The modern Progressive Rock appreciation thread...

and my inaugural Head-Fi post! I have always been interested in music most of my life and "discerning" interest in playback equipment for about 10 years, and have read most all of the print and 'net rags off and on as well. I initially acquired the headphone rig (ASL MG Head OTL III + Senn HD650) because living arrangements precluded my using a speaker system effectively. I later moved and realized that I had developed a preference in many situations for headphone listening, and began to accumulate different cans and amps; Head Fi is a somewhat recent discovery, I just now got around to pulling the trigger and registering.

To the topic at hand, I was listening to "Snow" by Spock's Beard over the weekend and realized there really IS a thriving Prog "scene" right now. In addition to Spock's Beard (and everything else Neil Morse has anything to do with, including his stunning solo work), I have greatly enjoyed the Flower Kings, Symphony X, Echolyn, Riverside, Marillion, and of course Dream Theatre. What/who are some of your great modern Prog favorites? Hopefully we will all end up with a nice list of bands or albums we've never heard and will have something new to lighten our wallets!

Cheers

Spock's Beard is one of my best musical discoveries of the past several years...

as their music embodies EVERYTHING that people love Prog for (Which means it also embodies everything critics hate the genre for!) but is very accessible; even people with just a passing interest in Prog (such as those who have little knowledge beyond "Fragile", "Brain Salad Surgery", and "Close to the Edge") would find a lot to enjoy. One can hear lots of different influences in their music, but their overall sound belongs to the Yes/ELP/Van Der Graff Generator/Focus brand of heavier (NOT Metal!), symphonic Prog with impeccable musicianship, complex arrangements, lyrical themes focusing on existential matters, and plenty of extended instrumental solos; at the same time, they DO have a unique sound and a few great musical "Beardisms" that only become apparent when one has heard more than one or two of their albums. I would recommend "Beware of Darkness" or "Kindness of Strangers" as great starting points, but you cannot go wrong starting with any of them. "Snow" is probably their best work; it is a magnificent double CD with wonderful spiritual, existential themes which truly is just as accomplished musically and artistically as any of the great "classic" albums of the 70's.

Even though you did not ask, you should also try to hear the Flower Kings-they too are just incredible. They are from Sweden and have a bit more of a "continental" European sound, also embody all that is great about Prog, and have a similar quirky sense of humor to Gentle Giant's; "Retropolis", "Back in the World of Adventures", and "Paradox Hotel" (2cd) are good places to start (but none of their releases could be called "weak").

Great responses everyone! I have added Circus Maximus, Kino, and Immune to my list of CD's to check out.

Several people have mentioned Riverside, and I would dare say that any DT fan would also more than likely love this great Polish band; they currently have three albums ("Outside Myself", "Second Life Syndrome", and "Rapid Eye Movement") which form a trilogy but each is a complete album that can stand on its own and all three are excellent. Another band for DT/LTE fans is Fates Warning ("No Exit", "Perfect Symmetry", and "Inside Out" are good places to start)-got their start in the mid 80's and had significant influences on DT (these three albums in particular), and continue to release great albums. Finally, many DT fans will also enjoy Symphony X; great "neo-classical" Prog Metal which focuses on sci-fi/fantasy themes and features musicianship more or less on par with the virtuosos in DT. Obvious Yngwie Malmsteen influences are present, but the arrangments, compositions, and lyrical content are light years better than on any of his solo albums, which to me seem to be more a showcase for his shredding prowess than anything else (the "Concerto for Electric Guitar" album is really great though!).

Porcupine Tree embodies EVERYTHING that is great about Prog, and IMO is one of the most "important" bands of the past ten years in all of "Rock". In 20-30 years they may be just as revered as Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Yes are today.

"Personally I wouldn't go near a Mars Volta CD with a long pole." - not an uncommon sentiment I have found. This is definitely a Prog band, but their influences are somewhat different than what we are generally used to; there are elements of Punk, Psychedelia, 70's Hard Rock/Metal, Latin (the main members are from El Paso-also unusual for a "Prog" band), and Free Jazz in their music (which is pretty relentlessly intense) and their lyrics can be difficult to penetrate on the first couple of listens (mostly sung in English, but a few sections sung in Spanish-comes across brilliantly in the context of the albums). Many (most?) listeners will not "get" their albums after just one listen-I had to hear each album several times (headphones recommended!) before they "clicked" with me. I now consider this band to be one of my favorites, and genuinely appreciate the efforts made by Omar and Cedric-they are uniquely creative, great musicians, and obviously took great pains to get "everything right" on their studio albums (I absolutely LOVE all the Free Jazz elements in "Amputecture").