Alex Anghel
Invader
I think progressive means something different now than it did in 1986. In 1986 progressive certainly meant tossing in synthesizers and using electronic music, and by that yardstick Somewhere in Time is very progressive. By 2006 - 20 years later - I don't think that's really what it meant anymore. I mean, mainstream metal bands had fully integrated the sound of keyboards, Iron Maiden not being the only one to do so. AMOLAD breaks the mould in different ways, though I hear more classically progressive (and isn't that an oxy-moron) in The Final Frontier than I do AMOLAD.
I believe that progressive in 1986 meant what progressive means since day one: longer, more intricate songs, with lots of themes, odd time signatures, sudden shifts in tempo, etc. From this perspective, there were songs in the 80s a lot more progressive than some of the epics of the reunion era.