10 Prog Rock + Metal Albums That Will Make Your Brain Hurt

Here are 10 prog rock and prog metal albums that’ll definitely make your brain hurt!

Progressive music is usually revered (or chastised) because of how zany and sophisticated it can be musically and conceptually.

We’re not just talking about strange or complex records, either. We’re talking about albums that are so intensive, baffling or otherwise jolting and exhausting that they require multiple listens (or listening sessions) to handle and appreciate. In fact, some of them wear you down so much that they make your brain hurt!

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Case in point: The 10 LPs on this list, each of which is so manic, weird, abstract, intricate, lengthy, and/or academic that it's sure to wear down your mind by the end.

That’s not a bad thing, though, as these records represent the genre’s potential for daringness, originality and significance, too. It’s just that they’re also a lot to take in at once, so you might need to take a break before you’re done (or take a nap afterward).