Progressive metal

The progressive metal (or progressive metal ) is a stylistic tendency of the heavy metal which is characterized by the great complexity of its instrumentations, of the very structured songs and of long life, of the rates/rhythms and measurements unusual as well as a large variety of melodies within one only and even song. Progressive metal does not enjoy a media great attention but remains followed by a very great number of amateurs aguerris.

In the family of the Rock'n'roll, progressive metal is in filiation with the progressive Rock. The latter share the complexity of the melodies and the virtuosity of the musicians. But progressive metal, unlike the second, takes again and puts some emphase on heavy and aggressives sonorities of metal.

History

The origins of progressive metal go back to the groups of Hard rock and progressive Rock of the Sixties and Seventies like Yes, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath or Deep Purple. During beginning of the year 70, some of these groups flirtent between the two kinds but none practices the " hardware progressif" in a systematic way. However in 1975, Rush, hitherto very influenced by Led Zeppelin, off leaves its third album Caress Steel which poses the bases of a new style. With a long succession of almost 20 minutes, a very aggressive sound and a remarkable instrumental quality, the first group of " hardware progressif" was born. With the three year old court which will follow, Rush will exploit this kind through the albums 2112, has Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres, becoming thus the main actor of this movement. One can also quote Queen, which, in a very personal style practiced the " hardware progressif" dice 1974 with the album Queen II. End of the year 70 will be rich in formations besides exploiting the two kinds Progressif and Hardware with groups like Kansas or Styx.

However, progressive metal did not develop as an autonomous kind before second half of the Eighties. Although groups like Rainbow, Blue Öyster Cult or Iron Maiden have all qualities of the groups of progressive metal, the kind was not defined like such at the time, and such groups which were the precursors were simply classified like heavy metal.

The birth of the kind with whole share goes back to the years 1980, in the first years of Metallica, which made in a highly technical thrash, composed according to very academic methods of changes of signatures and play of battery and Guitare S which showed a high gauge of " Musicianship". Other groups quite as important such Queensrÿche also took part in the movement. With the thrash strong influences of giants of the progressive rock'n'roll were frays, mainly Rush, Yes and Pink Floyd, the heavy metal of Iron Maiden which sometimes obtains progressive structures and the heavy metal of Judas Priest… in short almost all the popular Metal styles in the years 1980 with a key of progressive rock'n'roll gave rise to progressive metal. One especially saw it emerging thanks to the group américano-Canadian Dream Theater. Of the six metal styles described here, progressive metal is most technical by far of all, the majority of the musicians being virtuosos often left the academies or self-educated multi-instrumentalists.

Characteristics

Like any musical style, the category of progressive metal does not refer to a partitioned and hermetic kind. Many are the artists usually classified in this tendency who borrow among the multitude of styles of metal, the rock'n'roll and other musical genres.

However, certain features characteristic of metal are distinguished and make it possible to carry out a summary classification, although imperfect.

Structure

The songs of progressive metal usually leave the traditional framework verse/refrain. They develop in complex architectures being based on many parts and under-parts. These structures can be sometimes used to underline the various chapters of stories told in the texts of the songs.

Duration of the songs

The structures and the complex topics of progressive metal lead directly to a lengthening of the duration of the songs beyond the generally accepted radiophonic standards. This explains partly why progressive metal so seldom appears with the radio and on the television channels. The duration is however an essential characteristic of progressive metal since a long song makes it possible each musician to show his qualities. Following the example great groups of Jazz, it is not rare that the groups of progressive metal make it possible each musician to make a solo, and this in each song.

In general, the songs of progressive metal last between 7 and 20 minutes, and sometimes even more. Several key titles of the kind exceed this characteristic besides and reach tops seldom equalized in the popular music. Let us note off for example the album-concept Light Day, Day off Darkness of Green Carnation which contains only one one 60 minutes duration song, the " Crimson" of Edge off Sanity (at 40 minutes) or " Six Dismantle Inner Turbulence" off;, title a 42 minute old divided into eight parts by the American group Dream Theater.

Virtuosity

The instrumental technique is one of the most outstanding aspects of progressive metal. The musicians of the kind are generally virtuosos and often fascinate the musicians amateurs who dedicate sometimes an unbounded worship to them.

In this category, John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy, respectively guitarist and beater of the group Dream Theater, are examples of technical virtuosity. They both gained besides many prices in their respective disciplines, showing the high musical control of these artists. The vocal capacities of the singers are also put to the test, vis-a-vis the performances of the musicians with whom they play on scene.

Modes, harmony

In addition to its complex structures, progressive metal is characterized following the example Jazz or modern classical music, by the use of modes less frequent than it to what is accustomed the popular music. This says progressive metal made as much use of more standard modes.

One also notes the use sometimes of Harmonie S complexes (in particular the use of extended agreements, even sometimes of Agrégat S). But the groups of progressive metal have also recourse to simpler agreements. Much of them besides always makes use of simple the Power chord which is the typical agreement of metal.

Rates/rhythms and measurements

One of the marks most characteristic of the progressive music is undoubtedly the frequent recourse to rare measurement S (5/4, 7/4, 7/8 for example) as well as a frequent change of measurements during the piece. One can pass during the same piece of one 4/4 to one 3/4 then one 5/4 follow-up of one 7/8. In that progressive metal makes here only adapt to metal, which the modern classical music, the Jazz and the progressive Rock practiced already.

In the same way progressive metal also can, to be characterized following the example styles mentioned, by an use of complex rates/rhythms, in particular the Polyrythmie. The rhythmic reasons can be used as a Leitmotiv S which make it possible to connect and to unify the sequences of a song or an album between them.

Texts

The texts and the song are also essential components of progressive metal. Progressive metal do not on a subject of predilection, and the songs thus cover various and varied subjects. However, certain albums (called album-concept) are devoted to only one subject.

DEBATEs around progressive metal

References to the classicism

The progressive metal musicians frequently tend to refer to the Classical music with often a predilection for the modern period of the classicism (Stravinski, Bartók, Ravel in particular) because of its research advanced in the extension of the elements of the tonal language.

The progressive one however already moves away from the classicism by its popular base . The classical music raises of the erudite Musique. In addition the progressive one is also characterized from traditional by its instrumentation, but more especially the fact that the bombastic and contrasted structures of progressive often go against the notion of balance and standardization of the expensive form to the classicism in general. Moreover, progressive metal is unaware of generally the advanced compositionnelles techniques of traditional in particular the counterpoint or the Fugue.

References to the Jazz

Progressive metal following the example progressive rock'n'roll is also inspired by the jazz, and particularly Jazz fusion of years 70/80 in particular of the color of the wide agreements whose this kind largely makes use.

DEBATEs and confusion around the term of " metal progressif"

The concept of progressive metal as a kind with whole share is sometimes discussed. Not that its features characteristic stylistics are denied or regarded as non-existent, but simply because these features can be associated with various sub-genera with metal at the same time (heavy metal, the Power metal, the thrash, the death, the doom, the black even the gothic). However the fact that these progressive structures can be associated with any sub-genus lets some consider progressive metal more like one stylistic addition that like a true kind to whole share. This says anybody does not deny in is the existence of progressive metal as some could sometimes badly include/understand it.

However in practice one often tends to use the term of progressive metal in a generic way before very indicating the kind of the groups associating the progressive structures with bases Heavy traditional metal like Dream Theater or Savatage. In the cases of other sub-genera integrating the progressive features one will often tend to specify. Progressive example “death progressive” or “thrash. ”

Difference with the avant-garde metal

Progressive metal is often confused with the Avant-garde metal. However they are two approaches distinct stylistics well. If progressive metal and the avant-garde metal have in common to have recourse to elements of the musical language unusual and the nonconventional musical ideas, there is however a broad difference between the two forms. The progressive one is characterized some by a certain more orthodoxe approach from the music and a certain respect from the musical theories (also advanced and not very current are they) and also a greater technicality. Whereas the avant-garde metal puts the emphase on the even eccentric experimental character of the music. One of the most outstanding differences being that the experimentation in progressive metal lies more in research of rates/rhythms and complex structures, but sticks to a relatively traditional instrumentation, whereas in the avant-garde metal, the use of unusual sounds plays a fundamental role.

Some headlights groups

Here an not-exhaustive list of groups having influenced progressive metal.

External bonds

  • PerfectProg.Com Guides progressive metal

  • Site devoted to Progressive the
  • Prog Archives
  • PureProg.com the gate of the rock'n'roll and progressive metal of today
  • Progulus Radio: A free radio devoted exclusively to metal and the Progressive rock'n'roll
  • ProGGnosis - Criticisms of albums and infos

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