Lately I've been obsessing over experimental and avant-garde stuff with either jazz or chamber instrumentation or a serialist/atonal influence. Yes, I like Univers Zero and the RIO sound, but I'm looking especially for harder, "metalized" takes on this approach. Some examples of what I mean:

* Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
* EX EYE
* Merkabah's _Million Miles_ album

And a little further afield, Peccatum's _Lost in Reverie_ (or for that matter, some of Ihsahn's stuff, though _Lost in Reverie_ is the best thing he's ever done in any genre - fight me) scratches more or less the same itch. Or Korekyojinn, esp. the _Tundra_ album, Lye by Mistake, etc.

"fight me" lol I love your attitude mate!

Virulence - A Conflict Scenario

Thanks!

Although not as zany as many of the bands you listed, maybe Guapo would be relevant?

Besides that, a lot of John Zorn's projects could be relevant. Secret Chiefs 3 is also relevant and they've played some Zorn stuff. Kayo Dot can also be relevant. Unexpect's In A Flesh Aquarium might also be interesting.

Since you know Univers Zéro, I'm assuming you're familiar with Present? They share some older members, but Present has always been much darker. 5uus could also be something worth checking out.

Not as heavy but the band Miriodor is some really stellar avant-prog. And if you just want off the walls zany (but sadly not that heavy) Volapuk and ZNR might be your cup of tea.

To be honest, I've wanted more metal bands to go the route of avant-prog. I've been meaning to buy some Sleepytime albums for years, I've only heard a few tracks here and there.

Thanks for the recs! I'm familiar with some of these. There's no accounting for taste, but I guess I would say the more "electronic" (Secret Chiefs 3) and the purely off-the-wall sounds (Unexpect) appeal to me somewhat less, though there are some interesting moments in these too. I do enjoy some of John Zorn's work, but I'm still trying to sift through his massive oeuvre.

Guapo, Present, Suus, Miriodor, Volapuk, & ZNR are all new to me. I will investigate!

My favorite SGM album is their last one, _In Glorious Times_, but the debut is a close second. Really interesting band with all their varied instrumentation and unusual, dissonant harmonies.

If you like SGM you should check also Free Salamander Exhibit, SGM basically morphed into FSE.

Univers Zero fan? Check out Shub Niggurath, Verdun, Nazca (Estación de sombra album) and Altaïs (they have one short but amazing dark zeuhl-ish album).

If we talk about Peccatum, few things that come to my mind might be:
I Left the Planet https://youtu.be/0PscY0R9kIQ
Akphaeyza https://youtu.be/Fy8aX03TJaQ
Smile Carved Sour https://youtu.be/MGy6td5DnBA

and then some stuff that everybody knows, like Fleurety, Ved Buens Ende, Sculptured (Embodiment) etc.

Wow, some of that stuff is really obscure. Can't find anywhere to sample Altais, for instance. But some of the others are available in various places. Thanks! Got some listening to do.

For anyone else with similar interests, I've just listened through a new release from Koenjihyakkei, featuring Tatsuya Yoshida of Korekyojinn. _Dhorimviskha_ is the album. It's less zeuhlish than their earlier work, which is good as far as I'm concerned, although it still has high-pitched female singing in a made-up language. Otherwise, it is musically closer to Canterbury, jazz, and RIO. Unlike Korekyojinn, little metal to be found here, although there are traces on tracks like "Djebelaki Zomn." Quite experimental stuff all the same, largely from the many-small-notes school, with plenty of passages in which the keys, guitar, and sax seem to be playing in entirely different time signatures & that sort of thing.

Orthrelm - Ov

Spastic Ink - Ink Complete
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Spastic_Ink/2018

I snagged Spastic Ink when it was first released & didn't like it, but my tastes have changed greatly since then. I believe I listened to Orthrelm on a split they did with Behold...the Arctopus, but I'll check out _Ov_. Thanks.