"Essential Progressive Metal Albums

Essential Progressive Metal Albums

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Progressive metal has evolved from its '70s/'80s rock roots to a wide-ranging and established genre.   It has also infiltrated other genres, with many bands in death, black, folk and other styles incorporating elements of progressive metal.    Veterans like Dream Theater and Fates Warning set the bar high, with modern bands such as Between The Buried And Me carrying the mantle for the younger generation.  We've put together a list of progressive metal albums that give a good overview for those exploring the genre.  It is not meant to be a comprehensive and all-inclusive list, just a starting point to delve into the genre.

"2013 Best Heavy Metal DVDs

2013 Best Heavy Metal DVDs

In addition to albums, we also review heavy metal DVDs. There were a lot of good ones released in 2013. Some excellent ones that just missed making our list include Dio - Finding The Sacred Heart: Live In Philly 1986 and Devin Townsend - The Retinal Circus. Here are our choices for the five best metal DVDs of 2013.

"The linguistics of Death Metal, and how to translate common English phrases into the Dark Lord's Tongue

The linguistics of Death Metal, and how to translate common English phrases into the Dark Lord's Tongue

The Black Metal band "Code." Photo: Shutterstock.

"Iron Maiden Tracks Down Pirates…. And Gives Them Concerts

Iron Maiden Tracks Down Pirates…. And Gives Them Concerts

Over the past several years numerous studies have shown that on average file-sharers spend more money on legal purchases, including concert tickets and merchandise.

"Iron Maiden makes millions by touring countries where their music is most pirated

Iron Maiden makes millions by touring countries where their music is most pirated

Iron Maiden hired a BitTorrent analytics company called Musicmetric to determine where piracy of their music was highest, then scheduled tours of those countries. They made millions touring Central and South America. Iron Maiden LLP has outperformed the UK music sector as a whole and was named one of the "1000 Companies That Inspire Britain" by the London Stock Exchange.

"Metal Christmas: Ten Christmas Songs That Are Actually Pretty Good. No Really.

Metal Christmas: Ten Christmas Songs That Are Actually Pretty Good. No Really.

Ho Ho NO

"Top 20 Heavy Metal Viral Videos of 2013

Top 20 Heavy Metal Viral Videos of 2013 What do we consider a viral video? A video which isn't necessarily a music video, usually created by a fan, and either makes us laugh or impresses us with talent displayed in the video. We've come across many of these sorts of videos in 2013, but wanted to pick the best of the best for

"Black Metal School Desk Drawings Now Considered Art

Black Metal School Desk Drawings Now Considered Art Remember all the shitty things you used to draw on your desk at school? We've all done it, and there always used to be that one kid that was really good at it. You were jealous of him too. Now we've got Artist Humberto Casas Junca taking his love of black metal and artistic representation

"International Society Of Heavy Metal Studies...

International Society Of Heavy Metal Studies (ISMMS) Is Amazingly A Real Thing From what I can gather now that my mind has been sufficiently exploded by the sheer amazement that this is a serious project that exists, the ISMMS is a collective that researches all types metal music and creates an academic discipline out of it. Holy friggin' crap! Above is a video of Dr. Karl Spracklen, a […]

"Heavy Metal Music and the Communal Experience Conference

Heavy Metal Music and the Communal Experience Conference

It is common to hear metal fans and musicians talk about the "metal community". This concept, which is widely used when referencing metal music, encompasses multiple levels of complexity that are seldom addressed in academic endeavors. When examined in detail, it raises more questions than answers. 

"MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine Is NOT A Republican!

MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine Is NOT A Republican!

Dave Mustaine has had a relatively good year in terms of no bad PR. Looking back at our coverage of his lunacy, the only truly mind-boggling thing that he said this year was that he did not believe in evolution. Of course, there was that whole time last year when he said he wanted to

"Metallica Play Antarctica

Metallica Play Antarctica (Photos Inside)

PENGUIN FAMILEEEH

Metallica successfully crossed their “new frontier” on Saturday when they played in 

"Orson Welles Records Two Songs with the 1980s Heavy-Metal Band Manowar

Orson Welles Records Two Songs with the 1980s Heavy-Metal Band Manowar

Heavy metal music enjoyed the pleasures of excess in the 1980s, an era when, if you believe certain biographers, writer-actor-auteur Orson Welles did the very same. Though some describe the life of the man who made Citizen Kane as having by then fallen into a final period of great decadence...

"2013's Best Heavy Metal Albums

2013's Best Heavy Metal Albums As the year winds down, it's time to pick the best metal albums released in 2013. It will take a few years to get a better perspective, but at first glance the elite albums of this year stack up pretty favorably with recent years. Choosing which 20 albums make the list is always a challenging proposition, but the one at the top was an easy choice. Check out our list of 2013's best metal albums and comment on what you think the year's top releases were.

"Remembering Dimebag Darrell, Who Died Tragically 9 Years Ago Today

Remembering Dimebag Darrell, Who Died Tragically 9 Years Ago Today It's crazy to think it's almost been a decade without "Dimebag" Darrell, one of the greatest shredders to ever live. Dime was taken from us nine years ago today, but his music still lives on stronger than ever. Let's take a moment to remember the greatness that was Dime

"Hellfest Basically Confirms The Best Lineup Ever

Hellfest Basically Confirms The Best Lineup Ever

This guy’s just the start…

France’s premier metal festival, Hellfest, has announced a stunner of a lineup for next yea

"Female Metal Journalists Turn it Around, Pick 50 Hottest Guys in Metal

Female Metal Journalists Turn it Around, Pick 50 Hottest Guys in Metal Every year, Revolver magazine does a "Hottest Chicks In Metal Hard Rock" issue and it always spurs a bit of controversy. The reasoning is simple: it sells copies of the magazine, so much so, that it's expanded into a yearly calendar. A few of the female metal fans in the scene took notice and decided hey,

"Five Finger Death Punch Interview

Five Finger Death Punch Interview

Having one top 5 album in a year is quite an accomplishment. Five Finger Death Punch have had two in 2013: The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell volumes 1 and 2. Drummer Jeremy Spencer fills us in on the selection process of the songs for the two albums, his favorite collaboration onVolume 1, their current European tour with Avenged Sevenfold, putting together a setlist, dealing with their increasing popularity and other topics.