Progressive metal

This article is an overview of the heavy metal series.

Heavy metal

Thrash metal

Black metal

Power metal

Nu metal

Doom metal

Christian metal

Progressive metal

NWOBHM

Death metal

Hair metal

Stoner metal

Progressive metal (prog metal) is a heavier brand of Progressive Rock (prog rock) incepted during the late 1980's, but which never gained mass appeal like prog rock did in the early 1970's. While it may not have a wide audience, it does have a very loyal, usually rather musically mature, fanbase. Prog metal could be broken down into an absurd infinite number of other sub-genres (see bottom of article), however it suffices to say that extraneous influences such as Jazz (Dream Theater), Classical Music (Symphony X) and Death Metal (Opeth) make this genre as diverse as can be.

A closely-related genre is progressive fusion, which tends to lean more towards jazz than metal, and is usually instrumental. Progressive Fusion includes bands like Liquid Tension Experiment and Planet X.

Terms describing similar music include art metal, melodic metal, concept metal, power metal, melodic power metal, symphonic metal, space metal and so on.

Examples of progressive metal artists:

• Anacrusis
• Atheist
• Believer
• Coroner
• Cory Glover
• Crimson Glory
• Cynic
• Dream Theater
• Fates Warning
• Fifth Angel
• Galactic Cowboys
• The Gathering
• King Diamond
• King's X
• Lacuna Coil
• Last Tribe
• Leviathan
• Mayadome
• Mekong Delta
• Meshuggah
• Opeth
• Queensryche
• Rammstein
• Riot
• Rush
• Savatage
• Shadow Gallery
• Skid Row
• Skyclad
• Stratovarius
• Symphony X
• Therion
• Thought Industry
• Threshold
• Tool
• Vanden Plas
• Voivod
• Watchtower
• Without Warning