Part IX Page 3
Meanwhile, progressive metal would enjoy yet another zenith among commercial circles. Images and Words, a rather complex collection of progressive-minded music delivered by Dream Theater, reached stellar sales and took progressive metal to grounds seldom tried before. Consisting of prodigious musicians, the band would also release albums such as Awake and A Change of Seasons to further broaden its musical horizon and appeal, and further establishing its reputation as one of progressive metal's most outstanding bands ever. Furthermore, in the wake of Dream Theater's success, several new bands began experimenting further with the most technically apt branch of heavy metal developed previously by the likes of the insanely technical progressive thrash act Watchtower. Threshold, Shadow Gallery, Damn the Machine, Ayreon, Symphony X, the ultra-complex Spastic Ink, and the unbelievably original Pain of Salvation are among these bright exponents of music, which continuously broaden musical frontiers. Along with these, other bands have created more whimsical approaches, like the progressive thrash metal composed by Anacrusis and the progressive combination of death metal and jazz harbored once by Atheist and Cynic.
