A massive start to the Release Year 2025!

Danish newcomers Danefae kick off 2025 with their very own brand of atmospheric prog metal on their new album “Trøst”. At first glimpse, their vibes seem somewhat similar to that of their Norwegian brothers and sisters in Lumsk and Kalandra, throughout the album, they do reveal some more darker and heavier leanings as well though, which suits them perfectly. It is going to be interesting, if they’ll increase the overall heaviness even more on future releases or stick to this wonderfully balanced mix of the ethereal and heavy. Highlights include but are not limited to the bass solo in the intro of ‘Natsværmer‘, the mighty main riff of ‘Vandskabt’ and the extended guitar solo in the epic centerpiece ‘P.S. Far er død’ that features furthermore a heartfelt spoken word contribution by Feather Mountain’s Andreas Dahl-Blumenberg. Founder, main songwriter and vocalist Anne Olesen shines throughout with her voice as the emotional heart and soul of Danefae, a band to look out for, as Bob rightfully concluded in his in depth review. Not to be missed. Dario

If you, like me, miss the good old days when pure, deep emotion was seeping through every last note of any Soen song ever, I’ve got some exciting news for you: multi-talented Swedish singer Jonathan Hultén is exploring these vibes to the max on his new album, “Eyes Of The Living Night”. Reduced in minimalism for the most part, while sounding rich and expansive at the same time, this is music that thrives on atmosphere, displays an accomplishment in songwriting that borders on magic and is centered around Jonathan’s goosebump-inducing, emotive vocal timbre. Music to let your imagination loose to and dive deep into day- and nightdreams equally. Dario

Four songs in and we already had a djent/post rock/LTE-like fusion monstrosity, chill and uplifting Plini vibes, some real country twang – and a Chopin waltz. And we haven’t even hit the dubstep-meets Vai, Brian May guitar ballad or the somber violin ‘Funeral March’ (feat. Ben Karas from Thank You Scientist) parts of the album! “Bumblefoot …Returns!” with surefooted genre-hopping and what will be regarded as one of most accomplished guitar centered releases by the end of the year. In the tradition of legendary shredsters like Jason Becker and Marty Friedman, this rocks your socks off, doesn’t shy away from innovation and experimentation all the while never forgetting to grab the listener through hooks and melodies. A masterpiece! (And if you can’t get enough from that prog metal meets classical music vibe like Bumblefot’s Chopin adaptation: keep your eyes open for Seventh Station’s new EP “On The Shoulders of Giants”!) Dario

“Uncommon Grounds” might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is that kind of strong, aromatic blend that gets you curious about what’s in it and keeps you coming back for more. One of Ckraft’s not so secret ingredients is the accordion, that manages to sound both eerie and upbeat at the same time. Accompanied by the saxophone, they create a great contrast against the heaviness of the other instruments, making this blend a very enjoyable Jazz/Metal fusion. This is only the second album from the French musicians, but you can see how they have a sense of identity and a strong creative vision already. For fans of bands like Agabas, Panzerballett, Five the Hierophant and Igorrr. Evelina

12 years after their underground-breakthrough album of sorts “Void Mother” and four years after their latest release, the dark ambient exploration “Taumathurgy II”, Polish Post/Sludge collective Obscure Sphinx is back with the 30-minutes 3-song EP “Emovere”. The impressive vocal delivery of Zofia Fraś is nothing short of being equally bone-chilling and soul-piercing. The instrumentals are as crushing as they are steeped with a hypnotic, pitch black atmosphere. Brutal Assault has picked them up already and I hope a lot more summer festivals will add them to their line-up, too. It would be an immense upgrade. Dario

Even into their sixth album in more than twice as many years, Swedish doom rockers of Avatarium haven’t lost one single iota of their magic that was first summoned for the self-titled revelation “Avatarium” in 2013. “Between You, God, The Devil and The Dead” boasts once more eight songs that exemplify the one of a kind chemistry between vocalist Jennie-Ann Smith and her husband and partner in crime, guitarist Marcus Jidell. The astronomic heights of the legendary “Moonhorse” still remain unreached, but if they keep on banging out killer anthems like ‘My Hair Is on Fire (But I’ll Take Your Hand)’, the title track or ‘Until Forever and Again’, Avatarium remains a steady force in doom and beyond. Dario

1 hour and 11 minutes of Epic Sci-Fi Prog Metal Space Opera? Is this the shortest Ayreon album? No this is “Songs from the Wormhole” is the second album from The Eternal Journey Project and it is every bit as epic as one would expect with this premise. With plodding riffs, gorgeous and spacey synths, topped with some soaring vocals from a whole host of excellent guest vocalists like Tom de Wit (ex-Dreamwalkers Inc.): mastermind Alex Papatheodorou has whipped up quite the astral journey and a very delicious treat for fans of the genre. Dario

At first listen, I didn’t really like “Tempora Mutantur”, the new album from Sacramento, California based project Lunar, but already on second spin I realized what it was that kept me from ‘getting it’ right away: it’s just too damn proggy. It would be quite futile and near impossible to try and pinpoint every last little influence from all across the heavy music board. But at the very least when they close the three-part title track with something that is equal parts 90’s Threshold and Death Metal, they’ve thoroughly convinced me of their eclectic amalgam. Dario

Now while Lunar’s “Tempora Mutantur” only dipped it’s toes into the realms of Progressive Death Metal, Subterranean Lava Dragon’s debut “The Great Architect” dives headfirst into these deep waters (or shall we say, lava), excelling at everything that makes this subgenre so exciting: blistering high speed and pummeling brutality, delicate jazziness and anthemic melodies. All applied in equal parts form an exhilarating whole. With Andy Thomas busy with Rivers of Nihil and James Dorton now full-time with Ne Obliviscaris, chances are quite slim to get some new Black Crown Initiate material soon. Luckily, guitarist Ethan McKenna and bassist Nick “Nickbass” Shaw teamed up with vocalist Connor McNamee to churn out this aural bliss that is “The Great Architect”. Absolutely impressive to say the very least and a mandatory listen for every fan of Progressive/Tech Death! Dario

From “The Great Architect” to The Great Old Ones. “Kadath” is the fifth album from this French quintet and offers, how could it be any different, otherworldly, cosmic ‘Lovecraftian’ Black Metal. With song lengths between seven and fifteen minutes (apart from a short little interlude), it takes exactly the time it needs to unfold its transcendental atmosphere, to reach a higher plane of existence. “Dare to dream and let Kadath guide you to the brink of madness and beyond!” Dario

P.S.: Don’t miss out on the amazing bonus track: an amazing Metal cover of the Jean-Michel Jarre classic “Second Rendez-Vous”!

With Italy’s Beriedir and their new album “Liminal Spaces”, we don’t leave the harsh vocals behind entirely, but there’s a clear focus on mainly anthemic clean vocals from lead singer, keyboardist and founder Stefano Nüsperli, who provides some cool synths as well. The tag Progressive Power Metal doesn’t do justice to the 10 succinct songs on “Liminal Spaces” though. Sure, it’s powerful and proggy, and the anthemic Power Metal chorus style is shining through here and there, yet it never rests in easy listening banality as many a Power Metal band. Thanks to the fact that they’re not falling into that trap, and with adventurous, engaging songwriting and a high energy level, Beriedir drive home “Liminal Spaces” as an excellent example of an exciting Progressive Power Metal album that is somehow simultaneously exactly that, but also so much more. Dario

Keeping things in balance as far as the clean/harsh vocal ratio is concerned (roughly estimated at least), Dutch Progressive Metal band Hologram Earth like to keep things sounding decidedly more ‘modern’ in direct comparison to a more classic sound like Beriedir’s. Eight years after their impressive debut “Black Cell Program”, they re-emerge with the shining “City of Gold”. The warm yet thumpy bass of musical mastermind and producer Thomas Cochrane is as integral to the band’s sound as are his extensive brass layers, the guitars oscillating between ambient textures, crunchy djenty riffing and delicate melodic soloing, and last but not least Michiel Meurs’ versatile vocals switching effortlessly between smooth cleans and brutal gutturals. Welcome back Hologram Earth. Let’s hope we won’t have to wait another eight years until their next offering. Dario

Another strong album from France on our list! In fact, just strong might be a bit of an understatement because Vertex’s debut album “The purest light” feels like a punch in the face. It’s an aggressive mix of thrash, tech death, hardcore and something more. The opening track, ‘All my hatred‘, has a really strong Fear Factory feeling, especially the intro. In certain moments during the album some vocal phrases reminded me a lot of Phil Anselmo. My favourite thing has to be Pierre Rettien’s insane performance (whom you might know as the drummer of Hypno5e), especially in ‘Leviathan’. So, put some Vertex on and go pump iron in the gym. Or overthrow the government. A perfect soundtrack of either occasion. Evelina

Decidedly more old school in their blend of Extreme Metal is Californian quartet The Obsidian Resurrection. “As Darkness Falls” features Lunar mastermind Alex Bosson on drums (see “Tempora Mutantur” highlight further up), and his pummeling double bass onslaught drives Obsidian Resurrection’s music forward relentlessly, clocking in with the evil sounding riffing, morbid orchestration and sinister growls. Definitely a lot more symphonic than your average Death Metal band, resulting in killer epicness. Dario

I discovered Mirar last year thanks to “Mare” and that album still has a chokehold on me. The way that guitar sounds both so heavy and beautifully melancholic is incredible. That Vildjarta-esque sound is still present in “Ascension” and even more grandiose. The eclectic mix of baroque and EDM elements seems to prove itself once again very effective. The soundscape is heavy and full, but yet still carries some sense of elegance. This was also one of the very first releases of 2025, since the French duo published it on the 1st of January. I feel like regardless how many pretentious descriptive words I write this is one of those albums you truly have to experience for yourself to fully grasp what I’m trying to convey in this short review. I can’t recommend it enough! Evelina

Nobody does Giallo better than Italy. Nobody did Giallo better than Dario Argento. A.M.E.N., one of the many musical projects of Italian Metal clarinettist Vittorio Sabelli (Dawn of a Dark Age, Incantvm, Notturno etc…) released a compelling homage to the Italian king of horror now, simply entitled “Argento”. The five tracks are as haunting and dark as Argento’s movies, and, more so than the clarinet, Luigi Genovesi’s piano, the (mostly) acoustic (12-string) guitars of Svedonio and Carlo Maria Genovesi and last but not least, Erba del Diavolo’s eerie voice are clearly the main focus of the Dark Jazzy Doom sounds present here. Still, this a Sabelli-project through and through, and that means quality through and through. Dario

Anchor & Burden minus Keyboards = Tonnen von Hall (German: Tons of Reverb). Well, at least on paper regarding the personnel involved. Tonnen von Hall is a Berlin based Touch Guitar (Markus Reuter & Alexander Paul Dowerk) and Drums (Asaf Sirkis) Trio, and their debut release that bears the bulky name “Ein Abdruck vom Messer im Herzen” (an imprint of the knife in the heart). And yes, the music therein is absolutely as abstract and unwieldy as these German titles would suggest. But if your mouth is watering at the prospect of a kind of heavy, dissonant Crimson ProjecKt, then this is especially for you. If you’re looking for some Prog that’s easier to listen to though, you should rather check out the following two mini reviews of Jacob Roberge and Camahueto instead. Dario

With this predominantly brutal and heavy January (see most highlight mini reviews above and below), perhaps mirroring the current state of the world, this first Releases of the Week-turned Releases of the Month edition desperately needed some more Progressive Rock. Luckily this gap filled itself with the sudden emergence of talented Canadian multi-instrumentalist Jacob Roberge in the form of his debut album “The Passing”. Some seemingly apparent main influences like Neal Morse or Kansas feel absolutely inadequate again the moment they come to mind, as his compositions are rarely flashy, rather permeated by a subtle warm melancholy without descending too far into Steven Wilson-esque depression-pits. A warm blanket, much needed in these chilly winter days. Dario

Chilean label Mylodon Records continues to deliver excellent Progressive Rock releases from Latin America, and “Reflejos”, the debut EP by Camahueto, a project comprised of musicians from a few different Prog bands who were going through a phase of inactivity around 2021, is no exception. With a special focus on the excellent bass and keyboard performances, the five songs (plus two Bandcamp exclusive bonus songs) on this EP sound as if the five musicians played together since forever, offering a glimpse into the wonderful world of Latin American Progressive Rock and making me hope for this constellation to keep up making beautiful music together. Dario

When a band is preceded by such an enormous live reputation like it’s the case with Swedish 60’s Retro Rockers Children of the Sün, I feel compelled to check it out even if I’m rarely vibing to some Woodstock revival Bluesrock sounds. But I’m more than glad that I lent an ear to “Leaving Ground, Greet The End”, even though I’d describe most of the songs on this with barely 30 minutes relatively short affair with just the honest description ‘nice’. For the simple reason that anyone who’s got an ABSOLUTE-ÜBER-SONG like ‘LILIUM’ on their album, just like this talented Western Sweden based bunch of six young musicians here on their third album, deserve all the attention in the world. Truly an otherworldly performance by powerhouse vocalist Josefina Berglund Ekholm, topped off by a delicate David Gilmour-hommage by guitarist Jacob Hellenrud. More songs like this, and they wouldn’t be out of place at all with on a tour with their country-mates of Avatarium (see mini review further above). Extra kudos for a rendition of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ that is actually quite listenable for those who are not exactly a fan of the original to begin with like me with its early Scorpions (‘Yellow Raven’) vibe.. Dario

Last November, I prematurely reviewed a single that was not the finished EP yet as intended by the band: “The two first singles from Gothenburg newcomers Medusian promised great things already, but I was not prepared for the wonderfully smooth and melodic opening bass groove of ‘Bottom of the Well’, the very first song on their debut EP of the same name, proving they already have more variety in their songwriting than most of their (sub-)genre peers. More of that please! And don’t worry, you won’t turn to stone, even if you’ll be watching out for future releases of this promising band…” Now, the final single “Library” completes Medusian’s debut EP of the same name in excellent and epic Symphonic Extreme Metal fashion. Dario

Horror Highlight, Vol. 2: Sleepbomb’s “The Sleeping Dead” is not only a homage though, it’s a full-fledged alternative score to George Romero’s classic “Night of the Living Dead”. A post/doom core to be precise. It is slow and synth-drenched and I’m sure it fits perfectly to the legendary genre-defining 1968 milestone of cinema. Dario

When I partially dropped from the Riverside-train post-”Anno Domini High Definition”, mourning the lost heaviness, even before having had the opportunity to see the Polish quartet live and way before their long overdue big break, little did I know or anticipated that some 15 years later I’d be marveling at a live document from one of Europe’s first and foremost Progressive Rock bands. And even though naturally I would have loved more songs from the first four albums in the setlist (plus some odd ‘Escalator Shrine’ outro riff), Michał Łapaj’s towering, all-encompassing synths and organs as well as Mariusz Duda’s hypnotic bass grooves and melancholy melodies simply prove absolutely compelling and irresistible time and again. And the improvised psychedelic tangents (like in the final extended ‘Conceiving You’ incl. “silent scream” audience participation) suits them just as well as organ-heavy riffs. Certainly a live highlight and enough to tide us over until the next album/touring cycle of these masters of Polish Prog Rock. Dario

Last minute surprise addition, part 1: Drummer-turned singer, composer & solo artist Nicolas de Renty released his bizarre debut “Retour au Bercail” in January, that mixes Baroque counterpoint, Opera, Contemporary Classical, French Chanson, Gregorian chants with jazzy Fusion and – the occasional underground Black Metal blastbeats. Musical similarities could be found with the equally enigmatic Aussies of BaK, or the amateur charm of 90’s Lacrimosa programmed orchestra. His operatic Baritone voice with plenty of vibrato is just the icing on this very avantgarde cake. Dario

Last minute surprise addition, part 2: French Atmospheric Avantgarde Black Metal feat. members of Regarde les Hommes Tomber with ties to Blackgaze darlings Alcest. Only two songs, but over 30 minutes of music. A sound that is best described as if HYPNO5E’s “Shores of the Abstract Line” went Black Metal. “La Saignée” is the band’s first release after changing their name from Glaciation to Zéro Absolu to avoid conflict over the rights to the bandname with an ex-member. And it’s a damn strong one at that. Dario