I just discovered Van Der Graff Generator...

... and Peter Hammill and company are still going strong; just recently released a new live album. Totally agree with @petg60 . A couple of very accessible songs are 'Killer' off of 'H to He' and 'Necromancer' from 'Aerosol the Grey Machine'. 

One amusing description of Peter Hammill I once read was 'David Bowie on bad acid'....

Big fan here, got H to He when it first came out. Find similarities  between Peter Gabrial's vocal style and Peter Hamill's.

A more recent and simila americanr band - Discipline 'unfolded like staircase.

Discipline band Canto IV (Limbo) - YouTube

My first VDGG album was Pawn Hearts in the $1.99 budget bin at Cheap Thrills Records in NJ circa 1978. It was way out there even for the college crowd. Man Erg is awesome. Lighthouse Keepers is a fun trip.

VDGG and Peter Hamill was largely ignored back then but are considered very influential pioneers these days by many. 

Serious? Pavlov’s Dog?

For me Peter Hammill - Over is the one I go back to mostly. Acoustic and quite different from usual VDGG. Great compositions and lyrics. Maybe because it was my first.