LATEST EDIT: December 12/2016- Added a whole bunch of progressive rock albums; processing earlier suggestions on the list.

Assembled below are some choice selections in alternative metal, prog rock, prog metal, jazz and avant-garde metal. I don't necessarily consider these styles to be my favourite (I do have a penchant for post-metal and cavernous death metal these days), but they have been the foundations of my taste for the last seven or eight years.

Within each category, they are roughly assembled in order of preference, although that will always be provisional. I'm certainly no expert with the influential prog rock forefathers, so I've simply mentioned a few favourites of mine (with the hope that maybe a few recommendations might bolster that section). Please note that I've adopted the arbitrary rule that only one album per band will be on the list, mainly because the list would likely become unmanageable without that sort of structure. That said, the list will not be MS-exclusive. The purpose of this list is not to provide an exhaustive guide to progressive stylings; if you're looking for that sort of intent, please consider checking out Introspekrieg's fantastic list on this very website. I simply want to document my tastes in these styles in a structured way that might appeal to and benefit other users on this site. Please enjoy and feel free to recommend new selections for me!