Many rock academics have proclaimed that the truly progressive musicianship of the last 20 years has been found right here in the world of heavy metal, rather than obvious locales such as jazz, fusion or progressive rock. Much of this jaw-dropping virtuosity occurs within what's known as progressive metal, a genre that takes root with the likes of Rush in the '70s, Queensryche and Fates Warning in the '80s, and Dream Theater in the '90s. Since then, the genre has exploded with creativity, spawning mind-bending, genre-defying acts and Ep 11 looks at the extreme musicianship of these bands, as well as their often extreme literary prowess and conceptual strength.

• Sam Dunn

• Sam Dunn