I think it's safe to say that progressive metal, descended from the likes of Yes, Rush, Kansas and King Crimson, is my favorite subgenre and one that you'll get plenty of representation from in this countdown. For those of you unfamiliar with the style, some of its characteristic sounds include multi- and mixed-meters, synthesized symphonic and keyboard sounds, high-pitched clean (as opposed to growly or harsh) vocals, and long and relatively complex formal structures.
It's probably also no secret that I love Germans :) which brings me to my next band who hail from my home away from home, Kaiserslautern! Vanden Plas, named for a fancy make of car, even wrote and recorded a fight song for Die Roten Teufel, K-Town's municipal treasure and soccer team. They're a polished band, if a little sanitized.
Their Christ 0 album is based on the Alexandre Dumas novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, and has some lovely compositions as well as solid playing throughout. Highlights include a cover of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ Superstar and "Fireroses Dance" below, which features a Bolero-like crescendo, string orchestration and forty-piece chorus. It starts out peaceful, featuring piano and strings, but turns heavier around 3:06, shortly after which the mixed-meter and chorus kick in.
And let's not forget, they're from Kaiserslautern!
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