Even during hoilday season there have been amazing, new releases to discover…

Once I hit my mini review #308 for 2023 alone with Art Against Agony’s “Sound of Inevitability” around December 15th, I never dreamt about being confronted with more than 50 releases that had seen the light of day once I came back from my short holidays around January 5th, 2024. But then again, is there a better way to start the musical year than with some super smooth Jazz Fusion? I think not. So even though guitarist Rafael Trujillo, household name in Tech Death realms from his stint with Obscura and now as a member of Obsidious and most recently Daath, dropped his 20 minute EP at the very tail end of 2023, I was very happy that it kept me company in the first days of the new year with its five uplifting, exuberant Fusion tunes. So, even though it technically can’t qualify for any of the best of 2023 lists, make no mistake, there’s still some of the most exciting music in the classic Fusion style released in 2023 on “In The Loop”. So, to stay in the loop (after listening to the EP), I urge you to follow Rafael on his socials or even better yet, back him up through his Patreon. Just don’t expect any Death Metal. Dario

Continuing the guitar centered streak through the last days of 2023 with “Random Notes”, the second full length album of Austrian composer and guitarist Max Dornauer aka Waxamilion. The first time for me seeing the ‘Prog Hop’ subgenre label at all (on Bandcamp), I can’t help but agree very much to this accurate description. It’s relaxed, yet quite artistic when it comes to guitar work, and guest appearances by the likes of Jack Gardiner and Syncatto’s Charlie Robbins speak for the quality. The title track might be a bit of an outlier with its Plini-esque Djentiness, but the rest of the songs on the album is certainly in no way less exciting, despite their quite electronic ‘Prog Hop’ foundation. If you’re more familiar with the more traditional band approach to instrumental guitar focused music, I can understand that it may sound a bit uncommon at first, but trust me, it’s worth it. You’ll love it once you embrace the electronic, modern side of it. After all, that’s what Progressive music should be all about, embracing the unknown. Dario

Moving into the first release of 2024 to be covered on The Progspace, there’s not much more known about Frore 5 Four other than that it’s an ‘avant-garde metal band from Canada’ according to both Bandcamp and Spotify. I haven’t been able to track down any social media channels either (apart from an Instagram account with 1 follower, wait, 2 now), so you’ll just have to believe me that “Molmolti Volti” (what appears to be their debut album) is an hour worth of whimsical well, just that, avant-garde metal, of the instrumental sort, nose-deep in circus music and contemporary classical dissonance, albeit in a band setting/line-up and keyboards that wish to be accordions, clarinets, oboes and the likes in the most endearing way. Or, if you don’t believe me, just listen for yourself, I think that strategy has always yielded the most truthful results. Anyways. Frore 5 Four. Whatever that means. “Molmolt Volti”. I don’t know what that means either. But it’s fun. You should try it too! Dario

Ok, I think after all this fun stuff, it’s high time to finally dive into some highly serious Occult Ritual Ambient Antifascist Black Metal from Colorado, don’t you think? Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze dropped their second full length album, “The Fractal Ouroboros”, right before christmas. I have to admit that I’m not the most well versed expert in this musical field, and neither am I familiar with their debut “Offerings of Flesh and Gold”. Yet I have to say that I find it a deeply fascinating work of art in its musical expression as well as a much needed antifascist voice in a disturbingly complacent scene that seems all too comfortable in its proximity to delusions of white supremacy and all that crap. A stance I wholeheartedly can agree upon. Existential in upholding the relevance of Black Metal as a rebellious artform against oppression. Dario

From supermassive Black Metal to supermassive Prog Rock. Scottish six-piece Ebb started the year with the release of their new EP, “The Management of Consequences”. Wrapped in lush synth swathes and passionate vocal performances, Ebb’s lookout on the human insignificance on a cosmic scale in light (or lack thereof) of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive blackhole at the center of our galaxy, seems quite a bit more nihilistic compared to the righteous rage against oppression very much present in the aforementioned album. Yet Ebb managed to keep their earthy sound so enticing and warm that they almost made me forget the infinite void of black holes altogether. Dario

Providing shelter from the coldness and loneliness of space are Regna from Barcelona. “Cinema” is their debut album, and their (acoustic) organ prog rock is indeed emanating comfort and peace without sounding dull, boring or dated in the slightest. Keyboardist Miquel González is the star of the show without stealing it. Warm and embracing. Dario

What does acoustic doom sound like? I really had no idea, until I heard “Ir”, the new acoustic EP by German doomsters of Néander and I gotta say, it does sound pretty awesome to say the least. Earthy, with an air of truthfulness and authenticity, it might contradict the search for ultimate heaviness, yet it exudes gravitas and sincerity in simplicity. Almost like the wisdom of a hermit coming out of seclusion to spread the teachings he found in solitude and isolation. A kind of peaceful doom if that makes sense. Dario

Packing a hefty sludgy punch, Orlando, Florida based trio Royal Graves surely know how to pick up the heaviness after some priorly discussed more or less acoustic releases. ‘Existence Carries The Weight’ if it must. Music like the four tracks on “Amen” ease the burden through mutual understanding without words. Dario

Alright, if you just can’t get enough of Instrumental Sludge Doom after getting a first fix with the Royal Graves EP, worry not, Slovenian trio Goragorja is here to ease that craving with their new momentous album “Monokrom”. Dario

Need something faster and more technical? Chaos Sanctuary from New Jersey dropped their first full length release “Instrumentality”, an album that’s not even remotely barely instrumental in the musical sense, on December 29th, 2023. I fear the only thing that’s keeping this away from all those Best of 2023 lists is its inconveniently late release date. Hopefully there’s gonna be a next one earlier in the year. Whatever year. Just release it before Dec. 15. (or preferably even a bit earlier…). Dario