YouTube: yesofficial \/ Sanctuary Records \/ YouTube: The Midnight Special Few, if any, artists epitomized the majestic and pastoral sides of progressive rock as well as Genesis; however, they could also pack a huge punch when they wanted, such as on \u201cFly on a Windshield<\/a>,\u201d \u201cLos Endos<\/a>\u201d and \u201cThe Return of the Giant Hogweed<\/a>\u201d (which saw newcomer Steve Hackett<\/a> rigorously employing guitar tapping years<\/em> before Eddie Van Halen<\/a> popularized the technique).<\/p>\n That said, Genesis\u2019 heftiest venture came even earlier in their career: on the live version of \u201cThe Knife.\u201d Initially the lead single and closing song of their sophomore LP \u2013 1970\u2019s Trespass<\/a><\/em> \u2013 \u201cThe Knife\u201d was sharpened for this 1973 performance (to the point that it evokes the riffs and rhythms of King Crimson<\/a>).<\/p>\n In particular, Phil Collins<\/a>\u2019 drumming is relentlessly agitated as he supports Hackett\u2019s six-string strikes, Tony Banks\u2019 distorted organ punctuations, Mike Rutherford<\/a>\u2019s fuzzy bass lines and even frontman Peter Gabriel<\/a>\u2019s unusually corrosive singing. Its initial third is substantially destructive, yet it doesn\u2019t fully erupt until after its peaceful middle portion ingeniously segues into Genesis\u2019 most unruly instrumental jam to date.<\/p>\n As a whole, “The Knife” is extremely<\/em> intense!<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Speaking of King Crimson, they essentially got heavier and heavier as the first half of the 1970s went on, only to\u00a0decrease their viciousness during their 1980s turn into post-punk\/new wave. They returned with a heightened (industrial metal) bang in the 1990s and 2000s, though, and somehow, they saved their\u00a0crowning\u00a0savageness (\u201cLevel Five\u201d) for their final studio set: 2003\u2019s The Power to Believe<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n It’s only right that the band\u2019s gnarliest track is an instrumental, too, given that they were known for them. Actually, \u201cLevel Five\u201d is the fifth and final entry in King Crimson\u2019s multialbum \u201cLarks\u2019 Tongues in Aspic<\/a>\u201d suite, and you can definitely hear the connections to its precursors in how it builds off-kilter percussion and interconnected (and dissonant) timbres on top of repetitious metallic guitar patterns.<\/p>\n Its irregular start\/stop interruptions also tie it to past \u201cLarks\u2019 Tongues\u201d chapters, and whereas the prior four segments were somewhat playful and colorful in their own ways, \u201cLevel Five\u201d is persistently serious and mechanical.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Rush<\/a>‘s earliest music certainly had a lot of bite since they were clearly (and self-admittedly) borrowing from 1960s hard rock and heavy metal\u00a0<\/strong>legends such as Led Zeppelin<\/a>, Cream<\/a> and The Who<\/a>. So, you might think that their heaviest recording came from that era \u2013 and you\u2019d be wrong, as the iconic trio\u2019s fiercest trek didn\u2019t arrive until they\u2019d already been going strong for two full decades.<\/p>\n Like 1993\u2019s Counterparts<\/em> overall, lead single \u201cStick It Out\u201d found drummer Neil Peart<\/a>, guitarist Alex Lifeson<\/a> and vocalist\/multi-instrumentalist Geddy Lee<\/a> returning to their classic hard rock\/progressive rock roots amidst channeling some of the Seattle grunge movement that was in full swing by that point.<\/p>\n True, Lee\u2019s singing is generally restrained and calm (so he\u2019s not nearly as unhinged as on, say, the \u201cTemple of Syrinx<\/a>\u201d portion of \u201c2112\u201d). Still, his bass playing \u2013 alongside Lifeson\u2019s majorly crunchy chords and licks \u2013 is consistently heated, and of course, Peart\u2019s crashing cymbals and drum hits pepper their\u00a0attacks\u00a0with additional fury. Most importantly, Lifeson\u2019s unexpectedly wild solo near the end is what takes \u201cStick It Out\u201d over the edge.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Just like Genesis, Gentle Giant\u2019s signature brand of wide-ranging instrumentation and erratic changeups was at its thunderous peak shortly after the band began (on their third record, 1972\u2019s Three Friends<\/em>). A concept album about \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 three childhood friends who are unhappy in their adult lives, its grand sense of narrative dissatisfaction permeates every frantic moment of Side Two opener \u201cPeel the Paint.\u201d<\/p>\n The track gets going with gentle embellishments and soft singing (courtesy of soon-to-be former saxophonist Phil Shulman). However, it hints at the impending vehemence during that initial segment, and by the two-minute mark, that pressure explodes into a collage of foreboding motifs and interlocking riffs. Standard rock textures collide with violins, saxophones and various keyboards as lead singer Derek Shulman yells his proclamations (\u201cI peel the paint, look underneath \/ You’ll see the same, the same old savage beast \/ Strip the coats, the coats of time \/ And find mad eyes and see those sharpened teeth\u201d<\/em>).<\/p>\n Aside from the abstract jam close to the conclusion, \u201cPeel the Paint\u201d sustains that spirited belligerence until its final outburst, thoroughly enveloping listeners in its adventurous disorderliness.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n We already named this 22-minute opus from 1974\u2019s Relayer<\/em> as Yes\u2019 best epic song<\/a>, and despite producing plenty of scorching material across their immense discography (\u201cMachine Messiah<\/a>,\u201d \u201cShock to the System<\/a>,\u201d \u201cSound Chaser<\/a>,\u201d \u201cTempus Fugit<\/a>\u201d), \u201cThe Gates of Delirium\u201d remains Yes<\/a>\u2019 heaviest creation musically and thematically.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\nGenesis, \u201cThe Knife\u201d (Live)<\/h2>\n
King Crimson, \u201cLevel Five\u201d<\/h2>\n
Rush, \u201cStick It Out\u201d<\/h2>\n
Gentle Giant, \u201cPeel the Paint\u201d<\/h2>\n
Yes, \u201cThe Gates of Delirium\u201d<\/h2>\n
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