It's probably been said before, so excuse me if I've resurrected the body of a beaten horse.

Something that's irked me for quite a while now has been the use of the word "Progressive". It isn't exactly the word that bothers me, instead it is the way that it's often use that gives me a sinking feeling.

Progressive - adj, making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods.

Certainly, there have been many bands in metal that have earned the title of a truly progressive band. I don't want to mention names because I'd like to keep the discussion away from squabbling over band genres. But seriously, does anyone else feel we use the word progressive too often? It seems all a band needs to do these days to have 'Prog' put in front of their main genre is add some middle eastern element or set of obscure South American instruments played only by a single tribe in the deepest part of the amazon. It doesn't seem to matter if another band has already done it or not. Once a single band does something progressive, is every band that follows suit also progressive? Or just a bunch of copy cats.

Discuss, I guess. If you want.