I stumbled on X Factor X at random years ago. They had this wacky website and had released about 3 songs (one of which was a good cover of Golden Earring's "Twilight Zone"). Aside from those songs, I've heard nothing else by them.
There's a lot of metal that's very technically proficient, but it's usually not anything you'd hear in the mainstream. A lot of it can be found in the vague "Progressive Metal" category. A good intro-example would be to listen to the band Dream Theater. They're probably the most famous progressive metal band out there. Actually, the first song I posted in this sub is from the solo album of Dream Theater's singer.
Here's a good dichotomy of what Dream Theater puts out. Both links are songs from the same 2-Disc album "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence"
Glass Prison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2ImxfctL4M
Solitary Shell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByxpvgdgtRU
Thanks for stretching me. Putting labels on genres has gotten out of hand as it attempts to define the nuances of music. If someone played me either of your included songs without any discussion beforehand I wouldn't have thought "oh, that's metal". These people indeed have an more advanced level of proficiency than typically associated with most Metal artists. But, as I said, that's not an absolute requirement to express emotion through music. In fact, the disparity between these two examples show not only talent but a range of expression, where I typically have heard a much more singular mode in most of classic Metal. Both of these songs are something I would tolerate listening to (that's a pompous classic rocker joke, as in "Disco sucks" ;) ). Again, thanks.
Thanks for pinging me. That's a really good cover. As Metal isn't one of my preferred genre's I was glad to hear actual talent in this example. While anyone's taste in music is completely valid (it is art, after all), I have usually not been impressed with most Metal tunes I've heard. It is a genre deeply immersed in emotion which seems to be usually very "aggressive", supplanting volume and coarseness for technical ability. But emotions are frequently just that. As an example, The Ramones have said that early in their career they didn't know more than 3 chords and were still learning to play even after they rose to attention. But look at the influence they had on Punk and inspired a whole new generation of expression. As Stephen Hawking said in Pink Floyd's "Keep Talking" - "All we really need to do is to keep on Rockin' In The Free World.