO, the most "progressive" thing I've heard this year is the new A7X album. It's nothing that hasn't been done before, but it's an established, great band taking a huge risk. IMHO anyone with a niche following can do crazy stuff. It takes guts to put something out that millions will hear knowing thousands will reject it out of hand.
That Aviations song was pretty dope but honestly the song itself is like Protest the Hero with less gain and a blue eyed soul/pop punk singer. Oh. Its Dance Gavin Dance.
Hey, Finn! Thanks for bringing up Aviations. Safehouse is such an absolute banger so I checked the rest of their catalog. I've never been this excited about prog since BTBAM's Colors came out.
That was dream theaters only "hit song". They do have a bunch of other great songs. In fact their best of cd was called Greatest hit and 20 other pretty cool songs.
I think the issue with prog music like Porcupine Tree is that you actually need to have an attention span longer than 3 seconds, which is why punk fans don't like it. (all in good jokes, I like punk as well)
Need some Intronaut or The Ocean Collective... Y'all were sleeping on Aviations. They slap. Maybe not really metal but definitely have metal parts but Thank You Scientist is incredible with what they do
An Abstract Illusion's album Woe is like Opeth on Steroids. More heavy, more melodic, and more flow between songs, like movements in a symphony. Listen to them. Similar to the Rush 2112 epic.
Protest the Hero is one of my favourite bands. I love Rush too, but I think they have more bad songs than good ones. It sounds like you're not into Canadian guys with soaring voices. I understand why people might be put off by it at first, similar to harsh vocals, but it's something you come to love over time. Rody, the vocalist of Protest the Hero, reminds me a bit of Bruce Dickinson but much more animated. His vocals are very fluid, like he slides all over the place and has an intense vibrato. He fits the band well because while the music is quirky, so is he. His vocals are as progressive as the music he sings over, rather than having really complex music with fairly simple and poppy vocals. To me, they only write hooks instrumentally and vocally, the music is beautiful, and the lyrics can also be just as good and they've touched on tons of topics over the past 20 years. And since they have a background in punk, a lot of those topics are social and political issues, but they also cover lots of other things as well. Their most recent album Palimpsest is probably the most accessible of their albums since there's more conventional songwriting and fewer off-the-wall weird parts, but still very technical and catchy. There are plenty of bands with weird voices that we put up with, NOFX being one of my other favourites, so this is just one of those situations. XD
I love how he is recommended Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet, and listens to Trains from In Absentia. Terrible example to suggest for someone looking for "prog metal," but this guy's attention span seems way too short to even have a chance to like "prog metal" lol.
My entry and exit into prog was really "Crack the Skye" by mastodon, and I think the reason so many prog bands became so boring is summed up real early in this video: it was guitar music for guitar players. They were so wrapped up in impressing guitar players, they forgot to write interesting or even good songs. "Protest the Hero" is a progressive band that didn't beat the progressive drum to death, so they rarely get mentioned, but they had great songs FIRST, that they then progged on
When Finn suddenly busts out these channeled characters, like the strip club announcer in the Nickelback vid or the deep state concpiracy theorist here, oh my God XD
As a true prog connoisseur you need to have some more obscure (ideally european) bands in your catalog. I would recommend The Hirsch Effekt or The Safety Fire.
A lot of peeps don’t realize it but Norma Jeans first album Bless the Martyr is extremely prog, but it doesn’t get prog cred because of its ties to hardcore and screamo and the prog elite won’t have it because you songs are too good and satisfying to listen to.
They also had somewhat of an image with the whole early scene “white belt” sass-core thing and having an image is fucking unacceptable in prog circles.
In a world where everyone is pretentious about their music taste, it’s refreshing to have a youtuber who proudly enjoys music that the gatekeepers in metal tend to hate, and proudly dislikes many of the genres they ride for.
I really dislike most of prog, but that makes sense. Kinda like when you first get into metal, punk, or hardcore, you slowly grow accustomed to the abrasive nature of it.
Come hang out on Twitch! www.twitch.tv/finnmckenty
Chat: "This is prog for people who fuck" Finn: "Well let's not get carried away" I CACKLED
This was the funniest shit I’ve heard in a while, I think I scared my neighbors laughing 😂
@@aviationsbandYou guys are incredible. Please never stop making music!
@@aviationsbandSpotify discover weekly showed me you guys a while back, yall are killer!!!
25:57 btw
Chat needed to calm down a little lol
I took a girl I was dating to a Dream Theater concert because I didnt want to go by myself. I dont think she enjoyed it too much, but she went for me so I greatly appreciated it.
Also for some reason she decided to marry me so I guess it wasnt that bad.
Hell yeah brother! 😎
Has she been able to acquire the same taste of music eventually?
@@Quicklost182 Nah, but we share music taste in other genres. Prog metal isnt ever going to be for her and thats ok lol.
I took future wife to see Sparta at the Middle East in Cambridge Mass. She suffered through waves of shitty local bands and didn’t like Sparta at all but didn’t hold it against me.
Well done!
That’s when you know it’s true love… when they are willing to go to a prog show, and don’t split up with you at the end of it.
“Prog became more about what’s in your head and not what’s in your heart.”
Maynard James Keenan
Such a flicking Maynard thing to say
Tool... errr... Pretty cerebral 😆
So Tool wrote songs about what's in your butt.
@@christiankoll1528 Tool wrote songs about what's in everybody's butts
@erikberg8352 indeed. Semantically, "You" is plural, although it excludes the speaker. And in this case, the songs are about my butt as well.
One thing I like about Finn is how open he is. You like something he dislikes, he will be polite to you.
Not only that but he mocks the fans of certain genres or bands like an older brother and not a bully. I used to really dislike him because sometimes he would state his opinions almost like facts but thats how many state their opinions when they believe the listener is smart enough to not have to be told something is his opinion when we know what opinions are, we should recognize it as such, and not doing so is your fault lol now hes on of my favorites. Im into hardcore more because od him too.
I know. Drives me nuts trying to set him off.
@@gengashaunt3322 I wish more people understood this concept, very well stated :)
Very true unless you’re a fan of Alkaline Trio 😂
@@tommycwillsAs a fan of alkaline trio, his views on our fandom are way too accurate 💀
Finn putting on a 20 minute Rush song, listening to 5 random seconds, saying “the vocals are bad” and then shutting it off is gonna piss off so many dads and I’m here for it
I love Rush but 2112 is just too much lol. And I don’t think anyone can claim Geddy Lee is a good vocalist 😂
@@elaceyb I *think* I like him. I try to imagine Rush with a more conventional sounding, “better” vocalist and just don’t know if it’d still work. And Geddy’s vocals are absolutely the template for later bands like Coheed and Cambria, The Mars Volta and the like
Even Rush fans can admit that
@@kasplachproductions6198exactly , you don't want any other vocalist singing rush songs. It just won't work.
The vocals grow on you like most "weird" vocals have a tendency to do. Judging based off 5 seconds and then disregarding is stupid as fuck. If I did that I never would have gotten into mercyful fate and king diamond because I could not stand the vocals at first but it took me a few album spins to slowly grow into them and now I love them. Protest the hero falls into this too
Mikael Akerfeldt is such a powerful growler it's otherworldly
As far as I’m concerned, Devin Townsend is one of the best you can ask for when it comes to prog. Incredible musician, but doesn’t forget to write actual songs with actual hooks. Incredible talent.
I miss SYL.
Liked them way more than his solo stuff.
This coffee Alien album was good though
I love most of both SYL and Devin’s solo stuff! Occasionally don’t gel with an album of his, but for the most part his batting average is very high!
@@Luke5100 Try the Infinity album from 1998. Very unique imo
@@Luke5100try Ziltoid, Addicted! And Deconstruction. Pure masterpieces
My favourite genre but I’m meh on Devin Townsend.
I think prog gives something to people like me who don't just want to hear the same bands playing the shit over and over again. The complexity of the music keeps it interesting and keeps it from getting bland and repetitive.
I only discovered Opeth for myself 3 years ago, and they’re arguably my favorite band now. Their discography feels like a genre all it’s own
They're so fucking dynamic, it's insane. Blackwater Park has been, and I think always will be, one of my favorite albums.
Agreed 100% @@butHomeisNowhere___
They are so incredible. Genuinely one of the best to ever exist. Still Life is my favorite album, following it would be Ghost Reveries. Still Life is a 10/10 masterpiece.
I love Opeth but I live in a very sunny country so I’m only in the mood to listen to them about 3 months of the year
How about that bass riff on Advent? Lol I’m jealous for anyone discovering Opeth for the first time. Miss those days
Protest the hero is criminally underrated
You picked the lightest, least prog Porcupine Tree song possibly in their entire extensive back catalogue...
As a pop punk kid before, I think what introduced me to prog rock is Coheed and Cambria. Loved their earlier albums very catchy songs and really cool prog parts. Then discovered prog metal in Tool and it took me to another world again
Coheed definitely bridged that pop punk / post hardcore to prog pipeline for a lot of my peers as well.
Love coheed. Prog not so much !
Tool has more memorable songs than a lot of modern prog bands 😂
Prog metal has to be my most beloved genre, Devin Townsend being my all-time favorite musician.
The Ocean Collective. I will continue to push this band because I think they are totally underrated and are the definition of progressive. Each album is a different style with new musicians. Each album is conceptual and thematic either lyrically, musically or both. They even released instrumental versions of their last 4 or 5 albums.
was looking in the comments for the ocean reference really. if nobody mentioned them in twitter we failed as a species!
They supported Leprous a few years back and were fantastic (despite a powercut at one point!). I've been listening to them for about a decade, it was great to see them live!
@@andykay2310 they played the circle bar in New Orleans touring Pelagial. They could not get the PA to work and Loic still screamed into the mic even though no one could hear a word. Mad respect!!
Just found out about the ocean a few months ago, they are so good! They have an upcoming tour that I am stoked for!
One of my favorites bands in the moment
Porcupine Tree have been my favorite sense I was a baby. THey've pulled off so many great genres.
Yea, they seem divicive for some reason. But i think they at least deserves a couple of songs before being written off.
Not only is Devin Townsend (another Canadian) a talented musician but he has as great sense of humor, I always appreciate when great musicians don’t take theirselves too seriously
I think the Mars Volta is a great prog band.
BTBAM, Cynic, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Car Bomb are four shining examples of good prog metal.
Do we really consider Car Bomb prog metal? There are proggy elements, sure, but it doesn't feel like an appropriate genre to associate them with if you get what I mean?
@@Matfridt I would consider them Mathcore or Math Metal
TDEP and Car Bomb are definitely more Mathcore than Progressive Metal. Great bands nonetheless
@@Xxmax8maxxX Completely agree, love them. The prog label just didn't sit right with me in this instance lmfao
@@Xxmax8maxxXDillinger definitely are mathcore. They're a hardcore band that plays weird time signatures. Not a metal band.
I'm glad to see Finn appreciate Devin Townsend, as he is one of my all time favorite artists, and often times Finn isn't a fan of my favs
As a woman who enjoys Dream Theater, and have willingly bought tickets to go see them... I wasn't sure if laugh or cry at Finn's statement. Either way, I'm gonna hide at home and listen to the 12 Step Suit in peace.
Alright I’m gonna be this guy - Finn you’re killing me, go listen to almost any other PT song. It’s mostly prog and/or metal. Love your stuff :D
bro said trains is bad?!? like bro did you even listen to it?!?? but yeah he shouldve listened to bits of anethetize or foab at least
Dude didn't even listen to the album he was told to listen to 😂 And listened to like 5 seconds...
So glad Finn brought up Aviations!! Absolutely incredible band and I'm happy to see Finn sing their praises cause they Absolutely deserve it!
🖤
You guys are absolutely incredible musicians 😊
I’m so confused how he listened to all those bands and trashed their vocals, and then praised Aviations. That vocal style is unbearable.
@jacobrichards967 Really? I guess you just arnt a fan of poppy vocals then. I think Aviations is really cool cause they have a super interesting sound that grabs a lot of influences from the world of Prog and mixes it super well with those poppy vocal melodies. Their choruses get stuck in my head like the best of music earworms.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Finn saying Rush is bad made me so sad. They are one of my favorite bands
Yeah I love Rush and have been listening to them for about 3 years. I never thought Rush was ever doing "weird" stuff or making their songs too long (they've only done that about 3 to 4 times). To me they seemed ever influenced by the music of the time going forward. They got better, tighter, and more complex as time went on, never straying too far from their sound.
Rishloo - Feathergun in the Garden of the Sun.
Definitely best vocals he will prob hate on the lyrics tho.
Being progressive basically means everything goes.
Just saw Gojira and Mastadon live, and having been to 100s of metal shows, they blew the top right off my head. They performed perfectly, so much so that the sherrifs (massive outdoor show) didn't even bother doing their jobs and couldn't look away from the stage 😅. Hard to look away when you're seeing 2 of the best drummers in the world.
3rd time seeing Gojira, so I know they are the best live, but Mastadon really did impress me.
Seeing them on Friday, can’t wait for Gojira to melt my face, been waiting since January.
I'm a huge fan of both bands and saw them on the first leg of the tour and I must say, mastodon absolutely ruled the show. They came out with the heaviest deep cuts on their set.
Honestly I love Mastodon, but was so ready for some old dudes fumbling😅 but they KILLED it in Boston
@@willkeene661I saw them last week and I absolutely loved their setlist.
Just saw them in Council Bluffs and it was probably the best concert I’ve been too, Mastodon was mind blowing
If you're enjoying aviations, you should really check out Caligula's Horse... they actually do sound very similar. They're upbeat but have heavy parts
Second that. Excellent band!
Caligula's Horse is a band I respect and recognise the greatness of, but I just can't get into them. I've tried a few times, but it just doesn't work for me. If I were to try again, what album would you recommend I listen to from start to finish in order to convince me?
I'd say the concept album 'In Contact'. It has far more cohesion between tracks and finishes on the 15 minute epic 'Graves'.
I'm a big prog metal fan but I think your opinion is spot on. I listen to Animals As Leaders probably more than any other band, but they are not for everyone.
Went to a show of theirs a few years ago and I've never been approached by more dudes in Tevas that want to talk "gear" lol
@@karl_margs lol
@karl_margs Happened to me at a CHON show, and these bois were especially obnoxious, shitting on the opener hard and saying the guitarist was lucky to have parents that bought him a Music Man.
Prog and technical music in general is my favorite, I love gear (though at a show I'm more about.. enjoying live music.. lol) but things like that made the image people have of gatekeepers so much more relatable.
Aviations are so good I hope they blow up
Sorry picked the wrong track if you wanted metal from Porcupine Tree! I recommend Blackest Eyes or Strip The Soul from In Absentia preferably the later! Heck even Wedding Nails if you want to avoid Steven Wilson's vocals! Lol Regardless you were given a terrible recommendation and you, Finn, should give them a second chance! Personally I find In Absentia and Fear of A Blank Planet there best albums in its entirety! Also I'll listen to Aviations if you do! Thanks and have a great day!
I was laughing so hard when he was skipping ahead to find the metal in PT’s least metal song
I like Trains...
@@burningtheevidence8038Trains is a fantastic song and probably in my top 3 for PT songs. But for someone interested in hearing prog metal, it would not be my first choice for sure.
@@burningtheevidence8038 I do too but Finn is a different breed it seems!
@@mikeomatic9905 ikr
"Deadwing" would've been a better choice for Porcupine Tree imo as well as being an amazing record.
I love dream theater because that was my first metal band I ever heard. I was like 5 singing pull me under in school lol
That was the first metal band you ever heard. You literally heard no Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica or even early Motley Crue or Dio? Seriously? That's your story and your sticking to it? As a 5 year old, who is supplying you with access to Dream Theater?... but NOT Metallica?
@@stevenfunderburg1623 that's my dad favorite band he doesn't really listen to other metal bands like you listed. So yes that is my story .
@@nehemiah1098 👍
Thanks for that Aviation plug Finn, will definitely check them out more. Fav "prog" band has always been The Tea Party, best song to start with is probably The Bazaar. As much as I dont mind prog, finding ways to fit prog type concepts into shorter more accessible songs was a good idea.
Oh nice! More bands to check out. Hope you’re getting a chance to spin our newest album in full. It’s finally out!
@@aviationsband Spinning it right now, love it!
Devin Townsend's voice is fucking aces, too. like he is legit a good singer. not my preferred vocal style but any who denies he has a good voice is lying to themselves.
"Listen to Fear of a Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree"
"You got it!" Listens to Trains off a different album.
Lmao
That was actually a very good Alex Jones impersonation.
Kingdom from Devin for life, too. That is definitely the song to check out for an intro
But from protest the hero, he should have checked out Bone Marrow instead, same album, which is genius, vocals take time to get used to, but without them the song loses so much
10:43 I saw Devin back in the skullet era and that's when I became a fan. He was touring with Strapping Young Lad at the time; I believe it was for the Alien album. Such a great show.
Was that the tour with Cathedral and Samael?
Sick, I love all those bands! Though I gotta say, turning in my V-card was an uphill battle to say the least.
Dev is probably my all time favorite artist. Every album sounds different and even though I'm not as crazy about his most recent stuff that has almost a Christian rock vibe which isn't my thing, I still think he's a genius. Namaste is what got my attention and that song fucks hard. Ocean Machine, Terria, Physicist and Infinity are all masterpieces.
Like hearing your takes! I would've recommended Cult of Luna - Eternal Kingdom and The Ocean - Pelagial
Aviations - A Declaration Of Sound is one of the best EP's of all time. So catchy, and so heavy at the same time. They are AMAZING
damn that’s so cool you’ve been with us that long! Hope you’re vibing with the new album! It’s been a long time coming and has some themes in there from A Declaration of Sound if you listen close ❤
I love prog and heavily technical music, but I also love simple, quick and aggressive punk. No one has to take sides on this. You can love both. Dream theaters 'Count of Tuscany' is an amazing song, and so it Minor Threats 'Minor Threat' song. They are nothing like each other. Love'em both. It's also okay to not enjoy something. There shouldn't be any shame around your taste in music.
Great Video. I agree with most of this. I grew up in the prog scene due to my dad. But I ended up venturing out after going to one too many boring shows (e.g. Seeing Dream Theater's The Astonishing live is still my worst live music experience). Now years later as a dedicated slam and crabcore fan, I will every so often revisit some prog stuff that I used to listen to. Most of the bands that I still like put strong hooks and good songwriting before the prog-ism (e.g. Leprous not doing solos for most of their recent albums as it would not fit the songs, rather than needlessly forcing in it *coughcough Dream Theater coughcough*). So yeah, like in any other genre, for me strong and memorable hooks with good songwriting should come first, everything else is just an embellishment to the song. On this note, 80's King Crimson, especially Discipline is the best.
I fully agree with this comment. I used to really be into prog rock and prog metal, but after a while it got tedious and boring. I’ve been enjoying this trend of bands making really proggy songs but in shorter, more standard song lengths. It forces them to actually use the best ideas to their full potential in a supercharged format, rather than make it intellectual masturbation.
With some of the bands mentioned in this video, The Mars Volta should've been included. Better at prog metal than bands which are exclusively of that genre.
The only riff salads I like are brutal death metal riff salads - then again, they're all only three-minute riff salads!
To be fair, the argument "great prog metal is great, but there is so much mediocre shit" applies to almost everything. Obviously there are the great bands that are trailblazers and then waves and waves of copycats, but I don't think it's fair to judge a subgenre by saying "the genre is bad because the copycats are bad". I personally feel attracted to the most important/relevant bands of different subgenres of metal (and not even their whole discographies), only in some cases I dig deeper and deeper to find hidden gems. Does that make me a poser? Maybe, but that's the way I've found I enjoy music the most.
I think Dream Theatre perfectly embody the evolution of prog metal as a genre: the started with amazing, heartfelt songs and, over many years of career, moved to guirar exercises for people who want to improve their skills
I also suggest you Ne Obliviscaris "Portal of I" and "Citadel" and Rivers of Nihil "Where owls know my name"
There's so many better prog bands to talk about rather then dream theater
I’m surprised no one recommended the band Fates Warning they are considered one of the “big 3” of the genre
better than bands like gojira and periphery by a landslide.
even prog fans hate most prog music. They just have a couple of favorite bands who's discography they listen to enough times, to acquire a taste for it
Devin is the only person that could make albums based on a coffee loving alien bent on universal domination lol.
As a French Canadian the "Protest the Hero is making the frogs gay" line is pretty smart.
Prog music isnt bad and I like a lot of it. I love gojira and listened to toxic garbage island on repeat after it came out. My main issue with it is that the fans are among the most condescending people I have met. They talk down to you for not knowing what song was written by the bum under the bridge on september the 18th of 1987 at exactly 4:32 pm. Last time I was at a hardcore show a man who im sure paid to get in just to talk shit about everyone there sat at the bar and told me that it must be nice to be able to be entertained by music so simple.
Finn: Prog bad
Also Finn in a "Prog Bad" video: all of those prog bands are great, everyone is so talanted, it's incredible, but in general prog bad, although I won't show a single bad song
Also Aviations sounds like Thank You Scientist.
And you watched! Mission accomplished 😇
I am now a fan of aviations. Thanks Finn. Never came across them
That’s so sick ❤❤❤❤ come hang out with us! NEW ALBUM STREAM TOMORROW at 7pm EST on our YT and Twitch 🎉
Okay, so I'm more of a Prog/power kinda guy. I came into this video with completely different expectations to what wound up being the focus. Like, I'd heard most of these names ('cept for Aviations and they seem really sick!) but the only bands I actively listen to of the set are Rush and Dream theater. 2112 is not even close to heavy by today's standards, but I mean, it's fast approaching 50 years old! It's often grandfathered in because it's success in it's time is the proof that sometimes when you ignore what's proven to work and make the art you want to make, it can find success. Of course, can does not mean will, or necessarily should. A lot of the art that people put genuine time, effort, and emotion into is garbage. To ignore that is to fall victim to survivorship bias.
I totally get the question of "is it still prog if it's formulaic?" and have seen a number of bands I enjoy become all too formulaic after finding success with something. I think what I enjoy the most is when musicians are making the music *they* want rather than what they think other people want. Some of it is... Extremely cheesy. But, I can enjoy that too. I think there's genuinely a treasure trove of fantastic prog metal beyond just the surface level, but as with all art, you need to sift through the trash to find it.
Audience: "You should check out Porcupine Tree who are partially influenced by prog metal, among many other styles."
Finn: (listens to 10 seconds of a random song with an acoustic guitar intro) "THis iSn'T ProOG MetAL I dON'T LIKE it BOOOOOO"
Carbomb is a progression from rather than being purely derivative of what Meshuggah achieved with timing/polyrhythms
Boomer finally has to comment.
You have to realize the reaction of people who thought YYZ (Rush) was the greatest thing ever when DT came out. Pull Me Under is the hookiest thing they did, so most of the world loved it, but ignored them after that. These guys are my age. They grew up idolizing the great musicians of the 1970s and trained their whole lives to be even better. I think their musicianship is as good as anyone ever needs to be.
When Zappa had Steve Vai in his band he credited him as playing "stunt" guitar. I feel that way about most of the overly technical new music I've heard.
PT isn't metal. Exactly Pink Floyd for this generation. But Steven Wilson's "genius" just makes me want to listen to Yes.
Saw Devin Townsend. Sixty minutes worth was too much, but I appreciate what's he's doing.
Saw BTBAM with Trivium. Would like to see them in a headline setting with other prog bands.
Just listened to 2 hours of Polyphia. Great musicians but not memorable to me in the least.
DT is the best for me as someone who was basically prog free for almost 30 years, then went back 2 years ago . I listened to the 15 albums or so and I have a couple of hours worth of stuff that I love as much as the Rush/Crimson/Floyd I cherished as a kid.
IMHO, the most "progressive" thing I've heard this year is the new A7X album. It's nothing that hasn't been done before, but it's an established, great band taking a huge risk. IMHO anyone with a niche following can do crazy stuff. It takes guts to put something out that millions will hear knowing thousands will reject it out of hand.
That Aviations song was pretty dope but honestly the song itself is like Protest the Hero with less gain and a blue eyed soul/pop punk singer.
Oh. Its Dance Gavin Dance.
Prog is my favorite but I agree with you that copying the OGs isn’t progressive
Awww man i love prog, Persefone is a highly underrated prog/tech death band
Hey, Finn! Thanks for bringing up Aviations. Safehouse is such an absolute banger so I checked the rest of their catalog. I've never been this excited about prog since BTBAM's Colors came out.
So kind of you to say ❤ hope you’ve been enjoying the new album we just released this weekend. So many folks are vibing with it it’s awesome to see 🎉
Also colors is the goat
That was dream theaters only "hit song". They do have a bunch of other great songs. In fact their best of cd was called Greatest hit and 20 other pretty cool songs.
I think the issue with prog music like Porcupine Tree is that you actually need to have an attention span longer than 3 seconds, which is why punk fans don't like it.
(all in good jokes, I like punk as well)
Punk is almost all awful tbh. You think I’m the “punk” guy?
13:20 "uuuh! this is not good" 😂
Need some Intronaut or The Ocean Collective...
Y'all were sleeping on Aviations. They slap.
Maybe not really metal but definitely have metal parts but Thank You Scientist is incredible with what they do
An Abstract Illusion's album Woe is like Opeth on Steroids. More heavy, more melodic, and more flow between songs, like movements in a symphony. Listen to them. Similar to the Rush 2112 epic.
Protest the Hero is one of my favourite bands. I love Rush too, but I think they have more bad songs than good ones. It sounds like you're not into Canadian guys with soaring voices. I understand why people might be put off by it at first, similar to harsh vocals, but it's something you come to love over time. Rody, the vocalist of Protest the Hero, reminds me a bit of Bruce Dickinson but much more animated. His vocals are very fluid, like he slides all over the place and has an intense vibrato. He fits the band well because while the music is quirky, so is he. His vocals are as progressive as the music he sings over, rather than having really complex music with fairly simple and poppy vocals.
To me, they only write hooks instrumentally and vocally, the music is beautiful, and the lyrics can also be just as good and they've touched on tons of topics over the past 20 years. And since they have a background in punk, a lot of those topics are social and political issues, but they also cover lots of other things as well.
Their most recent album Palimpsest is probably the most accessible of their albums since there's more conventional songwriting and fewer off-the-wall weird parts, but still very technical and catchy. There are plenty of bands with weird voices that we put up with, NOFX being one of my other favourites, so this is just one of those situations. XD
As I Am is a Dream Theater song with good riffage and hooks
The guy who stans generic pop punk bands doesn’t like prog!?! Shocking
I love how he is recommended Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet, and listens to Trains from In Absentia.
Terrible example to suggest for someone looking for "prog metal," but this guy's attention span seems way too short to even have a chance to like "prog metal" lol.
My entry and exit into prog was really "Crack the Skye" by mastodon, and I think the reason so many prog bands became so boring is summed up real early in this video: it was guitar music for guitar players. They were so wrapped up in impressing guitar players, they forgot to write interesting or even good songs. "Protest the Hero" is a progressive band that didn't beat the progressive drum to death, so they rarely get mentioned, but they had great songs FIRST, that they then progged on
You should give Rush a second try. They were the ones who laid the groundwork for prog metal. Geddy Lee's vocals are an acquired taste.
My favorite genre. Opeth, Meshuggah, Tool, Mastodon, Leprous, etc. Not a fan of that virtuoso, DT stuff.
Finn might like the Control Denied album chuck schuldiner made before he died
I never heard Protest before but to me your clip sounded similar to Sikth, so idk if they fulfill the mantel of "progressing" the genre
Protest The Hero is just a poor man's Sikth imo, Sikth absolutely shits all over PTH in every way
13:25 When I hear 'progressive buttrock' I instantly think A7X 😂
I'd rather get a DUI than sit through a full album of anything you've just listened to
LOL 😂
aviations seriously reminds me of the first "time, the valuator" album
That record was so sick❤ hope you’re enjoying our new album that just dropped!
Hell Yeah Brother!!!
When Finn suddenly busts out these channeled characters, like the strip club announcer in the Nickelback vid or the deep state concpiracy theorist here, oh my God XD
Or his pantera fan *FUCKIN HELL YEAH BROTHER TURN THAT SHIT UP* always makes me laugh.
If you wanna see normies views of prog just read Finn's twitch chat.
That behold the arctopus video truly is tragic lmfaooo I'm glad you played it
My first girlfriend loved Dream Theater, but she was mad crazy... so she wouldn´t really count.
Best prog metal band is Shadow Gallery. If you have never heard of them, please for the love of God, listen to them.
Tyranny!
As a true prog connoisseur you need to have some more obscure (ideally european) bands in your catalog. I would recommend The Hirsch Effekt or The Safety Fire.
My personal niche recommendation is One in My Head by Andromeda.
I'll check one of those bands
The Safety Fire are amazing.
Funny how he says no women listen to dream theater…because my ex actually loved them , as well as rush. But, her dad was a drummer so…
Picks the most mid porcupine tree song lol
Aviations is basically Progmuri, and I'm here for it
Gota listen to more Bilmuri everytime I do it’s a good time ❤
You get a chance to check out our new record? Just dropped if you’re looking for more muri 😅
yes. yes there is. it's basically 3/4 of my music library.
A lot of peeps don’t realize it but Norma Jeans first album Bless the Martyr is extremely prog, but it doesn’t get prog cred because of its ties to hardcore and screamo and the prog elite won’t have it because you songs are too good and satisfying to listen to.
I bet if all the songs were combined together into one long song than prog fans would be cooming all over it
They also had somewhat of an image with the whole early scene “white belt” sass-core thing and having an image is fucking unacceptable in prog circles.
Norma Jean is a mathcore band.
Trains is not what you suggest for porcupine tree. Instead arriving somewhere but not here. Also Steven Wilson is know for his lyrics
In a world where everyone is pretentious about their music taste, it’s refreshing to have a youtuber who proudly enjoys music that the gatekeepers in metal tend to hate, and proudly dislikes many of the genres they ride for.
As a proghead, the first stage of liking prog is thinking it's pretentious gibberish.
A couple months later and it was my favourite genre.
I really dislike most of prog, but that makes sense. Kinda like when you first get into metal, punk, or hardcore, you slowly grow accustomed to the abrasive nature of it.
We all know that Sleep Token is the more prog than Any generic Djent band ever.
I do like Opeth (mostly Still Life and Blackwater Park)
Atheist deserve way more credit than they get. They are always left out of the conversation. But they did amazing stuff before it was even a thing.
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