Brutal prog is a niche, high-intensity subgenre of progressive rock that merges extreme, chaotic musicality—such as math rock, grindcore, and free jazz—with complex, avant-garde structures. It emphasizes jarring dissonance, rapid tempos, and heavy, aggressive sonic elements, often utilizing angular, "whiplash-inducing" rhythms and DIY punk aesthetics to create a visceral, non-melodic listening experience.

Key elements and characteristics of brutal prog include:

• Intense Sound: The music is defined by heavy, noisy, and aggressive textures, often bordering on or directly incorporating grindcore and noise rock.
• Musical Complexity: While highly technical, the focus is on dissonance rather than the harmonic, melodic approach of traditional prog.
• Key Influences: The genre draws heavily from Zeuhl (e.g., Magma), avant-prog (e.g., Henry Cow), and early 1970s experimental King Crimson.
• Key Artists: Progenitors and prominent bands include Ruins, The Flying Luttenbachers, Naked City, Acrux Upsilon, and Orthelm.
• Origin: Coined in the 2000s by Weasel Walter of The Flying Luttenbachers to describe a faster, harsher, and more aggressive evolution of experimental rock.

Unlike mainstream progressive rock, which may focus on long, melodic suites, brutal prog sacrifices melody and "balladry" for speed and structural, jarring complexity.