It's Critter Time!

Hi hello I like progressive rock a lot. My favorite acts are Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Some standout tracks:

Yes - Roundabout - You’ll know this from the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime. Good driving song, I love the bass line.

Yes - South Side of the Sky - harsher and darker song from the same album, it’s a good listen.

Yes - Close to the Edge - 20 minutes of music ranging from pounding guitar solos to quiet contemplative vocal parts.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tarkus - Probably one of the best prog rock songs ever. Another 20 minute piece with a lot of range.

I haven’t listened to a lot of newer prog rock stuff, but I think I will after this. I do like Sithu Aye a lot but his stuff is more like prog metal.

Hi! I also like prog rock, or at least I grew up liking it; my tastes eventually drifted toward prog metal and calcified there as I stopped listening to music as much. Hopefully that changes since I want to go back and listen to things I missed before and after that time.

Yes and ELP are total blind-spots for me. I'll have to check them out. But I listened to some amount of Jethro Tull (Aqualung era, mostly) and Deep Purple.

A lot of what I got into (via a Smogon member who ran an FTP back in the day that ended up shaping my tastes) was Porcupine Tree (and No-Man), Dream Theater, Coheed and Cambria, and eventually Between the Buried and Me, Symphony X, some Opeth. Most of their work was or became prog metal -- early Porcupine Tree is very not-metal and at times more psychedelic than anything.

A recent-ish prog rock-ish album I remember enjoying was Lunatic Soul's Through Shaded Woods. I want to go and check out some of his older works. Just haven't made the time yet.



Wish I had more to say about prog rock prog rock. I'll try to do some more listening. Any must-listens you'd recommend?

Sounds like you’ve listened to more of and more recent prog rock than me The other big act I know is Genesis, which is where Phil Collins got his start. I haven’t listened to them much but I’d start with A Trick of the Tail maybe.

I think the only bands I listen to that could be considered prog are Porcupine Tree, Coheed & Cambria, and The Mars Volta. In Absentia, Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Vol 1 and Amputechture are two three of my favorite albums of all time.

And yeah I would not consider Porcupine Tree to be metal even a little bit, definitely more on the psychedelic side of Prog Rock, especially with all those instrumental things they did like Moonloop

Silver Alicorn wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 5:49 pm Sounds like you’ve listened to more of and more recent prog rock than me The other big act I know is Genesis, which is where Phil Collins got his start. I haven’t listened to them much but I’d start with A Trick of the Tail maybe.

Haha, maybe. I still feel like I don't listen to "enough" music compared to how people usually talk about what they've listened to. I'll start there!

Micolithe wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 9:42 pm In Absentia, Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV Vol 1 and Amputechture are two of my favorite albums of all time.

Same!!! Well, except Amputechture, just because I haven't listened to much Mars Volta. I bounced off them when I first checked them out, but I'll try to give them another shot if that album is like, up there with Star IV Vol. 1 and In Absentia.

As regards PT being metal or not, it's more they dabbled in it than dove full in, but I remember Wilson saying metal was influential to him around the time of In Absentia and Deadwing. Tracks like Wedding Nails, Strip The Soul, maybe Open Car feel kinda metal. But like you said, taken as a whole, they're definitely more psychedelic than metal:

The reason I got into The Mars Volta is because I'm an At The Drive-In fan.

At The Drive-In which is more of a post hardcore band with a more traditional songs structure might be an easier entry point to the world of Cedric and Omar?

Got into prog almost a decade ago thanks to Jojo () but it's been a while since I've actively listened to any bands or albums as my tastes sorta expanded and drifted all over the place (especially towards other genres of rock and new wave).

I suppose I'll throw in Blue Öyster Cult's Fire of Unknown Origin to the pile of album recommendations.

Wikipedia apparently lists Time by Electric Light Orchestra as a prog album but I can't for the life of me recall which songs in that album would be considered that, but I want an excuse to talk about ELO so I'll throw that out there too. It's a really fun album (along with the rest of their discography).

Silver Alicorn wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 4:24 pm Yes - Roundabout

I remember when I first discovered From the Beginning by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, I couldn't help but notice how similar the guitar riff at the beginning was to Roundabout's opening guitar lol (at least to my ears). Curious if one inspired the other...

Owner of a Lonely Heart and Big Generator are also really goood...

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As far as newer prog stuff goes uuuuhhh I think Haken's Affinity might be an album of interest? They're more of a progressive metal band but I think they dabble with some rock stuff in that one (particularly the song "1985"). I can barely remember the whole album at the moment lol. I do suggest giving "Cockroach King" (from their Mountain album) a listen, as well.

I think King Gizzard's done some prog music too? I haven't given them too much of a listen, though.

Micolithe wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 12:21 am The reason I got into The Mars Volta is because I'm an At The Drive-In fan.

At The Drive-In which is more of a post hardcore band with a more traditional songs structure might be an easier entry point to the world of Cedric and Omar?

I should probably check them out at some point, I remember listening to several songs from De-Loused in the Comatorium but they haven't really stuck with me in the years after listening to that album.

Well my secret plan for this thread worked, I’ve got lots more prog rock to listen to

Lifelong prog fan! There are several good reccomendations here I personally do love porcupine tree. But looking at the classic bands you have listed have you ever listened to King Crimson?! They are a top five favorite band of all time for me easily, and their music makes me feel like an evil wizard. I would start with their album In the Court of the Crimson King, its the most famous for a reason. After that definitely check out Red, it has Starless one of my favorite songs of all time... I'd even just reccomend that song. Hope you keep enjoying dorky music!

Yeah I've got some prog for you. Some of these are going to be metal. Sorry not sorry.

Martin Miller - Something New



The Dear Hunter - Ring 8 - Poverty



Voyager - Ghost Mile



DGM - The Secret Part 1 & 2

I highly recommend listening to them back to back without even a single breath between, which you can do here (it's youtube but the uploader set it to not embed).


Haken - Crystallised



Frost* - Towerblock



VOLA - Break My Lying Tongue




I could keep going for a while but maybe this is enough for now? I'll return to post more later.