2022 is starting with a bang and a whole host of awesome new releases!

As if releasing the debut full length album of his solo project Syncatto in 2021 wouldn’t be enough for one year (the stellar “A Place to Breathe” back in June), Artificial Language guitarist Charlie Robbins is back already with a sweet little EP called “Lost Inside”, self-released on Dec. 31. It’s full of light-hearted, uplifting music despite it’s technicality and a mandatory listen for all fans of Polyphia, Animals As Leaders, Unprocessed, The Omnific and – Friday Night in San Francisco! Dario

The same goes for Between the Buried and Me frontman Tommy Rogers, who is following the massive BTBAM sequel “Colors II” with the sequel of his own solo EP “Feel Better” from 2020. The bleakly titled “Feel Nothing” was released on Dec. 31 as well, and is starting out just as “Feel Better” left us (and with experimental electronic sounds that we’ve come to expect from his solo output under the Thomas Giles moniker), but it’s getting gradually darker (and heavier) with the second song ‘Give Up’ before the closing ‘Echo Chamber’ is blasting its way through well-known BTBAM territory with guest performances of Alex Rüdinger on drums and a blistering guitar solo by Jake Howsam-Lowe. A surprising, but welcome addition to the solo output of this exceptional artist. Dario

Completely unexpected (at least for me), Leipzig based german modern proggers of BIID dropped their debut album “Medium” on Jan. 10, some 4 years after their first EP “Home”. In the meantime, they have refined their melodic songwriting tailored around frontman Matthias Prokop’s beautiful voice. Their style is not in-your-face heavy and the melodies and arrangements are more of a delicate nature more often than immediate earwormy hooks. That makes for an intriguing listening with repeated spins and I’m sure it will keep growing the more time I spend with it. A very welcome surprise indeed at the start of what looks like it’s going to be another year full of amazing releases. Dario

The Progspace Online Festival alumni Chaosbay from Berlin just dropped their very first EP with “Boxes” yesterday. And after two expansive concept albums, it’s as if they have condensed all their songwriting prowess and strengths into these five songs. The breakdowns and riffs seem even heavier than before and the hooklines, well the hooklines are even more catchy than before, and unapologetically so. Main man Jan Listing and his buddies went all in with “Boxes” – and produced their most accessible yet heaviest material as of yet. Crystal clear production and enough oomph to destroy an entire Amazon warehouse worth of boxes, Chaosbay are undoubtedly unlocking the next level in their career with this tasty new release. Dario

My first encounter with multi-talented swedish artist Anna von Hauswolff was a couple of years ago when I stumbled across the disturbing video of her ‘breakthrough hit of sorts ‘The Mysterious Vanishing of Electra’ and even though I was thoroughly enthralled by the otherworldly vibes, I didn’t investigate further. I’m starting to think that was a huge mistake. Dipping my toes into (or rather: being swallowed whole by) her more experimental leanings with her organ album “All Thoughts Fly” in 2020, and being able to witness it live in a church last November, convinced me of her exceptional talent though and, as if the gods of music heard my calling, a few days later the first single from “Live at Montreux Jazz Festival” dropped. Now, having experienced a promotional download of the entire album a couple of times in the last few days, I am still in shock about the utter brilliance and sheer perfection of this live recording. I’ve got no chance but to keep listening while I try to recover from it. Absolutely jaw-dropping, mind-boggling, transcending space and time. What a gigantic accomplishment. I am in awe. Dario