Ok, I'm a massive fan of non-US, non-UK prog bands. Primarily bands in the RIO fold of things. I love Kraut, I love chamber, I love Zuehl. Complex music with light hints of avant-garde, classical acoustic instrumentation, electronics w/o the repetitive "thump thump thump" hammer on nail drum machine, operatic vocals, fusion elements, dark themes, and lyrics that are either non-sense, I don't understand.
For this reason, I have a particular love of middle European prog. I feel that by, and large, it is far more intriguing than more mainstream progressive rock bands like Yes, Rush, or Genesis. That's why, I'm wondering what all is out there still for me to explore?
Right now, I'm looking at anything from Stormy Six to Arcuturs to Neu! I know threads have been made for a lot of particular regions(IE. Swedish prog thread, etc). But, I feel with the similarities between the bands in the genre, there's no way there shouldn't be a more cumulative thread.
Just listened to Lard Free on an obscure mention somehow randomly sparked in my brain from an obscure thread months ago by either Tore, or Dankstra, or somebody, I even forget.
Anybody else have any favourite Italian, Swedish, French, Belgian, Czechoslovakian, German prog bands they'd like to share?
Favorites:
Univers Zero
Art Zoyd
Present
Can
Neu!
Arcturus
Ulver
Samla Mammas Manna
Plastic People Of the Universe
Magma
Dun
Gong
Dodheimsgard
Blut Aus Nord
Dirty Granny Tales(maybe, another thing I discovered from random explorations on these forums)
Zu
Note: I consider a lot of black metal acts,, and other things sort of in the same vein when exploring the concept. I think anything outside the box suggesting is good. I know a few I listed may only be loosely prog, or be closer to avant-garde(which in a lot of the ways is the same thing), but I feel all sort of integrate the proper middle-European vibe in which integrates elements of the traditional folk musics, and avant-garde to make for a distinctly European sound.