Decided that I want to write a journal, so I made it as random as 25 favorite songs
Also, I am not a critic, thus I will point out only the good things in these songs and the way they struck me.
Let's start with it.. From the end.
25.
Isis -
Wrists of Kings - I deem post metal as progressive metal. Especially Isis' post-metal. This song defines it clearly, the post-rock, progressive rock influences make Isis the unique band that they are. Great song.
24.
Mark Sandman -
Patience - Getting used to Morphine's dark moody tunes, this song amazed me on how actually bright and positive sounding it is. A different tune with a similar sound, cool isn't it?
23.
Peach -
You Lied - So, so catchy. Heard it via Tool's cover but liked the original version much better. Spent one whole day listening to it, then lost interest. It amused me enough though. :d
22.
Swans -
Beautiful Child - Simply great. Haven't listened to Swans a lot, and when I hear this song I have a feeling I'm missing a lot. Gotta stop being lazy and actually get more of their stuff.
21.
Portishead -
Elysium - Favorite Portishead track for sure. Didn't pay a lot of attention to it earlier but when it got to my ears I repeated it and repeated it and repeated. Amazes me with the scary vocals lol.
20.
Unexpect -
Summoning Scenes - Haven't been a fan of Unexpect's mix of high experimentation and black metal, but this is a track that just jumps out of nowhere. Excellent.
19.
Nihilist Spasm Band -
I Have Nothing to Say - Free Improvisation at it's finest imo. I love these guys.
18.
Iced Earth -
A Question of Heaven - Just for the record, I hate power metal. Power metal and epic stories, and the way they are presented are everything I despise. Iced Earth is the only power metal band which knows some limits to decency, and isn't loserish like 99% of power metal bands. Excellent album and excellent song.
17.
Voivod -
Angel Rat - I don't think I will never know why this band is so, so underrated. Angel Rat is one of my favorite albums, holds really fresh songs. The whole band is not that progressive (even though it has elements of prog-rock), but that's what you get for trying to mix trash metal with prog... you get forgotten.
16.
Boris -
Pink - Still haven't listened to anything but the album Pink, but what I heard, I love. Pink is a great track. I think I would love his drone stuff as well, just to find a chance to listen to it
15.
Animal Collective -
Peacebone - It's the first song I've heard of them and immediately got me into them. I deem only a few bands to be really psychedelic, this is one of them.
14.
Frank Zappa -
Peaches En Regalia - This song made me love Frank Zappa and probably left me with a kid or two of his. I have only Hot Rats, do want to get more stuff, so suggest me an album or two out of a million he made.
13.
Meshuggah -
Stengah - Love the technical complexity of this, or any other Meshuggah songs for that matter. And overall lyrics on Nothing are some of the best I've heard. This song partially define how awesome they actually are.
12.
Tool -
Third Eye - Definitely their best song (along with Jambi and both Wings songs). Aenima is not their best album, but holds some pretty unique structured songs (as Aenima and Third Eye). A truly epic song, I don't have much to say about it. Oh, and Tool
is prog you rebel idiot!
11.
maudlin of the Well -
Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the… - Dreamy. Not sure why maudlin is getting classed as avant-garde metal though, most of their stuff is avant-gardeish... post rock? Great either way.
10.
Opeth -
Ghost of Perdition - Another epic epic song. The change in time signatures and vocal styles is amazing and fits perfectly (saying that because they have songs where it seems completely forced and annoying). Without a doubt their most proggy song. Oh, and ballads don't necessarily mean progressive you rebel idiot!
9.
Gentle Giant -
Plain Truth - A true art rocky masterpiece. Great musical harmony and very catchy.
8.
Menomena -
Weird - As much as certain indie rock bands are everything I despise, I love Menomena! Can't call it a lot experimental, but there is a certain difference from other indie rock bands. Weird is a song which defines their sound greatly. Amazing sounding.
7.
Magma -
Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh (Retrospektïw 2) - It's a live performance, right? Whatever, I deem all of the 40+ minutes of this track epic. It's practically the MDK album live just in a slightly newer version. I would explain this track more detailed but it has far too many changes in it so you're better off reading a professional review of MDK. Epic track either way.
6.
Ruins -
Grubandgo - Think this is the first thing I heard from them. Definitely was worth the mention, these guys have a really unique math rockish/zeuhlish/prog-rockish/avant-gardeish sound. This is perhaps their most catchy song, but that's not the only reason why I like it.
5.
The Residents -
Part One: Edweena - Now that I mentioned The Residents before, why not again. I can't really choose just one Residents song off of Not Available that I love, I love them equally, really. That is one album I can listen to anytime. This song (and album) is the definition of psychedelic-ness and experimentation.
4.
Yes -
Siberian Khatru - As much as I dislike most of Yes's stuff, Close To The Edge is a brilliant, brilliant album. There is not one minute of it to be boring, very immersive. Siberian Khatru is the highest Close To The Edge, and overall Yes gets. Filled with so much energy, senseless lyrics and catchy tunes is what makes this album so good.
3.
Amon Düül II -
Soap Shop Rock - I don't know how to explain this song really. It's a progressive rock song that is really psychedelic (as in, The Residents psychedelic). I just wonder why isn't it listened more, it's surely one of the best prog-rock songs I've heard. Amazing band.
2.
King Crimson -
Lizard - If you don't like King Crimson's Lizard album, guess what; screw you, you rebel idiot! Sure it's not filled with energy and harsh instrumental musicianship like the past albums, but that is exactly why King Crimson is a unique band. They changed band personnel like socks, and with new people come new influences, new sounds. Lizard is much more jazz-fusion oriented, and most of the people didn't like it at first, as they were used to their old formula but this is the album where King Crimson started to evolve. It was the first KC album I actually listened to, and definitely my favorite KC album, not sure why though.
1.
Morphine -
The Night - And last but not least, Morphine's masterpiece album and song called The Night. Most of the Morphine lovers will agree with me on this, that The Night is their best song they've released. Having many elements from their older albums they've expanded it with more instrumentation (including a cello, a piano and such), getting farther from their alternative jazz-rocky style and scratching the surface of neoclassicism. The piano in this song works greatly as it sets the mood just like the sax did in their older albums.
Give those a listen, definitely worth it. Especially for someone who has any interest in any form of progressiveness or experimentation.