Comment | Helsinki’s concert autumn proves that the style of music that is forever labeled as unfashionable is on the rise

If when asked to name an eternally unfashionable style of music, prog metal quickly comes to mind. The questionable echo of the genre is a throwback to the days when the traditional music media and the prejudices it presupposes were still in force.

I miss the print magazines that appear frequently, but the editors who write for them had a bad habit of looking for the essence of rock in the circle of simple, often clumsily played retro-meining.

At the same time, genres that saw genuine change and progress were branded as difficult and elitist – their players, on the other hand, as egomaniacal pranksters.

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Not all bands need to aim for strictness on the basis of who shouts the loudest.

These the prejudices of prog in the 1970s have already been inherited by modern prog metal, whose representatives have in recent decades, for example, advanced guitar playing considerably. However, the genre does not offer its guitarists any free solo platform, but its works take place on every level.

In particular, Swedish Meshuggah’s style combining complex polyrhythms and low knocking riffs has influenced the majority of current prog metal. This approach, called djent, makes it possible that all bands do not have to aim for roughness on the surface level, i.e. with the traditional principle of who shouts the loudest.

For example Australian Caligula’s Horse, who plays at the sold-out On the Rocks on Monday and Tuesday, or Danish VOLA, who is already coming to Finland for their fourth gig of the year in November, seamlessly combine a murderous heavy undertone and light, catchy melodies.

Guitar virtuoso of Caligula’s Horse Sam Vallen has taken influences from Steely Dan in his composition work, which he has made his dissertation on in the field of music. The band’s songs are, above all, wholes, not a selection of detached riffs like some bands in the industry.

The British Haken, who also performed at the Savoy at the beginning of September, is a master of combining heavy and light, who adds to the mix the theatricality of traditional prog and crazy vocal harmonies.

If we give up the attitudes of the past world and look at the current activity of the bands in the industry and the gig popularity, the unfashionability of prog metal is revealed as a prejudice.

This week in Helsinki, the American classical band Symphony X will perform on Tuesday at Kulttuuritalo and the Swedish Evergrey on Wednesday at Ääniwalli. In addition, Caligula’s Horse warm-ups domestic Atlas and Swedish Karmanjakah represent the promises of the industry. Fans of older prog will probably head to the concert of the Pink Floyd tribute band Brit Floyd playing at Jäähalli on Tuesday.

The biggest names in the genre, Dream Theater and Queensrÿche from the USA, and Opeth from Sweden are also coming to Finland in the near future.

At the Dream Theater, which is often seen here, the audience is interested in Maestro, who is back on the drum stool Mike Portnoyon the other hand, in Opeth, a fresh Finnish reinforcement, drummer Walter Väyrynen.