The following is a list of notable 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]
Bukszpan, Daniel; James Dio, Ronnie (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. Barnes & Noble Publishing Inc.
ISBN0-7607-4218-9.
Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins.
ISBN0-380-81127-8
^ 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"
^Rivadavia, Eduardo.
"Reason review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 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, [...].
^Huey, Steve.
"Manic Impressions review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 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 [...].
^
ab"Exclaim.ca article "Aggressive Tendencies: Year in Review 2007". Archived from
the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2008. 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".
^"AllMusicGuide overview for Carbonized". Retrieved July 24, 2008.The editor writes "the LP delved ever deeper into psychedelics and progressive metal experiments..."
^"AllMusicGuide overview for Cronian". Retrieved July 24, 2008.The AMG editor describes the sound of their album Terra as "symphonically adorned progressive metal".
^"AllMusicGuide review of Dark Suns album Grave Human Genuine". Retrieved July 3, 2008.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..."
^"AllMusicGuide biography for Death". Retrieved July 24, 2008.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."
^"Devin Townsend". music.apple.com/. Apple, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
^"Distorted Harmony — Chain Reaction". June 30, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014. "Distorted Harmony is everything Progressive Metal is, but with a style that is all their own."
^
abc"Chicago Reader feature "Liquid Metal"". Retrieved July 17, 2008.The paper reports that the article's featured band "have admirers in world-class progressive-metal outfits like Isis, Mastodon, and Tool
^D'Angelo, Joe (September 19, 2002).
"Mudvayne Reaches The End". MTV.com. Archived from
the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2008. The Peoria, Illinois, progressive metal quartet has named their new album The End of All Things To Come
^Valdez, Christina Killion (December 31, 2008).
"Fans 'Dig' Mudvayne". Rochester Post-Bulletin. Rochester, MN. Retrieved January 4, 2009. Mudvayne, the Grammy-nominated progressive rock and metal band, is helping keep rock on a roll in Rochester.[permanent dead link]
^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"
^"Chemistry 'n' all that jazz". The Hindu. Chennai, India. December 12, 2006. Archived from
the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2008.The article briefly mentions "Derek Sherinian's L.A. prog metal group Planet X."
^Plantinga, Jakob (January 11, 2016).
"Vardøger – Ghost Notes". Rocklife.nl (in Dutch).
Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
The following is a list of notable 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]
Bukszpan, Daniel; James Dio, Ronnie (2003). The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal. Barnes & Noble Publishing Inc.
ISBN0-7607-4218-9.
Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins.
ISBN0-380-81127-8
^ 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"
^Rivadavia, Eduardo.
"Reason review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 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, [...].
^Huey, Steve.
"Manic Impressions review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 2, 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 [...].
^
ab"Exclaim.ca article "Aggressive Tendencies: Year in Review 2007". Archived from
the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2008. 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".
^"AllMusicGuide overview for Carbonized". Retrieved July 24, 2008.The editor writes "the LP delved ever deeper into psychedelics and progressive metal experiments..."
^"AllMusicGuide overview for Cronian". Retrieved July 24, 2008.The AMG editor describes the sound of their album Terra as "symphonically adorned progressive metal".
^"AllMusicGuide review of Dark Suns album Grave Human Genuine". Retrieved July 3, 2008.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..."
^"AllMusicGuide biography for Death". Retrieved July 24, 2008.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."
^"Devin Townsend". music.apple.com/. Apple, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
^"Distorted Harmony — Chain Reaction". June 30, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014. "Distorted Harmony is everything Progressive Metal is, but with a style that is all their own."
^
abc"Chicago Reader feature "Liquid Metal"". Retrieved July 17, 2008.The paper reports that the article's featured band "have admirers in world-class progressive-metal outfits like Isis, Mastodon, and Tool
^D'Angelo, Joe (September 19, 2002).
"Mudvayne Reaches The End". MTV.com. Archived from
the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2008. The Peoria, Illinois, progressive metal quartet has named their new album The End of All Things To Come
^Valdez, Christina Killion (December 31, 2008).
"Fans 'Dig' Mudvayne". Rochester Post-Bulletin. Rochester, MN. Retrieved January 4, 2009. Mudvayne, the Grammy-nominated progressive rock and metal band, is helping keep rock on a roll in Rochester.[permanent dead link]
^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"
^"Chemistry 'n' all that jazz". The Hindu. Chennai, India. December 12, 2006. Archived from
the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2008.The article briefly mentions "Derek Sherinian's L.A. prog metal group Planet X."
^Plantinga, Jakob (January 11, 2016).
"Vardøger – Ghost Notes". Rocklife.nl (in Dutch).
Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2020.