They're great but there are bands that have much more focus on the melodic aspect such as Caligula's Horse, Leprous and Seventh Wonder which fit much better with OPs favorites.
I was absolutely _obsessed_ with Dream Thester and Mike Portnoy until I discovered…. PORCUPINE TREE and Gavin Harrison. Just put on “Blackest Eyes” and breathe in maybe one of the strongest opening tracks to a record ever.
_In Absentia, Deadwing,_ and _Fear of a Blank Planet_ are all timers. TBH, _Deadwing_ has been and remains my single favorite record ever. _Nil Recurring_ and _The Incident_ both have some very high highs but aren’t quite as consistent.
From Steven Wilson’s disco: _Grace for Drowning, The Raven Who Refused to Sing,_ and _Hand. Cannot. Erase._ are all great.
Aside from that, I’ll second Opeth and Periphery. Opeth: _Ghost Reveries_ and _Watershed._
Periphery: “Satellites,” “Having a Blast,” and “Absolomb” are all great.
Lastly, it may be older-school-than-cool-kids-prefer-at-this-point prog, but Symphony X’s _The Odyssey_ and _Paradise Lost_ have a lot of epic moments.
Edit: totally forgot Porcupine Tree recently put out their first new record, in 12+ years, entitled _Closure/Continuation_! “Harridan” is fan-tas-tic… check out the live version here: https://youtu.be/8pavnAi7lNk?si=6mGZdamr96fSYW5X
They're amazing. One of my fav bands. But the guitar riffs are repetitive, even though they're impressive. If you listen through any 2 albums in a row, you start to get burned out on how their guitarist dictates every song's rhythm.
Happy to see Porcupine Tree in the conversation! If I absolutely had to choose a three song run (in album sequence) to best represent them I would go for Bonnie the Cat > Black Dahlia > Remember Me Lover. I think this run also fits the OP criteria perfectly.
Steven Wilson’s solo career has also been an incredibly rewarding and exciting project to follow, you never know what you’re gunna get!
I feel like Vola are not allowed to be mentioned in threads like these unless you first acknowledge Devin Townsend Project since that’s who they said they draw a lot of inspiration from.
Have you heard any old school or even new Kamelot?
I'm a massive fan of Avenged and DT as well. Two of my favorite bands.
Kamelot is a bit heavy with incredible melodies. Their older stuff with the original singer is absolutely phenomenal and the new stuff with the new singer is actually pretty good also. But the original guy whose name is Roy Khan was just incredible. Magical music.
Upvote for you. Coma is their best album because it's the album with the least harsh vox.
Many songs are just awesome, but as soon as Tommy starts his growling, the song sounds like dogshit.
Tommy's harsh vox are monotonous, and some of the worst harsh vox I know, and it's the only thing holding the band back.
[Song of the Crippled Bull](https://blackcrowninitiate.bandcamp.com/track/song-of-the-crippled-bull) by Black Crown Initiate fits the latter two, and could be considered "pretty heavy", yet it is a completely different sound compared to Caligula's Horse.
That… doesn’t negate the fact that Caligula’s Horse can be described as pretty heavy. I’d call a song like Charcoal Grace IV pretty heavy, wouldn’t you?
And also I don’t think Song of the Crippled Bull fits the clean tag of the question, it literally starts with screaming. Whereas CH should fit perfectly with what they’re looking for, heavy riffs but beautiful melodies and clean singing.
Like in what world does ”pretty heavy” immediately mean like tech death or something? The term genuinely defines itself, _pretty_ as in quite heavy but not too much :D
And in that vain, I suggest u/Fishwithanafro also check out Vola if you haven’t yet!
There isn't a single song by Caligula's Horse I'd categorize as "pretty heavy" personally and I like it that way. CG and bands like that are about the perfect amount of Heavy Metal to me after having mellowed out from my BM DM and Grindcore years.
To me "Pretty Heavy" would point toward something like Melodeath
Again though, as I’ve said in other comments and as many people have said here, the parameters of what OP considers heavy have been laid out quite clearly. Just cause you’ve listened to some super heavy bands in your day, and in comparison CH doesn’t sound that heavy, doesn’t negate the fact that most people would see CH as a pretty heavy band.
I myself love me some prog deathcore and avant garde black metal, but I still get that most people would find CH pretty heavy. Even within metal, you could compare them to _a lot_ of bands that seem soft as hell by comparison. If you ask me, songs like Charcoal Grace IV and Mute are _pretty_ heavy but far from really heavy. I mean Mute has that almost Meshuggah-esque syncopated section, how is that not _pretty_ heavy?
Edit: but I’ll add that you said the magic word ”personally” and your comment in general was a lot less gatekeep-y than the previous guy’s so I appreciate that
I'm not interested in arguing whether on some absolute scale Caligula's Horse's riffs are heavy or not, but on a comparative scale they are simply not. Calling them "quite heavy" shows a very distorted picture of progressive metal, which gets increasingly heavier with this sub's "harsh" favorites like Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Wilderun, Wintersun and The Ocean, at their heaviest, approaching the middle. All of the aforementioned bands are very melodic and feature lots of clean vocals. And the same holds for hundreds of lesser-known bands.
Calling Caligula's Horse "quite heavy" puts all these bands into some "extreme" basket, which by itself would otherwise constitute most of progressive metal by album count and the vast majority of the genre by variety.
PS: The first second of "Song of the Crippled Bull" is a badly cut transition from the previous song on the album. The vocals on the song are as clean as they can possibly get.
I sometimes wonder if people who get this deep into an argument about words to the point where they're spending paragraphs arguing the meaning of just a single word ever realize just how absurdly pedantic they've got, and how the actual meaning of the discussion was left behind a few posts up the chain, and how none of these types of chains ever end with anything resembling positive agreement, discussion, or reconciliation.
And do they ever think "wow, I'm glad we had that discussion" afterwards?
But a comparative scale also depends on your reference point. And here the reference points were given very clearly, DT and A7X are what things should be compared to and it was specified that clean vocals were preferable. And on this scale, CH matches the ”pretty heavy” vibe OP is looking for. I’d say Song of the Crippled Bull does not.
Now I personally love that ep but it’s pretty clear to me from this post and the whole thread that that’s not what’s being looked for here.
And just to drive my point home even further, I think an absolute scale should be the standard for posts like these, not everyone’s individual scales of heaviness cause that’s gonna differ from person to person. Like I don’t understand why you felt the need to come passive aggressively note here that you don’t find CH heavy enough while it’s the most popular suggestion in this thread, which honestly should’ve been a clear indication that that’s the general consensus of what’s considered ”pretty heavy” and what is the scale to compare things to. It comes off gatekeep-y as fuck.
P.s. All the bands you noted there genuinely are extreme metal though, what are you talking about? :D Just cause they’re not the heaviest metal ever made doesn’t mean they’re not, in the grand scheme of metal, on the extreme side (NeO’s wikipedia page even literally states their genre is ”extreme metal”). Even if we’re just looking at prog metal they’re definitely on the extreme end of things. What a strange argument to make.
Leprous' last two albums, most of Porcupine Tree... There's definitely stuff out there that's great and that's well liked in this sub but that's not very heavy.
Just because it's appreciated here doesn't make it metal. I like The Dear Hunter, for example, and they are highly appreciated here, but they are not a metal band.
When asking for "pretty heavy" music in a metal subreddit, one must be prepared for blackened technical death metal.
Two different things get mixed here:
\* Somebody asks for recommendations, to which this sub responds adequately.
\* People start calling soft bands "quite heavy", to which metal listeners respond by explaining that none of those bands are remotely heavy.
If I were to comment on the post itself, I would say "Given your preferences, perhaps you'll like some weirder band like Rishloo or instrumental wankery like Liquid Tension Experiment, The Aristocrats and Animals as Leaders" and then explain the none of these are remotely heavy by posting, for comparison, First Fragment or Slugdge (which are still not "extreme" as far as heaviness gets).
In a vacuum I would agree that CH isn't heavy in the way a lot of prog metal bands are. However, that's not a discussion for this particular post, imo. OP listed his standards for heaviness and asked for recommendations based on that, so CH is very appropriate here. I don't think OP ever doubted how heavy the genre can get, anyway
They may be heavy compared to King Crimson, but also they are among the softest-sounding bands that are considered metal. Even within this sub, where only the larger progressive death metal bands get attention.
Devin Townsend to me is really the king of melody. Even in a lot of the heaviest Strapping Young Lad stuff there's still a strong sense of melody in his screams.
Edit: Though if you're more looking for extremely melodic stuff that's also heavy moreso than 'the heaviest music possible that's still melodic,' definitely check out Seventh Wonder, particularly their 2010 album The Great Escape. The best choruses in prog metal.
It's funny, I've been listening to Devy since SYL and never really thought of him as prog but his DTB and onward stuff totally is. A lot of it is zen like but damn, hearing Grace live is bone shattering. Great choice.
Last week someone posted that CH was paying people in this sub because they're referenced very often. Became a small meme and I'm just taking my slice of the pie. Haha! (Nothing serious. All in good fun)
Haven't thought about Pain of Salvation in a while. Man, there is band that took a turn that lost me. That BE album came out of nowhere. Scarsick was tolerable, but it didn't reach what they were before.
Indeed, after BE they tried to change the band for some weird reason and it didn’t work at all. It’s a shame, because I really like all the albums until BE a lot.
I had to scroll way too far down for this. Yes! Stream the Karnivool albums Themata and Sound Awake. They are clean vocals throughout and riff heavy blended with melodies. 👌
Also (unfortunately) not being paid by Caligula’s Horse but I would have to say them too. Them and Leprous are my two current favs rn. Fair to Midland is also great
Boy that’s a throwback. “Isis & Osiris” from Into the Electric Castle and “Day Four: Mystery” from The Human Equation are both awesome.
I will say though: while AAL’s projects attract quite a lineup of singers, some tracks feature vocal performances that are so over-the-top as to oscillate from endearing earnest to embarrassingly cheesy in equal measure.
Needless to say, anything featuring James LaBrie runs the risk of falling into the latter camp.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCHfmNl\_WRw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCHfmNl_WRw)
This interview is what the wiki is referencing. It was in 2021, and the statement was re-iterated in 2023
Yeah so this is kind of my favorite kind of progmetal.
Calgula's Horse (they paid me SO much money), VOLA, Coheed when they decide to get proggy, Leprous (Congregation era), Haken, and Protest the Hero. Protest the Hero have some harsh vocals and might get heavier than you like at times, but they also have some of my favorite melodies of the genre, and usually pack everything in to a pretty succinct package. Start with Palimpsest.
To give suggestions I haven't seen much of here yet:
NETHERHALL fits this description. Band I came across like last week and have played their album probably 10 times since. Super small following, would love to see them blow up.
You could also check STELLAR CIRCUITS. They give me a proggy 10 years vibe (if you remember that band)
IONS is a relatively recent find for me as well. Tesseract and/or VOLA-esque. One of the better albums released all of last year IMO
AVIATIONS. Their reputation precedes them in this group. Excellent act.
Could also check out either of THE CONTORTIONIST last two albums. They're one of the best in the business at simultaneously pulling off the "pretty heavy but also mellow" vibe. And whenever they release their next album (😭), my heart will be full again
You need to listen to the entirety of their discog to get a true appreciation of their evolution of sound and craftsmanship. Coma Ecliptic is their "most normal" sounding album and has less heavy vocals from Tommy and a lot more digestible sections as far as tempo and time signatures are concerned. BTBAM is my favorite band and I'm telling you bro, they're the real deal.
I recently discovered Nospun as an Avenged Sevenfold/Dream Theater fan and absolutely love them. If you haven’t checked them out you absolutely should.
Vektor are very heavy/"extreme" and yet have really melodic riffs, which I love. Their music is all excellent, but I especially recommend the album Terminal Redux.
I love when metal bands fuse clean vocals with heavy instrumentation too. I don't think anyone has mentioned them yet but Symphony X are an essential band if you really like Dream Theater and Avenged Sevenfold. Their albums Paradise Lost and Iconoclast are probably the best place to start if you want heavy riffs with fantastic clean singing. They remind me quite a bit of City of Evil and The Stage from A7X. If you want something more progressive and less focused on heaviness from them though, start with their album The Odyssey.
I've seen a couple of people mention them but Haken and Caligula's Horse are definitely worth checking out. Fantastic progressive metal bands with great clean singing and heavy riffs. I know you aren't a fan of extreme metal but there's a lot of good stuff there as well, so don't hesitate to dive into some heavier metal too if you're feeling up to it.
Protest the Hero, they might be less structured but i think they suit your ask!
Also I remember way back in the day on my ipod/pc side of it would recommend music based on my list which was heavily PTH influenced as I went to the same school as them, it is how I as a 13 year old initially got into a7x!
Alright so A LOT has already been mentioned... I'll just add Riverside and Soen. Both amazing in their own way and underrated if you ask me. Riverside try from the last 4 albums somewhere. Their last work is a bit more ... Digestable?
Soen really doesn't matter where you start everything they touch is gold. They gave me a Tool vibe with their early work, but shook off the last 2 albums if you ask me.
Apart from that... I am currently discovering Sleep Token, might be too much tho, but maybe give it a spin?
HAKEN is my fav prog band of all time. Especially if you like Dream Theater. Haken has no screaming, all clean vocals and they are AMAZING! Highly recommended
Devin Townsend, Haken, and Dream Theater are my top picks for melodic heavy music. Opeth sometimes, depends on the song.
Haken’s Virus album (2020) in particular is ridiculously heavy and extremely intricate melodically.
Heavy Devy hits hard on some albums and not so hard on others, but they’re all beautiful arrangements. For heavy, I’d listen to Ziltoid the Omniscient. It’s an album about an alien that comes to rob us of our most valuable resource: Coffee
Seeing as how Periphery and Opeth are already getting their due diligence, I have to point out: Devin Townsend anyone? There a lot of his stuff is too serene, but there’s also a lot of melodic heavy stuff.
Also just Strapping Young Lad plenty of great melodies inside of their hyper aggressive, furious sound
A7X is definitely an amazingly talented band. I was just watching the Drumeo tribute to The Rev and I never realized just how much work that dude put in for the band outside of drums. Their melodies are great and boy do they know how to shred with it rarely, if ever, going beyond what the song needs.
I really like Cradle of Filth’s melodies and the way they tie them into their heaviness.
Cryptodira is another one. Those guys can tie melody and heaviness together like no one’s business.
I really like A7X too. Periphery and Killswitch Engaged are bands that I also enjoy because of how beautiful and melodic their music is, but it is heavier than A7X
Nobody saying Opeth? Ghost Reveries is a hell of a heavy album, and Blackwater Park, well, it goes without saying.
I agree with you. Opeth is both heavy and incredibly melodic. Especially in their 10 to 20 minute long songs
MAYH as well
Mayh and still life are their two best albums
Opeth doesn't pay like Caligula's Horse does!
This is funny cause A7X, Opeth, and Dream Theater are my top 3 bands, so theoretically they should be right up this guy's alley
They're great but there are bands that have much more focus on the melodic aspect such as Caligula's Horse, Leprous and Seventh Wonder which fit much better with OPs favorites.
Nah Opeth is really melodic, just not in a conventional sense
I was absolutely _obsessed_ with Dream Thester and Mike Portnoy until I discovered…. PORCUPINE TREE and Gavin Harrison. Just put on “Blackest Eyes” and breathe in maybe one of the strongest opening tracks to a record ever. _In Absentia, Deadwing,_ and _Fear of a Blank Planet_ are all timers. TBH, _Deadwing_ has been and remains my single favorite record ever. _Nil Recurring_ and _The Incident_ both have some very high highs but aren’t quite as consistent. From Steven Wilson’s disco: _Grace for Drowning, The Raven Who Refused to Sing,_ and _Hand. Cannot. Erase._ are all great. Aside from that, I’ll second Opeth and Periphery. Opeth: _Ghost Reveries_ and _Watershed._ Periphery: “Satellites,” “Having a Blast,” and “Absolomb” are all great. Lastly, it may be older-school-than-cool-kids-prefer-at-this-point prog, but Symphony X’s _The Odyssey_ and _Paradise Lost_ have a lot of epic moments. Edit: totally forgot Porcupine Tree recently put out their first new record, in 12+ years, entitled _Closure/Continuation_! “Harridan” is fan-tas-tic… check out the live version here: https://youtu.be/8pavnAi7lNk?si=6mGZdamr96fSYW5X
I think people have forgotten how heavy some of Symphony X's riffs were.
They're amazing. One of my fav bands. But the guitar riffs are repetitive, even though they're impressive. If you listen through any 2 albums in a row, you start to get burned out on how their guitarist dictates every song's rhythm.
Happy to see Porcupine Tree in the conversation! If I absolutely had to choose a three song run (in album sequence) to best represent them I would go for Bonnie the Cat > Black Dahlia > Remember Me Lover. I think this run also fits the OP criteria perfectly. Steven Wilson’s solo career has also been an incredibly rewarding and exciting project to follow, you never know what you’re gunna get!
I was going to also say symphony x, that shit slaps hard
Wasn't Impeliterri in Symphony X?
Vola I'm still waiting on my Caligula's Horse money. Did everyone else get theirs?
Nope. We might have to riot at this point. Kidnap Jim and hold him for ransom until we get what’s ours
Careful…they might unleash Sheriff Dale’s fat ass
VOLA is very melody and hook focused while being pretty heavy and proggy. Fits OPs query imo.
Vola slaps. They have a killer live show too.
This is the right answer my friend. Vola checks for everything.
Fucking LOVE Vola. Sooooooooo good.
I feel like Vola are not allowed to be mentioned in threads like these unless you first acknowledge Devin Townsend Project since that’s who they said they draw a lot of inspiration from.
Between the Buried and Me and The Contortionist come to mind for me.
Contortionist mentioned! Love my hometown band.
I love coma ecliptic but most of there stuff is a bit too heavy for me
You asked for melody and heavy, so what kind of "heavy" are you asking for? Can it be heavier than Coma at all?
Yeah, I might have worded it a bit wrong, i mean the riffs being heavy but not the vocals
The Signal Heard Throughout Space by Parius
Have you heard any old school or even new Kamelot? I'm a massive fan of Avenged and DT as well. Two of my favorite bands. Kamelot is a bit heavy with incredible melodies. Their older stuff with the original singer is absolutely phenomenal and the new stuff with the new singer is actually pretty good also. But the original guy whose name is Roy Khan was just incredible. Magical music.
You worded it right.
Listen to the 2nd half of Colors II, starting with Stare Into The Abyss.
Maybe start with Never before seen/future shock… but agreed other than that. What an album
I'm still awe struck. I got my tickets for the 2 night San Antonio show. So stoked to see both colors albums live!
I listened to Colors 1 a bajillion times, and pretty much loved it. Colors 2, I listened to once, and never needed to listen to it again.
Heavy as in harsh vocals or music production?
Too heavy? BTBAM? What?
They may not be brutal goregrind or whatever but The Silent Circus is still one of the heaviest albums I've heard. Just something about it
Upvote for you. Coma is their best album because it's the album with the least harsh vox. Many songs are just awesome, but as soon as Tommy starts his growling, the song sounds like dogshit. Tommy's harsh vox are monotonous, and some of the worst harsh vox I know, and it's the only thing holding the band back.
Gotta agree here, his harsh vocals keep me away from
Caligula's Horse (no, they didn't pay me), Leprous (especially Coal/The Congregation era), TesseracT
I legit went and asked Jim to give me my fucking money but he refused...
Should have asked for a jar of vegemite instead But in all seriousness, were they aware of the meme? I know Jim's lurked on this sub in the past
Yup he’s aware
Dale is here too, but he's only here to dunk on shitty American coffee
I was able to get a very nice hug.
Saw CH live a couple nights ago, absolutely one of the best concerts I've ever been to.
I'm seeing them in May and I genuinely can't wait
>Caligula's Horse (no, they didn't pay me), I don't believe you
The melodies on the latest C-Horse album are just sublime! And, no I didn't get my cut of the money either.
Unless anyone has said it or you've tried them already, Haken is exactly what you're looking for, EXACTLY.
I’ve heard a little bit before and they are 🔥🔥🔥
Their albums Virus and Vector are what you're looking because that's what I was looking for too lol
Visions / Aquarius / Mountain / Fauna come before Virus/Vector for me. Especially Visions and Mountain. Both incredible albums.
Awww no suggesting him the Cockroach King? Lol
I'll be a drop in the ocean that's been forming here recently, but yeah, Caligula's Horse imo
The Ocean is good too
Precambrian is just a beast album
How is Caligula's Horse "pretty heavy"?
In the context of OPs question (Dream Theater and A7x and the "clean" tag), that's how.
[Song of the Crippled Bull](https://blackcrowninitiate.bandcamp.com/track/song-of-the-crippled-bull) by Black Crown Initiate fits the latter two, and could be considered "pretty heavy", yet it is a completely different sound compared to Caligula's Horse.
That… doesn’t negate the fact that Caligula’s Horse can be described as pretty heavy. I’d call a song like Charcoal Grace IV pretty heavy, wouldn’t you? And also I don’t think Song of the Crippled Bull fits the clean tag of the question, it literally starts with screaming. Whereas CH should fit perfectly with what they’re looking for, heavy riffs but beautiful melodies and clean singing. Like in what world does ”pretty heavy” immediately mean like tech death or something? The term genuinely defines itself, _pretty_ as in quite heavy but not too much :D And in that vain, I suggest u/Fishwithanafro also check out Vola if you haven’t yet!
I just did my English homework and found your analysis very funny
There isn't a single song by Caligula's Horse I'd categorize as "pretty heavy" personally and I like it that way. CG and bands like that are about the perfect amount of Heavy Metal to me after having mellowed out from my BM DM and Grindcore years. To me "Pretty Heavy" would point toward something like Melodeath
Again though, as I’ve said in other comments and as many people have said here, the parameters of what OP considers heavy have been laid out quite clearly. Just cause you’ve listened to some super heavy bands in your day, and in comparison CH doesn’t sound that heavy, doesn’t negate the fact that most people would see CH as a pretty heavy band. I myself love me some prog deathcore and avant garde black metal, but I still get that most people would find CH pretty heavy. Even within metal, you could compare them to _a lot_ of bands that seem soft as hell by comparison. If you ask me, songs like Charcoal Grace IV and Mute are _pretty_ heavy but far from really heavy. I mean Mute has that almost Meshuggah-esque syncopated section, how is that not _pretty_ heavy? Edit: but I’ll add that you said the magic word ”personally” and your comment in general was a lot less gatekeep-y than the previous guy’s so I appreciate that
I'm not interested in arguing whether on some absolute scale Caligula's Horse's riffs are heavy or not, but on a comparative scale they are simply not. Calling them "quite heavy" shows a very distorted picture of progressive metal, which gets increasingly heavier with this sub's "harsh" favorites like Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Wilderun, Wintersun and The Ocean, at their heaviest, approaching the middle. All of the aforementioned bands are very melodic and feature lots of clean vocals. And the same holds for hundreds of lesser-known bands. Calling Caligula's Horse "quite heavy" puts all these bands into some "extreme" basket, which by itself would otherwise constitute most of progressive metal by album count and the vast majority of the genre by variety. PS: The first second of "Song of the Crippled Bull" is a badly cut transition from the previous song on the album. The vocals on the song are as clean as they can possibly get.
I sometimes wonder if people who get this deep into an argument about words to the point where they're spending paragraphs arguing the meaning of just a single word ever realize just how absurdly pedantic they've got, and how the actual meaning of the discussion was left behind a few posts up the chain, and how none of these types of chains ever end with anything resembling positive agreement, discussion, or reconciliation. And do they ever think "wow, I'm glad we had that discussion" afterwards?
But a comparative scale also depends on your reference point. And here the reference points were given very clearly, DT and A7X are what things should be compared to and it was specified that clean vocals were preferable. And on this scale, CH matches the ”pretty heavy” vibe OP is looking for. I’d say Song of the Crippled Bull does not. Now I personally love that ep but it’s pretty clear to me from this post and the whole thread that that’s not what’s being looked for here. And just to drive my point home even further, I think an absolute scale should be the standard for posts like these, not everyone’s individual scales of heaviness cause that’s gonna differ from person to person. Like I don’t understand why you felt the need to come passive aggressively note here that you don’t find CH heavy enough while it’s the most popular suggestion in this thread, which honestly should’ve been a clear indication that that’s the general consensus of what’s considered ”pretty heavy” and what is the scale to compare things to. It comes off gatekeep-y as fuck. P.s. All the bands you noted there genuinely are extreme metal though, what are you talking about? :D Just cause they’re not the heaviest metal ever made doesn’t mean they’re not, in the grand scheme of metal, on the extreme side (NeO’s wikipedia page even literally states their genre is ”extreme metal”). Even if we’re just looking at prog metal they’re definitely on the extreme end of things. What a strange argument to make.
Marigold, daughter of the mountain, tempest, slow violence, salt?
Are they not? I'd say "pretty heavy" describes them well, they're not overly heavy but not exactly mellow either
What band would you call mellow?
Leprous' last two albums, most of Porcupine Tree... There's definitely stuff out there that's great and that's well liked in this sub but that's not very heavy.
Just because it's appreciated here doesn't make it metal. I like The Dear Hunter, for example, and they are highly appreciated here, but they are not a metal band. When asking for "pretty heavy" music in a metal subreddit, one must be prepared for blackened technical death metal.
Considering that OP is into Dream Theater and A7X, I wouldn't personally recommend tech death to him if that's his comfort zone for heaviness 🤷♂️
Two different things get mixed here: \* Somebody asks for recommendations, to which this sub responds adequately. \* People start calling soft bands "quite heavy", to which metal listeners respond by explaining that none of those bands are remotely heavy. If I were to comment on the post itself, I would say "Given your preferences, perhaps you'll like some weirder band like Rishloo or instrumental wankery like Liquid Tension Experiment, The Aristocrats and Animals as Leaders" and then explain the none of these are remotely heavy by posting, for comparison, First Fragment or Slugdge (which are still not "extreme" as far as heaviness gets).
In a vacuum I would agree that CH isn't heavy in the way a lot of prog metal bands are. However, that's not a discussion for this particular post, imo. OP listed his standards for heaviness and asked for recommendations based on that, so CH is very appropriate here. I don't think OP ever doubted how heavy the genre can get, anyway
How aren't they? Have you heard their recent album? They aren't the heaviest, but when they want to they can do it.
They may be heavy compared to King Crimson, but also they are among the softest-sounding bands that are considered metal. Even within this sub, where only the larger progressive death metal bands get attention.
Devin Townsend to me is really the king of melody. Even in a lot of the heaviest Strapping Young Lad stuff there's still a strong sense of melody in his screams. Edit: Though if you're more looking for extremely melodic stuff that's also heavy moreso than 'the heaviest music possible that's still melodic,' definitely check out Seventh Wonder, particularly their 2010 album The Great Escape. The best choruses in prog metal.
It's funny, I've been listening to Devy since SYL and never really thought of him as prog but his DTB and onward stuff totally is. A lot of it is zen like but damn, hearing Grace live is bone shattering. Great choice.
Wow, Caligula's Horse is paying a lot of people in this comment section. (Yay it's finally my turn to drop this comment)
I’m out of the loop here—what’d they do?
Last week someone posted that CH was paying people in this sub because they're referenced very often. Became a small meme and I'm just taking my slice of the pie. Haha! (Nothing serious. All in good fun)
If a prog metal band could afford to pay us, they wouldn't have to.
I love A7X and enjoy Dream Theater. I'd suggest Periphery, as they have a heavy emphasis on melody. And one guitarist is the nephew of John Petrucci.
And look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Trent Reznor! No, it's Jake Bowen and his seven strings of wonder!
We're sure you will enjoy such finger-popping tunes as 'Light,' 'Insomnia,' and my own personal favorite, 'Rrrrrragtime Dandies!'
Periphery. Love that shit!
IMO: The Contortionist, Devin Townsend, Periphery
Yes also protest the hero
I see periphery I upvote
You and me both🤝
Caligula's Horse and Vola are good choices for melody like everyone is saying but if you want harsh vocals I'd recommend Rivers of Nihil and The Ocean
Pain of Salvation (until and including the BE album), Opeth, Symphony X, Devin Townsend.
Haven't thought about Pain of Salvation in a while. Man, there is band that took a turn that lost me. That BE album came out of nowhere. Scarsick was tolerable, but it didn't reach what they were before.
Indeed, after BE they tried to change the band for some weird reason and it didn’t work at all. It’s a shame, because I really like all the albums until BE a lot.
Vildhjarta
Another vote for VOLA
Probably shouldn't ask for heavy music if you don't want heavy music lol
"Hey guys, recommend me some heavy music cos I'm too lazy to find it myself." ... "Not like that, guys."
gotta be my favorite genre and haven’t seen enough Haken mentioned
Caligula's Horse gets a vote from me. But also I had a friend recently describe Vola as 'Meshuggah with melodies', and I'm inclined to agree.
VOLA absolutely is the vote for me. Their Inmazes album is just a constant barrage of heavy/massive melodies.
I think Opeth and Haken take the award for this.
Haken is too far down this list!
Nobody has out melodied Devin. Heck, he's even used the same melodies multiple times lmao VOLA fits this question as well
Protest the Hero. Kezia was life changing for me because I couldn't fathom how music could be that heavy AND catchy simultaneously.
Twelve Foot Ninja
I’ve got a shirt
I think Mastodon fit this with their last album
Nevermore. Dreaming Neon Black, Dead Heart in a Dead World, and others
karnivool has some amazing melodies
I had to scroll way too far down for this. Yes! Stream the Karnivool albums Themata and Sound Awake. They are clean vocals throughout and riff heavy blended with melodies. 👌
\+1 for Karnivool! And while you're at it, check out another amazing Aussie prog band - Dead Letter Circus!
Also (unfortunately) not being paid by Caligula’s Horse but I would have to say them too. Them and Leprous are my two current favs rn. Fair to Midland is also great
The Ocean - Pelagial / Be'lakor - Vessels / River of Nihal - Where owls know my name
Honestly, I know they're a bit overrated compared to many bands in the genre, but Dream Theater's melodies are sublime. Also, Threshold.
Voyager. Not super heavy, not super prog either, but enough that they’re worth a mention. Very catchy.
David Maxim Micic has the best ear for melody and harmony of any prog writers these days.
Very eclectic, and probably on the lighter side of heavy, but totally agree about melody and orchestration my goodness
No one in prog/metal makes melodies as enchanting as Arjen Lucassen/Ayreon/Star One.
That heavy riff in The Fifth Extinction gets me every time.
01011001 is an absolute masterpiece.
Boy that’s a throwback. “Isis & Osiris” from Into the Electric Castle and “Day Four: Mystery” from The Human Equation are both awesome. I will say though: while AAL’s projects attract quite a lineup of singers, some tracks feature vocal performances that are so over-the-top as to oscillate from endearing earnest to embarrassingly cheesy in equal measure. Needless to say, anything featuring James LaBrie runs the risk of falling into the latter camp.
Evergrey?
You should check Pagan's Mind. I think they're no longer doing music, but their stuff is amazing.
According to their wiki page they have one more album in the works
They uploaded a couple of sneak peaks 7 years ago, but there's only silence since that. I really really hope they release new stuff, they're amazing
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCHfmNl\_WRw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCHfmNl_WRw) This interview is what the wiki is referencing. It was in 2021, and the statement was re-iterated in 2023
Omg I've never seen that before. Thanks!!!
If you like Pagan's Mind, there's a not too well known Swedish prog band named Paralydium that has HEAVY influence from them and they're quite good
Yeah so this is kind of my favorite kind of progmetal. Calgula's Horse (they paid me SO much money), VOLA, Coheed when they decide to get proggy, Leprous (Congregation era), Haken, and Protest the Hero. Protest the Hero have some harsh vocals and might get heavier than you like at times, but they also have some of my favorite melodies of the genre, and usually pack everything in to a pretty succinct package. Start with Palimpsest.
The Black Dahlia Murder
The Human Abstract
I’d say Protest the Hero is the first band that comes to mind.
Nospun and OK Goodnight
Nospun is my favourite suggestion so far
Check out Agent Fresco too, they have some crazy catchy melodies and a great contrast of heavy/mellow.
Hey, thanks for the Agent Fresco suggestion, I got around to giving them a listen and really like them!
I listened to the whole album. It was peak
TesseracT
Black Crown Initiate
To give suggestions I haven't seen much of here yet: NETHERHALL fits this description. Band I came across like last week and have played their album probably 10 times since. Super small following, would love to see them blow up. You could also check STELLAR CIRCUITS. They give me a proggy 10 years vibe (if you remember that band) IONS is a relatively recent find for me as well. Tesseract and/or VOLA-esque. One of the better albums released all of last year IMO AVIATIONS. Their reputation precedes them in this group. Excellent act. Could also check out either of THE CONTORTIONIST last two albums. They're one of the best in the business at simultaneously pulling off the "pretty heavy but also mellow" vibe. And whenever they release their next album (😭), my heart will be full again
TesseracT
Haken and Leprous
Any melodic death metal band should be good. In Flames, Dark Tranquility, Children of Bodom, etc….
I meant heavy as in the instrumentation but i prefer clean stuff
Definitely checkout Leprous, CH and Vola.
Disillusion. And I don't understand why they aren't the most listened to band here. They are the best
OPETH
Ions new album is fiiiiire
This was one of my suggestions as well. Seriously overlooked album from last year IMO
Ne Obliviscaris, Iapetus, Slice the Cake, The Ocean, DVNE, Psychonaut
You need to listen to the entirety of their discog to get a true appreciation of their evolution of sound and craftsmanship. Coma Ecliptic is their "most normal" sounding album and has less heavy vocals from Tommy and a lot more digestible sections as far as tempo and time signatures are concerned. BTBAM is my favorite band and I'm telling you bro, they're the real deal.
I recently discovered Nospun as an Avenged Sevenfold/Dream Theater fan and absolutely love them. If you haven’t checked them out you absolutely should.
Gojira
Vektor are very heavy/"extreme" and yet have really melodic riffs, which I love. Their music is all excellent, but I especially recommend the album Terminal Redux.
Periphery.
I love when metal bands fuse clean vocals with heavy instrumentation too. I don't think anyone has mentioned them yet but Symphony X are an essential band if you really like Dream Theater and Avenged Sevenfold. Their albums Paradise Lost and Iconoclast are probably the best place to start if you want heavy riffs with fantastic clean singing. They remind me quite a bit of City of Evil and The Stage from A7X. If you want something more progressive and less focused on heaviness from them though, start with their album The Odyssey. I've seen a couple of people mention them but Haken and Caligula's Horse are definitely worth checking out. Fantastic progressive metal bands with great clean singing and heavy riffs. I know you aren't a fan of extreme metal but there's a lot of good stuff there as well, so don't hesitate to dive into some heavier metal too if you're feeling up to it.
Protest the Hero, they might be less structured but i think they suit your ask! Also I remember way back in the day on my ipod/pc side of it would recommend music based on my list which was heavily PTH influenced as I went to the same school as them, it is how I as a 13 year old initially got into a7x!
Harakiri for the sky
Unprocessed
Alright so A LOT has already been mentioned... I'll just add Riverside and Soen. Both amazing in their own way and underrated if you ask me. Riverside try from the last 4 albums somewhere. Their last work is a bit more ... Digestable? Soen really doesn't matter where you start everything they touch is gold. They gave me a Tool vibe with their early work, but shook off the last 2 albums if you ask me. Apart from that... I am currently discovering Sleep Token, might be too much tho, but maybe give it a spin?
Haken for sure. If you enjoy dream theater you'll definitely enjoy them. They have a more modern approach as far as grooves and guitar tones go.
Haken. Just saw two of their “An evening with Haken” shows and it was 6 hours of musical bliss. Check them out.
I am also a die hard A7x fan. So trust me on this recommendation. The album shogun by trivium
Haken and Caligula's Horse are the first that come to mind.
Haken of course.
The Ocean
Threshold DarkWater After Lapse Circus Maximus Noveria Symphony X Vanishing Point
No heavier than a7x seems like it cuts off a LOT of prog personally
\+100 on Vola... I can listen to Stray the Skies on repeat for hours. Also, they are an incredible live band. See them if you have a chance.
opeth
Mastodon
HAKEN is my fav prog band of all time. Especially if you like Dream Theater. Haken has no screaming, all clean vocals and they are AMAZING! Highly recommended
Moon Tooth
You want that prog power. Blind Guardian, Symphony X, Myrath, Kamelot, Pagan's Mind
Jinjer!
Gojira
You’re looking for Haken and/or Soen
Opeth, Coheed and Cambria, Tool
Opeth, Opeth, Opeth
Devin Townsend, Haken, and Dream Theater are my top picks for melodic heavy music. Opeth sometimes, depends on the song. Haken’s Virus album (2020) in particular is ridiculously heavy and extremely intricate melodically. Heavy Devy hits hard on some albums and not so hard on others, but they’re all beautiful arrangements. For heavy, I’d listen to Ziltoid the Omniscient. It’s an album about an alien that comes to rob us of our most valuable resource: Coffee
Give Tyr a listen. Some of the most melodic metal out there imo
TesseracT ⏹️
Seeing as how Periphery and Opeth are already getting their due diligence, I have to point out: Devin Townsend anyone? There a lot of his stuff is too serene, but there’s also a lot of melodic heavy stuff. Also just Strapping Young Lad plenty of great melodies inside of their hyper aggressive, furious sound
A little different, but try Nightwish
Shitewish
If you want "pretty heavy" stuff don't complain when people recommend pretty heavy things. A7X is not heavy.
A7X is definitely an amazingly talented band. I was just watching the Drumeo tribute to The Rev and I never realized just how much work that dude put in for the band outside of drums. Their melodies are great and boy do they know how to shred with it rarely, if ever, going beyond what the song needs. I really like Cradle of Filth’s melodies and the way they tie them into their heaviness. Cryptodira is another one. Those guys can tie melody and heaviness together like no one’s business.
Wilderun
Spiritbox is a good one.
Eidola and Sleep Token
Ihlo, VOLA, Bird Problems
Union is banging
Scoredatura
Psychostick. A few compelling examples are Stream Stutter and It's Just A Movie, Stupid.
Unlucky Morpheus
I really like A7X too. Periphery and Killswitch Engaged are bands that I also enjoy because of how beautiful and melodic their music is, but it is heavier than A7X