Most Artistic/Progressive/Experimental Albums You Own

[Jacob Kobryn]

What are the most artistic, experimental, "out-there", progressive, etc. albums you own?

In this realm, basically all Avant-Garde is extremely weird and artistic. Some to name:

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural History

A very innovative and experimental band from Oakland, California. They use several homemade instruments in there music. People who like both Metal and RIO/Avant-garde music will love it immediately. If you mind some Metal or high-pitched female vocals check it out first. Any adventurous listeners should give it a spin at least.
Line-up/Musicians:

- Nils Frykdahl / guitars, flute, voice
Matthias Bossi / drums, glockenspiel, xylophone, voice
- Dan Rathbun / bass, log, roach, trombone, lute, voice
- Moe! Staiano / metal, wood, bowed spatula, glockenspiel, spring, paper
- Carla Kihlstedt / violins, percussion guitar, autoharp, organ, voice
- Frank Grau / drums, melodica

You can listen to the full album on Last.fm. (http://www.last.fm/music/Sleepytime+Gorilla+Museum/Of+Natural+History)


Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye

They're an Avant-Garde Post-Metal band from Boston. They originated from the Prog Metal band Maudlin of the Well. They combine Jazz music and other eclectic styling with post-metal. Some parts are extremely cacophonous.

Line-up/Musicians:

- Toby Driver / guitar, vocals, cello
- Sam Gutterman / drums
- Nicholas Kyte / bass, vocals
- Greg Massi / guitar, vocals
- Mia Matsumiya / violin, viola
- Terran Olson / clarinet, flute, piano, keyboards, saxophone
- Benjie Messer / trumpet
- Sam Minnich / french horn
- Adam Scott / trumpet


You can't listen to this album but you can listen to the full
Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue album on Last.fm. (http://www.last.fm/music/Kayo+Dot/Dowsing+Anemone+With+Copper+Tongue)

Diablo Swing Orchestra - The Butcher's Ballroom

DSO is probably the most eclectic band I've ever heard. They're from Sweden. They are led by a female singer who uses very operatic, powerful vocals. The music ranges from all different genres from metal/rock to classical, swing, funk, and flamenco... anything they think sounds good. It's a real "fuck you" to people obsessed with genre classification.

Line-up/Musicians:

- Daniel Håkansson / guitars, vocals
- Pontus Mantefors / guitars, fx
- Annlouice Loegdlund / vocals
- Andy Johansson / bass
- Johannes Bergion / cello
- Andreas Halvardsson / drums

You can listen to the full album on Last.fm.
(http://www.last.fm/music/Diablo+Swing+Orchestra/The+Butcher%27s+Ballroom)
uneXpect - In a Flesh Aquarium

A very heavy, extreme avant-garde metal band from Quebec, Canada. It's one of the weirdest albums I've ever heard. The musicianship is fantastic as well as the song writing. The only downfall is that occasionally, it sounds like they are simply playing 3 different songs on top of each other. I highly suggest them to anybody seeking a serious challenge or shock from their musical diet. ;)

Line-up/Musicians

- Syriak / guitars, vocals
- ChaotH / bass
- Leïlindel / female vocals
- Artagoth / guitar, vocals
- ExoD / keyboards
- Le Bateleur / violin
- Landryx / drums

You can listen to most of the album at Last.fm. (http://www.last.fm/music/Unexpect/In+A+Flesh+Aquarium)

Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

Another extreme Avant-Garde band. They are also from Sweden. Though they don't use de-tuned guitars or grunting vocals, it is some of the most grotesque music I have ever heard. For the record, Arcturus is in the top 10 for my all time favorite bands. This is their weirdest album though all of their records are quite experimental.

Line-up/Musicians

- Jan Axel Von Blomberg / drum
- Hugh Steven James Mingay / bass
- "Garm" Wolf / vocal
- Knut M. Valle / guitars
- Steinard "Sverd" Johnsen / keyboards
- Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnaes / guest vocals

You can listen to the full album on Last.fm. (http://www.last.fm/music/Arcturus/La+Masquerade+Infernale)

Jake

[Kagemusha22]

Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_Mask_Replica). That just makes me go "What?!".

And I also have PiL's Metalbox (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Box_(album)), which can do the same, but not as much.

Both very influential, (with Beefheart being cited by alot Punk acts as an influencing point) and very difficult to listen to. Still there's bits and pieces I like, and parts that just force me to press the pause button.

[corky13]

Hmmmm....

Negura Bunget`s "OM" ...

[tomwaits4noman]

EXPERIMENTAL

Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica. ( I managed to listen to the entire thing once but not in one sitting)


Einsturzende Neubauten (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einsturzende_Neubauten) their first 3 albums Kollaps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kollaps)
Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeichnungen_des_Patienten_O._T.)
Halber Mensch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halber_Mensch)

My Bloody Valentine Loveless (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loveless_(album))



ARTISTIC


Talking Heads Remain in light (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remain_in_Light)

Tom Waits (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_waits)

Swordfishtrombones
Franks Wild Years
Bone Machine
Blood money
Real Gone

Velvet Underground

Velvet Underground and Nico (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground_and_Nico)
White light / White heat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Light/White_Heat)

PJ Harvey Four track demos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-Track_Demos)

Patti Smith Group Horses (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horses_(album))

Faith No More Angel Dust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Dust_(album))

Progressive

Janes Addiction Ritual De Lo Habitual (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janes_Addiction)

Mansun Six (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_(album))

[Jacob Kobryn]

Hmmmm....

Negura Bunget`s "OM" ...

I LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE that album! Bunget's releasing a new in '09 supposedly! I'm really looking forward to it.

Some others I forgot to mention:

Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum

Probably one of if not my all time favorite Black Metal albums. Some very weird, progressive stuff in that one. I only have 2 full lengths and one EP of theirs but they're all great. The musicianship and songwriting ability is very, very high... which is very, very rare for black metal. ;) DSO's a weird band. They're supposedly from France. On their albums they don't credit anyone... themselves, the album artist, producers, anything. No one knows their identity. I wish they'd reveal themselves and go on tour, I'd kill to see them live.

Line-up/Musicians

UNKNOWN


Ulver - Perdition City (Music To An Interior Film)

Ulver started out as a prog black metal band but has been purely a post-rock project for about 13 years. This is one of those post-rock albums. It's very experimental, if less heavy/extreme than the others. They're from Sweden.

Line-up/Musicians

- Kristoffer Garm Rygg (aka Garm, Trickster G.) / vocals
- Jørn H. Sværen / drums
- Tore Ylwizaker / programming
- Håvard Jørgensen / session electric guitars
- Bård Eithun / session v-drums (5)
- Ivar H. Johansen / session drums (9)
- Kåre J. Pedersen / session drums (2)
- Rolf Erik Nystrøm / session saxophone (1 & 7)
- Øystein Moe / session electric bass guitar (1)

Scott Walker - The Drift

A weird, weird album that's very hard to describe. To place it in a genre... avant garde - singer/songwriter/rock?

Line-up/Musicians

I maybe wrong but I believe Scott Walker recorded everything on the album.

Sigur Ros - Ágætis Byrjun

Not as experimental/progressive as the above but VERY artistic. It's a beautiful masterpiece. They're a post-rock band from Iceland.

Line-up/Musicians

- Jónsi Birgisson / vocals, guitars
- Georg Holm / bass
- Ágúst / drums
- Kjartan Sveinsson / keyboards

Oceansize - Frames

I think that fans of PORCUPINE TREE, GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR!, PINEAPPLE THIEF and RADIOHEAD could connect well with this band, but they have a very original sound and vocal style, so I would check them out if you are a general fan of Space/Experimental Rock. This album is quite experimental.

Line-up/Musicians

- Mark Heron / drums, percussion
- Gambler / guitar, keyboards
- Steven Hodson / bass, keyboards, cymbals
- Mike Vennart / vocals, guitar
- Steve Durose / guitar, vocals

Guest Musicians:
- Paula Simpson / violin
- Justin Lingard / viola
- Semay Wu / cello

[Jacob Kobryn]

About listening:

There's no free listening for Oceansize, Negura Bunget, Scott Walker, or Deathspell Omega, sorry.


You can listen to the whole Ulver album here. (http://www.last.fm/music/Ulver/Perdition+City)

You can't listen to AB but you can listen to the whole Takk... album here. (http://www.last.fm/music/Sigur+R%C3%B3s/Takk...)

[Dorkthrone]

Frances the Mute-The Mars Volta
Book of Horizons-Secret Chiefs 3

[Hookswords]

Friendly Rich and the Lollipop People - Every Album he's made is genius

http://www.friendlyrich.com/menu2006.html

Not sure if he has music on his site but you can find him on youtube and pandora, myspace

Doctor Steel - Every Album he's made is genius

http://www.worlddominationtoys.com/drsteel/

He has a number of his songs on his site

Man Man - Every album is good

http://www.wearemanman.com/

can be found on youtube and pandora, myspace

White

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=88457800

Peach Stealing Monkeys

http://www.peachstealingmonkeys.com/

can download mp3s right from his site

[corky13]

I LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE that album! Bunget's releasing a new in '09 supposedly! I'm really looking forward to it.


If you like Negura Bunget you might also like "Stielas Storhett - Death Comes From The North" Split =) 3 russian Black Metal bands where teaming up for this quite progressive Album =)

[Jacob Kobryn]

Thanks man, I'll be sure to check it out! I'm not sure when though... I bought 28 albums this week! :p

[Cryoxzonomony]

if real CD, Aborym - Fire Walk With Us. Maybe not progressive but thats one of most experimental industrial black metal u can get lol

[Kagemusha22]

How about Jesus & the Mary Chain's 'Psychocandy' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychocandy);

jYTpRWlQnf0

[Kamikazebob]

Dunno if this counts, but...

Amon Tobin - Out From Out where
wlYBPuHeZxw

[tomwaits4noman]

Adding a few

Battles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w)

Cocorosie


David Byrne and Brian Eno album My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts


joy division closer

gjoy division documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvsG2lq_oVg

[kingshaj]

battles
jaga jazzist
tortoise

-----

mars volta
mastodon
meshuga




-

[ciots]

king crimson - lizard

a bit odd to say the least

oh and any haru krishna album haha.

[Jacob Kobryn]

Meshuggah is my third favorite band and I'm huge fan of Mastodon and King Crimson... nice suggestions!

What about...
Venetian Snare's 'Nymphomatriarch' which was composed from samples of Aaron having vaginal, anal and oral sex with his girlfriend of the time (Hecate, who the record was made with) and also the sounds of arse spanking.

[Moai]

Tubular Bells by Michael Oldfield. The opening melody was used as the theme music for The Exorcist.
Ummagumma by Pink Floyd.
Inquisition Symphony by Apocalyptica, a heavy metal cello quartet.

[corky13]

Speaking of Venetian Snares...i really recommend My Downfall and the hungarian influenced Album...i always forget the name....good thing that my love is from hungary so at least I have some translations for the song names...(and her mother`s half romanian....Negura Bunget properly translated is fun ^^)

[Jacob Kobryn]

Tubular Bells by Michael Oldfield. The opening melody was used as the theme music for The Exorcist.
Ummagumma by Pink Floyd.
Inquisition Symphony by Apocalyptica, a heavy metal cello quartet.

The first two are great suggestions, I'm a fan of both...

But NO on Apocalyptica. Slipknot is about as progressive as they are. Though their approach to hard rock is an interesting one (but not really... music played on instruments ZOMG!!! :P ) their music is VERY bland, unoriginal hard rock like anything you could hear on a mainstream radio station.

How about:

Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - Sol Niger Within

Fredrik Thordendal is the lead guitarist and main songwriter from Meshuggah. His solo album (which you can buy from the album drummer's website morganagren.com ) is MUCH more experimental and weird than anything 'Shugg ever did. It's much more jazz influenced and, if less heavy, is much more unsettling/disturbing than Meshuggah's work.

Line-up/Musicians

- Fredrik Thordendal / guitars
- Tomas Haake / vocals
- Mats Oberg / keyboard
- Jonas Knutsson / saxophone
- Morten Agren / drums
- Jerry Ericsson / bass
- Marcus Persson / screams
- Kantor Magnus Larsson / church organ

You can listen to some of the album on their myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/fredrikthordendalsspecialdefects

Jake

[AndreasM]

While they are not within the range of extremely wierd or being close to progressive, I think Grizzly Bear (http://www.grizzly-bear.net/audio/) deserves a mention.

"Grizzly Bear do not skimp. They're remarkable not just for their attention to detail but for their concern for how a song FEELS: flush with heart and melancholy, their music is seductive and intimate, deep with hazy-eyed choruses, whistles, piano and banjo. They know melody and ambiance are necessary complements. This is experimental mood music with love for classics and standards. It's the kind of stuff you yearn to crank up when you're lying in bed on a Sunday."

Cool to see so many scandinavian bands in here too. Was a bit supristed to see Sol Niger Within mentioned...Love Thordendal/Haake's stuff in general.

[Jacob Kobryn]

Well, I pretty much only listen to Scandinavian bands...

[Jacob Kobryn]

I got Mirrors by Battles a few weeks ago... weird shit. I quite like the music but I don't like the chipmunk/smirf vox.

[N D Hill]

I'm necro-ing this thread. This whole growing sub-genre of avante guarde, ambient, drone metal is really growing on me. I'm loving some of the bands, you've already mentioned, Jake. Especially Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

These bands below all kind of fall with the instrumentally accomplished, slowly building ambient drone metal category. I especially recommend Neurosis as they represent more of an initial breaking off from more traditional metal into more experimental territory. I'm sure I'll think of more.

Neurosis

Isis

Pelican

Geneva

[AndreasM]

Check out Amia Venera Landscape. These two songs are stand out tracks to me. They manage to blend post metal with math elements pretty well. Overrall good stuff ^^

6mS7DtvcSXI

3VjW8LHAro8

[Liffey]

for weird: Sun City Girls!

for artistic: damn that's gotta be the worst descriptor for music i've ever heard :/

[Jacob Kobryn]

This was such a silly thread idea...

[Jacob Kobryn]

I'm necro-ing this thread. This whole growing sub-genre of avante guarde, ambient, drone metal is really growing on me. I'm loving some of the bands, you've already mentioned, Jake. Especially Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

These bands below all kind of fall with the instrumentally accomplished, slowly building ambient drone metal category. I especially recommend Neurosis as they represent more of an initial breaking off from more traditional metal into more experimental territory. I'm sure I'll think of more.

Neurosis

Isis

Pelican

Geneva

Silly or not, some bands for you to check out are Cult of Luna, who are sort of like the third leg in the trinity of post metal with Isis and Neurosis, Minsk, who are very dark, psychedelic, and tribal, Russian Circles, who are more of a heavy-post-rock band as opposed to post-metal but I love, and A Storm of Light, who sound pretty much like a mix of Isis and Neurosis. The problem with this genre is that there are a ton of bands who sound just like Isis or Neurosis with no originality of their own. :(

For CoL, I'd recommend Somewhere Along the Highway, or Eternal Kingdom. Here's a sample:

pXfqalOkKyQ

The only album I've heard by Minsk is The Ritual Fires of Abandonment but they've released a bunch more. Feel free to explore. A sample:

uH9DzwWBHq8

The best Russian Circles release, IMO, is their debut Enter EP. Their drummer is such a beast, it's ridiculous. The guy is really one of the best drummers I've ever witnessed. A sample:

A2-hJtJrXxc

And as for A Storm of Light, get either of their albums. A sample:

OyxiilqqOiQ

And there are a lot of bands that fit into the description you gave (experimental drone metal) as opposed to these post-metal bands. Some that are worth checking out are Sunn O))), Boris (and their collaboration with Sunn,) Asva, The Angelic Process, and Jesu. Kayo Dot's second album may fit in this category as well. And Melvins, of course, who are classic! Some stoner-doom as well like Sleep and Om... And that shit is my jam!

wSLsCBU6DZY

Anyway, there's a lot of stuff out there just waiting to be heard, so explore and have fun! I hope this helps.