I'd like to hear your opinion on this particular matter:
What do you consider "Progressive" when it comes to music?
Here's my thoughts:
The term 'progressive' in a musical context seems to apply to any band that play fast unisono runs in odd-meter time. For example "Dali's Dilemma" are considered a Progressive metal band, and Adagio is considered something like "Symphonic/progressive power metal". To me that's rediculous. I mean, what's so damn progressive about that?! -A million bands have done that a million times before. (And with all due respect to the bands afore mentioned, (I like both very much) they're basically doing stuff that's all been done before)
To me 'progressive' means (or should mean) something like pushing the limits of the established norms of music in general or at least some musical genre.
For example: I think the term applied very well to what
Dream Theater did in the early 90's. The fusion of different musical genres like jazz (to some extent), rock, metal and pop was fairly new then, I don't know if they were the first band ever to come up with the idea, but I guess their present status pretty much speaks for itself. They were progressive in the true sense of the word because what they did presented new ideas to the world of music. I would never consider what they do now "Progressive" in the sense of the true sense of the word. They're still using the same elements as they have always done in their music.
A prime example of a band that (in my opinion) is truly progressive in what they do is Pain Of Salvation. I think they are very un-limited (unbound by norms) in what they do. I hear all sorts of different musical styles and ideas in their music combined in a new way which is basically what I consider to be "Progressive".
What I'm pointing out, is that I see a huge contradiction in labelling a genre "Progressive". A label is something we use to define bands' playing styles based on musical conventions and clichés. But if "Progressive" really means breaking with conventions and clichés to create something new, how can "Progressive" be used as the label of a genre?
Linear Mode
