Here’s the best song by 10 legendary prog metal bands!
As with progressive rock, a great progressive metal song needs to include both top-notch instrumentation and top-notch songwriting. Therefore, it’s not enough to merely provide several minutes of mind-blowing playing and weird timbres.
Likewise, to earn the status of “legendary,” an artist needs to have been around for at least a couple of decades and be synonymous with the style. In other words, they’ve indelibly left their mark on prog metal, and they may even be considered masters of a certain subgenre (progressive black metal, progressive death metal, progressive sludge/stoner metal etc.)
READ MORE: The Best ‘Epic’ Song by 11 Big Prog Metal Bands
With all that said, we’re now ready to look at the absolute best song from 11 progressive metal bands!
Obviously, we’re including the ‘Big 4’ of the genre – Queensrÿche, Dream Theater, Opeth and Between the Buried and Me – as well as several other major acts who’re equally original and nearly as important (or at least beloved).
So, crank up your speakers and keep scrolling to see why we think the following tracks represent the peak of what these legendary prog metal maestros have created.
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The Best Song by 10 Legendary Prog Metal Bands
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Katatonia, “My Twin”
There are so many songs that could take this spot – “July,” “Unfurl,” “Teargas” – since Katatonia are so good at crafting melancholic doom/progressive metal bursting with dejected sentiments and luscious production. Ultimately, we have to choose “My Twin” (the lead single from 2006’s The Great Cold Distance) because it packs such a powerful sing-along punch.
Per setlist.fm, it’s their most played track in concert, and it’s easy to hear why given how catchy frontman Jonas Renkse’s ghostly and subjugated singing is alongside the rest of the group’s ethereal aggression and delicate embellishments. His vibrato during the verses is particularly resonant and while it’s fairly conventional and radio-friendly compared to a lot of Katatonia’s more idiosyncratic material, “My Twin” hits too hard for us to go with anything else.
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Fates Warning, “Still Remains”
We’d love to go with the clichéd option (and Fates Warning’s greatest album) – 1997’s A Pleasant Shade of Gray – which is a 54- minute suite divided into 12 chapters. That’d feel a bit like cheating, though, and rather than select one of its dozen segments (which would also feel like cheating), we’re going with their most robust self-contained tune: “Still Remains” from 2000’s Disconnected.
Clocking in at sixteen minutes in length, it’s a multifaceted tour-de-force that begins with moody guitar picking and phasing on Ray Adler’s vocals before exploding into some of the most “proggy” instrumentation they’ve ever concocted. From there, it strikes a great balance between colorful showmanship and chilling sensitivity, capturing the best of Fates Warning’s many specialties.
The fact that it comes full circle at the end enhances its larger-than-life impact, too.
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Between the Buried and Me, “The Proverbial Bellow”
It’s extremely tempting to say that “Memory Palace” from 2015’s Coma Ecliptic is the greatest composition the North Carolinian quintet ever cut, but we’d be lying to ourselves (and to you) if we did. At the end of the day, it’s the opener to 2018’s Automata II – “The Proverbial Bellow” – that outdoes the rest and represents the very best of what BTBAM can be.
Following the satisfying but safe Automata I (which arrived four months earlier), many fans – including me – were nervous about putting on the second and final chapter only to find that it was just more of the same. Thankfully, “The Proverbial Bellow” definitively proved that Automata II would be a significantly wilder and more ambitious statement.
From its utterly hypnotic chorus (“Please pick up / Pick up the phone / It’s been ringing / For years now / I’m so alone here / Sensory bliss”) and myriad other engrossing hooks, to its philosophical contemplations and vivacious yet distressing arrangements, “The Proverbial Bellows” is a spellbinding exercise in unbridled ideas and flawless execution.
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Evergrey, “Recreation Day”
Although it’s considered a mid-tier LP by many Evergrey lovers, 2003’s Recreation Day (which centers around death and redemption) contains some truly spectacular material (chiefly, the ferocious “The Great Deceiver” and the fragile “Madness Caught Another Victim”). At the top of that list – and at the top of the band’s whole discography – is the title track to that fourth studio record.
Simply put, it’s anthemic weightiness – complete with Tom Englund’s soaring chorus on top of divine chants – encapsulates the Swedish prog/power metal ensemble’s ability to switch between classy gentleness and symphonic vigorousness at the drop of a hat.
To that end, the contrasts between its searing guitar solos, remorseful piano work and closing strings showcase how versatile yet cohesive Evergrey are when they’re operating on all cylinders.
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Mastodon, “The Last Baron”
People who’ve been with Mastodon since the beginning may prefer the heavier and relatively straightforward trajectory of, say, “Blood and Thunder” or “March of the Fire Ants” (or even the bizarre yet still grounded “Sleeping Giant”). However, in terms of putting the “prog” into their stoner/sludge metal core, no other record went as far musically or conceptually as 2009’s Crack the Skye, so we gotta go with its mind-blowing finale, “The Last Baron.”
Up to this point, Crack the Skye has already taken listeners on a hallucinogenic trip revolving around Tsarist Russia, personal tragedy and astral projection, so it’s only right that it culminates in its longest and strangest selection. An enthralling hybrid of psychedelically explosive musicianship, odd production and invigorating singing, it’s as complex and flamboyant as it is catchy and ominous, unfolding like a prog metal amusement park ride that rarely lets up.
It’s also a pinnacle example of why the vocal tradeoffs between bassist Troy Sanders and ex-lead guitarist Brent Hinds were essential to the quartet’s appeal; as such, and in hindsight, “The Last Baron” is a bittersweet reminder of a Mastodon we’ll likely never have again.
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Opeth, “Deliverance”
Considering that 2001’s Blackwater Park was such a milestone for Opeth in numerous ways – and that many fans champion it as their finest release – trying to match it (let alone surpass it) with their next “observation” would’ve been a fool’s errand. Indeed, Deliverance, which arrived a year later, is basically Blackwater Park’s bleaker and angrier – but less consistent and significant – younger brother.
It’s nonetheless an incredible LP, though, and ironically, it houses both the band’s worst song (according to Mikael Åkerfeldt), “By the Pain I See in Others,” and their most outstanding song: “Deliverance.”
In general, its mesmerizing final section – comprised of ex-drummer Martin López resourcefully switching percussion patterns every few measures – is its defining passage (and a highlight of Opeth’s entire catalog). That said, the preceding 10 minutes are pure anti-romantic gold as well, with a nonstop barrage of gripping riffs and rhythms ebbing and flowing around some of the most devilish growls and angelic clean vocals Åkerfeldt’s ever sung.
Each segment is wonderful on its own, yet it’s the ways in which Opeth weave them together seamlessly that demonstrates why they were (and arguably remain) the absolute best at what they do.
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Queensrÿche, “Eyes of a Stranger”
You weren’t expecting anything else here, were you?
I mean, “Eyes of a Stranger” is the heart of Queensrÿche’s No. 1 album (1988’s Operation: Mindcrime), and Loudwire already named it the group’s quintessential track back in 2015. Sure, they’ve put out some solid stuff in the decade since (including the Todd la Torre era), but none of them produced anything that came close to overthrowing this heartbreaking reflection on loss and betrayal.
Frontman Geoff Tate has never done a better job of juxtaposing his signature lower register bluntness and high-pitched pain. He delivers each lyric with utmost authenticity and emotion, conveying the anger and angst that protagonist Nikki deservingly feels by the end of the tale. All the while, his bandmates back him up with piercing sorrow that harnesses artful nuances beneath its undeniably absorbing abrasiveness.
Few other progressive metal collections conclude with such all-encompassing and unshakable power.
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Enslaved, “Death in the Eyes of Dawn”
For as cold and scathing as Norwegian progressive black metal bands can get, there are just as many instances of them moving smoothly into beautiful and warm detours. Enslaved have long been experts at that, and while the latter half of their career is full of ideal examples (“Storm Son,” “Ruun,” “Heimdal”), they’ve never outdone what they accomplished with “Death in the Eyes of Dawn,” from 2012’s RIITIIR.
Fluidly erupting from the fumes of opener “Thoughts Like Hammers,” “Death in the Eyes of Dawn” is instantly led by biting guitar riffs and cathartic synths, paving the way for a stunning back-and-forth between grimy growls and purifying clean singing. It’s already a captivating composition, yet what seals the deal is the rhythmic and melodic shift that occurs with the chorus (“Blinded are my eyes / Tied are my hands / Sleeping wide awake / Got lost within myself”).
The second half gets even more chaotic before reprising that radiant hook, and coupled with the breathtaking acoustic guitar coda, it’s clear that “Death in the Eyes of Dawn” is the ultimate Enslaved declaration.
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Savatage, “The Wake of Magellan”
Over the past 30 years, Trans-Siberian Orchestra have become a staple of Christmastime festivities and family bonding; therefore, it’s fair to assume that much of their fanbase is comprised of casual holiday lovers who have no idea that TSO began as a side project for numerous Savatage members.
Consequently – and because Savatage helped launch progressive metal in the 1980s – we would be remiss not to pay respect to their legendary status by discussing their greatest piece: the title track to their penultimate record, 1998’s The Wake of Magellan.
Expectedly, its dense array of singers and guitarists – alongside its compelling storytelling – make it grand without venturing into corny and gaudy staginess. Rather, there’s just enough suspense (steered by an irresistibly dramatic bass line) and orchestration to achieve fascinating compromise between prog metal concreteness and theatrical decorations.
As a result, “The Wake of Magellan” is the exemplary glimpse into the group’s proto-TSO magic, as well as a gripping testament to the uniqueness of ‘90s progressive metal.
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Dream Theater, “A Change of Seasons”
If we were judging this solely based on the quality and impact of the songwriting, “Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On” might get the win (hence why we named it Dream Theater’s best non-“epic” song). That said, the fivesome’s top composition needs to embody everything that makes them stand out, so we’re going with our pick for their best “epic” song: the 23-minute “A Change of Seasons.”
The title track to Dream Theater’s 1995 EP (their first release with former keyboardist Derek Sherinian), its examination of life and death – inspired by the loss of Mike Portnoy’s mother – is extremely poignant and engaging. In that respect, it nearly matches the aforementioned standout from 1999’s Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory.
However, “A Change of Seasons” has the added benefit of putting equal focus on the other side of the Dream Theater coin (their knack for playful intricacy and jaw-dropping dynamic changeups). Although Portnoy, Sherinian, John Petrucci and John Myung excel at supporting James LaBrie’s tender sentiments, it’s their eccentric instrumental detours around his segments that elevate the side-long suite into the perfect snapshot of Dream Theater at the height of their influential prog metal glory.
