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
Original cover artwork by Michel “Away” Langevin
“Mean Deviation zeroes in on heavy metal’s more cerebral, challenging, and even geeky side.”—Ghetto Blaster
“Thank you, Jeff Wagner, for this massive information highway for all things progressive metal.”—Paul Masvidal, Cynic/Death
“We now have a definitive book on the relationship between metal and progressive music.”—Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree
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 interview on Noise Pollution.
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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.