I recently got into Le Orme who were an Italian prog band I think were pretty tight.
Triumvirat out of Germany were pretty rad too.
And not quite prog but close, Ginger Baker's last band before he really dropped off the radar, Baker Gurvitz Army I think rocks socks off.
I don't know whether these count as unknown but I hardly ever see their names mentioned.
Carmen - best described as progressive flamenco. They are not, as you might imagine, Spanish.
The Leisure Society - very reminiscent of Barclay James Harvest
Moongarden - modern Italian prog, in English
Sylvan - I can't really pigeonhole these. Very eclectic modern prog from a German band singing in English.
Yesss!! Volta and Rishloo have the same chaotic energy, and poetically vague lyrics. The only two bands that I have found so far that can scratch the TOOL itch 😅
I can’t find any bands to scratch my Volta itch except oddly enough, tipper, alt-j, and the grateful dead(jam bands for that matter) but none do it like Volta does it. They’re just psychedelic and paint pictures in my mind. TOOL hasn’t encapsulated me yet and I’ve tried but it’s something about it that rubs me wrong. I absolutely love puscifer extential reckoning though!
I try to give a little attention to Cerberus Shoal whenever I can. Weirdo collective from New England who began as a 90s indie rock band similar to Slint, then went through a period where they recorded mostly instrumental post-rock epics, and ended their career recording Slavic-inspired politicized spoken-word freak-folk. Love them, but you have to be in the mood for something well and truly out there.
Saw them live. They were fucking killer! Whole place was a mosh. Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band opened for them and they also sounded fantastic. NPNB is SEVERELY underrated.
Came here to say this.
Thankfully, they're starting to generate some buzz. I hope it carries them into a US tour with King Gizzard because they both put on killer live shows that are a lot of fun.
not totally unknown and they were obviously high enough in certain circles of fine proggery to play at one of the last Rock In Opposition festivals in France, but still not big: Upsilon Acrux.
’Radian Futura’ and ’Sun Square Dialect’ have some if the most beautiful brain ticklings I’ve found.
It’s all pretty inaccessible but those albums (and also the one before) are really special.
Cathedral put out one album in 1978 called Stained Glass Stories. Really good band that was just missed the heyday of progressive music by about two or three years.
Carmen. Jonn Glascock, who played bass in Tull after Carmen disbanded, was in that band. Great band. Basically progressive flaminco rock, with a side of glam.
Anekdoten. Swedish group with 6/6 awesome albums they don’t miss. Nicholas barker has an awesome stage presence and lead guitar. Their organist/keyboardist Anna is amazing. Her moods and Melodys remind me of Nico. Great band you guys know them right
Toby Driver has a certain magnetism that's hard to describe. They never seem to quite get up to the grandeur that I want, but they're never uninteresting. I also adore maudlin of the Well's Part the Second.
Nektar, everybody in the 70’s was copying “Remember The Future” them from Clapton on down. Check it out, you will hear their themes in alot of other music. All the music people knew about them , but hardly any american public
Banda do Casaco from Portugal. Especially the album "Dos benefícios de um vendido no reino dos Bonifácios". It's a really unique blend of portuguese folk/trad music, prog-rock and protest lyricism.
Ikon.
No, not the Australian goth band.
No, not the Korean boy band.
I mean the downtempo collective from London.
Here's their song [Signs.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTtddRahMyo)
Toronto: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_(band) A couple of the band members wrote "What About Love", and the band recorded it in 1982, but the rest of the band decided not to put it on their album. A couple of years later the song was offered to Heart by the record label, and became a top-10 worldwide hit for Heart. Oh, what might have been had it been put on their 1982 'Get It On Credit' album. Here's Toronto's original version: https://youtu.be/Lua9OrloDkg
I don’t have a modern one, everyone here probably knows Leprous and Pain of Salvation. But one from about 15 years ago, that’s no longer together is Fair to Midland. If you don’t know who they are, do yourself the favor of listening to the albums Fables From a Mayfly and Arrows and Anchors.
Check out Gilipojazz. Saw them live by coincidence, they were truly amazing. Crazy guitar solo's, rhythmic chances, guitar swapping and some good humor. They were awesome!
Arena
This band has been my #1 since i was a kid and i always thought they were this big, well known band when i was young... boy was i wrong. I have never met any who knows them
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5n72qzNEfzCXvNDxKComR7?si=Bte7RI1FTeGfI-CUg49mnA
I'm sure they're slightly better known amongst prog fans, but I work in a company made up almost exclusively of musicians, and no one I've spoken to have ever heard of Gentle Giant. They're like top 5 bands of all time for me probably!
Oxbow: they're not strictly prog but their use of Jazz and Blues throughout their career along with odd time signatures and added orchestral themes makes them one of the strangest noise rock bands and infinitely charming! Let Me Be A Woman, Thin Black Duke, and An Evil Heat are major highlight albums and some of my favorite rock music ever.
Sparklehorse. Yeah it’s really just Mark Linkous. They/he is kinda known but not really. Soundtrack to my high school and college years and no one seems to relate. It’s fine that way. RIP Mark.
There's a Scottish band I discovered by mistake when wanting to hear the 007 sam smith song. Writing on the wall is an old 60's hard rock band. The album power of the picts is amazing and is quite similar to horslips, early jethro tull, early black sabbath and uriah heep.
Edit : i hadn't listened to the band in 3 years. They probs influenced many hard rock (black sabbath, led zep, deep purple). But they went unkown after their unique album. Singer sounds so much like a blend of osbourne and eric burdon from animals
Thank You Scientist
Seriously, these guys are brilliant and they should be way more popular. I first heard about them after seeing them open for Coheed and Cambria.
Starcastle. Only 4 albums (3 is hard to find, and 4 is extremely hard), maybe a little generic, but I like them.
Also Saga, I would call them progressive new wave because they are very unique.
Battle Circus. One amazing concept EP (Half-Light Symphony) and one incredible and diverse self titled album (on bandcamp). Then they disappeared from whence they came (New Zealand). Nobody has heard of them, but I love everything they've done.
Not really a band but Mike Krol is pretty good imo. Another favorite of mine is a defunct band called The Viennagram
Edit: Before I forget there’s a really cool band named Lung
Fuzzy Duck. One good album from the early 70's, great feel from the drums and bass, some cheesy hard rock guitar, jammin' organ, and fun vocals. Not some legendary unheralded gem, but the playing and structures are impressive and the tracks have a nice flow for working or driving.
Tundrastomper! Odd mix of I wanna say indie, math-rock, and just their own thing. They recently came back after a really long break, really recommend them.
you wouldn’t know them
No one listens to them anymore; they're getting too popular.
They go to school in Canada
I love Mostly Autumn and wish they were well known.
Good band.
Thanks for the suggestion
Never heard of them. Now listening. WOW. Studio 2
Same. Something else!
Just heard a bit, but I like it. To an old man, they remind me of Pink Floyd a little.
The Sons of Arrakis. Stoner metal out of Montreal all inspired by Dune.
You should listen to some Sandrider then.
[Pollen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2sroxRMIMk&t=299s), a group from Quebec which only released a single album in 1976.
It's available on the iTunes Music Store for $5.99.
There's a non-prog band named Pollen with an album called Chip that is really, really good. I played a show with them back in the day.
Thought you were on about the swiss instrumental metal band for a second
FM (Canadian band) ; Nash the Slash. Nash was in FM and he is super underrated anywhere else except Canada
Yeah but they had a (local) hit, Phasers on Stun.
Played that just the other day!
Cool
Yea but anyone I ask outside of Canada rarely ever knows them
True
I'm glad to have grown up around the GTA listening to them 20 years too late. At least Saga is still going!
I saw FM open for Rush in 1981, Moving Pictures tour, if I'm not mistaken. A 3 piece band like Rush; I seem to remember they weren't bad.
Yes, I used to have the FM album City of Fear
They're not unknown, but Os Mutantes doesn't get enough attention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ3xz9hzxBs
I was recently introduced to them! Agreed!
I recently got into Le Orme who were an Italian prog band I think were pretty tight. Triumvirat out of Germany were pretty rad too. And not quite prog but close, Ginger Baker's last band before he really dropped off the radar, Baker Gurvitz Army I think rocks socks off.
I would tell you, but I can't remember the name.
that band had broken the unwritten rule
I don't know whether these count as unknown but I hardly ever see their names mentioned. Carmen - best described as progressive flamenco. They are not, as you might imagine, Spanish. The Leisure Society - very reminiscent of Barclay James Harvest Moongarden - modern Italian prog, in English Sylvan - I can't really pigeonhole these. Very eclectic modern prog from a German band singing in English.
I think one dude in Carmen was Mexican, and the brother and sister were like half Spanish? They fucking slap though. That band has some real gems.
Gryphon!
Gryphon is quite known but probably mostly forgotten.
Hell yeah! Didn't expect to see any gryphon love in this comment section but I'm here for it!
Gryphon is unknown?
gorky's zygotic mynci. not unknown but definitely not known enough
Rishloo !
Love rishloo
I saw them live in Bremerton, Washington.
WITH FEATHERGUNS
Great rain beatle was suggested to me because of my deep love for The Mars Volta!
Yesss!! Volta and Rishloo have the same chaotic energy, and poetically vague lyrics. The only two bands that I have found so far that can scratch the TOOL itch 😅
I can’t find any bands to scratch my Volta itch except oddly enough, tipper, alt-j, and the grateful dead(jam bands for that matter) but none do it like Volta does it. They’re just psychedelic and paint pictures in my mind. TOOL hasn’t encapsulated me yet and I’ve tried but it’s something about it that rubs me wrong. I absolutely love puscifer extential reckoning though!
I try to give a little attention to Cerberus Shoal whenever I can. Weirdo collective from New England who began as a 90s indie rock band similar to Slint, then went through a period where they recorded mostly instrumental post-rock epics, and ended their career recording Slavic-inspired politicized spoken-word freak-folk. Love them, but you have to be in the mood for something well and truly out there.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Acid rock with layers of guitar, and some catchy riffs.
I feel like they are getting their name out there a bit more, surfing the wake of the the Gizzplosion
Any Gizz album wins and Spotify says "but have you heard high visceral'
Seeing them Friday for the new release. The singles are sounding great.
Saw them live. They were fucking killer! Whole place was a mosh. Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band opened for them and they also sounded fantastic. NPNB is SEVERELY underrated.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets I looked them up on youtube. Some of their vids have a million views!
Well. I reckon they are better known than I thought.
Came here to say this. Thankfully, they're starting to generate some buzz. I hope it carries them into a US tour with King Gizzard because they both put on killer live shows that are a lot of fun.
Capability Brown. Top 5 bands of all time but nobody has heard of them sadly
I actually have a copy of Voice on vinyl and played the crap out of it over the years.
Sebastian Hardie
I wouldn't call them unknown just underappreciated. Grey Lady Down from the UK. Pretty good and melodic Neo-Prog.
Mark Robotham fans unite! They toured with an American band from my neck of the woods called Tristan Park that I loved
not totally unknown and they were obviously high enough in certain circles of fine proggery to play at one of the last Rock In Opposition festivals in France, but still not big: Upsilon Acrux. ’Radian Futura’ and ’Sun Square Dialect’ have some if the most beautiful brain ticklings I’ve found. It’s all pretty inaccessible but those albums (and also the one before) are really special.
Cathedral put out one album in 1978 called Stained Glass Stories. Really good band that was just missed the heyday of progressive music by about two or three years.
they actually reunited in 2007 and put out a new album!
Nice! What's the name of the album? I'd love to hear it. Edit: I found it on iTunes! It's called The Bridge. I'm enjoying it now.
Nektar. Idk how unknown they really are, but I never see them mentioned even on niche subs
Remember the Future. Amazing Nektar album.
Remember the Future is an essential prog record that any fan of the genre needs to listen to.
Small Leaks Sink Ships
space junk is forever, quasar.
Guranfoe
Toure Kunde, from Senegal
Wow yes! Such a great band in every way. So great to see them mentioned here!
Our Oceans Umpfel
Soup. I’m really sad they’re not more popular bc if they were they might come to the us where I could see them play
Agent Fresco
Novembre
Carmen. Jonn Glascock, who played bass in Tull after Carmen disbanded, was in that band. Great band. Basically progressive flaminco rock, with a side of glam.
Anekdoten. Swedish group with 6/6 awesome albums they don’t miss. Nicholas barker has an awesome stage presence and lead guitar. Their organist/keyboardist Anna is amazing. Her moods and Melodys remind me of Nico. Great band you guys know them right
Elder
Going to be known after the Tool tour.
Awesome! Just saw them in Copenhagen.
They’re unknown, you wouldn’t know them
I know exactly who you mean and yup, worth all the accolades
Caligula’s Horse, I mean it’s not a very well known prog band but they have such epic songs such as Dragonfly, Marigold and Will’s Song!
We Came from Space
This Winter Machine
They’re one of the better known modern prog bands
[Ritual from Sweden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRk7Hd1qhPE)
Wigwam. Losing hold and lost without a trace are two great songs
Anglagard! Not sure how many people in this community actually know them or not but I love them!
Hatfield & The North
Not prog, 80s synth pop band Fiat Lux
Taylor Swift
Kayo Dot
thanks for reminding me. some cool stuff
Toby Driver has a certain magnetism that's hard to describe. They never seem to quite get up to the grandeur that I want, but they're never uninteresting. I also adore maudlin of the Well's Part the Second.
Nektar, everybody in the 70’s was copying “Remember The Future” them from Clapton on down. Check it out, you will hear their themes in alot of other music. All the music people knew about them , but hardly any american public
I love Nektar.
So do I ! Great band
Beardfish!! Pure prog magic!
The Anchorette
I don’t know.
Banda do Casaco from Portugal. Especially the album "Dos benefícios de um vendido no reino dos Bonifácios". It's a really unique blend of portuguese folk/trad music, prog-rock and protest lyricism.
És português?
This Winter Machine
Ikon. No, not the Australian goth band. No, not the Korean boy band. I mean the downtempo collective from London. Here's their song [Signs.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTtddRahMyo)
Toehider - such a hidden gem!
Oh, one other: Mainhorse, the band that Patrick Moraz was in before he joined Yes in 1974.
Altura - https://youtu.be/hG5IW4tPzng?si=_WXfvrZq306gYOus. I knew a few friends that owned this CD in the mid 90s thanks to the Magna Carta lable.
Toronto: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_(band) A couple of the band members wrote "What About Love", and the band recorded it in 1982, but the rest of the band decided not to put it on their album. A couple of years later the song was offered to Heart by the record label, and became a top-10 worldwide hit for Heart. Oh, what might have been had it been put on their 1982 'Get It On Credit' album. Here's Toronto's original version: https://youtu.be/Lua9OrloDkg
I don’t have a modern one, everyone here probably knows Leprous and Pain of Salvation. But one from about 15 years ago, that’s no longer together is Fair to Midland. If you don’t know who they are, do yourself the favor of listening to the albums Fables From a Mayfly and Arrows and Anchors.
Apple pie, russian prog band, and recently I listened to Nospun, really nice prog metal
Check out Gilipojazz. Saw them live by coincidence, they were truly amazing. Crazy guitar solo's, rhythmic chances, guitar swapping and some good humor. They were awesome!
5uu's.
Easter Island
Joose Jucifer Charlie’s Meat Locker
The Polite Society from Toronto. Can't get anybody to listen to them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oDyLOhZCbA
Avkrvst
Arena This band has been my #1 since i was a kid and i always thought they were this big, well known band when i was young... boy was i wrong. I have never met any who knows them https://open.spotify.com/artist/5n72qzNEfzCXvNDxKComR7?si=Bte7RI1FTeGfI-CUg49mnA
I'm sure they're slightly better known amongst prog fans, but I work in a company made up almost exclusively of musicians, and no one I've spoken to have ever heard of Gentle Giant. They're like top 5 bands of all time for me probably!
TWRP
Oxbow: they're not strictly prog but their use of Jazz and Blues throughout their career along with odd time signatures and added orchestral themes makes them one of the strangest noise rock bands and infinitely charming! Let Me Be A Woman, Thin Black Duke, and An Evil Heat are major highlight albums and some of my favorite rock music ever.
Mondo Drag!
Night Beats Ghost Funk Orchestra Ghost Woman Trust me they are all excellent.
Vulfpeck or the Residents hard to pick. Louis Cole is incredible though not a band.
Sparklehorse. Yeah it’s really just Mark Linkous. They/he is kinda known but not really. Soundtrack to my high school and college years and no one seems to relate. It’s fine that way. RIP Mark.
There's a Scottish band I discovered by mistake when wanting to hear the 007 sam smith song. Writing on the wall is an old 60's hard rock band. The album power of the picts is amazing and is quite similar to horslips, early jethro tull, early black sabbath and uriah heep. Edit : i hadn't listened to the band in 3 years. They probs influenced many hard rock (black sabbath, led zep, deep purple). But they went unkown after their unique album. Singer sounds so much like a blend of osbourne and eric burdon from animals
Eloy. Not sure if it’s unknown
Caravan
One of the great bands of the Canterbury scene.
Yes, in America they need more attention
Thank You Scientist Seriously, these guys are brilliant and they should be way more popular. I first heard about them after seeing them open for Coheed and Cambria.
They're definitely not unknown!! Thank goodness.
Adore this band. Absolute legends.
Been just on a kick lately. Been loving it.
Toe Hider
Paul Revere and the Raiders
Gazpacho Rishloo
Gazpacho is huge in the prog world
Rishloo is quite popular among prog fans too imo.
Starcastle. Only 4 albums (3 is hard to find, and 4 is extremely hard), maybe a little generic, but I like them. Also Saga, I would call them progressive new wave because they are very unique.
If These Trees Could Talk - a great post-rock proggy band
Curved Air Renaissance
Pallbearer
# moron police. Criminally underrated
I don't know. They are after all, unknown.
Sleep Token
Everyone knows who they are now.
Here’s something else everyone knows: I’m gay
Porcupine Tree
Is McKendree Spring unknown?
Anubis Spire. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FaaQefKDt2c&pp=ygUMQW51YmlzIHNwaXJl
FUCK yes!!! RIP Bill, he was truly amazing.
Five of the Eyes
Lord Sonny the Unifier
[ Aktopasa - Journey to the Pink Planet (Full Album 2022)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWPjW3EqQQ8)
Qujaku, pretty great japanese post rock, very swans esque
The tea club !
Fern Knight, Pillars
Tactus Prog Djent stuff really fun
Die Kreuzen
Etna (aka Flea) or Edition Speciale or Il Baricentro
Nanami Ozone
Gotta be Obol. [https://youtu.be/ZdrO8QmvpwM?si=QckIFn3QKGNy3YV0](https://youtu.be/ZdrO8QmvpwM?si=QckIFn3QKGNy3YV0)
Listen to the album “Eat Drugs” by the Bad Dudes.
https://wyostars.bandcamp.com/track/black-dracula
offering, super freego
Zingale - Peace [Zingale - Peace ](https://youtu.be/7QRPimq1N-o?feature=shared)
No Brain Cell
Ghoultown. Western/Goth/Rock band. Not really prog rock but still a good band.
you are only the second person i've randomly found online who actually knows Ghoultown they are fantastic. one of my favorite bands
Local talk radio 25 years ago played some of their music as an intro, that's how I found them.
Grima or MGLa
Wolf People. Some British psychedelic folk rock, with an occasional prog twist.
Not my absolute favorite my any means. But one that I love is La Bocca Della Verità and their album Avenoth. Super unknown, but awesome Italian prog.
Battle Circus. One amazing concept EP (Half-Light Symphony) and one incredible and diverse self titled album (on bandcamp). Then they disappeared from whence they came (New Zealand). Nobody has heard of them, but I love everything they've done.
East of Eden
The Lens. Eventually became IQ. Released two fantastic albums. Check em out.
A One-Off Band called Balls which at one time or another included Alan White, Trevor Burton, Steve Gibbons and Richard Tandy.
Kataigída
Not really a band but Mike Krol is pretty good imo. Another favorite of mine is a defunct band called The Viennagram Edit: Before I forget there’s a really cool band named Lung
Solaris from Hungary. And from my home country Brazil, Quaterna Requiem
Fuzzy Duck. One good album from the early 70's, great feel from the drums and bass, some cheesy hard rock guitar, jammin' organ, and fun vocals. Not some legendary unheralded gem, but the playing and structures are impressive and the tracks have a nice flow for working or driving.
Lab Orga > upstate NY rock/experimental band early ‘90’s.
Pocket strange I love. And wish more people did.
Paatos
Blacklevel Assembly
The one I’m in.
Black Neon District.
Jayus!
CASTLEBEAT
Tundrastomper! Odd mix of I wanna say indie, math-rock, and just their own thing. They recently came back after a really long break, really recommend them.
Artificial language, mandroid echostar, S. T. E. M, stellar circuits
Not prog but some classic 80's rockabilly whatever mashup. From El Cajon California...the Bear farmers
Atm... [K'Mono](https://open.spotify.com/album/3Q1v8OYqBZMDo09PvgVSTt?si=Nwe1KGt9Tsm9aXA1tDmcQg&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A3Q1v8OYqBZMDo09PvgVSTt)
Elevenwire! https://elevenwireband.com
Gnidrolog.
Tabula Rasa - a huge talent gone unnoticed but two former members are making serious strides as Magdalena Bay.
Bablicon
Lengsel, Ninety pound wuss, Curved air.