Top 10 Greatest Tech/Extreme Prog Metal Bands

Tech/extreme prog metal is a subgenre of progressive rock with roots in extreme metal or is strongly influenced by it. The style developed by the end of the 1980s in the thrash metal scene, when a number of bands stretched the boundaries of their sound by including elements from progressive rock.

Death metal followed a similar path in the 1990s, and by the 2000s, black metal and metalcore also saw an increasing number of bands incorporating prog influences.

Here are some of the bands and artists in this genre that are considered the best.

The Top Ten

  1. Opeth

    Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by David Isberg, who invited Mikael Åkerfeldt into the band as a bassist. Isberg ended up leaving the band, which led to Åkerfeldt becoming the band's vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter, and driving force.... read more

    Atmospheric, dark progressive death metal at its finest. The songs often have elements of beauty among them, courtesy of Mikael Åkerfeldt's incredible voice, capable of producing chilling death growls and some incredible clean passages. Their sound is also quite diverse in this area, with some early works sounding more like melodic black metal along the lines of Dissection. They have also gone the opposite way and made some fairly decent standard prog rock, along with the amazingly haunting Damnation.

    Opeth is an incredible band with unique and interesting material throughout most of their discography. Even if they've softened, they're still pushing through and continue making great content nonetheless.

    My only issue with them, however, is their pacing. I'm all up for long songs, but Opeth can be boring at some points as some of their tracks tend to drag and feel too extended for their runtime.

  2. Death

    Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. The band is widely considered one of the most influential in heavy metal and a pioneer of the death metal genre. Their debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, is regarded as the first true death metal record. Death released seven studio... read more

    While their early albums were pure death metal, from Human onwards, they began adding more progressive elements to their music. These albums are where I personally find that Death shines brightest, as the instrumentation is incredible for the most part, transitioning from section to section extremely clearly. They constantly maintain a high level of intensity, providing a fairly unique sound in death metal, especially when considering the cleaner production compared to most death metal bands.

    This and Dark Tranquillity are the only death metal bands I like.

  3. Gojira

    Gojira is a progressive and death metal band from Bayonne, France. The band was originally known as Godzilla until 2001. Its members include Joe Duplantier on vocals and rhythm guitar, Mario Duplantier on drums, Christian Andreu on lead guitar, and Jean-Michel Labadie on bass.

    What this band does best is creating amazingly heavy music, with a particular focus on bone-crushing riffs. The production and mixing give their music an extremely large, spacious feel, further increasing the intensity and making each note feel incredibly impactful and powerful. They also weave in some more emotional, beautiful moments in songs such as Global Warming and The Gift of Guilt.

  4. Between the Buried and Me

    Between the Buried and Me is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band originally featured vocalist and keyboardist Tommy Giles Rogers Jr.

    The group is known for blending progressive, technical, and metalcore elements, and their conceptual albums... read more

    The way this band transitions from one riff or section to another seamlessly, no matter what the change is - ranging from heavy death metal breakdowns to bluegrass - makes it an incredibly interesting listen. Each song is incredibly dynamic, going from riff to riff extremely quickly, while still keeping it sounding excellent throughout. The clean sections also tend to be great, breaking up particularly intense parts and bringing in some amazing melodies in the process.

  5. Ne Obliviscaris

    Ne Obliviscaris, which means "forget not" in Latin, is an extreme progressive metal band from Melbourne, Australia. The band was formed in April 2003 by vocalist Marc "Xenoyr" Campbell and violinist Adam Cooper. They have released four studio albums, with the most recent being Exul, which came out on... read more

    I politely disagree that what they do isn't incredible:

    1. They perform duets between clean and unclean vocals - the clean and harsh vocalists sing simultaneously, harmonizing their vocal lines. Can you name another prog metal band that does this?

    2. Many metal bands use violins occasionally and usually in the background as part of the arrangement. But Ne Obliviscaris uses violins all the time and offers dueling solos between a guitar and a violin, and sometimes between a violin and a bass.

    3. Their composing skills are incredible, and one of their songs is studied at a Music Conservatorium for its composition.

    While I'm not as keen on them as many people are, I still cannot deny that I see a lot of merit in their music, particularly how well they blend violin into their songs.

    The idea itself isn't necessarily anything absolutely ridiculous or incredible, but the execution truly is, as these passages of violin add atmosphere and pure beauty to the harsh music.

  6. Gorguts

    Gorguts is a Canadian technical death metal band formed in Sherbrooke, Quebec, in 1989. The band's only constant member throughout its history has been guitarist and vocalist Luc Lemay. Gorguts is known for its complex compositions and has been influential within the technical death metal subgenre.

    Extremely challenging, dissonant music in every way, like what Captain Beefheart would have sounded like if he wrote death metal. The songs seem to transition every 5 - 10 seconds, introducing new, heavy riffs. It almost feels like it doesn't work properly, yet it always manages to come together, providing the listener with a feeling that is hard to create, often leaving them slightly off-kilter due to the music's unpredictability.

    One of the least accessible metal bands ever, which is a compliment in a metal context.

  7. Meshuggah

    Meshuggah is a Swedish progressive metal band from Umeå, formed in 1987. They are often considered pioneers of the djent subgenre due to their use of downtuned, polymetric guitar riffs and complex rhythms. They are also known for their song "Bleed," which is notable for its intricate instrumentation... read more

  8. Nile

    Nile is an American technical death metal band from Greenville, South Carolina, formed in 1993. Their music and lyrics are heavily inspired by ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern history, religion, mysticism, and art, as well as the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The band is known for its complex compositions... read more

  9. Obscura

    Obscura is a German technical and progressive death metal band formed in 2002. The band gained prominence when members of Necrophagist and Pestilence joined founder Steffen Kummerer to release their second album, Cosmogenesis. The band's name was inspired by the album Obscura by Gorguts.

    If you want to hear how to correctly incorporate jazz elements in extreme metal, listen to their song Diluvium (2018). The jazz elements don't make the song lose its metal feel, tempo, or technicality. I needed to say this because many metal bands who try to incorporate jazz often end up sounding like bands playing cheesy lounge music.

  10. Cryptopsy

    Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1988. The band has sold over 300,000 records worldwide. They are known for their complex compositions and have been influential in the development of the technical death metal genre.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Vektor

    Vektor is an American progressive thrash metal band from Tempe, Arizona. The band formed under the name Locrian around June 2003 but changed their name to Vektor in 2004. They are known for their science fiction-themed lyrics and complex song structures.

  12. ?

    Haken

    Haken are an English progressive metal band formed in 2007 by multi-instrumentalist Richard Henshall, guitarist Matthew Marshall, and vocalist Ross Jennings. The band has released several critically acclaimed albums, including The Mountain and Vector. Haken is known for blending complex compositions... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. Enslaved

    Enslaved is a Norwegian extreme metal band formed in Haugesund in June 1991. They later relocated to Bergen, Norway, which became their base of operations. The band is known for blending black metal with progressive and Viking metal elements, earning critical acclaim and a dedicated global fan base.

  14. Voivod

    Voivod is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has evolved over time, incorporating elements of thrash, progressive, and industrial metal since their formation in the early 1980s. The band's current lineup includes Denis "Snake" Bélanger (vocals), Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain... read more

    I haven't listened to much of their work so far, but I really love what I've heard (specifically Nothingface). I've heard them described as Gentle Giant if they went metal, and I can somewhat see the comparison. Both bands favor shorter stretches of music filled with many different ideas and embrace the quirkier side of their respective genres.

  15. Spawn of Possession

    Spawn of Possession was a technical death metal band from Kalmar, Sweden, founded in 1997. Known for their complex compositions and technical proficiency, the band gained recognition within the metal community. In 2017, they officially announced their disbandment through a post on their Facebook page... read more

  16. Leprous

    Leprous is a Norwegian progressive metal band formed in 2001 in Notodden, Norway. The band gained prominence as the live backing band for former Emperor frontman Ihsahn. They have released several acclaimed albums, including Bilateral and Malina.

    Each album they make is quite difficult to get into, and each is different from the other, but always very complex and interesting. The band always sounds very fresh and innovative, never seeming as if they've hit a roadblock. Some albums focus more on vocal harmonies and a slightly symphonic sound, while others delve deep into extremely dark atmospheres, clearly maturing with each album.

  17. Mastodon

    Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. The band was formed in early 2000 and includes Troy Sanders on bass, Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher on guitars, and Brann Dailor on drums. They are known for their complex song structures and blending of multiple metal subgenres.

    While a couple of their later albums are somewhat questionable, in general, this band has released some incredible material. Their music ranges from extremely heavy, chaotic, and aggressive to sludgy and more prog-focused. The technicality they display provides for some great songs, especially in terms of the riffs the band comes up with.

  18. Horrendous

    Horrendous is an American metal band formed in 2009. The group is recognized for blending melodic elements with technical death metal, creating a sound that is both complex and emotionally resonant. Their musical approach has earned them a strong reputation among metal critics and fans.... read more

  19. Sikth

    While I'm not a major fan of most 'djent' bands, I find Sikth to be the massive exception due to their unhinged sound, similar to System of a Down if they decided to become heavier. The vocal work in particular stands out, being quite bizarre in general. Their more experimental moments also separate them from other 'djent' bands, including some elements of eerie atmosphere and the like.

  20. Beyond Creation

    Beyond Creation is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec. They are currently signed to Season of Mist records. The band is known for their complex compositions and has released several albums, including Algorythm and Earthborn Evolution.

  21. Blotted Science

    Blotted Science is an instrumental technical metal supergroup formed in 2004. It is led by guitarist Ron Jarzombek, with bassist Alex Webster and drummer Hannes Grossmann. The group is known for its complex compositions and technical proficiency.

  22. Animals as Leaders

    Animals as Leaders is an American progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It was formed in 2007 by guitarist Tosin Abasi and currently includes Abasi, guitarist Javier Reyes, and drummer Matt Garstka. The band is known for its instrumental compositions and complex musical style, often described... read more

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