Progressive Death Metal · Genres
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What is progressive death metal?

Technical death metal and progressive death metal are related terms that refer to bands particularly distinguished by the complexity of their music. Common traits are abruptly changing, sometimes chaotic song structures, uncommon time signatures, atypical rhythms and unusual harmonies and melodies.

About progressive death metal

Bands described as technical death metal or progressive death metal usually fuse common death metal aesthetics with elements of progressive rock, jazz and/or classical music.

From Last.fm, where 16,516 listeners have tagged music as progressive death metal.

Artists to start with

  1. Opeth
  2. Gojira
  3. Death
  4. An Abstract Illusion
  5. Black Crown Initiate
  6. Blood Incantation
  7. Edge of Sanity
  8. Persefone
  9. Alkaloid
  10. Cynic

Albums to hear first

  • The Way of All Flesh by GojiraThe Way of All FleshGojira
  • Terra Incognita by GojiraTerra IncognitaGojira
  • The Link by GojiraThe LinkGojira
  • Symbolic by DeathSymbolicDeath
  • Morningrise by OpethMorningriseOpeth
  • Where Owls Know My Name by Rivers of NihilWhere Owls Know My NameRivers of Nihil
  • Watershed by OpethWatershedOpeth
  • Focus by CynicFocusCynic

Progressive Death Metal songs

  1. Flying Whales by Gojira
  2. The Gift of Guilt by Gojira
  3. The Heaviest Matter of the Universe by Gojira
  4. Born in Winter by Gojira
  5. L'Enfant Sauvage by Gojira
  6. Ghost of Perdition by Opeth
  7. Backbone by Gojira
  8. From the Sky by Gojira
  9. Toxic Garbage Island by Gojira
  10. Bleak by Opeth

Progressive Death Metal on Risocast

  • Symbolic (Remastered Version) by DeathSymbolic (Remastered Version)Death · 1995
  • Goth (Instrumental Versions) by undefinedGoth (Instrumental Versions)undefined · 2026
  • Symbolic by DeathSymbolicDeath · 1995
  • Crystal Mountain by DeathCrystal MountainDeath · 1995
  • Empty Words by DeathEmpty WordsDeath · 1995
  • Goth (Slowed) by undefinedGoth (Slowed)undefined · 2026
  • Goth by undefinedGothundefined · 2026
  • Goth (Sped Up) by undefinedGoth (Sped Up)undefined · 2026

Neighbouring genres

In the metal & heavy family. All genres

death metalblack metaldoom metalalternative metaldeathcoredeath-doombrutal death metalblackened death metalcrossover thrashatmospheric black metalhardcore punkmetal

Questions

What is progressive death metal?
Technical death metal and progressive death metal are related terms that refer to bands particularly distinguished by the complexity of their music. Common traits are abruptly changing, sometimes chaotic song structures, uncommon time signatures, atypical rhythms and unusual harmonies and melodies. Bands described as technical death metal or progressive death metal usually fuse common death metal aesthetics with elements of progressive rock, jazz and/or classical music.
Who are the best-known progressive death metal artists?
By Last.fm listening: Opeth, Gojira, Death, An Abstract Illusion, Black Crown Initiate and Blood Incantation.
What genres are similar to progressive death metal?
On Risocast it sits with death metal, black metal, doom metal, alternative metal, deathcore and death-doom.

Risocast is free. Install it once and it logs everything you play.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

Updated 6 October 2026

Risocast Help

A music log that fills itself in. It records the songs you play on your computer and your phone, turns them into your top songs, stats and a public profile, and finds people whose taste overlaps with yours.

Yes. The app and the website are free.

A song counts once half of it has played, or four minutes — whichever comes first. Songs of 30 seconds or less, and videos or podcasts over 20 minutes, never count.

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It does the same core job — scrobbling, automatically — without plugins per player, and adds taste matching: see who listens like you and how much your taste overlaps.

Your profile and listening are public so people with similar taste can find you, unless you make your profile private (then only your buddies see it); your email never is. Nothing is sold and there are no ads; anonymous usage analytics (Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics) show what to improve. See the privacy policy for the details.

More in Help, the guides and the privacy policy.

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When a song countsAfter half its length, or four minutes, whichever comes first.Tracks under 30 seconds are ignored.Offline plays are counted on the device and sent later.

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