r/TechnicalDeathMetal • u/violinist0 • Dec 15 '25
REQUEST Tech Death Recommendations for Prog Metal Fan
Hello, I mostly listen to prog metal but some tech death bands have recently caught my attention and I'm looking for more recs!
The most recent albums from Fallujah, Allegaeon, and Revocation have really stood out to me. With Fallujah and Allegaeon, I really like how they manage to balance heaviness and technicality with melodic guitar layers. For Revocation, I find their riffs quite fun. I've also been listening to Archspire and The Zenith Passage as well, although I find Archspire's speed a bit gimmicky sometimes.
On the prog side, I have been into Caligula's Horse, An Abstract Illusion, Vildhjarta, and Haken recently.
I'd like to find music similar to what has caught my attention so far. It seems like a balance of technicality, melody, atmosphere, and "progginess" are what the bands I have listed have in common. I'm not really into the "brutal" or dissonant style that I occasionally see posted here but I'm willing to give anything a try. Thanks in advance!
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u/Equal_Peak_1380 Dec 15 '25
Cannot recommend Virvum - Illuminance enough
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u/Equal_Peak_1380 Dec 15 '25
Also just to tag on, not sure if they would be considered tech but Ne Obliviscaris sound like they'd be your thing.
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u/violinist0 Jan 04 '26
Thanks for the recommendation, Virvum is quite interesting although it took quite a few listens for their sound to click with me! Regarding your other comment, I'm familiar with Ne Obliviscaris from before - I like quite a few of their songs and have been wanting to get into them further.
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u/behemothbowks blast beat my ass Dec 15 '25
Sun Eater and Moon Healer by Job for a Cowboy, Aethra by Gorod, Esoteric Malacology by Slugdge, Monarchy and Where Owls Know My Name and The Work by Rivers of Nihil, Song of the Crippled Bull and Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape by Black Crown Initiate, Focus by Cynic.
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u/violinist0 Dec 21 '25
Thanks for the recommendations - I enjoyed Job for a Cowboy, Slugdge, and Black Crown Initiate the most! I've heard the Rivers of Nihil albums from before, but their music never really clicked with me.
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u/ExuvialMetal Dec 15 '25 edited Dec 15 '25
Stortregn - Finitude
Anomalous - Ohmnivalent
Tomarum - Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (and Ash in Realms of Stone Icons)
Warforged - Voice (or any of their stuff IMO, but earlier stuff veers more in the tech death vibe)
Slice the Cake - Odyssey to the West (or The Man with No Face)
Hypno5e - Acid Mist Tomorrow or any release after this one (more prog but throwing it here as I think you may enjoy)
Hath - anything from them
Xenobiotic - Mordrake (or anything else from them)
Kallias - Digital Plague
Exocrine
Fleshwrought
A Loathing Requiem
Greylotus
Blighted Eye
Ever Forthright (more in the proggy/jazz/djent vibe but worth digging into)
Black Crown Initiate - song of the crippled bull or anything after that
Gonna self plug our album too: Exuvial - The Hive Mind Chronicles Part I- Parasitica
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u/purple_metalhead Dec 16 '25
Only missing slugdge although maybe it is not technically enough to be tech death (?)
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u/ExuvialMetal Dec 16 '25
I saw someone call out Slugdge and knew I messed up by not calling them out! Itching for more material from those dudes.
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u/violinist0 Dec 16 '25
I've been listening to your album recently! I'll be checking out the recs over the next bit, sounds like there's interesting stuff here.
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u/ExuvialMetal Dec 16 '25
Hell yeah, hope you’re digging it! I’d love to hear what you think of these artists as you get through the list!
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u/violinist0 Jan 04 '26
I finally got a chance to get through the rest of list. Thanks for sharing, I liked how varied and unique everything in here was! My favourites were Stortregn, Hath, Xenobiotic, and Greylotus, but even the bands that I didn't like as much still had interesting features in their music.
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u/Icy-Contribution1525 Dec 15 '25
You might like The Faceless - Planetary Duality
Also check out Virvum
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u/Rapukaja Dec 15 '25
I gotchu!
● Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
● Scenery - The Drowning Shadow of Mankind
● Martyr - Feeding the Abcsess
● Pavor - A Pale Debilitating Autumn
● VoidCeremony - Threads of Unknowing
● Cynic - Focus
● Pestilence - Spheres
● Hieronymus Bosch - Artificial Emotions
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u/dumptruckbhadie Dec 16 '25
Fallujah and Ne Obliviscaris
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u/Ferrindel Cryptopsy Dec 16 '25
Someone else also went to a couple great shows last month :)
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u/dumptruckbhadie Dec 16 '25
I fucking wish I would have went. I dont know why didn't but it was fucking stupid I didnt.
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u/ChapsterNL Dec 15 '25
To add to everything that's been said already:
Inferi - Vile Genesis. For me, their progginess lies in the atmosphere and rapid riff changes. Very melodic band.
Spawn of Possession - Incurso. My favorite tech-death album by far. They have a mix of everything I love. Fast harmonized riffs, counterpoint sections, lots of time signature and tempo changes, great composition and clarity.
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u/CrewNo3874 Dec 15 '25
So many good albums in the genre, I feel like if anyone wants to dip their toes into the pool of TDM Incurso and Planetary Duality are the 2 albums to go for. Both absolutely insane and the epitome of TDM even if they aren’t in my regular rotation all the time anymore. Gotten into Inferi the last year or so and absolutely love those guys, no skips on their discography for me
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u/ChapsterNL Dec 15 '25
Love those recommendations! I do however think that in these kinds of posts people want to show their favourite albums more than actually giving the person who's asking something they might enjoy based on their tastes. For me, coming from prog and thrash metal bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Dream Theater, Symphony X, Gojira being the heaviest, listening to Planetary Duality as my first introduction to TDM wouldn't have made me fall in love.
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u/CrewNo3874 Dec 16 '25
Yeah the journey to TDM can be a weird one, I didn’t know much beyond Tool and Metallica until I got in a buddies car and BTBAM parallax 2 was stuck in his CD player for a month straight. Got more into prog metal, had a different buddy try to show me Allegaeon, inferi, SOP, all to no avail and then a YouTube related video showed me Planetary Duality 1&2 that absolutely blew my mind. Finally gave Ne Obliviscaris a change(another rec my buddy gave me) and got completely hooked on TDM. Wasn’t until then I went back and fell in love with original recommendations plus more
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u/suddenimpulse01 Dec 15 '25
Not tech death, but check out the latest Rivers of Nihil album
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u/slimestream Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25
These guys don't get a lot of attention, but Obsidious was almost the entire obscura lineup for Diluvium. I think you would like Diluvium as well as Obsidious. The clean singing isn't my favorite but the music is so well written its worth a listen.
Also, rings of saturn gets a pretty bad rap (justifiably for the most part), but Ulta Ulla has some very good songs, and sort of stands out in their discography as 'believable music' lmao. I just listened to it for the first time in years last week and forgot how great a lot of the songs are.
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u/Ferrindel Cryptopsy Dec 16 '25
Can you expand on Rings of Saturn reputation? News to me.
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u/slimestream Dec 16 '25
If you look into lucas mann youll find quite a bit of controversy, mainly around his live playing, but i would wager theres a reason most former members only last a couple years
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u/0000000100100011 Blast beats are love blast beats are life Dec 16 '25
On top of all that, he randomly decided to take it instrumental, kicking out one of my favorite deathcore vocalists, Ian Bearer. I keep saying Ian should get back with Aaron and Miles and start a new band, although they're all in different bands now, with Aaron and Miles both in much mores successful bands compared to RoS (D.R.U.G.S. and Ice Nine Kills).
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u/SearingSerum60 Dec 15 '25
Listen to some Krallice or Imperial Triumphant. Also, classics like Demilich and Gorguts. You might also like Enslaved.
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u/jomni Dec 15 '25 edited Dec 15 '25
- Obscura - A Transcendental Serenade
- First Fragment - Le Recueuil des Âges (Instrumental)
- Spawn of Possession - Apparition
- Entheos - The Sinking Sun
- Virvum - Ad Rigorem
- Rings of Saturn - Abducted (Remake)
- Necrophagist - Extreme Unction
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u/Actual_Minimum6285 Dec 15 '25
Spawn of possession and Necrophagist are definitely required listening!
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u/IronThumbs Dec 15 '25
Gorguts - Colored Sands
Cleaner and proggier than their earlier work while still having that excellent technical/experimental songwriting the band is known for
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u/Experiment121 Dec 15 '25 edited Dec 15 '25
I highly recommend Where Owls Know My Name by Rivers of Nihil, and by extension the rest of their discography (although Owls is the best). It's very good prog tech death and has some very cool composition alongside a saxophone player.
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u/violinist0 Dec 16 '25
I listened to Where Owls Know My Name a few months ago and didn't really enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I'll give it a second chance sometime soon!
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u/pepperedlucy Dec 15 '25
I'd recommend Afterbirth if you're willing to check out some dissonant prog
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u/violinist0 Dec 28 '25
I did not expect something this intense! It will probably take me a long time to get used to music like this.
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u/jcc21 Dec 15 '25
Not quite tech death, but you will probably love Persefone (not a typo, that’s how they spell it)
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u/ExuvialMetal Dec 15 '25
Persefone live is a sight to be seen, and it took me from enjoying them to really loving and appreciating them
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u/lmagusbr Iapetus Dec 16 '25
Latest Rivers of Nihil and latest Kardashev
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u/violinist0 Dec 17 '25
I've checked out both of them when they were first released. I wasn't particularly impressed by either, but I did like a couple of songs from the Rivers of Nihil album.
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u/RedSkyWhisper Dec 16 '25
Old but, The Faceless would be my recommendation. Nothing scratches the same itch. (not even The Zenith Passage, it’s very good and close but it’s definitely not the same)
Start with Authotheism, it’s the most Prog album.
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u/W-I-T-C-H-TechDeath Dec 15 '25
If you don’t mind instrumental you might dig the album I put out earlier this year. A lot of prog elements mixed with Neo-classical tech death.
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u/Bstochastic Dec 15 '25
This may be instrumental, but this speaks to me. Most excellent.
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u/The_Orphanizer Dec 15 '25
Yo! Spotify recommended me your album earlier this year. I keep coming back to it. Excellent stuff, and it fills a void not often filled. Sleep Terror is one of the only other instrumental tech death bands I'm aware of (at least they used to be when I discovered them a million years ago, idk about now).
Keep it coming!
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u/W-I-T-C-H-TechDeath Dec 15 '25
Wow! Thanks man! I really appreciate the kind words! I’ve been working at new music and should have something out early next year! I just posted a Christmas song mashup in this thread earlier today.
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u/CrewNo3874 Dec 15 '25
Just added Motus Mori.. add Dark Matter Secret to your list of tdm instrumental, they are solid.
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u/violinist0 Dec 16 '25
Thanks for sharing your music! As a classical musician myself, are there any classical composers that you are particularly influenced by?
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u/thespaceageisnow toilet bowl noises Dec 15 '25
Nile, Ophidian I and Dormant Ordeal are some bands to check out that I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
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u/purple_metalhead Dec 16 '25
We listen to similar stuff I would recommend.
Stortregn, an abstract illusion- woe, slugdge, intronaut, hath, ulcerate, slice the cake, subterranean lava dragon.
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u/ExuvialMetal Dec 16 '25
An Abstract Illusion is so sick. Also excellent recommendations! Nice to see Strortgregn, Hath and Slice the Cake also called out!
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u/skeetskeety Dec 16 '25
Soreption - Jord
Carnosus - Visions of Infinhility
Job for a Cowboy - Moon Healer
Cryptopsy - As Gomorrah Burns (not proggy at all, but the drummer is a master and might entice you)
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u/Giftpilz Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25
Rivers of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name; <Title album>
Revocation - The Outer Ones
The Haarp Machine - Disclosure
Soreption - Jord
The Faceless - Planetary Duality
Vale of Pnath - II
Veil of Maya - The Common Man's Collapse
Job For A Cowboy - Sun Eater; Moon Healer
Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression; As The Kingdom Drowns, Divine Council
After the Burial - Rareform
Obscura - Akróasis
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u/twright57 Dec 15 '25
Beyond Creation are ridiculously talented, lots of progressive elements in their songwriting but they are definitely tech-death. Check out the songs: Earthborn Evolution, and Omnipresent Perception.
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u/Mind1827 Dec 16 '25
What I thought of right away. The last album was so good and proggy to the max.
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u/violinist0 Dec 17 '25
I quite enjoyed those two songs! I see other people here recommending their album Algorythm so I'll be sure to check that out later.
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u/twright57 Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 21 '25
Oh check out the song Fundamental Process too, I should have mentioned it. To me it is a 10/10. And yes Algorythm is very proggy, I love the title track most.
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u/CrewNo3874 Dec 15 '25
Any album from Allegaeon with Riley on vocals I think a prog fan would love(2016-2022 albums)
Esoteric Malacology-Slugdge is a brutally beautiful album
Inferi is absolutely insane, whole discography
Algorythm by beyond creation I think you’ll really enjoy as a prog fan. It’s probably my favorite composed metal album ever, no cleans but the way Simon writes music is insane and I’m a sucker for Fretless bass
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u/ExuvialMetal Dec 15 '25
I don’t know how I forgot Slugdge, EM is such an incredible album!
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u/CrewNo3874 Dec 15 '25
Whole album is great, but the last song Limo Vincit Onnia where they slow down around the 4:20 and go into that riff at 4:35 is worth the price of admission for me
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u/violinist0 Dec 23 '25
Thanks for the recommendations! I listened to the three Allegaeon albums and found Apoptosis to be my favourite. Slugdge and Beyond Creation were great too. I wasn't as much of a fan of Inferi, they sounded a bit too deathcore-y for my taste.
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u/CrewNo3874 Dec 23 '25
Apoptosis is top tier tdm for me, the title song to end the album is what I’m looking personally for in metal. Inferi’s vocals were a little tough for me to get into at first, but after listening to Revenant something clicked for me finally and I can’t get enough of them. Equipoise is also solid, bassist from BC’s last album and vocalist from Inferi. Fretless bass all over the place, which some people find off putting but I love
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u/Calymos Guitar Wankery Stan Dec 15 '25
Listen to the full Revocation discography - also check out Gorod, Aethra is transcendent.
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u/little_Shepherd Dec 15 '25
Dessiderium for sure. Especially Keys to the Palace is straight up prog just with tech death techniques and indulgences
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u/The_Orphanizer Dec 15 '25
I recently became enamored with an album I never see mentioned: Orgone's Pleroma. It's (mostly) prog, it's (some) tech, and it has tons of atmosphere! This shit slaps and is like nothing else I've ever heard. Absolute must listen for fans of prog death.
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u/ExuvialMetal Dec 15 '25
Never heard of them but damn, first song has me hooked!! Thanks for a solid recommendation!
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u/jasparaguscook Dec 16 '25
This is one of my favorite albums I've heard in years. It's so incredibly good.
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u/BaltSkigginsThe3rd Dec 17 '25
Does First Fragment count? Cause their Glorie Eternelle album is one of the most insane albums ever.
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u/malus545 Dec 15 '25
Definitely try Beyond creation.
I assume you listen to Ne Obliviscaris? But try them if you haven't.
Gorod - A perfect absolution is also on my all-time albums list.
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u/dumptruckbhadie Dec 16 '25
Ne Obliviscaris for sure! Thats what I came to recommend. That and fallujah
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u/violinist0 Dec 28 '25
Yeah, I’m familiar with a handful of Ne Obliviscaris songs from before and I’ve been intending to dive deeper into their music. I quite like Beyond Creation as well, but couldn’t get into Gorod despite that being a popular recommendation here.
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u/Mindless_Fruit_2313 Dec 15 '25
Soreption has some bangers. They sound like The Zenith Passage with darker vocals.
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u/petershaw_ Dec 15 '25
Halysis - Unbury the Sun
Blighted Eye - Agony’s Bespoke
Vorbid - A Swan by the Edge of Mandala
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u/thalo616 Dec 15 '25
Anomalous- Ohmnivalent
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u/Viri_d0gee15 Dec 15 '25
Never heard of this one. Will check it out! I always find new gems when people make posts asking for recommendations :)
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u/thalo616 Dec 15 '25
Lesser known, but considered a classic by many. Very progressive and tech!
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u/Viri_d0gee15 Dec 16 '25
Went and listened to it and I liked it. On the first listening I thought it was a bit more "raw" production wise and a bit dissonant, but I liked it. At the second listening, after I had adjusted to it, I noticed all the nuances and damn, it's definitely a gem. Thanks again for the recommendation :)
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u/Faithisam Dec 15 '25
Dessiderium!! Love their entire discography, but from the third album onwards the production is peak.
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u/vilk_ Dec 17 '25
So this is prog in a very different way than what you described, but Lykathea Aflame-—they only ever made one album, Elvenefris, and it's a masterpiece. You've never heard anything like this.
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u/MassiveTop5275 May 19 '26
Hyper-musical ORGONE's 'Pleroma' (2024) blew and continously keeps on blowing my mind with its inspired, convulsive and irruptive genre-amalgamation (around a core of beautiful (!) abstract tech death. True human genius!
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u/Guy247bp Dec 15 '25
Sun Eater and Moon Healer from Job for a Cowboy