With dark, heavy grooves and a big, sweeping sound, Atomic Opera is firmly rooted in a rock and metal tradition that began with Black Sabbath and was continued by Metallica, but adds lilting, irresistably Beatles-ish melodies and unexpected, towering harmonies evocative of prog rock bands like Rush and Yes. Add the presence of Frank Hart's sophisticated arrangements for cello, acoustic guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, organ, recorders and hand percussion, and you get a stellar old world art rock sound with a progressive folk metal edge. This brooding yet accessible music was born of same fertile Houston scene that produced Galactic Cowboys, The Awful Truth, and King's X, which shares some of the Atomic Opera's spiritual focus and prog rock influences.

Alpha and Oranges Penguin Dust

Tagged as: Hard Rock, Other, Prog Rock.

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2. The Great Mooklaa Herashaa: breaking down the doors to heavy industrial, electronica and even pop
3. The Dino Haak Collective: Divergent, Idiosyncratic, Novel, Out-of-this-world.... alt-rock
4. Seismic Anamoly: instrumental hard rock
5. Leda Atomica: badass rock and roll
6. The Proper Authorities: pulse-pounding, booty-shaking rock
7. Daniel Estrem: colorful classical guitar
8. To Life!: Music as a journey through tribal landscapes, rhythmic dance, hypnotic trance.
9. Beth Quist: electro-Balkan / Indian meets New Age.
10. Beat Under Control: jazz/dub intense electro funk
11. Saros: intelligent ambient downtempo
12. Werner Durand: experimental wind buzzing instruments
13. Ray Montford: Evocative, melodic and haunting instrumental guitar music
14. Anton Cosmo: rock superstar to be
15. General Fuzz: atmospheric downtempo
16. Jamie Janover: innovative hammered dulcimer
17. Shiva in Exile: Gothic Arab/Indian World Music
18. Ambient Teknology: upbeat underground with shades of new wave
19. Satori: healing, meditative ambient new age
20. Joey Fehrenbach: gorgeously sculpted, uber-melodic downtempo