MEAN DEVIATION: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal, by Jeff Wagner
ISBN 978-0979616334
Revered former Metal Maniacs editor Jeff Wagner analyzes the heady side of metal in this exhaustive narrative history of a relentlessly ambitious musical subculture. Beginning with the hugely influential mid-1970s efforts of Rush and King Crimson, Wagner unfurls a huge tapestry of sounds and styles, including Queensryche, Fates Warning, and Dream Theater; extreme prog pioneers Voivod and Celtic Frost; Norway’s post-black metal avant garde acts Ulver and Arcturus; and the 1990s global movement that spawned Ayreon, Pain of Salvation, and others.
Fighting a tide of tradition and conservatism, progressive metal has proven to be one of the most viable, malleable forms in all of modern music; here its preeminent scholar tells the tale.
Jeff Wagner interview on Noise Pollution.
I agree that Supuration (or SUP or Spherical Unit provided) and Gorguts should be in there!
I also hope Confessor, Mind Over Four & Thought Industry are mentioned at least.
I think this will be a fantastic book and can’t wait for it to come out.
Fuck, this is the book that I planned on writing because I was convinced there was no book on the topic. Will definitely be picking up at some point.
This sounds beyond awesome. Hopefully it includes bands like Supuration, Kong, Obliveon, Gorguts and Demilich along with the nancypants errrr more traditional heavy metal/prog stuff.
I can’t wait to read this book! It has needed to be written for sometime.