Neo-Prog
| Neo-Prog | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins: | Progressive rock , new wave , hard rock , pop-rock |
| Cultural origin: | 1980s , England |
| Typical instruments : | Electric guitar - acoustic guitar - Hammond organ - synthesizer - piano - electric bass - drums |
The neo prog (different spelling neo prog ) is a style of rock music , which in the early 1980s as a second wave of progressive rock was founded and heavily leaned on its musical elements.
style
Bands of this genre take up numerous elements of progressive rock, such as the intricate harmony and rhythm , the long, epic songs with often profound lyrics and the long instrumental parts, and provided them with contemporary instrumentation. The electronic synthesizer , in particular, plays an important role here, and was no longer used only as a solo instrument, but also to create a carpet of sound. A basic tendency towards theatrics is reflected in the selection of singers who, with their relatively high pitched voices, like to appear acting, emotional and wistful. Compared to classic Progressive Rock, Neo-Prog is also more focused on melodic elements. Albums like Genesis' Selling England by the Pound or Supertramp's Even in the Quietest Moments are seen as important stylistic influences of many neo-prog bands.
There are two different directions in the selection of textual themes and motifs: On the one hand, there is a stronger focus on political and social issues than in the first phase of progressive rock. Influenced by the Cold War and social unrest, texts were written with a direct appeal to the listener: Marillion's Forgotten Sons, for example, deals with the Northern Ireland conflict , and Twelfth Nights song “Fact and Fiction” criticizes the arms race . The opposite pole is formed over and over again by newly processed motifs from fantasy literature (the band name Marillion is derived from Tolkien's Silmarillion ). The cover paintings of the band Pendragon , decorated with chessboards, unicorns and jesters, are a highlight .
development
1980s
The main representatives of Neo-Prog are the British bands Marillion, IQ, Pallas, Twelfth Night and Pendragon.
The group Marillion presented a cornerstone in 1983 with the debut album Script for a Jester's Tear and in 1985 with Misplaced Childhood the most commercially successful neo-prog album (mainly thanks to the band's biggest single hit "Kayleigh"). The theatrical singing style of her front man Fish was based on the Genesis early works with Peter Gabriel and Peter Hammill ( Van der Graaf Generator ). IQ are known for their live shows, which combine elaborate stage presentations with British humor. Her classic Tales from the lush attic was also released in 1983.
With their “symphonic hard rock”, Pallas showed the clearest guitar orientation of the classical representatives of neo-prog. Twelfth Night blended features of Neo-Prog with New-Wave influences to create a particularly dark style. First they acted as an instrumental band before the charismatic Geoff Mann and later Andy Sears joined as singers. Pendragon implemented their preferred fantasy motifs in particularly melodious and ornate compositions, although critics sometimes describe this tendency as "softened".
With overlaps with adult-oriented rock , Saga , Asia and It Bites are sometimes also counted among the early neo-prog bands.
1990s and today
At the end of the 1980s, the Neo-Prog had passed its zenith. The main representatives had either turned their backs on Neo-Prog, had taken longer creative breaks, or dissolved. The classic bands IQ, Pallas and Pendragon were able to achieve respectable successes at later reunions with Neo-Prog-relevant releases, while Marillion pursued a completely independent style with a new singer.
In contrast, the supergroup project Arena, founded in 1995 around Pendragon keyboardist Clive Nolan and the short-term Marillion drummer Mick Pointer , was initially clearly based on the sound of the early Marillion . Like several remaining representatives of Neo-Prog, Arena are now under contract with the German record label InsideOut .
Other neo-prog bands were able to gain popularity in the 1990s, but in the media representation of prog they were overshadowed by bands from the third wave of progressive metal and retro-prog . These bands include Jadis , Enchant , Aragon , Chandelier , Galahad , Landmarq and Quidam . Some bands that would later prove to be the trailblazers of retro-prog added neo-prog echoes on their debut albums, such as echolyn ( echolyn , 1991) and Spock's Beard ( The Light , 1995).