Prog Notes

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Ep. 19: Shrine of New Generation Slaves - Riverside Dec 22, 2019

Show notes

Destin and Drew eagerly dissect the first album on this show to feature a Polish band, Shrine Of New Generation Slaves by Riverside. From the accessible vocals, dark atmospheres, captivating bass riffs, ingenious guitar compositions, provocative lyrics, and flawless transitions, Destin and Drew analyze all of their favorite parts about this modern prog-rock album. If one argues the identity of Riverside as a metal group, this album challenges this notion. While there are high-energy parts found all throughout the album, there is a cohesive smoothness to the album that is absent from most bands in the metal genre. With Shrine Of New Generation Slaves, Riverside has crafted something that incorporates the abyssal tones of Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree while still maintaining an energy that is all their own. This music combines so naturally with a collection of profound lyrics to produce a very enjoyable modern prog rock listening experience, and Destin and Drew are only too happy to talk about it!

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**Prog Notes is a podcast dedicated to the genre of progressive rock. Each episode Destin and Drew tackle an album and delve into the different musical compositions, lyrics, and concepts that make it prog rock. They maintain that progressive rock is still very much alive and kicking, whether it be highlighting key moments from the early years or tracking the evolution of the genre to today's more modern groups. With each new episode, these two childhood friends encourage more people to investigate this unique, sometimes forgotten genre of music and find an album or band they can enjoy.

Ep. 18: Pawn Hearts - Van der Graaf Generator Dec 01, 2019

Show notes

“For some reason, it seems like we are the only two people who did not like it.” Destin sums up the official Prog Notes position on the album reviewed in this episode. In the deep recesses of progressive rock lives Van der Graaf Generator’s Pawn Hearts, one of the most critically acclaimed albums by hardcore progophiles across the world. While Destin and Drew air out their grievances against this “masterpiece”, they also cannot help but find amusement in many of the reviews that glorify it in… interesting ways. In this bizarre and hilarious addition, Destin and Drew try to make sense of not only the enigmatic three-track album by VDGG, but also the reviews of fans who hold it in such high esteem. Buckle in for the most buck wild episode of Prog Notes yet.

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Ep. 14: Hawaii - Aisles (feat. Aisles) Jul 22, 2019

Show notes

While most of the bands in the early days of progressive rock hailed from cities in England, Destin and Drew show that the genre can be found all over the world as they discuss Hawaii, a double album from the Chilean prog-rock group Aisles. This is the first episode to include an interview with members of the band! Gérman Vergara (guitars) and Juan Pablo Gaete (keyboards) discuss their theatrical origins, the artistic themes woven throughout the narrative of this concept album, and the emotional driving force that drives their writing process. While the influences of earlier bands are clearly discernible on Hawaii, Aisles incorporates a variety of musical styles to establish a sound that is truly its own. Gérman believes that Aisles should be able to surprise itself whenever creating something new. The passion that went into making this record is clearly heard on each track, and fans of music everywhere can appreciate the unique personality that comes in earnest from Hawaii.

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Ep. 12: In Absentia - Porcupine Tree May 28, 2019

Show notes

Porcupine Tree is one of the most recognizable names in modern progressive rock, and their groundbreaking album In Absentia has become a classic within the prog-rock community. It turned a page in the history of this preeminent band's career as it ushered in a whole new wave of fans and expanded their sound into the realm of heavy metal. With a wide array of moods spanning from high energy to psychedelic to hysterical, In Absentia does everything except stagnate while still centering on dark themes and poignant lyricism with grace and nuance. It's made even more notable by a loose concept that flirts with the idea of insanity and questions elements of humanity and monstrosity. Destin and Drew discuss this remarkable album in detail and explain why it is such an achievement for Porcupine Tree and why it has become so popular for prog rock fans everywhere.

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Ep. 11: Lateralus - Tool May 05, 2019

Show notes

Destin and Drew jump forward several years and analyze the more modern side of progressive rock with Tool's Lateralus. Tool's approach to their music is quite peculiar and can even be alienating to the mainstream with some of the audacious imagery exhibited on their albums and music videos and the disturbing lyrics put to many of their songs. This wildly successful album combines raw vocals, intense overdriven guitars, and complex rhythmic patterns to engage the listener and gives them a burst of raucous energy. However, this album also presents many intriguing, albeit disturbing, psychological concepts, perhaps with the intended effect of bending the psyche. Not everyone will go down the rabbit hole of some of their fans who have devised quite elaborate theories behind the dark themes connecting each song, but Tool certainly makes one think, and with Lateralus, they have elegantly merged heavy metal with art-rock.

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Ep. 10: Tales of Mystery and Imagination - The Alan Parsons Project (Pt. 2) (feat. Rachel Brown) Apr 01, 2019

Show notes

(Pt. 2) Destin and Drew are joined again by the venerable Rachel Brown to discuss the dark, dreamy, and mystifying art-rock masterpiece Tales of Mystery and Imagination by The Alan Parsons Project. Rachel adds some much-needed literary insight as this idiosyncratic concept album is based on the works of 19th-century gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe. While most might not immediately associate an album like this with the early prog-rock movement, many of the "art rock" elements exemplified in the tracks share many commonalities with progressive rock. In this two-part episode, the hosts analyze each track to fully extract all the nuances that make this 1976 release not only a feat of artistic ingenuity, but also an inspired homage to the haunting, gripping, and macabre tales of Edgar Allan Poe.

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Ep. 10: Tales of Mystery and Imagination - The Alan Parsons Project (Pt. 1) (feat. Rachel Brown) Apr 01, 2019

Show notes

(Pt. 1) Destin and Drew are joined again by the venerable Rachel Brown to discuss the dark, dreamy, and mystifying art-rock masterpiece Tales of Mystery and Imagination by The Alan Parsons Project. Rachel adds some much-needed literary insight as this idiosyncratic concept album is based on the works of 19th-century gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe. While most might not immediately associate an album like this with the early prog-rock movement, many of the "art rock" elements exemplified in the tracks share many commonalities with progressive rock. In this two-part episode, the hosts analyze each track to fully extract all the nuances that make this 1976 release not only a feat of artistic ingenuity, but also an inspired homage to the haunting, gripping, and macabre tales of Edgar Allan Poe.

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Ep. 9: Thick As a Brick - Jethro Tull Mar 12, 2019

Show notes

Destin and Drew behold the juggernaut Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull which was described by Ian Anderson as "the mother of all concept albums." With the rise of progressive rock in the early 1970s, the English pioneers flooded the scene with lengthy songs and grandiose concept albums which garnered the whole movement a reputation for being high brow and a little pretentious. With Thick As A Brick, Jethro Tull aimed to satirize the pompous aura surrounding the progressive rock scene while also embracing the spirit of the genre as well. Light-heartedly poking fun at the inflated state of prog rock, Anderson aimed to bring the genre back down to Earth by creating one, long, continuous song that spans the entirety of the album. While the compositions can be intentionally complicated for comedic effect, they are also mesmerizing and resulted in resounding success for Jethro Tull. Thick As A Brick is a perfect album to discuss the perception of prog rock, and Destin and Drew are eager to analyze all that this album has to offer.

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Ep. 7: Selling England By The Pound - Genesis Jan 21, 2019

Show notes

Destin and Drew open the “discussion door” to one of the defining prog-rock groups with this episode on Selling England By The Pound by Genesis. By this point in their career, whether they intended to or not, Genesis had already established themselves as a progressive rock group due to their lengthy compositions, innovative use of synthesizers and interesting guitar effects, and the colorful collection of characters that vocalist Peter Gabriel channeled in his performances. The inspiration behind many of the pieces on this record was rooted in their English heritage. An amalgamation of allusions to English places and figures, an air of medieval folk music, and a variety of theatrical vocals work together to make an album that is comically English and brilliantly composed.

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Ep. 6: Days of Future Passed - The Moody Blues Jan 02, 2019

Show notes

Some of the most identifiable aspects of early progressive rock groups were the larger concepts and lengthier arrangements that would accompany them, resulting in the concept album. In this episode, Destin and Drew contend that Days of Future Passed by The Moody Blues was the first apparent concept album, and they discuss the ingenious, yet elegantly simple design behind this record. Similar to The Beatles, The Moody Blues started incorporating more orchestral arrangements into their music, paving the way for what many would later refer to as symphonic rock. Days of Future Passed is a perfect blend of 1960s blues-rock and magnificent symphonic compositions performed by an entire orchestra. While not often included in the list of classic prog-rock bands, The Moody Blues gave us one of the first true concept albums and demonstrated the wonderful effects of adding symphonic instruments to rock music.

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