List of progressive metal artists

The following is a list of progressive metal artists, bands and groups. This list contains some bands that at least at some point during their career played progressive metal. Rooted in the early 1980s, the genre fused mellow progressive rock with a heavy metal aesthetic.^[1] Characteristics may include complex song structures, unusual time signatures, lengthy songs and often using concept albums.^[2]

Later on, many extreme metal bands began to experiment and developed an array of progressive metal fusions with other genres, including death metal, black metal, thrash metal and avant-garde metal.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Contents :

• 0–9
• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z
• See also

0-9

• 3^[3]
• 10 Years^[4]

A

• Adagio^[5]
• Aeon Zen^[6]
• After Forever^[7]
• Agalloch^[8]
• Age of Nemesis^[9]
• Aghora^[10]
• Akercocke^[11]
• Aletheian^[12]
• Alchemist^[13]
• Amorphis^[14]
• Anacrusis^[15][16]
• Angband^[17]
• Angra^[18]
• Animals as Leaders^[19]
• Atheist^[20]
• August Burns Red^[21]
• Ayreon^[22][23]

B

• Baroness^[24][25]
• Becoming the Archetype
• Believer^[26]
• Benevolent^[27]
• Benea Reach^[28]
• Between the Buried and Me^[25]
• Beyond Twilight^[29]
• Bigelf^[30]
• Biomechanical^[31]
• Blind Illusion^[32]
• Borknagar^[33]
• Burst^[34]

C

• Cacophony^[35]
• Cattle Decapitation^[36]
• Carbonized^[37]
• Communic^[38]
• Coheed and Cambria^[39]
• Conception^[40]
• Coroner^[41]
• Crimson Glory^[42][43]
• Cronian^[44]
• Cynic^[45]

D

• Dark Suns^[46]
• DBC^[47]
• Death (later)^[48]
• Deathbringer^[49]
• The Dillinger Escape Plan^[50]
• Deus Invictus^[51]
• Dir En Grey (later)
• Distorted Harmony^[52][53]
• Dream Theater^[54]
• Dysrhythmia^[55]

E

• Echoes of Eternity^[56]
• Edge of Sanity^[57]
• Enchant^[58]
• Enslaved^[59]
• Epica^[60]
• Extol^[61]

F

• The Faceless^[62][63]
• Fates Warning^[64][65]
• Fearscape^[66]
• Frameshift^[67][68]

G

• Galactic Cowboys^[69]
• Gojira^[70]

H

• Haken^[71][72]
• Henceforth^[73]

I

• Iced Earth^[74]
• Iron Maiden^[75]
• Isis^[76]

J

• Job For A Cowboy^[77]

K

• Kalijuge
• Kamelot
• Karnivool
• Katagory V
• Kekal
• Khallice
• King's X

L

• Leprous^[78]
• Liquid Tension Experiment^[79]

M

• Manticora^[29]
• Mastodon^[76]
• Meshuggah^[80][81]
• Moonsorrow^[82]
• Mudvayne^[83][84][85]
• Muse^[86]
• Mutiny Within^[87][88]

N

• Narnia^[89]
• Ne Obliviscaris
• Necrophagist^[90]
• Negură Bunget^[91]
• Nerverek^[92][93]
• Nevermore^[94]
• Nodes of Ranvier^[95]
• No Sin Evades His Gaze^[96]

O

• Obliveon^[47]
• Obscura^[97]
• Oficina G3^[98]
• Opeth^[99]
• Orphaned Land^[100][101]

P

• Pain of Salvation^[102]
• Pathosray^[103][104]
• Periphery^[105]
• Planet X^[106][107]
• Platypus^[108]
• Primus^[109]
• Prospect^[110]
• Protest the Hero^[111]
• Prototype^[112]
• Puya^[113][114]

Q

• Queensrÿche^[64][115]
• Quo Vadis

R

• Rage^[116]
• Rhapsody of Fire^[117]
• Redemption^[118][119]
• Royal Hunt^[40]
• Rusty Eye^[120]

S

• Savatage^[121]
• Scale the Summit^[122]
• Sculptured^[123]
• Shadow Gallery^[40]
• Derek Sherinian^[124]
• Sikth^[125]
• Sky Architect^[126]
• Sleepytime Gorilla Museum^[127]
• Spiral Architect^[128]
• Spock's Beard^[129]
• Stolen Babies^[130]
• Stratovarius^[131]
• Stride^[132]
• Symphony X^{[133][134][135]}
• System of a Down^[136][137]

T

• Tesseract^[138]
• The Contortionist^[139]
• The Human Abstract^[140]
• Therion^[141]
• Tiamat^[142]
• Tool^[76][143]
• Tourniquet^[144]
• Trivium^[145][146]
• Týr^[147]

V

• Vektor (band)^[148]
• Vision Divine^[149]
• Vildhjarta^[150]
• Voivod^[151]

W

• Waltari^[152]
• Warmen^[153]
• Watchtower^{[154][155][156][157]}
• Winger^[158][159]
• Without Face^[160]

X

• Xysma^[161]

Z

• Zero Hour^[162]

See also

• Progressive metal
• Progressive rock
• Jazz fusion
• List of heavy metal bands

References

• Wagner, Jeff (2010). Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal. Bazillion Points. ISBN 978-0-9796163-3-4.
• Bukszpan, Daniel; James Dio, Ronnie (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. Barnes & Noble Publishing Inc. ISBN 0-7607-4218-9.
• Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-380-81127-8
• ^ The Harvard Crimson "Bassist Chris Wolstenholme pens and sings a pair of tracks late in the game, and while they are fine pieces of progressive metal, his admittedly pleasing smooth voice lacks Bellamy's intense vibrato"

Notes

1. "Progressive metal". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
2. Bowar, Chad. "More Metal Genres". About.com. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
3. "AllMusicGuide overview for 3". Retrieved 2008-07-12.
4. James Christopher Monger (2012-08-07). "Minus the Machine - 10 Years | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
5. Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Adagio". MusicMight. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
6. "Perfect Prog's review of Aeon Zen's A Mind's Portrait". Retrieved 2009-09-17.
7. After Forever. "After Forever | Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
8. "Allmusic Agalloch Overview". Retrieved 2008-01-07.
9. Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Age of Nemesis". MusicMight. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
10. "Aghora: Discography". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
11. "AllMusicGuide Akercocke overview". Retrieved 2008-07-12.
12. "AllMusicGuide review for the album Dying Vine by Aletheian". Retrieved 2008-07-17.The review asks "A Christian progressive death metal band? Is there really such a thing? ...there sure is."
13. "[Encyclopaedia Metallum". Retrieved 2015-12-07.
14. "AllMusicGuide Amorphis overview". Retrieved 2008-07-12.
15. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Reason review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 July 2012. This left only a handful of noteworthy progressive thrash bands like Switzerland's Coroner, Canada's Voivod, and America's own St. Louis-based Anacrusis that seemed capable of moving the genre forward, [...].
16. Huey, Steve. "Manic Impressions review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 July 2012. Manic Impressions is a significant step forward from Anacrusis' first two albums, tightening and focusing the songwriting and honing their instrumental work to a razor-sharp edge. That alone would be enough to make them stand out in the progressive metal subgenre [...].
17. Metal Glory Magazine
18. "New York Times Pop And Jazz Guide from November 22, 2002". The New York Times. 2002-11-22. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
19. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Animals as Leaders". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
20. Wagner 2010, pp. 169–172.
21. Sharpe-Young, Gary. "August Burns Red". MusicMight. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
22. "Ayreon". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
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24. "AllMusicGuide Overview of Baroness". Retrieved 2008-07-17.
25. "Exclaim.ca article "Aggressive Tendencies: Year in Review 2007". Retrieved 2008-07-17.Exclaim.ca refers to Baroness as "potential successors to the progressive metal throne" and to Between the Buried and Me as "North Carolina's premier progressive metal export".
26. "AllMusicGuide overview of Believer". Retrieved 2008-07-17.
27. "Metality.net review of Divided EP".
28. "Benea Reach-Discover music, videos, concerts, & pictures at Last.fm".
29. Wagner 2010, p. 197.
30. "DREAM THEATER Drummer Performs With BIGELF in Milan: Video Available". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 29 October 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
31. "Metal File: Mastodon, The Bled, Cephalic Carnage, Thor, Glenn Danzig & More In This Week's Hard News". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
32. Christe (2003), pg. 208
33. "AllMusicGuide overview for Borknagar". Retrieved 2015-04-28.
34. "AllMusicGuide overview for Burst". Retrieved 2008-07-17.
35. "Blabbermouth News Archive: JASON BECKER's 'Collection' Out Now". Retrieved 2008-11-16.
36. "[Encyclopaedia Metallum". Retrieved 2015-12-07.
37. "AllMusicGuide overview for Carbonized". Retrieved 2008-07-24.The editor writes "the LP delved ever deeper into psychedelics and progressive metal experiments..."
38. "AllMusicGuide overview for Communic". Retrieved 2008-07-24.
39. Fricke, David. "No World For Tomorrow: Coheed and Cambria: Review: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
40. Wagner 2010, p. 196.
41. "AllMusicGuide overview for Coroner". Retrieved 2008-07-24.
42. Bush, John. "Crimson Glory biography". allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
43. Queensrÿche Vocalist Todd La Torre Resigns From Crimson Glory
44. "AllMusicGuide overview for Cronian". Retrieved 2008-07-24.The AMG editor describes the sound of their album Terra as "symphonically adorned progressive metal".
45. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "allmusic (((Focus > Overview)))". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
46. "AllMusicGuide review of Dark Suns album Grave Human Genuine". Retrieved 2008-07-03.In the text of the review, AMG notes that they "were being described as full-fledged progressive metal" and later that "...this 58-minute CD is essentially progressive metal..."
47. Wagner 2010, p. 152.
48. "AllMusicGuide biography for Death". Retrieved 2008-07-24.The AMG editor notes that "[T]he astounding musicianship and increasingly sophisticated songwriting found on their later-day efforts may have influenced even more groups exploring the limits of extreme metal's progressive outposts."
49. Born, R. "Deathbringer". MusicMight. Retrieved 2012-10-26.
50. Ratliff, Ben (2007-12-18). "In a Thickly Textured Maelstrom, Nothing's Left to Chance". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
51. "DEUS INVICTUS: "STAGED IN AWAITING"". 16 October 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
52. "Distorted Harmony — Chain Reaction". 2014-06-30. Retrieved 2014-11-11. "Distorted Harmony is everything Progressive Metal is, but with a style that is all their own."
53. "Spotify Friday Review #123: Distorted Harmony – Chain Reaction". 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2014-11-11. "...relatively new band that seems hell bent on becoming one of the best progressive bands going."
54. Harris, Craig. "allmusic (((Dream Theater > Biography)))". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
55. "MTV.com Metal File: Dillinger Escape Plan, Unearth, King Diamond & More In This Week's Hard News". Retrieved 2008-12-31. The article refers to Dysrhythmia as "Philadelphia instrumental prog-metal jazz freaks..."
56. "Artists :: Echoes Of Eternity". MusicMight. 2009-09-22. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
58. "allmusic overview for Enchant". Retrieved 2008-12-31.
59. Sanneh, Kelefa (November 8, 2007). "On the Road to Spread the Word of Good, Old-Fashioned Evil". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
60. "Lords of Metal ezine". Lordsofmetal.nl. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
61. "allmusic overview for the album Undeceived by Extol". Retrieved 2008-12-31. The allmusic editor remarks that the album "...only enhanced the group's progressive/death metal reputation."
62. "The Faceless - Sumerian Records". sumerianrecords.com. Sumerian Records. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
63. "Guitarist Wes Hauch Leaves THE FACELESS, To Join Reactivated GLASS CASKET". Metal Injection. Greg Kennelty. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
64. Wagner 2010, p. 48.
65. Prato, Greg. "allmusic (((Fates Warning > Biography)))". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
66. Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
67. "allmusic overview for Frameshift". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
68. "Bach Back in the Limelight With GNR Dates". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
69. "allmusic overview for Galactic Cowboys". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
70. "[Encyclopaedia Metallum". Retrieved 2015-12-07.
71. Rivadavia, Eduardo. Biography for Haken at AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-08-14. Review states they are a "full fledged modern progressive rock band".
72. Review of Aquarius, Haken's debut album at AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-08-14. Review calls it "the hands-down strongest prog rock debut yet to emerge in the 2010s".
73. Henceforth at AllMusic. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
74. "Iced Earth". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
75. Wagner 2010, pp. 34–37.
76. "Chicago Reader feature "Liquid Metal"". Retrieved 2008-07-17.The paper reports that the article's featured band "have admirers in world-class progressive-metal outfits like Isis, Mastodon, and Tool
77. "[Encyclopaedia Metallum". Retrieved 2015-12-07.
78. Marsicano, Dan. "Leprous - 'Tall Poppy Syndrome'". About.com. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
79. "Liquid Tension Experiment". Allmusic.com.
80. Garry Sharpe-Young. "Meshuggah Rockdetector Biography". Rockdetector. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
81. Max Deneau. "obZen". Exclaim!. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
82. "Moonsorrow reviews, music, news". sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
83. D'Angelo, Joe (September 19, 2002). "Mudvayne Reaches The End". MTV.com. Retrieved 2008-12-27. The Peoria, Illinois, progressive metal quartet has named their new album The End of All Things To Come
84. Wedge, Dave (December 10, 2008). "There's no masking Mudvayne's prog-metal passion". Boston Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
85. Valdez, Christina Killion (December 31, 2008). "Fans 'Dig' Mudvayne". Rochester Post-Bulletin (Rochester, MN). Retrieved 4 January 2009. Mudvayne, the Grammy-nominated progressive rock and metal band, is helping keep rock on a roll in Rochester.
86. The Harvard Crimson "Bassist Chris Wolstenholme pens and sings a pair of tracks late in the game, and while they are fine pieces of progressive metal, his admittedly pleasing smooth voice lacks Bellamy's intense vibrato"
87. Dream Theater, renowned Prog Rockers, review Mutiny Within. Retrieved 2010-12=08.
88. Mutiny Within bio, at one point it says they are "modern progressive." Retried 2010-12-08.
89. "allmusic overview for Narnia". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
90. "PopMatters review for the Necrophagist album Epitaph". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
92. "India Today: Rock and soul". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
93. "The Hindu: Rock band on a roll". Chennai, India. 2008-01-31. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
94. "allmusic overview for Nevermore". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
95. Deming, Mark. "Nodes of Ranvier". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-12-14.
96. http://nosinevadeshisgaze.com/the-band/
98. Alves, Sérgio. "Oficina G3". MusicMight. Retrieved 2010-12-16.
99. DaRonco, Mike. "allmusic (((Opeth > Biography)))". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
100. "Orphaned Land — Metal Storm". 2007-11-08.
101. "AllMusic (Orphaned Land overview)". 2007-11-08.
102. Taylor, Robert. "Pain of Salvation Remedy Lane". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
103. "allmusic overview of the album Pathosray by Pathosray". Retrieved 2008-11-19.
104. "Exclaim.ca review of the album Pathosray by Pathosray". Retrieved 2008-12-28.
105. Roadrunner Records Bio saying that Periphery is a Progressive Metal band. Retrieved 2010-12-08
106. "allmusic overview for Planet X". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
107. "Chemistry 'n' all that jazz". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 2006-12-12. Retrieved 2008-12-09.The article briefly mentions "Derek Sherinian's L.A. prog metal group Planet X."
108. "Ice Cycles album review". Retrieved 24 March 2015.
109. Gore, Joe (August 1991). "New Rage: The Funky". Guitar Player. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
110. "BBC South Yorkshire: Bonded By Metal 2003". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
111. Myhrvold, Conor (24 March 2011). "Review: Protest the Hero – Scurrilous". Revolver. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
112. "PROTOTYPE — The official page of the band Prototype". Retrieved 4 March 2012.
113. Gore, Joe. "Puya". Guitar Player. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
114. Hill, Gary. "Puya — Fundamental review". Music Street Journal. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
115. Prato, Greg; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "allmusic (((Queensrÿche > Biography)))". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
116. "Metalunderground's review of Rage's "Speak of the Dead"".
117. AllMusic Rhapsody Overview
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119. "Redemption: Discography". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
120. "Rusty Eye Unleash Controversial Macabre Music Video". Retrieved 2008-01-09.
121. Christe (2003), pg. 230
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123. "allmusic overview for Sculptured". Retrieved 2008-11-16.
124. "allmusic overview for Derek Sherinian". Retrieved 2008-11-16.
125. "AllMusic SikTh Overview". Retrieved 2008-01-07.
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130. Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Stolen Babies". MusicMight. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
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132. "AllMusic overview for Stride". Retrieved 2008-11-16.
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141. "Allmusic Therion Overview". Retrieved 2008-03-29.
142. "Allmusic Tiamat Overview".
143. "Allmusic Tool Overview". Retrieved 2008-01-07.
144. "AllMusic overview page for Tourniquet". Retrieved 2008-11-16.
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147. "AllMusic overview for Týr". Retrieved 2008-11-16.
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149. "AllMusic overview for Vision Divine". Retrieved 2008-11-16.
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159. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r22015
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162. Wagner 2010, pp. 228–229.