Back in 1996, after echolyn had split up due to a bad deal with Sony, three of the band members formed "Still" (a straight ahead rock power trio-ish band with very little prog influence), while Chris Buzby (the keyboardist) formed Finneus Gauge, a prog-fusion band with a female singer that was pretty experimental and "out there."

There was apparently a lot of animosity from the Still camp toward Buzby at the time, particularly from Brett Kull. The song "Tread On" was on the second Still album (the band changed their name to "Always Almost") and Brett Kull's lyrics have some pretty obvious and pointed barbs directed at Buzby.

I thought diss tracks only happened in rap, but here is an example of one in the prog world. Thankfully, the guys patched things up by 2000 and reformed echolyn, and have continued giving us some amazing albums ever since. I wonder how Brett feels about this song in retrospect, and if he regrets airing his dirty laundry in public.

For anyone interested, here's the song (btw, I have the permission of the band to upload this song to YouTube since the albums are out of print):



And the lyrics:

Always Almost - "Tread On" (lyrics by Brett Kull)

Super Duper Boundry Pusher
Tell me once again how big you really are
9/8, 5/4, 17/2 - "Prog" me baby until I'm blue

I'm not living for your dreams
I'm not living through your dreams

Iconoclastic concept king
Blow your trumpet, crowd kiss your ring
Your left hand knows the right's giving alms
I overheard it in the songs

I am not everything
I am not anything to you
I'm only me...

Big hands, big words, big spoons feeding and feeding
Tread on trends, tread on trends
Check your friends, tread on...