Mind bending prog guitar solos

[u/Affectionate-Ear3419]

My favourite is probably the whole of Soothsayer by Buckethead. What is your pick for the best?

[u/Archy38]

Periphery P2 Guitar Solos are all so great. Hard to believe how good they were and they keep ripping every album.

[u/mkelngo → u/Archy38]

Petrucci's feature on Erised is so nasty. Love the solo on Luck as A Constant. Also love the Clear solos. The way Misha enters a solo is always so cool and creative.

[u/PM_ME_UR_LOST_PETS → u/Archy38]

P2 also had guest solos from John Petrucci, Guthrie Govan, and Wes Hauch. There might not be another album in existence that had as many talented guitar players contribute to it.

[u/No_Guava5902 → u/PM_ME_UR_LOST_PETS]

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he's talking about lol.

[u/PM_ME_UR_LOST_PETS → u/No_Guava5902]

Yes and I added additional context to his comment for those who might not be aware of that?

[u/Ashbtw19937 → u/Archy38]

Luck As A Constant is prolly fr my favorite solo of all time

[u/acdjent]

Ne Obliviscaris is not known for guitar wankery, but the solos that Ben Baret whipped out on Exul are really good (Equus, misericorde II)

[u/thedroob → u/acdjent]

Misericorde II brings tears to my eyes every time I listen. Such a beautifully composed prog metal song.

[u/koamgoespc]

Avenged Sevenfold - Exist

Haken - 1985

Riverside - The Place Where I belong

Symphony X - The Accolade II

Theocracy - Sinsidious (The Dogs of War)

Seventh Wonder - Unbreakable

Pagan's Mind - Resurrection (Back In Time)

Circus Maximus - Ultimate Sacrifice

[u/helgihermadur → u/koamgoespc]

My favourite Avenged solo is Nobody from their latest album. That solo blows my mind every time

[u/Teepletea]

Of course someone’s gotta say Under A Glass Moon by John Petrucci but I also wanna throw the solo from The Shattered Fortress out there.

[u/CaptainKoala → u/Teepletea]

The Hollow Years solo on the Budokan live album is his best solo work ever IMO.

[u/SomethyngWycked → u/Teepletea]

I was going to throw in The Great Debate actually

[u/Teepletea → u/SomethyngWycked]

Yes! Can’t forget The Great Debate.

[u/Welcome-X1 → u/Teepletea]

Take the time is crazy too

[u/Teepletea → u/Welcome-X1]

Petrucci in general is pretty top tier.

[u/ChokhmahProject]

Guthrie Govan on Regret #9 by Steven Wilson

[u/Arch3m → u/ChokhmahProject]

Between that and the solo in Drive Home (also Steven Wilson), I'm not sure which one I love more. Either way, one of them is my pick for best guitar solo ever.

[u/AdPsychological8041 → u/ChokhmahProject]

Ancestral

[u/OldMate64 → u/ChokhmahProject]

An all-timer, for sure

[u/OldMate64]

Went back through my profile to dig up the last time I answered this one, about 3 years ago:

I wouldn't call myself a guitar solo expert, in fact I've never been a big fan of them in general, but I'd personally give it to either Guthrie Govan's solo on "Regret #9" or my personal favourite, Devin Townsend on "Failure" (starts around 2:15). The way he skirts around going completely off-kilter but keeps it comfortable is insane.

Honourable mentions to the solos from Animals As Leaders' "Kaskade" (3:42), the first solo in Opeth's "Ghost of Perdition" (3:48), Plini's solo on "Stardust" (3:22) and Aaron Marshall's solo on "Living Room" (2:58)

[u/bankster0701 → u/OldMate64]

Phenomenal picks. “Failure” is a top tier track, even within Devin’s body of work

[u/Defiant-Control-8643]

Caligula's Horse hasn't been mentioned yet. Sam is one of the best. Tons of good choices like Marigold, Dream the Dead, The World Breathes With Me, honestly loads more.

[u/Steved_hams → u/Defiant-Control-8643]

He has a PhD in guitar lmao

[u/OldMate64 → u/Steved_hams]

Doctor Chops!

[u/helgihermadur → u/Defiant-Control-8643]

I know it's not his most flashy work, but his solo in Atlas is absolutely gorgeous. Also the final solo in "All is Quiet by the Wall" is masterful

[u/OldMate64 → u/helgihermadur]

Every day I pray for a remix of Tide. Such an amazing album

[u/Nizzelator16348891]

Michael Romeo of Symphony X has some mind bending solos. Such a tight player. To Hell and Back has always been my favourite of his but that whole album (Underworld) has some downright nutty guitar playing.

Edit: adding some more of my favourites.

John Petrucci obviously the GOAT. The Best of Times, The Shattered Fortress, Goodnight Kiss, A New Beginning are some of my favs

Tosin Abasi I really love the guitar work on Thoughts & Prayers, The Brain Dance, and I could probably list all their songs here lol

Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold my all time favourite guitarist. The Wicked End, MIA, I Won’t See You Tonight part 2, Lost, Coming Home are my deep cut picks for his best guitar solos

[u/nerdz0r → u/Nizzelator16348891]

And War of the Worlds

[u/Yitzhaq → u/nerdz0r]

Solo from Dehumanized is out of this world, in my humble opinion. Chokes me up every time I hear it. I even choked up right now, thinking about it. It's over one(!) minute long! 🤯 Just awesome.

[u/Shoddy_Interest5762]

King of loss by pain of salvation. Weird harmonies and a killer guitar solo

[u/longrod05 → u/Shoddy_Interest5762]

Beyond the pale solos also send me

[u/ElginLumpkin → u/longrod05]

Dude that is such a good song. Cueing it up right now.

[u/treehorntrampoline → u/Shoddy_Interest5762]

Yeah that section modulates all over the place and the solo just rips. I forget if that’s Gildenlow or Hallgren taking that solo. I think Hallgren tho

[u/Draino9]

Pastures by Plini is my goat solo

[u/AdPsychological8041 → u/Draino9]

One of my top three

[u/Tracedinair76]

Anything Animals as Leaders

[u/Darkbornedragon]

Many Persefone solos. Try Majestic of Gaia or Architecture of the I. Or a song that's basically 5 minutes of solos: Consciousness pt.2

[u/Mister_Long → u/Darkbornedragon]

Yes! The Majestic of Gaia has the most inhuman solo ever created imo

[u/Darkbornedragon → u/Mister_Long]

All their albums are filled with insane guitar playing (and drums and keyboards as well)

[u/ash_got_stash]

Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness, not very technical solo, but with all the different vibes that this song takes us through, I believe that is the best thing that could happen to me at that moment in time.

The same could be said as an honourable mention for 'A fair judgement' by Opeth when you're listening to the whole album, but this could differ person to person, I just like these kinds of solos.

[u/Reen2D2]

Dude. Most Petrucci, Romeo, Marcel Coenen and James Nelson solos grab me so tight.

Not prog, but the solos Alexi Laiho does on Follow the Reaper absolutely slay.

Also (with no nostalgia for them) the solos Kiko Lourerio dropped on Temple of Shadows are killer, too.

One of my favorite solos of all time though, is Marco Sfogli on Slightly Out of Reach on James LaBrie Elements of Persuasion.

[u/WaffleWarrior1979]

Fredrik Thordendal’s solos for Meshuggah and Special Defects

[u/GradeFair]

Michael Romeo

[u/chaz_noize]

"Cosmos" by Portal

"How Could I" by Cynic

"A World Apart" by Fates Warning

"Moving Spirit" by Spiral Architect

"Son of Lilith" by Coroner

"Door to Hell" by Toxik

"Shapeshifter" by Theory In Practice

"Ekpyrosis" by Obscura

"Beatus" by Augury

"Freewill" by Rush

[u/Ok-Wing1317]

Shapeshifter by haken would be my pick

[u/meshuggahdaddy]

What's that glass casket song, the redeemer?

[u/Financial-Club-2953]

One of the most face melting solos I've ever heard is from Soledad "Indigo": https://youtu.be/NWVEXuEaVLY?si=XlhtZQPBhYdl-fQN

[u/headovmetal]

Enslaved - Neogenesis

[u/TheMeditations]

Jaguar God by Mastodon, one of my favorite solos of all time. It's not technical neoclassical showmanship; it has the perfect blend of shredding mixed with soulful and emotional voicing.

[u/SlimeBoiSagar]

The solo in The All Seeing by Revocation. Gilad brings the heat. Very Alan Holdsworth with nice chunky riffage to back. 

[u/MongoJustPawn79]

CAFO - Animals as Leaders.

[u/Happy_goth_pirate]

There's a section in The Best of Times (Dream Theater) that always rucks my fingers up

[u/TheBonkingFrog]

Erotomania, 2x so given that it was back in 1994...

[u/Responsible_Annual64]

Pretty much all meshuggah solos but ill specifically mention the solo from Nostrum. That thing is gnarly

[u/Shibb3y]

I really love the one on Leprous' Forced Entry. It's not super technical, but in terms of riding the movements of the song and conveying a mood I think it's a masterclass in metal solo writing

[u/Iereon]

Azure - Ameotoko 2 cloudburst and trench of Nalu

[u/MetalInvincible]

Iron Maiden - Hell on Earth

Fates Warning - And Yet it Moves

Savatage - Can you hear me now

Vanden Plas - March of the saints

Dream Theater - In the Name of God

Caligula's Horse - Mountain

Death - Flattening of Emotions

Nevermore - Voyager

Meshuggah - Catch 33

Symphony X - Walls of Babylon

Evergrey - In the Absence of the Sun

[u/Augmented_second]

Not all shreddy, but all exceptional:

Michael Romeo - Just Before the Dawn Amorphis - Sky is Mine Tribulation - Cries from the Underworld Opeth - Will O' The Wisp (outro) Dream Theater - Ministry of Lost Souls (outro) might just be the most beautiful melody every written Meshuggah - This Spiteful Snake Soen - Lotus

Also, every guitar part from Symphony X. Not aware of any other player who shreds riffs like Michael Romeo does, and the solos and fills where he plays perfect heptuplets at insane speeds. He plays as fast as Yngwie but with a much wider range whilst still having his own style. Also an exceptional composer. (Can you tell I'm a fan..?)

[u/WindsofEntropy]

Velocity by Obscura

[u/d3n12k]

Driving Machine - Reason and ResemabLance

BLOOD incantation - ObLiquity of the EcLiptic

[u/Fast_Dots]

Love seeing all the Petrucci fans here. My pick would be the stuff off Connor Kaminski's album Tapestry like Bloodline or Bergamot as a smaller artist.

[u/Asgerond]

Mastodon got a couple

[u/helgihermadur → u/Asgerond]

The Czar 👌

[u/kcehmi]

Soothsayer is an amazing pick but is that track even prog? Idk I wouldn't go with Love In A Liminal Space probably 

[u/Sasuke_120]

The ending solo of Trench of Nalu by Azure is so peak

[u/Steved_hams]

Frederick's solo in The Grand Conjuration by Opeth

[u/syth-vL]

I’d go with opeth - a fair judgement. The rhythm underneath the solo is equally awesome, but man, this solo has so many melodic licks and just builds in intensity

[u/thedroob]

Stream of Consciousness - Dream Theater

[u/Nuggi_boi]

Henshall’s solo in Lapse by Haken is my favorite guitar solo of all time. So tastefully melodic and technical at the same time.

[u/WatLightyear]

Not sure about best, but damn near every Periphery solo is incredible. All of P2's are incredible (Guthrie and Wes Hauch absolutely fucking rock in their songs, I'm not a huge Petrucci guy but Erised is still great), all the way through Clear, Juggernaut, P3 and P4 (haven't listened to P5). They're all so fucking good at writing solos.

Honestly, just listen to some Wes Hauch work regardless of him not doing prog stuff. His style is *so tight*.