Thanks for making this thread I see some great music in there. I see the OP likes some power/epic/fantasy metal stuff and power metal in general...I don't listen to the genere anymore but 7-8 years ago I used love it. So I wanted to post a not very famous band I liked.
Domine- The Hurricane Master
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao58Xcb985I
It still sounds good to me. I still like a lot of power metal music, expecially Gammaray, older Helloween and Masterplan, still I can't help it but it feels like a bit derivative genre to me. I prefer listening to melodic hardrock and Heavy Metal bands like Rainbow, Uriah Heep, Judas Priest or Iron Maiden.
Rainbow - Kill The King
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ZfrCPKEqM
Judas Priest - Exciter (live Unleashed In The Est, easily one of the best metal live albums ever)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7wQLogDm3o
Uriah Heep - Easy Living
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKxZY0DIxIk
These 3 songs are old must be heard at lest once.
As for prog I wouldn't even know where to start, about Dream Theater, they have made 3 fantastic albums I really love: Images, Awake and Metropolis are some of my favourites ever, as for their later work I have mixed feelings but I won't go in details. Rush are one of my favourites bands, I also love their newer works, Snake and Arrows was great album, even tough the mixing wasn't so great, I would recommend to any fan with a Ps3 to get the Snake an Arrows live on blu-ray, it's better. The new upcoming album also sounds promising
I would recommend Porcupine Tree (again) to anyone, I think they are the best of modern progressive. They have evrything: tecnique, melody, originality. (Gavin Harrison -the drummer- is incredible )
Waiting Phase 1 / 2 (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg5K5rjCezE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74mQhMEMdnU&feature=related
Way Out Of Here (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95QS3c_Tei4
What happens now? (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l0MqQwpXRk
As for my favorites I won't post Pink Floyd, but everyone who likes prog and rock in general should (or must?) listen at least once to Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here albums, also Live At Pompeii if you want to go a little more in depth. Nah... I've changed my mind I'll post just one. (I can't resist)
Careful With That Axe Eugene (Live At Pompeii)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYMyxTFwuz8
Going back to recent times. I love Arcturus, a progressive/simphonic black metal band from Norway, they have made 2 great albums La Masquerade Inferale and Sham Mirrors.
Arcturus - Ad Astra (from La Masquerade Infernale)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXBs0SNjX5w
I may add something more later.
Essay Pro