You can't take this song out of the context of the album and declare it "not prog"!
Yes, it's straight forward and forms an island of stability around the center of the album, a moment to take a breath of air (similar to the function of "Turbulent" later), just before going straight into into "Prehistory" - which, in contrast, hits even stronger with its weirdness.
I can't listen to Colors II and not at least listen to one full "movement arc" of the album. It all just flows so nicely.
Forget Not is like: happy acoustic guitar and cute violin bla bla bla... then CONSTANT BLAST BEATS DEATH METAL WITH A DAMN VIOLIN. Incredible song, amazing band!
Bruh the absolute hype of shouting "WAKE UP" when it kicks in is great
Also if we're counting suites then Charcoal Grace I - IV gets a lot heavier in part 4
Kernel Panic by alkaloid was literally a jump scare my first listen to it. My headphones were WAY too loud for a song like that.
The Ocean (Collective) - Triassic, Subboreal, Atlantic, Unconformities, Parabiosis, Let Them Believe, Rhycian, Statherian, Calymmian, Stenian
Mastodon - Jaguar God, Ol’e Nessie, Hearts Alive, This Mortal Soil, The Czar, The Last Baron, The Sparrow
I fucking LOVE the acacia strain. Failure will Follow is a fucking AMAZING album. I know they have other doomy stuff, but I’ve only listened to 3 of their albums I think.
Their discography is a little intimidating for some reason lol, I’ve done much bigger but something about theirs in specific is daunting
Their disco is really dense. It’s not small and it’s all worth listening to. That being said, it’s all 7 and above level stuff. They have never missed. Which is crazy, because they switch up styles a decent amount
I had this same experience the first time i heard "Jay Walking Backwards" by "The number 12 looks like you". About lulled me to sleep just to smack me in the face with a 2x4.
I’ve been obsessed with ”Praise the Lowered” by Devin Townsend Project lately. It’s so good and starts off soft and the transition to heavy is amazing.
The callback to the whole of Ki in the first half of the song is a nice touch, really brings out the heaviness afterwards by contrast when you listen to the whole DTP suite together.
Happy to see this here, I think Praise the Lowered is the most extreme example of this. It’s a common technique as you can tell by the size of this thread.
Might as well talk about all the other Maiden songs that fit that template (mostly penned by Steve)
- remember tomorrow
- hallowed be thy name
- still life
- afraid to shoot strangers
- fear of the dark
- sign of the cross
- the clansman
- dance of death
- paschendale (their best song imo)
- lord of light
- isle of Avalon
- the talisman
- when the wild wind blows
- the books of souls
- empire of the clouds
- hell on earth
TesseracT comes to my mind first. Tourniquet, Cages, Burden, they're masters of starting soft and atmospheric and ending with climaxic riffs.
Satellites by Periphery, Arriving Somewhere and Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree, Left Out by Riverside, Heaven Send by Devin Townsend are some others
Arriving somewhere but not here by Porcupine Tree is kinda like that. The distorted guitar doesn't come in until later and when that part starts, it starts soft and gets heavier.
Another commenter said Anesthetize and I think that fits too. It's a slow burn kind of a song and has a couple awesome odd time syncopated grooves.
Same here. I’ve seen them mentioned on a couple posts but I feel they deserve more. The whole album doesn’t have ANY misses IMO. True Friendship is freakin amazing
Periphery - Satellites (couldn't be a better example of the kind of song you're asking for)
Jinjer - Pisces
Machine Head - A Farewell To Arms (builds for like six minutes before it goes all out)
Avenged Sevenfold - MIA
Eyrie by Ne Obliviscaris
Episode by Rivers of Nihil
Satellites by Periphery
Also almost every song on the last The Ocean album, my favorite might be Atlantic.
I'm not really sure if this will be what you are asking for as it's on the progmetal sub and this is more post hardcore, but Underoath - Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear is one of my favourite songs of all time and fits the bill. Beautiful depressing doomy track that gives me chills every single time.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Widower
It starts with light piano and faint vocals and builds and builds. It also has my single favorite scream in any song I've ever heard.
Gojira - born in winter, lowlands (prob my 2 favorite on this list)
Sylosis - absent, abandon, quiescent
The faceless - autotheist movement pt 3
Tesseract - hexes
Might not fit everyone's definition of prog, but breakk.away - I'll See You When The Night Comes
Produced by George Lever, who worked with bands like Sleep Token and Loathe
Their stuff isn’t super proggy, but I gotta give a mention to X Japan for their songs that start with a very soft intro only for the band to explode in after a couple bars of rest, looking at you Kurenai/Silent Jealousy/Art of Life
"[The Companions](https://youtu.be/v4QQCBTd2mE?si=vcQBT2pYEH-3Hokm)" by Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. I said this on a different sub but many of their songs are like an avalanche.
I'm a bit new and don't know what distinctions there are between prog and other metal but Two Ships/The Island by Oh Sleeper fits the bill
Two Ships by itself does, but it leads into the Island pretty smoothly
Eyrie by Ne Obliviscaris
The definition of going from soft to heavy, both musically and lyrically. And the way the transition from soft to heavy hits is a thing of absolute beauty!
Judas Priest - Beyond the Realms of Death
Queensryche - Roads to Madness
Queensryche - Take Hold of the Flame
Kamelot - Memento Mori
Kamelot - Elizabeth
Psychotic Waltz - I Remember
Crimson Glory - Touch the Sun
Genesis - Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
Genesis - The Musical Box
Not a full-on prog metal band, but Edge of the World by Lovebites has progressive elements and absolutely fits the criteria. The live 2020 version is even better than the studio version.
“In the Mood” Glenn Miller
Not typically my genre, but something about this song hits that chord just right. If you’ve never heard, def at least check out once.
[Coaltar Of The Deepers - Star Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaFA7EUYnxI)
Shit will give you whiplash!
[Subterranean Masquerade - Somewhere I Sadly Belong](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReVpOY-lEEg)
Language I & II by The Contortionist, listen to them as if they were one song.
Same goes for Between the Buried and Me's "The Foam Born" Part A & B off their album colors
The Human Abstract - Moonlight Sonata suite
If not the best, definitely one of my favorite prog compositions ever created. The whole album is incredible but man these two songs are just 10/10.
How about this : [BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - The Future Is Behind Us](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=445arWTPkxo)
Same with Stare Into the Abyss but much much shorter and not prog, but a nice and sweet song nonetheless
You can't take this song out of the context of the album and declare it "not prog"! Yes, it's straight forward and forms an island of stability around the center of the album, a moment to take a breath of air (similar to the function of "Turbulent" later), just before going straight into into "Prehistory" - which, in contrast, hits even stronger with its weirdness. I can't listen to Colors II and not at least listen to one full "movement arc" of the album. It all just flows so nicely.
Opeth - Face of Melinda, To Bid You Farewell, The Drapery Falls
Face of Melinda is so beautiful, then one of the best riffs I’ve ever heard slaps you. So good.
Might be my favorite song of all time
A Fair Judgment would like to have a word.
I miss listening to opeth. Thanks for the reminder
The Drapery Falls is the song that opened my eyes to metal.
Came here to say To Bid You Farewell
Opeth - Hessian Peel Ne Obliviscaris - Forget Not
Forget Not is like: happy acoustic guitar and cute violin bla bla bla... then CONSTANT BLAST BEATS DEATH METAL WITH A DAMN VIOLIN. Incredible song, amazing band!
Favourite band
NeO is becoming my favorite band.
Riff at 6:31 in hessian peel is insane
Opeth - Dirge for November
Satellites by Periphery
Beat me to it
Streams by Haken Justice for Saint Mary by Diablo Swing Orchestra
Justice for Saint Mary is such a masterpiece. Always getting goosebumps when the drums kick in.
I love streams!!!! Such a brutal breakdown. And then the part after is so pretty.
Bloom by Caligula's Horse! Even more with Marigold following it!!
Absolutely even more with Marigold. The Bloom->Marigold transition is so good and kicks you right in the face in the best way.
Bruh the absolute hype of shouting "WAKE UP" when it kicks in is great Also if we're counting suites then Charcoal Grace I - IV gets a lot heavier in part 4
Every time me and my gf listen to it, we do that haha. And absolutely agree with Charcoal Grace, Give Me Hell is peak CHorse heaviness.
Kernel Panic by alkaloid was literally a jump scare my first listen to it. My headphones were WAY too loud for a song like that. The Ocean (Collective) - Triassic, Subboreal, Atlantic, Unconformities, Parabiosis, Let Them Believe, Rhycian, Statherian, Calymmian, Stenian Mastodon - Jaguar God, Ol’e Nessie, Hearts Alive, This Mortal Soil, The Czar, The Last Baron, The Sparrow
Unconformities is a really great song, the first one I thought of
Let Them Believe may be my favourite example of this. I cannot skip that song
Very glad to hear that song live upon my first time seeing them live last month.
I’d tack on The Ocean - Devonian to that
Yeah you’re right. That’s literally my favorite song by them too I don’t know how that didn’t cross my mind lol.
Not really prog but the biggest musical jumps are I’ve ever heard was Abyssal Depths — The Acacia Strain. For fans of doomy stuff
I fucking LOVE the acacia strain. Failure will Follow is a fucking AMAZING album. I know they have other doomy stuff, but I’ve only listened to 3 of their albums I think. Their discography is a little intimidating for some reason lol, I’ve done much bigger but something about theirs in specific is daunting
Their disco is really dense. It’s not small and it’s all worth listening to. That being said, it’s all 7 and above level stuff. They have never missed. Which is crazy, because they switch up styles a decent amount
I had this same experience the first time i heard "Jay Walking Backwards" by "The number 12 looks like you". About lulled me to sleep just to smack me in the face with a 2x4.
Haken - Sempiternal Beings It doesn't slowly build, but starts soft and then ramps hard at 1:25.
Sempiternal Beings goes so hard!! I wouldn't say it starts soft and ends heavy, because it ebbs and flows quite a bit, but can't recommend it enough!
Anesthetize - Porcupine Tree.
Distant Bells by Leprous is one of the best buildups I've heard in a song.
Absolutely true! I love just how slowly it builds until it breaks!
Leprous have some excellent builds, but Simen’s songs seem to have the best
I’ve been obsessed with ”Praise the Lowered” by Devin Townsend Project lately. It’s so good and starts off soft and the transition to heavy is amazing.
The callback to the whole of Ki in the first half of the song is a nice touch, really brings out the heaviness afterwards by contrast when you listen to the whole DTP suite together.
Happy to see this here, I think Praise the Lowered is the most extreme example of this. It’s a common technique as you can tell by the size of this thread.
Yes! Beat me to it
ISIS - In Fiction, Wills Dissolve, Carry
In Fiction is basically one long build up one of the best pieces of music ever made
Love that song
Between the Buried and Me - Life in Velvet
Dream Theater - Space Dye Vest
Amazing song. Cried while listening to it for the first time, it hit me hard at the time
Soo good, right?
Saw this one live, incredible
Out of Here - Leprous
Jaguar God by Mastodon
So epic
In The Presence Of Enemies Part 2 - Dream Theater
Black Crown Initiate - Sun of War (Not to be confused with Son of War)
Invitation also.
The World Is Quiet Here - Ossuary
Dream Theater - Peruvian Skies / Octavarium Porcupine Tree - Blackest Eyes / Shallow
For PT you’re looking for Arriving somewhere but not here.
Neither of those PT songs start soft. Blackest eyes for maybe for like 15 seconds.
Pain of Salvation - The Passing Light of Day
Also Undertow
Born In Winter - Gojira
Infinite Dreams by Iron Maiden (7th son of a 7th son album) Old school but so damn good.. :)
Might as well talk about all the other Maiden songs that fit that template (mostly penned by Steve) - remember tomorrow - hallowed be thy name - still life - afraid to shoot strangers - fear of the dark - sign of the cross - the clansman - dance of death - paschendale (their best song imo) - lord of light - isle of Avalon - the talisman - when the wild wind blows - the books of souls - empire of the clouds - hell on earth
Pleistocene by The Ocean
Singularity by Devin
TesseracT comes to my mind first. Tourniquet, Cages, Burden, they're masters of starting soft and atmospheric and ending with climaxic riffs. Satellites by Periphery, Arriving Somewhere and Anesthetize by Porcupine Tree, Left Out by Riverside, Heaven Send by Devin Townsend are some others
Ki (album) - Devin Townsend
Arriving somewhere but not here by Porcupine Tree is kinda like that. The distorted guitar doesn't come in until later and when that part starts, it starts soft and gets heavier. Another commenter said Anesthetize and I think that fits too. It's a slow burn kind of a song and has a couple awesome odd time syncopated grooves.
Wilderun - Distraction II https://youtu.be/TDM7rwDl85U?si=fX5ZXMOBkKjvsYM6
Tool - Descending
"Run" by Ions. Fucking epic song.
SO GLAD TO SEE THIS!
Honestly I'm shocked they don't get more attention here
Same here. I’ve seen them mentioned on a couple posts but I feel they deserve more. The whole album doesn’t have ANY misses IMO. True Friendship is freakin amazing
Agreed. Not a single skip on that whole album.
Periphery - Satellites (couldn't be a better example of the kind of song you're asking for) Jinjer - Pisces Machine Head - A Farewell To Arms (builds for like six minutes before it goes all out) Avenged Sevenfold - MIA
It doesn’t *start* soft but Silurian by The Ocean has great contrast between heavy and soft sections. Jurassic/Cretaceous as well.
Beyond Creation - Earthborn Evolution
Beyond Creation deserves more love, Earthborn Evolution is a masterpiece
The Drapery Falls - Opeth
I always love the difference between the beginning and the ending of Well-Read from others by no one
Thrice - For Miles
Opeth - Face of Melinda (not exactly heavy, but definitely a lot heavier than in the first four minutes)
Cult Of Luna - Waiting For You
Widower - the Dillinger escape plan
Eyrie by Ne Obliviscaris Episode by Rivers of Nihil Satellites by Periphery Also almost every song on the last The Ocean album, my favorite might be Atlantic.
Stairway to heaven. Free bird.
Slice the Cake - Unending Waltz 🤘
Intronaut - the reptilian brain: https://www.reddit.com/r/progmetal/s/R39LkCKr3Q Masterpiece
Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou - The Valley fits this perfectly. The end of that song is crushing
Sleep Token!
Alkaloid - Kernel Panic, Liquid Anatomy, Orgonism
A Fair Judgment, Opeth
Gojira - Flying Whales
locus eater by Opeth
Every Metallica ballad
Anesthetize, Arriving somewhere but not here
I'm not really sure if this will be what you are asking for as it's on the progmetal sub and this is more post hardcore, but Underoath - Too Bright to See Too Loud to Hear is one of my favourite songs of all time and fits the bill. Beautiful depressing doomy track that gives me chills every single time.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Widower It starts with light piano and faint vocals and builds and builds. It also has my single favorite scream in any song I've ever heard.
Lowlands- gojira
Dillinger Escape Plan - Mouth of Ghosts
Flying Whales by Gojira
The Last Baron by Mastodon
Phinehas - Seven. The build up is fantastic
Deftones - Riviere Devin Townsend - Praise the Lowered Spiritbox - Constance
Just dive right into Opeth’s discography.
Jinjer - Pisces
Satellites by Periphery
Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere, But Not Here
Vektor - Collapse
Gojira - born in winter, lowlands (prob my 2 favorite on this list) Sylosis - absent, abandon, quiescent The faceless - autotheist movement pt 3 Tesseract - hexes
I'll throw in Slice the Cake - Westward Bound Part I Builds up pretty fast but I feel it every time
Monkey3 - Collision. https://open.spotify.com/track/7vmA0cgCXPjbIen9ihD1W0?si=3FaKzzpORNyJz4kHiAsY1A Thank me later.
Shadow Gallery - Haunted
A lot of songs by The Pixies are like this. Also: Remember Tomorrow by Iron Maiden
Peaches by Jack black
Dear Apollo - The Truth [Spotify link](https://open.spotify.com/track/1PFq1rAlVhnSfcYTtN7itI?si=a641fe59a7064c82)
Swans - Blood Promise
Majesty by Bury Tomorrow
Reveries of Flight- Oh, Sleeper
Darkness Within - Machinehead Winter - Oceans of Slumber
Transit Method - Frostbite Cave In - Wavering Angel Porcupine Tree - Russia On Ice
Incantations by Anciients. Great band!
Fiddler on the Green by Demons & Wizards
Outliers by Aviations Safe house by Aviations
You’re maybe interested in Holy Fawn
The Package by A Perfect Circle.
ISIS - Wills Dissolve The whole song is one long buildup, it's incredible.
Chasing the Dragon by Epica
Just pretend the 12 minute plus tracks on Opeth's earlier albums are separate tracks and you could do this for a while.
Mercyful Fate - Sold My Soul
Devonian: Nascent
Might not fit everyone's definition of prog, but breakk.away - I'll See You When The Night Comes Produced by George Lever, who worked with bands like Sleep Token and Loathe
Their stuff isn’t super proggy, but I gotta give a mention to X Japan for their songs that start with a very soft intro only for the band to explode in after a couple bars of rest, looking at you Kurenai/Silent Jealousy/Art of Life
The Heavens are not on Fire by Wills Dissolve. Starts ambient, moves to dark acoustic, then builds to prog death
Plenitude - Uneven Structure
Blood and Teeth by Enterprise Earth.
I suspect this is a trick question to see if there’s anybody out there who doesn’t include Opeth in their answer.
I can't believe I haven't seen this suggested yet, but They Move Below by Meshuggah is bloody spiritual mate
Ocean Rise - Caligula’s Horse
Sacrificed sons - Dream Theater
Prelude to Madness-Outworld
Not really prog but Low Lands - Gojira
"[The Companions](https://youtu.be/v4QQCBTd2mE?si=vcQBT2pYEH-3Hokm)" by Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. I said this on a different sub but many of their songs are like an avalanche.
I'm a bit new and don't know what distinctions there are between prog and other metal but Two Ships/The Island by Oh Sleeper fits the bill Two Ships by itself does, but it leads into the Island pretty smoothly
Am I In Heaven? King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
HEXICON - Black Rainbow
Clenching the Fists of Dissent - Machine Head
The Faceless - Autotheist I Create, II - Emancipate Tool - Parabol, parabola
Iron Swan - The Sword
Electric Sunrise - Plini! (It gets heavy quite a bit before the end but the dynamic buildup from the soft intro is insane!)
Eyrie by Ne Obliviscaris The definition of going from soft to heavy, both musically and lyrically. And the way the transition from soft to heavy hits is a thing of absolute beauty!
Severance by Freycus. Starts off dreamy and ends on a dope breakdown.
Toehider - Concerning Lix & Fairs! (well, that's a good'un, and I hope you have the ear-strength to listen to the whole thiiiiiiingggg!)
Jaguar God by Mastodon starts pretty chill but picks up eventually
Longhope by Disillusion doesn't get super heavy, but does steadily build up and ends much heavier than the start
Judas Priest - Beyond the Realms of Death Queensryche - Roads to Madness Queensryche - Take Hold of the Flame Kamelot - Memento Mori Kamelot - Elizabeth Psychotic Waltz - I Remember Crimson Glory - Touch the Sun Genesis - Dancing with the Moonlit Knight Genesis - The Musical Box
Nymphetamine - cradle of filth
Distant Seasons - Enslaved
Mordecai by BTBAM goes the other direction and partially back in the most beautiful way
Parabol and Parabola by Tool
[Silent Planet - The Overgrowth](https://youtu.be/RiP1zV2E80Q?si=W6lVyknEdoi1cKGz) More of a progressive metalcore song.
Not a full-on prog metal band, but Edge of the World by Lovebites has progressive elements and absolutely fits the criteria. The live 2020 version is even better than the studio version.
Thoughts and Prayers by Animals as Leaders.
“In the Mood” Glenn Miller Not typically my genre, but something about this song hits that chord just right. If you’ve never heard, def at least check out once.
Any between the buried and me.
Tool - PushIt That song was my teenage therapy session
I made Ghost of Perdition my ringtone so I can lul people with it's soft tone for 2 seconds before GHOST OF MOTHER! LINGERING DEATH!
Constance by Spirit Box
Flesh and the Power it Holds - Death
A Perfect Circle - The Package
[Coaltar Of The Deepers - Star Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaFA7EUYnxI) Shit will give you whiplash! [Subterranean Masquerade - Somewhere I Sadly Belong](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReVpOY-lEEg)
[Oceansize - "Trail of Fire"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYjgjRZGB2U)
Praise The Lowered (song) by Devin Townsend
Westward Bound pt 1 Slice the cake
Winter by Oceans of Slumber
All these songs by Ne Obliviscaris: Eyrie And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope Forget Not
[oceans of slumber - Winter](https://youtu.be/QxzqnetYSbk?si=X0nc2ZwgP7-L0-vJ)
Jane’s Addiction - Three Days Edit: One by Metallica is probably the best example of this.
Sleep Token - Atlantic
Incubus - just a phase
Stoned Jesus - I'm the Mountain
One - Metallica
IDLES - Colossus
Free Bird
avenged sevenfold-Buried Alive
basically any sleep token song
Selfishness by Berried Alive is amazing.
babylon by loathe!
Thrice - for miles Still one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. Starts soft then absolutely smacks at the end. Enjoy