What it is, what to hear first, and what sits next to it.
Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal, which blends the powerful, guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex compositional structures, odd time signatures, and intricate instrumental playing of progressive rock. Progressive metal is guitar-driven and often features varying (and sometimes sudden) changes in time signatures. The genre is also known for lending itself to complex and extended guitar solos. Consequently, progressive metal songs can become relatively long. .