MEAN DEVIATION: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal, by Jeff Wagner
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.
ISBN 978-09796163-3-4
High-quality 400pp trade paperback
Illus. w/over 100 images + 16pp full-color insert
6.75″ x 9.5″ x 1″ / 2 lbs (170mm x 240mm x 25mm / .75 kg)
Original cover artwork by Michel “Away” Langevin
Download free sample chapter [.PDF format]: “5. Passing the Threshold”
Download complete index [.PDF format]: HERE
“Mean Deviation zeroes in on heavy metal’s more cerebral, challenging, and even geeky side.”—Ghetto Blaster
“Fans of prog metal would be wise to learn more about Mean Deviation…”—Guitar World
“A focused, well-organized narrative from the combined musical output of over 40 years and scores of bands from across the globe…excess comes with the territory.”—Library Journal
“Jeff goes deep into this much maligned music form and presents it with fervor”—Vice
“An impressive historical work”—Chromatique [9/10 review]
“What a massive undertaking… knowledge, passion, skills, and class… this book should be required reading for any metal follower.”—Blistering.com [9.5/10 review]
“Mean Deviation is an amazing compendium of everything weird in the world of metal—a book as grand and unlikely as the music it documents.”—Hellbound.ca
“The book looks and feels fabulous. Thank you, Jeff Wagner, for this massive information highway for all things progressive metal.”—Paul Masvidal, Cynic/Death
“The book is awesome. I read it in two days.”—Glenn Harveston, ProgPower USA
“Looks cool! I’m looking forward to digging in.”—Jim Matheos, Fates Warning
“This goes beyond being well-informed…kudos for great work!”—Vorph, Samael
“We now have a definitive book on the relationship between metal and progressive music.”—Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree
“An expertly researched love letter to the largely misunderstood and often maligned progressive metal scene”—AOL Noisecreep, Holiday Gift List
“Another winner from the folks at Bazillion Points!”—Sea of Tranquility [4.5/5 stars]
“An invaluable compendium”—Nuthousepunks.com
“Mean Deviation is a comprehensive history of the genre that fans will enjoy, and future music scholars will use as an essential reference guide.”—Aboutcom
“Jeff Wagner nailed it…another triumph for Bazillion Points”—Metal Rules.com, 4.5/5 review
“With great passion and attention to detail…a colorful read… an impressive achievement”—Joel McIver, Record Collector
“Breathtaking… pick it up and get lost in another dimension”—Terrorizer
Revered former Metal Maniacs editor Jeff Wagner analyzes the heady side of metal in this exhaustive history of a relentlessly ambitious musical subculture. Beginning with 1970s progressive rock acts Rush and King Crimson, Mean Deviation unfurls a colorful tapestry of sounds and styles, from the “Big Three” of 1980s prog metal—Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, and Dream Theater—to extreme pioneers Voivod, Watchtower, and Celtic Frost. The flirtation between heavy metal and progressive rock grows with bold creative leaps, spawning countless valiant launches toward infinity. Today, the spark of inspiration thrives in obscure outposts such as Scandinavia, Florida, and Japan, bursting into full flame with the successes of prog metal overlords Opeth, Meshuggah, Tool, Between the Buried and Me, and their progressive peers.
According to Wagner: “Mean Deviation highlights many impossibly scattered bands and movements that widened the scope of the heavy metal genre. To some, progressive metal starts with Dream Theater and ends with an interminable stream of bands that sound like Dream Theater. By my interpretation, the term ‘progressive metal’ allows for consideration of cosmic post-black metal band In the Woods, avant-garde metal surrealists Thought Industry, and those obscure purveyors of corrupted Swedish death metal, Carbonized-along with more obvious entries such as Fates Warning, Opeth, and, of course, Dream Theater.
“One thing prog metal certainly is, is metal. Hard and bold and brash, but refined, adulterated, and mutated; it is heavy metal taken somewhere illuminating and sometimes bizarre.”
Jeff Wagner interviews on Invisible Oranges and Vice.
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“Hellbent for Cooking”:...
[...] a member dies, styles change and a new incarnation is born. Voivod scholar and friend of the show, Jeff Wagner join us again to discuss this truly crucial [...]
[...] mythology that are distinctly their own. Voivod scholar and friend of the show, Jeff Wagner join us this episode to discuss the first chapter of this truly crucial [...]
[...] savants that best define the nebulous label that is “progressive metal”, then ‘Mean Deviation‘ — the new and exotic pet project of Metal Maniacs veteran Jeff Wagner — is the [...]
[...] read German this is an essential issue (btw check out Jeff Wagner’s prog metal book “Mean Deviation“ for more historic fun in that department). Also featured was my OTHER favorite band at the [...]
S’up,
After years of these types of METAL Books, I would hope someone will fill it full of pixs. that none of us have seen a bizillion times before!!!! You all know what I mean! I love to read this type of book, yet, nothing grabs me more then pixs. THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN PUBLISHED FROM THE EARLY YEARS OF TRUE METAL – YOU ALL KNOW WHAT I MEAN HERE!!!!!!!!
God Bless You Alllllllll…!
[...] week we’re giving away a copy of the most excellent book Mean Deviation, a detailed history of the four decades (!) progressive heavy metal has graced this planet. The [...]
[...] anywhere) to people like the Catholic priest Robert Culat and critic Jeff Wagner, whose book Mean Deviation I very much enjoyed. This book has also spawned some interesting and fairly intellectual [...]
[...] Mean Deviation: Forty Years Of Progressive Heavy Metal(Jeff Wagner; foreward by Steven Wilson) Bazillion Points, 2010 [...]
[...] On this very hazy edition of the Metal Injection Livecast Rob was sent off on assignment to cover the Revolver Golden Gods Awards. The rest of the gang naturally starts the show off by discussing their bowel movements, because that's what people want to hear. Noa and Jenny then talk about their Friday night watching the show Gigolos and the trauma that ensued. We got a call from Luke in Australia who told us a joke that led to a very regretful conversation. We also went over Metallica's video for Memory Remains and didgeridoos. We get really high, some of us second hand in celebration of 420. Noa picks the cuts for the PROG ROCK BLOCK music break inspired by the book MEAN DEVIATION: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal by Jeff Wagner. [...]
Is Psychopath’s Making The Transition in this book? One of the earliest to fuse several extreme metal styles, including progressive. How about Angkor Wat or Calhoun Conquer?
Please use the link above to download the complete index of Mean Deviation, and see for yourself where these bands and many others do and don’t appear. Thank you!
This book is so amazing and informative. I learned things about bands I was in that I had not previously known!Great job Jeff!!!!!!!! If you are into prog music on any level, you NEED to buy this book. I did.
My review of sorts: http://mycodehere.blogspot.com/2010/12/book-review-mean-deviation.html
I got my copy yesterday and can’t wait to dig in. Thanks for including ANACRUSIS in what will surely become classic Prog-Rock/Metal reference material for years to come.
[...] http://www.bazillionpoints.com/progress/ [...]
[...] aantal foto’s en is te bestellen bij onder andere Amazon en Bol of bij de uitgeverij zelf: Brazilian Points. Tweet Delen RSS [...]
Hi, Jeff. I did something of a review of the book here
http://poetry-of-subculture.blogspot.com/2010/12/jeff-wagners-mean-deviation-four.htm
Congratulations on finishing what must have been a monumentally involved project!
I just got this book in the post and I devoured it over 48 hours. I LOVE IT…although I vehemently disagree with your position on Calhoun Conquer.
Seriously though, kudos to you for taking on this mammoth task and doing it so damn well!
>>although I vehemently disagree with your position on Calhoun Conquer.
Hey, kudos to YOU for reading that far into the book! I should probably amend that part for the 2nd edition: “not a band anyone could truly love, except for [your name here].” And I suspect they have other fans. Much respect, to you and C.Conquer too.- JW
Congratulations Jeff! I can’t wait to get my copy of this much anticipated work. Paul Masvidal and I were just discussing how awesome it is that you put together the story of prog rock/metal for all to enjoy!
Cheers to you!
Kurt Bachman
Believer
MIND OVER FOUR ? ? ?
YES ! ! !
[...] Başlıktan da rahatça anlaşılabileceği gibi Mean Deviation, Progressive Metal‘in tarihini anlatıyor. Jeff Wagner tarafından yazılmış. 1970′lerden başlayarak günümüze kadar geliyor. Artık kimin ismini ararsanız mevcut gibi. King Crimson, Rush ile başlayıp, Opeth‘e Between The Buried And Me‘ye kadar uzanıyormuş. Kitabın önsözünün Steven Wilson tarafından yazıldığı da hoş bir ayrıntı. Daha fazla bilgi için buyrun. [...]
[...] http://www.bazillionpoints.com/progress/ [...]
Jeff has been neck deep in the progressive metal scene and movement for the many years we have known each other. It’s great to finally have this metal genre further defined for the masses and by someone who has fully immersed themselves in it.
I can’t wait to read it, absorb it and find some new favorite bands!
Cheers,
Chris Roy
ProgPower USA Festival(Stage Manager)
Reading Zero
Ten Ton Rollerskate
[...] This looks to be a very fun and interesting read. There will be lots of art, pics, and historical fun stuff for prog metal fans, Rush geeks, Dream Theater nuts, and pretentious shredheads… ha ha! Hey like any subgenre there’s crap and brilliance. In my book, for the best of progressive metal you don’t have to go much further than Fates Warning, Queensryche, and other 80s metal pioneers like Voivod, Watchtower, Helstar, etc. Of course you’ve gotta go back to the roots in the 70s with Rush. Seventies and Eighties are where its at folks! I’ll be interested to read this book, looks like fun. (pre)Order it if you wish. [...]
[...] Wagner is the author of “Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal”, set for release on Bazillion Points later this summer. He is also a former editor-in-chief of [...]
[...] Wagner is the author of “Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal”, set for release on Bazillion Points later this summer. He is also a former editor-in-chief of [...]
It’s 2010 …. any word on release date? The music loving public needs to know!
Hi Eric, thanks for writing about Mean Deviation. We are in production on this book right now, and expect to announce a Summer release date soon. Everything looks fantastic, as you might expect Jeff Wagner completely knocked himself out!
Bazillion Points will be shipping preorders in November. At last! 400 pages don’t come easy…so enjoy the book!
I can’t wait to get this. Jeff is a great guy and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about the new progressive movement. Especially about some of the band we helped to bring to the masses.
All the best,
Eric Corbin
Screaming Crow PR
(former VP of Inside Out Music America)
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.