Prog Features

Best known for his12 years with Steve Hackett, the US-born Swede explores his own life and times at last. And is that a Pink Floyd reference as sings about being frontman and sideman in someone else’s project?

Their Bioscope debut arrived after the pair took advice from Steven Wilson, spent a week every winter exploring sounds and ideas, and borrowed Elbow’s drummer to fulfil their instrumental cinematic vision

Ron Mael (the operatic one) and Russell Mael (the staring one) never discussed being different; but as LA brothers inspired by British prog and glam, they always were. They only rule they made was: “Shake up the universe”

1975 album remains a fan favourite – and despite their struggle to make it, the band insist the spirit of love shines through the grief and anger amid the theme of absence and their feelings about Syd Barrett

Their former leader found himself in serious trouble after his WOMAD festival lost money. So the classic line-up returned to stage their Six Of The Best show in 1982, leaving an indelible mark on prog history

2015 album saw the djent pioneers continue their move away from frenzied metal to thought-provoking prog, meaning the singer had to embrace a new way of creative thinking

War, peace, dictators and a failed pursuit of young love were at the heart of the band’s attempt to make “proper grown-up music” in 1972

Mikael Åkerfeldt on his violent games, hotel balcony prank, soaking a label exec in vodka, and being left to make music his own way

The Anchoress, Within Temptation’s Sharon den Adel, Auri’s Johanna Kurkela, The Blackheart Orchestra’s Chrissy Mostyn and Exploring Birdsong’s Lynsey Ward celebrate the 1985 album’s enduring magic and influence

The folk rock hero reflects on what the world lost when groups of hopeful artists stopped forming their own schools, like he did in the 60s with Bert Jansch, Paul Simon, Alexis Korner, John Martyn, Al Stewart and others

The revered double bassist worked with Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, John Martyn, Bert Jansch and countless others. On 2012 album Connected he assembled some of his proudest moments

The American singer didn’t even know what a concept album was when 2112 knocked him off his feet, launching a lifelong love affair with the Canadian trio

Simon Day and Rhys Thomas, creators of the TV mockumentaries, identify the Gabriel song that got them started and the one time the ex-Genesis singer refused them – but won’t name the band they wouldn’t allow to take part

Does the only album with four entries suggest there’s a definitive record from the neo-prog giants? Does the split between the Fish and Steve Hogarth eras reveal a preferred vocalist?

Tuomas Holopainen, Johanna Kurkela and Troy Donockley step off the Nightwish oil tanker to drift on the luxury yacht of their ethereal offshoot’s third album

The guitarist, keyboardist and unwilling producer saw the band’s internal relationships buckling under intense external pressure to make an album as successful as 91025

The Hall of Fame’s director of education wore out his first copy of 90125, was blown away by OK Computer, devoured So and went on to discover Coheed And Cambria

The seeds of The Wilde Flowers have taken root all around the world. Here are just a handful of 21st-century musicians taking inspiration from the 60s and 70s

The guitarist’s wife and long-term creative partner helped him put a full-stop on The Endless River, before the couple brought his 2015 album Rattle That Lock to fruition