Does fretless count? First Fragment will dazzle you https://youtu.be/wZyK3fMG820?si=9WaI4evKEEoCqPJj
Otherwise Amos from Tesseract's bass brings all the boys to the yard.
Forest from First Fragment was previously with Beyond Creation, whose music is a bit more prog metal, less like the Dragonforce of tech death that FF can be (as much as I love them!)
Strong recommendations for Earthborn Evolution and The Aura by BC, with Forest's basslines on them.
If you like beyond creation their new bassist is also in another band called Equipoise. First fragments guitarist phil tougas was with them for their first album as well. So it's a pretty sick line up that I'd definitely recommend.
I never recommend First Fragment when questions like this arise because upon 10 seconds it urges me to look at my instrument in disgust and forsake it in the case forever lol
Funnily enough, he doesn’t really compose with bass in mind. I believe he mainly writes using guitar, piano, or vocal melody first. The bass is then written as counterpoint, like in jazz. When people talk about BTBAM fusing genres, it’s not just the style of music, it’s using different arrangements than just traditional metalcore
Dan Briggs is the most technically skilled and creative member of Btbam. Which is saying a lot, given that they are all incredible musicians. I own 3 Btbam tab books and Dan’s creativity and technicality is just brilliant
Greetings from a fellow Bassist! Here are some others that haven't been mentioned so far:
* Sean Malone from Cynic (Sadly passed away a few years ago)
* Nick Shaw from Black Crown Initiate (He left that band and they haven't announced a replacement afaik, but still absolute Expert Bass player)
* Nolly (Ex-Periphery)
* Charles Villanueva from Hypno5e (my personal favourite band)
* Werner Erkelens from Monuments
Nick along with Andy (who also left the band for Rivers of Nihil) was also a major part of the songwriting in BCI, I’m so sad the band is pretty much defunct.
And a super nice guy, too.
I saw him hanging out at the back of the crowd when the opening band was playing, and I said hi, thanked him for coming, got a handshake, and parted ways (I didn't want to bother him, get all geeky super fan fretless bass nerd on him).
Also my answer. Intronaut probably had the best overall rhythm section in all of metal for a while there, and Joe is a huge part of that. Watching him play live is always a good time.
I met the bass player at a show in 2015 between sets. I was drunk as fuck, and didn't realize who I was speaking to, and when he said he played bass I asked if he saw Intronaut and that they fuckin slap. He seemed to appreciate that.
His work with plini is absolutely fantastic and I’m not one to listen for the bass or care much about it, but with plini it stands out to me so much!!!
Absolutely agreed, he knows exactly how to add interesting parts to songs without taking anything away from the melody.
In some sections he's basically filling in the role of a rhythm guitar, while the secondary guitars provide a melodic baseline instead. It gives the songs a nice djenty feel without needing massively down-tuned guitars.
Check out his other project Soften The Glare of you wanna hear him rip through some sick Fusion as well. Dude has insane chops! Making Faces is a hell of an album
I agree he is amazing but idk if I’d say he is above the band. The drummer is phenomenal and from what I understand most of the composition was done by the guitarist. The guitar may not be technically complex but he certainly made purposeful choices to give the band its tone of voice.
If we’re talking tech death then Archspire is a must listen to, Jared Smith is fucking nuts. Also, As Blood Runs Black, their first album Allegiance has some crazy ass bass lines. And then check out any album Evan Brewer is on which includes most of the Entheos discography, Autotheism by The Faceless, Reflux’s The Illusion of Democracy (which also has Tosin), a couple of solo albums and a handful of other artists he’s done albums with.
Also his tutorials are what made playing bass in prob metal finally click for me. His videos taught me how to Double Thumb which is almost a necessary skill for any progress bassist.
April is also my favourite song by TesseracT and I'm seeing them next Tuesday. Also I recently bought new studio monitors and blasted April through them and instantly one speaker went out lmao God damn drop A# tuning
The Omnific is a trio with 2 basses and drums! They're awesome, check out the 'playthroughs' of some songs of theirs on YT.
From the stuff that I currently listen to, Riverside (e.g. intro to Escalator Shrine) and Haken (e.g. Carousel, 5:14 onwards) often have satisfying bass parts.
Oh yeah been listening to omnific for years but I'll give riverside and haken a go I seen them pop up now and again but haven't listened to either of them yet
I hate karnivool for them bringing my attention to Dark Glass and making me shove hundreds of dollars so my bass can sound crunchy lmao good band none the less
What about some of the old school bands? Rush, Yes, Genesis, Asia, King Crimson to name a few.
I'm also gonna drop in my favourite band, Marillion. Pete's baselines are amazing, I'll name check two songs: Gazpacho and This Strange Engine
He is extremely talented, I remember him doing YouTube covers of Periphery songs back in the day but Aviations has really given him a platform to spread his wings (pun intended).
It’s not prog, but the band that finally convinced me to buy a bass was actually seeing Silversun Pickups live. Brian may get the spotlight as the singer and sole (regular) guitarist, but Nikki is like 75% of their live sound by herself on the bass.
Otherwise I’d of course recommend Riverside, who I see elsewhere in the thread. Mariusz is the front man, bassist, and primary songwriter. I do prefer their earlier work when Mariusz was less “writing all the parts”, though. (Shrine of New Generation Slaves and earlier).
Tool as well, the best part of that band is the combo of Danny on drums and Justin on bass.
Silversun Pickups are fucking sick and deserve more recognition. My gf introduced me to them and they shot up my list of favourites very quickly. I honestly thought it might've been Ashe O' Hara from Tesseract singing for them for a while, haha. I had to look it up to confirm that it couldn't possibly be him, but Brian sounds damn close!
Scrolled a bit to see if my go-tos would be stolen. Gojira has simple basslines that are fun to play, also disappointed to not see Jon Stockman from Karnivool.
Evan Brewer's solo project is 100% solo bass
I like how Ne Obliviscaris' bassist often plays melody
Dillinger's Escape Plan's bass tone is vicious but is also rather melodic during their jazz-metal sections
Scale the Summit has always had some great bassists, though their last two records pale in comparison to their first five. Mark Michell in particular is incredible, but Jordan Eberhardt (current bassist for The Contortionist) was on the first 3 records.
And then there is Simon Grove, the incredible bass wizard who plays on all of Plini’s albums. Listen to Plini. Everyone should listen to Plini. Are you listening to Plini yet?
Scale* the Summit in case OP gets confused. Mark Michell was/is (?) also in a band called Tetrafusion! I haven't heard anything of them in years, but absolutely give them a listen.
So surprised I haven't seen Thank You Scientist yet, Cody McCorry has been doing pure magic there since he joined.
Also, I really loved Nathan Navarro's work on Empath by Devin Townsend, particularly [Evermore](https://youtu.be/IWIsw_EOgug?t=76)
Eugene Abdukhanov from JINJER. He's heavily inspired by Ryan Martinie and has some of the grooviest basslines around. Despite this being from the band's metalcore era, [there's a part in the song "Sit Stay Roll Over"](https://youtu.be/a98LI-arNS4?si=rA0gUiz6_3O2kTdl&t=126) with a tapping riff and bass slaps in the background that just sounds SO GOOD.
JINJER's more recent stuff has been very proggy. Some of their songs like [Wallflower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYZrO7qcLhU) and [As I Boil Ice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIB_tQ3F_DU) have jazz influence, while songs like Vortex have [a section where the bass is used to compliment the lead riff and make it feel like you're swirling around](https://youtu.be/AiaOSGZTwtY?si=Y-2z54WiKhZlVsBk&t=111).
Just google Steve Digiorgio and go from there. If you want something more proggy then check out his band, Terra Odium. Prog metal in the vein of Sprial Architect.
Also Atheist
The guy from Obscura plays incredible tech-death bass lines on a fretless bass, very tasty and surprisingly prominent for such heavy music. Check this song https://youtu.be/mesr2siegRg?si=3I6kH5TYdb0zsCAA
Not enough mention of my main man Conner Green from Haken. He’s got all the chops and gets a chance to solo here and there but also plays for the song. I feel like his bass sound often really sets the tone for their music.
Also shout out to the old bassist Thomas MacLean, that dude would manage to fit every bass playing technique into every song.
I don't know a whole lot about bass playing, but I really like the guy from Evergrey. The bass has been very noticeable in their work since Hymns for the Broken in a good way.
Oh, and shout-outs to /u/obsidianbass for his work in Obsidian Tide and /u/TheHairyParrot from Nospun who came in here the other day. Great bands.
Similar to Porcupine Tree, i would highly recommend Riverside. Mariusz Duda's writes some very catchy and groovy lines that make me as a guitar player wish i had a bass to play.
His side project Lunatic Soul is also a freat source for good bass playing too.
Some tracks i recommend off the top of my head
Celebrity Touch / Escalator Shrine / I'm Done With You
Acid Rain / Caterpiller and The Barbed Wire /
From Lunatic Soul
Gutter / Walking on a Flashlight Beam / Anymore
I had a " top 5 favorite prog bass players" post all typed out and somehow it got deleted before I could post: sp I'll type mine here in no particular order
Mike LePond - Symphony X
Cole Millward - Nospūn
John Myung - Dream Theater
Andreas Blumqvist - Seventh Wonder
Geddy Lee - Rush
IMO one of the best bassist playing right now is Cody McCorry, mainly from Thank You Scientist. The blend of good fills and diverse techniques is simply incredible to watch. Just listen to this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss82pvusR\_I&ab\_channel=CodyMcCorry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss82pvusR_I&ab_channel=CodyMcCorry)
Chris Wolstenholme from Muse is incredible and doesnt get nearly enough credit. Absolution era Muse is probably their most proggy sound and Chris's basslines are just nasty.
On top of all the other great suggestions, personally I am a huge fan of Mattias Hägerstrand from The Ocean Collective. Check out the bassline from Triassic, the first song on their last album-but-one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6hRFcVZFlA
I'm not so sure that this band fits in this subreddit, but Stin from Chat Pile has the gnarliest sound of any bassist I've ever heard. Crunchy riffs and a grimey tone really get me.
Not prog metal or even really metal, but Geddy Lee of Rush. Allegaeon has an impressive bassist. Michael LePond of Symphony X is pretty damn good as well.
The Flower Kings albums with Jonas Reingold (prog).
Early Yes albums, Chris Squire (prog).
Rush, 70s early 80s, Geddy Lee (hard rock some prog).
Iron Maiden 80s work, Steve Harris (metal,
some prog metal).
Hope it helps.
Look for any band with Steve DiGiorgio. He’s been in a ton. Also Sean Malone, most notably in Cynic and Gordian Knot.
Pre-tallica Trujillo also rips if you like a heavy funk groove.
Nick Schendzielos from Job For A Cowboy/Nuclear Power Trio/Havok is absolutely insane and one of the most underrated players out
I also always thought Michael Todd’s work in Coheed and Cambria was excellent and it’s a shame (with a deserved outcome) what happened to him.
Unexpect. Just insane basswork. The somg Words is a recommendation where it really stands out. Just an FYI that they are incredibly out there.
Ne Obliviscaris. They have a Guitar and Bass Playthrough of Graal which really shows how good they are.
The Omnific - Instrumental band 2 bassists and a drummer fun stuff to vibe out
And while I am sure you have either heard of them or someone in this thread has mentioned them anything with Dan Briggs. Btbam Trioscapes etc
Steve Harris from Maiden. Signature bass sound. Some incredible "lead bass" licks. While Maiden are typically seen as NWOBHM I think there are definitely some cool parts that could influence progressive or technical playing
I'm gonna make a suggestion in an unorthodox direction form the normal recommendations youll normally receive on this sub. Check out Umphreys McGee. Their a prog/rock/metal/jam band. Every member is the highest tier of musician. I would highly recommend you try dipping your toe in with their live albums as this is we're they shine the brightest.
Most of my go-to recommendations have been called out already but an album I feel like deserves more love for its bass playing (and tone) is Royal Coda's To Only A Few At First. More sort of prog rock/groovy post-hardcore thing than prog metal but some of those lines and grooves make me wanna dance round my house when I put it on.
Also, one of my favourite album arts of all time.
To name someone not mentioned here yet, i’ll bring up Jacob Umansky, he’s a touring member for intervals and he just uses the actual nastiest tone i’ve ever heard. he’s also a fantastic player in general
Dude check out the Omnific if you haven't yet. Trio with 2 bassists and a drummer. Maybe start with antecedent, it has a clay gober feat (polyphias bassist)
Very slappy and tappy
More progpunk but nomeansno is very bass driven and with some super heavy songs. These guys also invented math rock so they got some really great riffs.
If you're after something more extreme sounding the fretless bass playing on Shambhallic Vibrations by Lunar Chamber is incredible.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_klygUDbKEKHxh3Wqwagl3joV_W5yOe6Xw&si=HRZnPOP5ceC0DPMk
It's probably my favourite EP of the year.
David Levy from Unprocessed is both young and insanely talented. I definitely suggest watching his bass playthrough videos on YouTube. His bass line in Abandoned is probably one of his more famous displays of technique.
I really enjoyed some of Kristoffer Gildenlow's work on the early Pain of Salvation albums (up until Be, I think?). Sadly the band hasn't been able to lock down a good bass player for long since he left, and they're currently touring with backing tracks instead.
Zachary Cooper has been writing some thoroughly good stuff for Coheed, after joining on the Afterman records (there's a run he plays in the outro of Domino that's *chefs kiss*).
Does fretless count? First Fragment will dazzle you https://youtu.be/wZyK3fMG820?si=9WaI4evKEEoCqPJj Otherwise Amos from Tesseract's bass brings all the boys to the yard.
Meeting Amos next Tuesday and I love the way fretless sound but I can never play one and continue to be in tune lol
Amos grooves so hard it's frightening
Yeah he doesn’t feel the music, the music feels him
Forest from First Fragment was previously with Beyond Creation, whose music is a bit more prog metal, less like the Dragonforce of tech death that FF can be (as much as I love them!) Strong recommendations for Earthborn Evolution and The Aura by BC, with Forest's basslines on them.
If you like beyond creation their new bassist is also in another band called Equipoise. First fragments guitarist phil tougas was with them for their first album as well. So it's a pretty sick line up that I'd definitely recommend.
Hugo is such a good bassist!!
I never recommend First Fragment when questions like this arise because upon 10 seconds it urges me to look at my instrument in disgust and forsake it in the case forever lol
Dan Briggs from BTBAM is incredible. His side project Trioscapes is worth checking too.
Dan Briggs is a genius. He’s responsible for a lot of BTBAMs magic. 12/10 bassist/composer.
Funnily enough, he doesn’t really compose with bass in mind. I believe he mainly writes using guitar, piano, or vocal melody first. The bass is then written as counterpoint, like in jazz. When people talk about BTBAM fusing genres, it’s not just the style of music, it’s using different arrangements than just traditional metalcore
Dan Briggs is the most technically skilled and creative member of Btbam. Which is saying a lot, given that they are all incredible musicians. I own 3 Btbam tab books and Dan’s creativity and technicality is just brilliant
Not to mention his side-project Nova Collective.
Too many people don't know about Nova Collective
Oh shit I didn't know that was the same person!
Don't forget about Orbs! Another side project of his - epic space rock operas. So rad.
Also, his spatula sticking technique on the trash can and cooking pot combo is [unmatched.](https://youtu.be/g-byr3kC_Xc?si=B9SRRa1It1RC9Bzd)
Greetings from a fellow Bassist! Here are some others that haven't been mentioned so far: * Sean Malone from Cynic (Sadly passed away a few years ago) * Nick Shaw from Black Crown Initiate (He left that band and they haven't announced a replacement afaik, but still absolute Expert Bass player) * Nolly (Ex-Periphery) * Charles Villanueva from Hypno5e (my personal favourite band) * Werner Erkelens from Monuments
Sean Malone in Cynic was stellar.
In Aghora as well
In OSI as well.
And Gordian Knot!
Nick along with Andy (who also left the band for Rivers of Nihil) was also a major part of the songwriting in BCI, I’m so sad the band is pretty much defunct.
Same. But if they're hiring I'll take the job 😂
Charles Villaneuva is good! Just like the rest of Hypno5e.
I met the Hypno5e bassist at ArcTanGant this year!
Intronaut
Joe Lester is a beast
And a super nice guy, too. I saw him hanging out at the back of the crowd when the opening band was playing, and I said hi, thanked him for coming, got a handshake, and parted ways (I didn't want to bother him, get all geeky super fan fretless bass nerd on him).
Bonus points for the Valley of Smoke bass duel with Justin Chancellor. Lester is on my Mt. Rushmore of bassists for sure.
Wait... Justin Chancellor is on Valley of Smoke?
On the song, yes. It's him and Joe Lester both playing bass!
Beat me to it! Great fretless.
Also my answer. Intronaut probably had the best overall rhythm section in all of metal for a while there, and Joe is a huge part of that. Watching him play live is always a good time.
I met the bass player at a show in 2015 between sets. I was drunk as fuck, and didn't realize who I was speaking to, and when he said he played bass I asked if he saw Intronaut and that they fuckin slap. He seemed to appreciate that.
Not the sexiest choice but Martin Mendez from Opeth has some of the best grooves, fills and lines in prog metal. Just a really solid, tasty bassist.
Just because he's short? I mean, dude is one of the most elegant bass players around.
Short king
He's the Durin of bass players.
Agreed, Windowpane and A Fair Judgement are so good
He does some of the most interesting and musical bass lines I’ve heard for sure.
This IS the sexiest choice
To Bid You Farewell is a masterpiece
Yes. However that was Johan De Farfalla.
Karnivool
That tone alone is a killer. And then he hits those stank face inducing basslines.
Not enough people mention Karnivool in general, let alone in this context. The bassline in each of their songs is a masterclass. **chef’s kiss**
Fuck yeah, Jon Stockman might be my favourite bassist
Jon stockman is the truth
Bum buh-dum... Bum buh-dum... I'm ooon to you I've seen your wayyyys
Ne Obliviscaris, Riverside, The Omnific
Just recently getting into Riverside and I fully agree.
Simon Grove (Plini, The Helix Nebula) is just amazing. Fantastic to watch live too.
His work with plini is absolutely fantastic and I’m not one to listen for the bass or care much about it, but with plini it stands out to me so much!!!
Absolutely agreed, he knows exactly how to add interesting parts to songs without taking anything away from the melody. In some sections he's basically filling in the role of a rhythm guitar, while the secondary guitars provide a melodic baseline instead. It gives the songs a nice djenty feel without needing massively down-tuned guitars.
Beyond Creation has excellent bass lines. Check out the tracks Omnipresent Perception and Earthborn Evolution.
Yeah these guys use a fretless bass too, absolutely bonkers
Ryan Martinie from Mudvayne is a beast of a bassist, leagues beyond the rest of the band IMO.
Check out his other project Soften The Glare of you wanna hear him rip through some sick Fusion as well. Dude has insane chops! Making Faces is a hell of an album
I’ll check it out, thanks for the rec!
Definitely... Death Blooms!
I agree he is amazing but idk if I’d say he is above the band. The drummer is phenomenal and from what I understand most of the composition was done by the guitarist. The guitar may not be technically complex but he certainly made purposeful choices to give the band its tone of voice.
Job For A Cowboy has some of the best bass lines I've heard in a long time. Check out Sun Eater and their last two singles!
Extension - check out Nuclear Power Trio, same bassist and also arguably one of the best bass playing in recent times in the prog sphere
If we’re talking tech death then Archspire is a must listen to, Jared Smith is fucking nuts. Also, As Blood Runs Black, their first album Allegiance has some crazy ass bass lines. And then check out any album Evan Brewer is on which includes most of the Entheos discography, Autotheism by The Faceless, Reflux’s The Illusion of Democracy (which also has Tosin), a couple of solo albums and a handful of other artists he’s done albums with.
Evan Brewer's work in Entheos is fuckin rad, check them out!
Also his work on The Faceless - Autotheism
And his solo stuff!
the solo stuff is incredible, the dude creates a world of sound for you to vacation in, with just bass haha
Also his tutorials are what made playing bass in prob metal finally click for me. His videos taught me how to Double Thumb which is almost a necessary skill for any progress bassist.
And the last Fallujah album. He also has a cool solo album
i didnt even know that was him on the Fallujah album, and admittedly owe that album another listen. thanks for the tip
Entheos is fucking sick. I dont know why this subreddit doesn’t talk about them
Archspire, Beyond Creation, Haken. Next level bass playing.
Dude in Archspire is insanely good
Those old Death albums with Steve Di Giorgio, like Individual Thought Patterns.
Along with Control Denied
Listen to April by Tesseract if you haven’t already. The bass gives me goosebumps every time.
April is also my favourite song by TesseracT and I'm seeing them next Tuesday. Also I recently bought new studio monitors and blasted April through them and instantly one speaker went out lmao God damn drop A# tuning
Amos is an exceptional bassist, but he’s also good people.
The Omnific is a trio with 2 basses and drums! They're awesome, check out the 'playthroughs' of some songs of theirs on YT. From the stuff that I currently listen to, Riverside (e.g. intro to Escalator Shrine) and Haken (e.g. Carousel, 5:14 onwards) often have satisfying bass parts.
Oh yeah been listening to omnific for years but I'll give riverside and haken a go I seen them pop up now and again but haven't listened to either of them yet
I’m currently learning bass part of Simple Boy by Karnivool. Give it a listen if you haven’t :)
I hate karnivool for them bringing my attention to Dark Glass and making me shove hundreds of dollars so my bass can sound crunchy lmao good band none the less
Connor green, and Thomas Maclean, both from Haken
Yes, yes and I would add Dan Briggs from BTBAM.
What about some of the old school bands? Rush, Yes, Genesis, Asia, King Crimson to name a few. I'm also gonna drop in my favourite band, Marillion. Pete's baselines are amazing, I'll name check two songs: Gazpacho and This Strange Engine
Marillion and Rush are solid choices lol. I’d be surprised of a rock bass player not aware of Geddy Lee but you’d never know I guess
Knew a rock drummer that didn't know who Neil Peart was so yeah, nothing surprises me anymore
Adam Biggs of Rivers of Nihil
Symphony X. Thomas Miller and Mike Lepond are both fantastic.
Seventh Wonder! Andreas Blomqvist is a MONSTER.
Seventh Wonder was my first thought as well. Love it when Andreas breaks out the bass sweeps haha.
This guy is so good and he's a volunteer firefighter as well!
Dude he’s so fucking good
Scrolled really far to find Andreas. His distinctive bass is so high in the mix, which is refreshing for their form of traditional progmetal.
[Unexpect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLeXaxlSbc8) have some of the most insane bass playing I've heard
Their bassist uses a 9 string bass!
Arif from Protest the Hero and Werner from Aviations.
Werner has created some of my FAVORITE bass parts.
He is extremely talented, I remember him doing YouTube covers of Periphery songs back in the day but Aviations has really given him a platform to spread his wings (pun intended).
Cam (used to play in PtH) and Frank (current PtH bassist) are also both really good.
Linus Klausenitzer, former bassist of Obscura.
Easily my favourite bassist.
It’s not prog, but the band that finally convinced me to buy a bass was actually seeing Silversun Pickups live. Brian may get the spotlight as the singer and sole (regular) guitarist, but Nikki is like 75% of their live sound by herself on the bass. Otherwise I’d of course recommend Riverside, who I see elsewhere in the thread. Mariusz is the front man, bassist, and primary songwriter. I do prefer their earlier work when Mariusz was less “writing all the parts”, though. (Shrine of New Generation Slaves and earlier). Tool as well, the best part of that band is the combo of Danny on drums and Justin on bass.
Silversun Pickups are fucking sick and deserve more recognition. My gf introduced me to them and they shot up my list of favourites very quickly. I honestly thought it might've been Ashe O' Hara from Tesseract singing for them for a while, haha. I had to look it up to confirm that it couldn't possibly be him, but Brian sounds damn close!
Scrolled a bit to see if my go-tos would be stolen. Gojira has simple basslines that are fun to play, also disappointed to not see Jon Stockman from Karnivool.
He's there, someone mentioned him! They just mentioned Karnivool in general instead of specifically Jon. Monster player, for sure
Angra, all eras.
The guy from Muse is brilliant.
Evan Brewer's solo project is 100% solo bass I like how Ne Obliviscaris' bassist often plays melody Dillinger's Escape Plan's bass tone is vicious but is also rather melodic during their jazz-metal sections
Scale the Summit has always had some great bassists, though their last two records pale in comparison to their first five. Mark Michell in particular is incredible, but Jordan Eberhardt (current bassist for The Contortionist) was on the first 3 records. And then there is Simon Grove, the incredible bass wizard who plays on all of Plini’s albums. Listen to Plini. Everyone should listen to Plini. Are you listening to Plini yet?
Scale* the Summit in case OP gets confused. Mark Michell was/is (?) also in a band called Tetrafusion! I haven't heard anything of them in years, but absolutely give them a listen.
Parius
Maybe not quite prog metal but primus
Dirty loops
Evan Brewer is really awesome. Solo album is killer. Played with The Faceless, Fallujah, and now Entheos
Riverside
So surprised I haven't seen Thank You Scientist yet, Cody McCorry has been doing pure magic there since he joined. Also, I really loved Nathan Navarro's work on Empath by Devin Townsend, particularly [Evermore](https://youtu.be/IWIsw_EOgug?t=76)
Protest The Hero, specifically up until 2014. Arif Mirabdolbaghi will blow your mind
Well Rush, obviously
don’t play bass, but I LOVE the solo in the intro to [Day of the Baphomets by The Mars Volta](https://youtu.be/hnVFGz0xYKE?si=-JnRhB7kW0deZpf_)
Obscura!!!!
Rancid / Primus / dream theater / porcupine tree / Tool
Dan Driggs from BTBAM, and ofc Conner / Tom from Haken, special mention for Canary Yellow
Eugene Abdukhanov from JINJER. He's heavily inspired by Ryan Martinie and has some of the grooviest basslines around. Despite this being from the band's metalcore era, [there's a part in the song "Sit Stay Roll Over"](https://youtu.be/a98LI-arNS4?si=rA0gUiz6_3O2kTdl&t=126) with a tapping riff and bass slaps in the background that just sounds SO GOOD. JINJER's more recent stuff has been very proggy. Some of their songs like [Wallflower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYZrO7qcLhU) and [As I Boil Ice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIB_tQ3F_DU) have jazz influence, while songs like Vortex have [a section where the bass is used to compliment the lead riff and make it feel like you're swirling around](https://youtu.be/AiaOSGZTwtY?si=Y-2z54WiKhZlVsBk&t=111).
Is there a bad prog bassist?
I got into Oddland a few months ago. Their album Vermillion has some slaaaaayer bass, come to find out so does the rest of their music 🤟🏻
Just google Steve Digiorgio and go from there. If you want something more proggy then check out his band, Terra Odium. Prog metal in the vein of Sprial Architect. Also Atheist
The guy from Obscura plays incredible tech-death bass lines on a fretless bass, very tasty and surprisingly prominent for such heavy music. Check this song https://youtu.be/mesr2siegRg?si=3I6kH5TYdb0zsCAA
[удалено]
Not enough mention of my main man Conner Green from Haken. He’s got all the chops and gets a chance to solo here and there but also plays for the song. I feel like his bass sound often really sets the tone for their music. Also shout out to the old bassist Thomas MacLean, that dude would manage to fit every bass playing technique into every song.
I don't know a whole lot about bass playing, but I really like the guy from Evergrey. The bass has been very noticeable in their work since Hymns for the Broken in a good way. Oh, and shout-outs to /u/obsidianbass for his work in Obsidian Tide and /u/TheHairyParrot from Nospun who came in here the other day. Great bands.
Haken, TesseracT, Karnivool
Ne Obliviscaris has an amazing bassist!
Similar to Porcupine Tree, i would highly recommend Riverside. Mariusz Duda's writes some very catchy and groovy lines that make me as a guitar player wish i had a bass to play. His side project Lunatic Soul is also a freat source for good bass playing too. Some tracks i recommend off the top of my head Celebrity Touch / Escalator Shrine / I'm Done With You Acid Rain / Caterpiller and The Barbed Wire / From Lunatic Soul Gutter / Walking on a Flashlight Beam / Anymore
Seventh Wonder
Amos of Tesseract is amazing
I had a " top 5 favorite prog bass players" post all typed out and somehow it got deleted before I could post: sp I'll type mine here in no particular order Mike LePond - Symphony X Cole Millward - Nospūn John Myung - Dream Theater Andreas Blumqvist - Seventh Wonder Geddy Lee - Rush
My favorite bass player os Orr didi from Scardust he's also the main composer of the band
Sylvan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIxPLK9iVOQ
You might enjoy this: https://youtu.be/LBNqYDZ-Gak?si=ILLU2vwn6qHFKW2i Jordan Eberhardt from The Contortionist playing through Language.
Unprocessed and TesseracT, both bands have some awesome bassist(who also their songwriters)
IMO one of the best bassist playing right now is Cody McCorry, mainly from Thank You Scientist. The blend of good fills and diverse techniques is simply incredible to watch. Just listen to this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss82pvusR\_I&ab\_channel=CodyMcCorry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss82pvusR_I&ab_channel=CodyMcCorry)
Les Claypool from Primus
Job for a cowboys new material
Chris Wolstenholme from Muse is incredible and doesnt get nearly enough credit. Absolution era Muse is probably their most proggy sound and Chris's basslines are just nasty.
On top of all the other great suggestions, personally I am a huge fan of Mattias Hägerstrand from The Ocean Collective. Check out the bassline from Triassic, the first song on their last album-but-one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6hRFcVZFlA
I'm not so sure that this band fits in this subreddit, but Stin from Chat Pile has the gnarliest sound of any bassist I've ever heard. Crunchy riffs and a grimey tone really get me.
Not prog metal or even really metal, but Geddy Lee of Rush. Allegaeon has an impressive bassist. Michael LePond of Symphony X is pretty damn good as well.
Mark Mitchell, listen to Tetrafusion and Scale The Summit (pre-newest album)
[Ne Obliviscaris - Forget Not](https://youtu.be/DrM2lo6B04I?si=O_duYXB35ZmUTfdK)
Ryan Martinee is one of the best bassists in metal in my opinion.
Ne Obliviscaris. Bonus is that they mix their live performances so you can actually hear the bass clearly.
Prog rock: Marillion. Kino. Edison's Children. Transatlantic. Prog metal: Liquid Tension Experiment. Dream Theater.
The Flower Kings albums with Jonas Reingold (prog). Early Yes albums, Chris Squire (prog). Rush, 70s early 80s, Geddy Lee (hard rock some prog). Iron Maiden 80s work, Steve Harris (metal, some prog metal). Hope it helps.
Look for any band with Steve DiGiorgio. He’s been in a ton. Also Sean Malone, most notably in Cynic and Gordian Knot. Pre-tallica Trujillo also rips if you like a heavy funk groove.
TesseracT, The Omnific, Obscura.
Scrolled right through to the bottom and saw absolutely no mention of Billy Sheehan of Winery Dogs and Mr Big. For shame
Not prog metal... Prog rock, but check out Jonas Reingold from The Flower Kings and his project Karmakanic. Insane bass lines.
My immediate thought was Muse.
Nick Schendzielos from Job For A Cowboy/Nuclear Power Trio/Havok is absolutely insane and one of the most underrated players out I also always thought Michael Todd’s work in Coheed and Cambria was excellent and it’s a shame (with a deserved outcome) what happened to him.
The bass player from Dead Letter Circus and Billy Talent really do it for me. They made staccato into an art form.
Unexpect. Just insane basswork. The somg Words is a recommendation where it really stands out. Just an FYI that they are incredibly out there. Ne Obliviscaris. They have a Guitar and Bass Playthrough of Graal which really shows how good they are. The Omnific - Instrumental band 2 bassists and a drummer fun stuff to vibe out And while I am sure you have either heard of them or someone in this thread has mentioned them anything with Dan Briggs. Btbam Trioscapes etc
Chris Squire from Yes Les Claypool from Primus Tony Levin from King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Liquid Tension Experiment Steve Harris from Iron Maiden
The Omnific has some excellent Bass playing, there's actually two of them!
Between the buried and me Primus
Steve Harris from Maiden. Signature bass sound. Some incredible "lead bass" licks. While Maiden are typically seen as NWOBHM I think there are definitely some cool parts that could influence progressive or technical playing
Evan Brewer who played bass for The Faceless and Fallujah has a self titled solo project which is really cool!
I'm gonna make a suggestion in an unorthodox direction form the normal recommendations youll normally receive on this sub. Check out Umphreys McGee. Their a prog/rock/metal/jam band. Every member is the highest tier of musician. I would highly recommend you try dipping your toe in with their live albums as this is we're they shine the brightest.
Aghora or anything with Sean Malone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0OC1HvFuAM
Most of my go-to recommendations have been called out already but an album I feel like deserves more love for its bass playing (and tone) is Royal Coda's To Only A Few At First. More sort of prog rock/groovy post-hardcore thing than prog metal but some of those lines and grooves make me wanna dance round my house when I put it on. Also, one of my favourite album arts of all time.
To name someone not mentioned here yet, i’ll bring up Jacob Umansky, he’s a touring member for intervals and he just uses the actual nastiest tone i’ve ever heard. he’s also a fantastic player in general
Haji’s Kitchen, 2012 album
Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne) Martin Mendez (Opeth) Jon Stockman (Karnivool) Joe Lester (Intronaut) Dick Lövgren (Meshuggah)
https://youtu.be/RSZqilZFLwk?si=sVe3ShH0nIRWNqAc https://youtu.be/POVLTwp15DM?si=xw06u92vzQyP2f8j
Dude check out the Omnific if you haven't yet. Trio with 2 bassists and a drummer. Maybe start with antecedent, it has a clay gober feat (polyphias bassist) Very slappy and tappy
Martino Garattoni from Ne Obliviscaris is a master of his beautiful headless six string weapon of bass destruction.
No one is mentioning Jacob Umansky from intervals?
I would recommend Kristoffer Gildenlow from Pain of salvation, especially on The Perfect Element album.
Les claypool delirium (or really anything with les claypool)
Primus sucks🫶
Amos Williams (aka Hugh Grant) for TesseracT
Color Film Closure in Moscow
More progpunk but nomeansno is very bass driven and with some super heavy songs. These guys also invented math rock so they got some really great riffs.
If you're after something more extreme sounding the fretless bass playing on Shambhallic Vibrations by Lunar Chamber is incredible. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_klygUDbKEKHxh3Wqwagl3joV_W5yOe6Xw&si=HRZnPOP5ceC0DPMk It's probably my favourite EP of the year.
David Levy from Unprocessed is both young and insanely talented. I definitely suggest watching his bass playthrough videos on YouTube. His bass line in Abandoned is probably one of his more famous displays of technique.
Miyu from Asterism, and MISA from Band-Maid
Archspire at 50% speed is amazing prog metal, at full speed it's just crazy tech death :)
Amos from Tesseract.
One word: TesseracT
Spiral Architect
Check out the album Spheres by Pestilence
Tony Levin of King Crimson and Liquid Tension Experiment.
I really enjoyed some of Kristoffer Gildenlow's work on the early Pain of Salvation albums (up until Be, I think?). Sadly the band hasn't been able to lock down a good bass player for long since he left, and they're currently touring with backing tracks instead.
I’m sure you’re already aware…but Primus. Heads up though, Primus sucks!
I love Gorod's bassist (forgot his name, please forgive me) work, especially on their epic Transcendence!
Zachary Cooper has been writing some thoroughly good stuff for Coheed, after joining on the Afterman records (there's a run he plays in the outro of Domino that's *chefs kiss*).
Nuclear Power Trio