Did you know Transatlantic just released a third CD called The Whirlwind? I’m watching for the mailman to deliver it any second now.
Oh, yes yes yes - I’m eagerly awaiting my copy as well.
Agree that Rush is great - Hemispheres Prelude is a fantastic example of how they could perfectly combine an incredibly deep and wide sound, real heaviness, groove and complexity, and a certain oddness that was all their own.
But I’d start with these albums: Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, Hemispheres, Signals, and also consider 2112 and A Farewell to Kings. I quite like songs from the whole history, but these early-mid albums are truly great.
And for some leftfield suggestions:
THINKING PLAGUE
Beautiful, often extremely complex/elaborately-composed, dissonant, ‘difficult’ music that is more prog than almost anything I’ve heard. All their albums are great - perhaps start with ‘In this Life’ or ‘In Extremis’
Check these out:
Fountain of All Tears
Behold the Man
5uus
Some similarities to Thinking Plague, a bit more jazzy.
CARDIACS
Fabulous English band which mix up rock and prog. They have some utterly epic songs. The singer and songwriter Tim Smith is a bona fide genius - Frank Zappa really rated him.
The Everso Closely Guarded Line
Jibber and Twitch (live studio video)
