Sam Dunn
VH1 Classic
All Access Review: A-
As if channeling some malevolent force from the Great
Beyond, the moody schizophrenia and heart-of-darkness explorations of King
Crimson's unsettling early 1970s progressive-rock seemed to emanate pure evil.
Where more timid musical spirits braked to a screeching halt at the borders of
that uncharted musical territory they explored with such curiosity, Robert
Fripp and company pressed on, eager to discover bizarre sounds and encounter
odd time signatures while welcoming any weirdness that might suddenly jump out
at them from the blackness. Hardier souls like Metallica's Kirk Hammett
embraced the more disturbing and strangely foreign elements of Crimson's
oeuvre, and some, like Classic Rock magazine's Jerry Ewing, even go so far as
to consider them a proto-thrash outfit.
It's not quite as easy as it sounds to establish that
link between the early forefathers of English prog-rock, like Yes and Genesis,
and heavy metal, but filmmaker Sam Dunn and his co-conspirators do just that in
the beginning of "Progressive Metal," the latest chapter in his
"Metal Evolution" series that's been dominating the airwaves on VH-1
Classic over the last few months. Over the life of "Metal Evolution,"
Dunn has shown the ability to make connections that don't seem patently
obvious, and he doesn't do it in a ham-fisted manner. With regard to Crimson's
influence on thrash, Dunn lets Hammett and Ewing make the case for him. And
Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett, also interviewed by Dunn, bolsters the
argument by adding "I doff my cap" to metal artists who have shown an
affinity for weighty, challenging music.
And this heavy metal sub-genre certainly has its share of
challenging artists. There's the mysterious complexity of Tool and the blend of
raging thrash metal, technical brilliance and melodic playfulness of Dream Theater - Dunn's inquisitive nature leading him to revisit Dream Theater's
somewhat rebellious Berklee College of Music experience and study Tool's
brooding intensity and penchant for remaining anonymous. All of that, however,
is nothing compared to the extreme lengths Meshuggah goes to in pounding out
its jazz-infected death metal assault or the completely insane prog-metal noise
riots Dillinger Escape Plan ignites onstage. It is at this point that Dunn
wonders if progressive-metal hasn't gone too far, the furious live clips of
Meshuggah and Dillinger Escape Plan leaving viewers with mouths gaping wide.
Mastodon brings "Progressive Metal" back to some semblance of
normalcy, the Atlanta, Ga., prog-metal outfit combining unrelenting heaviness,
surging power and intricate instrumentation on albums such as the "Moby
Dick"-style concept record Leviathan, one of the truly important rock
albums of the last decade. Dunn isn't shy about singing Mastodon's praises, and
with good reason, considering the focused study of Leviathan he undertakes.
Their lofty ambitions, Brann Dailor's multi-dimensional drumming, the hoary
vocal blending of Dailor, Brent Hinds and Troy Sanders, and the sheer immensity
of their sound has turned Mastodon into what is perhaps the biggest force in
metal today, at least among the more independent-minded metal denizens plying
their trade.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the
fearless experimentation of 1970s progressive-rock envelope-pushers Yes,
Genesis, and King Crimson. Dailor cites Crimson and Genesis, in particular, as
inspiration at the beginning of "Progressive Metal," which leads Dunn
to craft a concise, yet compelling history of prog-rock through intelligent,
insightful interviews with the likes of Hackett, Yes/King Crimson drummer Bill
Bruford, and Yes bassist Chris Squire, along with Ewing and another Crimson
drummer, Michael Giles. Augmenting the tightly edited and endlessly fascinating
dialogue is a series of period live footage from Crimson - playing "21st
Century Schizoid Man" - and Yes, shown performing a lively, boisterous
version of "Roundabout" that makes present-day Yes seem impotent by
comparison.
Once Dunn dispenses with the old guard, he turns his
camera eye on Rush. Neil Peart, Alex Lifeson, and Geddy Lee are all interviewed
for Dunn's piece, and their commentary on the transition from Caress of Steel
to 2112 is informative and interesting. Clearly, Rush is the suspension bridge
that connects old-school prog and the progressive-metal community that is
driving metal out of all its predictable ghettos and into places where others
fear to tread. Dunn's keen interest in Rush shows, resulting in a long segment
on the band's development from basic, blue-collar hard-rock dynamos to a trio
that isn't afraid to stretch the limits of imagination. That hunger to expand
and grow that's made Rush an enduring proposition has undoubtedly made an
impact on the upstart metal bands swept up in their hugely influential wake.
Plenty of Rush live footage - from yesterday and today - is offered that puts
the band's rugged, uncompromising, and dynamic musicianship on display in
"Progressive Metal," and when Lee, in his talk with Dunn, mentions
how radio contains many "empty calories" and that people will also be
on the lookout for interesting, unconventional music, it gives one a glimmer of
hope that many will turn to early Genesis, Crimson and Yes to scratch that
itch.
- Peter Lindblad
Metal Evolution - Progressive Metal
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