- What separates it from progressive rock?
- Weight and tone. Prog rock leans on clean guitar, organ and acoustic drums with an exploratory, romantic mood. Prog metal puts the same structural ambition through down-tuned distortion and dense drumming, widens the dynamics and allows harsh vocals. Similar architecture, an order of magnitude more intensity.
- How do I prompt for odd meters?
- Write the time signatures out: verse in 7/8, chorus back to 4/4, interlude in 5/4. Asking for complex rhythms usually returns busy 4/4. Naming the meter and the section it belongs to is what actually lands.
- My results ramble — how do I tighten them?
- Spell out the running order and rough durations: 30-second instrumental intro, verse, chorus, instrumental section with a key change, chorus reprise. Prog metal stays listenable through clear architecture, not through piled-up elements; asking only for complexity gives you a directionless collage.