The difference, by ear
Progressive metal is this vocabulary played with metal's distortion, tuning and rhythm section, and it inherits the compositional ambition without the pastoral English streak.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 60 to 180 bpm. To hear the difference, play King Crimson next to Dream Theater. Progressive rock comes from the rock side of the tree and progressive metal from the metal side, and progressive rock came first, by twenty years.
In figures
Progressive rock
Where it sits
In short
Rock with classical ambitions: odd meters, twenty-minute suites, mellotron. The direct foundation of progressive metal.
How it sounds
- Odd meters - 7/8, 5/4, 13/8 - used routinely rather than as an effect.
- Mellotron, Hammond organ, Moog and later polyphonic synthesizers.
- Long suites, concept albums, sometimes a single piece per side of vinyl.
Key acts
- King Crimson
- Yes
- Genesis
- Rush
Start here
The pickKing Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King. The first track tells you everything.
Full page →Progressive metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Progressive metal
In short
Prog rock ambition with metal weight: odd meters, concept albums and instrumental virtuosity.
How it sounds
- Odd meters and frequent metric shifts, with pieces running eight to twenty minutes.
- Keyboards in a lead role, equal to the guitar, and highly technical bass.
- Concept albums with recurring themes and narrative structures.
Key acts
- Dream Theater
- Queensrÿche
- Opeth
- Tool
Start here
The pickOpeth - Blackwater Park. Growls and acoustic guitar in one song, and nothing forced about it.
Full page →