10 Best Progressive Rock Albums Of The 2000s

10. Opeth - Blackwater Park

Stockholm's heaviest contribution to the prog world have time and again taken the genre to newer, angrier extremes.

'Blackwater Park', their fifth LP, saw the group plumb new depths of the extreme side of prog, mixing it with death metal for a startling but still technically sound vibe. It's a dramatic peak in the group's long and storied run, mixing extreme metal ideology with classic blues and jazz vibes. For metalheads, it was further vindication that heavy music can indeed live up to the technical wizardry of its artsier rock forbearers.

The titular track is a ferocious, 12-minute climax to a hybrid LP that gracefully jumps from strength to strength. It ultimately encapsulates everything that has come before it on the album, providing a perfect crescendo to the audio adventure the group have taken their listeners on.

Aided by Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson coming in for the production, the group sift through suitably dark and macabre fare throughout. It's moody and unsettling but never lacking in intelligence or imagination.

At the time of its 2001 release, Blackwater Park left jaws on the floor throughout the prog and metal worlds alike. A perfect showcase of both intensity and innovation, it remains a seminal classic 21 years on.