Abstract
This thesis explores how musicians and fans within the guitar-led progressive rock and metal genre define the term ‘progressive’ and explains the expected characteristics associated with the genre. Are all those in the electric guitar-led scene regarded as progressive, regardless of their stylistic features, and if so, what unites them under the same umbrella? The perspective is taken from the point of view of active online fans on social media groups and forums. The artists discussed are those at the centre of the scene, whose displayed social and professional network are analysed to complete an overview of the participants of the scene in question. Throughout this thesis, three distinct methods are used to address the questions outlined above. The first is netnography, which involves analysing online content and footprints found on social media, forums, and general guitar-focused media. The following section presents a musical analysis concentrating on four case studies of notable artists within the scene, each employing different approaches to composition and guitar playing. The final method is practice-led, in which four separate tracks are composed in the styles of the artists featured in the case studies and put together as an EP (which are uploaded to the submission folder and can be streamed here). The EP will give insight into how the music was created as well as how the compositional techniquesused relate to the artists discographies. Although there is substantial literature on genre theory, rock music and electric guitar culture, there is a lack of focus on the contemporary guitar-led progressive rock/metal scene. Although there can be no conclusive definition of a musical genre, this thesis attempts to deliver a snapshot of the electric guitar-led progressive rock/metal genre through various aspects, including its ideology and behaviour, as well as the music, drawing on Franco Fabbri’s framework of rules (1982). The primary finding is that the genre’s ideology is the main influence on the text. The beliefs of individualism, development, and broader musical philosophies shape the music. From a stylistic standpoint, the key insight is that displays of virtuosity and innovative guitar practices are among the main reasons a piece within this genre is regarded as progressive, regardless of other stylistic features. There is contention between the expected progressive music characteristics and the lack of these elements in electric-guitar led progressive rock/metal music. This thesis also sheds light on how the artists interact with each other, how they engage with their fans, and how fans connect with one another, mainly in online spaces.
| Date of Award | 1 Jul 2026 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Jan Herbst (Main Supervisor) & Eric Smialek (Co-Supervisor) |