Our Last Enemy "Pariah"

 

I can never deny the brilliance behind the concept of progressive music. Recently I wrote an article on an Italian band by the name of Il Rumore Bianco and how I enjoyed their style of classic progressive rock that carried much influence from bands such as Yes and King Crimson that really impressed me. The phenomenon of Progressive metal though has always been different from progressive rock. There are so many different kinds of progressive metal bands, just like there are so many different kinds of progressive rock bands. There isn’t one simple way that a band can be called progressive. I mean Supertramp are rightfully classified as a progressive rock band thanks to their inclusion of wind instruments and their unique song writing skills that were practically unheard of at the time.

Il Rumore Bianco "Mediocrazia"

Progressive rock has always been a unique form of music. I mean, that’s kind of what the term “progressive” means. In recent years there haven’t been really any progressive rock acts as much as there have been progressive metal bands. There is of course Dream Theater, and there is also Symphony X, Meshuggah and Mastodon all classify as progressive metal bands, but long gone are the days of Genesis and Yes, when you could be innovative and not have to rely on super heavy distortion and impossible guitar playing to be considered progressive.

Top 10 Albums of 2013

Something different today; I decided that rather than reviewing an album, I’d write an article based on my Top 10 albums of 2013. I figured I’d explain why each album made the list. And probably reiterate some of each albums best moments. Hope you enjoy, I’m definitely excited to write this! I’ve provided a YouTube video to each album. Each video is the song I initially considered the highlight.

Protest the Hero "Volition"

Reviewing any Protest the Hero album is a near impossible task, but I’m going to try it anyway. Anybody who has listened to a Protest the Hero album hopefully knows what I mean. The entire “mathcore” movement is a heck of a subgenre but Protest the Hero is in their own league. “Mathcore,” for those who don’t know, is a subgenre of progressive metal that essentially requires some of the most tightly and precise playing of instruments out of any genre. It has odd time signatures and out of the ordinary music breaks, just like general progressive metal, only the intensity and complexity is raised through the roof.

Heavens Fire "Judgement Day"

 

Toronto-based band Heavens Fire may not be a well enough known name in rock music, but they sure have as interesting of a back story as any of the many bands to have come before them. I personally think of Def Leppard’s well documented misfortunes when I think of the heaven and hell that the band has gone through over the past thirteen or so years. The story is well documented on the bands Website, so to shorten it slightly, after the release of their debut album in the year 2000 and what looked like a promising start having gained attention in Europe and Japan, the band’s drummer suffered a very untimely death. Not long after that, guitarist JT Harris was given months to live after being diagnosed with cancer. After defying those odds and surviving, JT’s father grew very ill and the band was once again put on hold.

Rush "Clockwork Angels"

It has been well documented lately how Canadian progressive power house Rush have made it from being the world’s “Least-Hip Rock & Roll band” to being one of the biggest names in rock history. And this is true. There was a time when Rush fans may have stayed in the closet of their love for the band, didn’t really go out and admit they were fans because they weren’t the coolest band around. In the past ten or so years this has changed drastically; so much so that the band is about to be inducted in a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Fall and Divide "Fall and Divide"

If there is one point I have tried to bring across in my reviews is the importance of originality. It is the bands that are hard to compare to any other band out there that are the bands that are always most worth listening to, because there is simply nothing to compare them to. Such can definitely be said about Toronto rock outfit Fall and Divide.

In My Coma "Magnets & Miracles"

The world needs something new. It always does and it always will. There are a lot of rock bands throughout history who follow the simple guitar-bass-drums-vocals approach. This approach is by no means a tired approach (look at the greatest bands in history for example), however such is not the formula for Toronto rock outfit In My Coma and their debut album Magnets & Miracles, released in August of 2011.