Finally: Releases of the Week(s) return with a round-up of the first half of May

How is that even possible? A completely unknown band from Japan blows away everything by blasting through Dream Theater on acid towards complete Opeth worship within the first three minutes of the epic album opener already. Wait, what are Emerson, Lake & Palmer doing here? Does anyone remember X-Panda from Estonia with their sprawling orchestrations? Oh wait, it’s still the same song but now we’re pushing full-on high octane Thrash Metal. Nevermind, both of those two things combined make for a perfect Dimmu Borgir… Three songs cracking the 10 minute mark easily, three songs between 7 and 10 minutes: Beyond the Veil is not shy to stuff as much as they can into their lengthy compositions on “Oblivion”. Which makes it all the more glorious. And while a world-class production as well as a world-class label/management might still have to wait for their next offering (how the hell is it possible that the band has neither any social media presence nor a Bandcamp account?), “Oblivion” certainly qualifies as one of the biggest, most unexpected Extreme Prog surprises recently! Dario

Even though 2012’s “The First Day” was the first album by Karcius to feature the distinctive vocal and bass talents of Sylvain Auclair (Heaven’s Cry, The Anchoret) after a fusion-y, instrumental early era, it feels like 2018’s “The Fold” marked a turning point in the band’s career. Keeping up a steady momentum since then, the four-year album cycle they’ve kept up since then has proven a total success story so far, at least in terms of quality. 2022’s “Grey, White, Silver, Yellow and Gold” fully ushered in the new heavy, and now “Black Soul Sickness” soars on that. ‘Slow Down Son’ gives short respite in the form a Peter Gabriel-like vibe in the middle of the album, before we’re presented with an empowering, impassioned anthem in the form of ‘Rise’. And it becomes clear immediately (if it hadn’t so far): Karcius really mean it! And I’m all here for it. Dario

Crossing the North American continent westwards from Montreal (Canada) to Salt Lake City (Utah), we stay firmly in heavy Prog Rock waters with “Falling Together”, the new album by Advent Horizon. The follow-up to 2023’s highly acclaimed “A Cell to Call Home”, “Falling Together” continues the commendable quest of producing complicated yet catchy rock music with lyrical depth. And while there’s no direct follow-up to the seminal hit single ‘How Did It Get so Good?’ (even though ‘Gravity II’ with its addictively grooving main riff comes very close), the complete album art form in itself holds up the high standard Advent Horizon has made themselves known for. Out in full now on Bandcamp and physically through their website! Dario

A perfect follow-up, albeit firmly rooted in the classic Melodic Prog Metal sound of early Haken and the likes would be “Stasis”, the new album by Florida-based project State of Flux. When someone in your head suddenly starts singing ‘Melody walks through the door and memory flies out the window’ by the time the ‘Fabric Torn’ main riff hits, you know exactly where their main influences lie. That is a good thing though, because neither the Dream Theaters nor the Hakens in this world are playing this sound anymore. The slightly nostalgic feelings ‘Stasis’ evokes are wonderfully warm and cosy, but that’s not to say it sounds dated or anything. On the contrary, it sounds fresh and lively. All the more shocking to find out that we lost mastermind Kevin Andrews two years ago already and his bandmates carried on and finished his vision in his stead. So now we have “Stasis”, a great, bittersweet musical legacy. Whether the rest of the band is going to continue under this moniker or not remains to be seen, with this amount of talent all around, I’m eager to find out what they’ll be up to next. Dario

With a band that named themselves after the 35 Tapes of a Mellotron, it comes as no surprise at all that they play beautiful Prog Rock, deeply rooted in the 70’s tradition. “Veil on Life” is the fourth album of this Norwegian collective, but my personal first encounter with their music. Little was I prepared for the beauty of opening track ‘Hallway’ (‘Quiet now, quiet night, calm before the storm…’) or the Mellotron drenched second song ‘Waters’ that features some guitar wailings, singing like usually only the guitar of a certain Mr. Steve Hackett sings. All in all, this affair is a lot more subdued and soft compared to contemporary countrymates like Wobbler, which suits them and their delicate sound exceptionally well. And you just gotta love that innate Norwegian talent to keep a profound sincerity and depth while embracing the whimsical as well. One of the best Progressive Rock offerings this year so far. Dario

In May 2023, I wrote about Karmanjakah’s “Ancient Skills” EP: “{it’s} is sure to whet our appetites for {their} sophomore full-length effort and I really hope we won’t have to wait too long”. Three years later, “Diamond morning” is finally here and continues the success story of this Swedish Modern Prog Metal outfit. A perfect marriage of the vibey djent stylings in Viggo Örsan’s riffing and the dream-like pop sensibilities of vocalist Jonas Lundquist, this album is full of jewels! No matter if it’s sapphires, rubies, suns, moons, eyes (seeing eyes), doves, or the titular diamonds. Not really sure how the horns and trains fit in there, but that would just be lyrical nit-picking. One thing is for sure: it is all art. The perfect morning album that won’t lead you astray. Dario

This sophomore effort by American noise/math rock group Rhododendron is absolutely off the walls! “Ascent Effort” is a unique combination of sounds and influences that I have been looking out for lately. Abrasive, proggy, punky, and atmospheric; a formula that is quite rare, and if done well, would really engage any kind of nerdy music fan, especially the proggers. Lots of instrumental passages, versatile ideas, and just such a fun and expressive listen. Not to mention the amount of odd-time signatures thrown in here, it’s impressive to hear the band keep up together, which helps having the organic approach of the record’s production. There are some harsh screams in places as a head’s up, so it does go into mathcore territory here and there, but trust me when I say that this album is a journey. If you’re curious to try getting into the more punky math rock/avant-prog side of things, similar to black midi, Doppler, or Drive Like Jehu, I couldn’t recommend “Ascent Effort” enough to you. Colin

DOPPLeR you said? Well, I’m very happy to report that there’s a brand new album from this French math/noise rock institution as well! And even though I’m usually not the biggest fan of and/or expert for this kind of music, I have fully fallen for this crazy piece of music. When all hell breaks loose roughly after the 3:50 mark of opening track ‘The Screening Stops’ at the latest. The following ‘Incipit Excipit’ continues that kind of relentless energy and makes sure that you as well are falling victim to the spell of DOPPLeR. The trio was dead in the decade between 2010 and 2020, but luckily, they resurrected themselves and their new, third album “Pourquoi Ce Disque?” is the result of this resurrection. I absolutely love how it has the labels punk, hardcore, noise, and even punk on the bandcamp page for it, while it’s definitely proggier than most current prog rock bands. Why this disc? Because it’s bloody awesome and you should listen to it! Dario

“Seven hapless vultures picking ineffectively on the carcass of progressive/regressive black metal.” / “Seven lost travellers of the cosmos, fighting over the controls, cranking the dials.” Two different short bios you will find as part of the online presence of A Forest of Stars. An eight year hiatus since their previous album “Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes” explains why I wasn’t aware of their presence yet, as the realms of Avantgarde Black Metal were still to be properly digested and explored from my perspective back in 2018. But now, with the 73 minute monster “Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface”, the septet from Leeds, West Yorkshire (UK) definitely knows how to quell my insatiable hunger for new, exciting sounds. Led in equal parts by haunting violin melodies from Katheryne, Queen of the Ghosts and the maniacal post punk poetry courtesy of vocalist Mister Curse, the only sonic association that might come to my mind are the cosmic psychedelic prog black metal vibes of Romanians The Thirteenth Sun. Albeit in a completely, quintessentially British manner. The ultimate Avantgarde Black Metal experience for our times. Dario

Drifting Away, out of the Forest of Stars into “Etheric Realms of the Night”, the flute of Didier Malherbe takes over from the violin, and technical, proggy vibes take the place of cosmic psychedelic post punk musings. Philadelphia based quartet IATT take their craft to new depths with their fourth album and are inviting the inclined listener to immerse themselves in their etheric Night(mare) realms. The orchestral arrangements are as intricate as the dissonant riffing and the occasional flute, saxophone, trumpet or violin sound provide a diverse experience as far as melodic lead instruments are concerned. The vocals stay in brutal extreme metal waters for that extra nightmare fuel. An official album film is being rolled out chapter by chapter on youtube as we speak. Can’t wait to explore that, too. Dario

The “Technical Death Metal” marker in our release list caught my attention – but Cognizance’s “In Light, No Shape” positively surprised me by going far beyond chops and flex. Short songs, clear motives, deep atmospheres, and an organic production made for a very enjoyable listening experience. The record holds up very well among modern ambitious proggy metal like Revocation, Rivers of Nihil, or Entheos, with David Diepold (who may ring some bells from his stint with Obscura) supplying very tasty drum groves. Bassists will instantly notice the classic Spector spank, courtesy of Chris Binns. The biggest star of the show are memorable guitar hooks, at times even reminiscent of the Deftones (‘Witness Marks’). If heavy and intelligent is your cup of tea, give this one a spin! Bas

When Swedish Gothic Doom legends Draconian graced the stage of Backstage Halle in Munich in November 2024 on their 30th anniversary tour, with original lead vocalist Lisa Johannson back behind the mic, I just had to bear witness, even if my knowledge and prior experience with their music was pretty limited at the time. But the first few doomy chords were enough to convince me. The devotion to their craft bleeding from every pore was simply awe inspiring. It was a pure and mesmerizing experience and the pinnacle of the very genre they helped forge and nursed it to greater grandeur. “In Somnolent Ruin” is their first album to feature Lisa’s vocals again fifteen years after “A Rose for the Apocalypse”. It is a celebration of Gothic Doom in its purest form and definitely able to purvey that very feeling I had seeing them live on their eighth album. Doom on. Dario

Over the course of 18 years of existence, self-dubbed Laurentian Forest Metal project Panopticon has released numerous albums, splits and compilations. “Det hjemsøkte hjertet” (“The Haunted Heart”) is Panopticon’s twelfth full length studio record, and with the help of Weft’s Charlie Anderson (strings, orchestral arrangements) and a whole host of guest vocalists, mastermind Austin Lunn managed to realize an expansive, authentic vision unlike any other. It almost feels like the forest and trees, the mountains, brooks and valleys, talk directly to me through the music. Astounding. Dario

Alright, after all this Math Rock, Avantgarde Black Metal , Tech Death and Doom Metal sounds, and before we dive into some Alternative Prog EPs, it’s definitely time for some proper Instrumental Prog Metal. Italian trio Overkhaos present “Embracing Change”, their first as an instrumental outfit, and they embraced that change indeed. All four songs hit hard with a perfect balance of complexity and melody, culminating in the title track that seems to shine the brightest with everything Overkhaos stands for falling right into place. Definitely a name to be followed if your jam is top notch Instrumental Prog Metal. Dario

Three years after their hard hitting fourth album “Tempus Veritas”, British trio Black Orchid Empire is back with “LORE”, another bouquet full of powerful, catchy, groovy Alternative Rock/Metal songs. Their succinct songwriting style and energetic delivery matches perfectly with big stadium acts like Biffy Clyro, but it works just as well with the melody-focused modern Prog Metal approach from bands like VOLA, Voyager or Leprous. Black Orchid Empire continue to build bridges in that sense with “LORE”, and they’re doing it at a staggeringly high quality level. Dario

Taking up the groove in a slightly darker fashion is Paris based trio Theraphosa with their new three track EP “Purgatorio”. It’s not that big of a step from Dante’s “Inferno” to the Seven Deadly Sins it seems, even though they’re just tackling Pride, Sloth and Envy here. A look into their discography quickly reveals though that they’ve already covered the other four before. So I guess we had it coming in a way. But if the French trio keeps churning out quality Alternative Prog Metal songs like it’s nothing, just keep it coming I’d say. Dario

Let’s make a quick stop at another little three track EP before we take a Deep Dive into the Colourful and Mysterious world of Psychedelic Rock and beyond: here, we have “TRIPTYCH”, the new EP from Belgium-based quartet MANKIND. Their 2023 debut “Last Of Us” struck a particularly emotional chord with me, and these three new songs do so as well, if I adjust accordingly to these predominantly alternative vibes. Dario

When an album with the flamboyant title “A Deep Dive In The Colourful And Mysterious Garden Of Mr. Taxology” drops into our promo inbox, it goes without saying that it immediately catches our attention. The colours this Italian duo project are evoking are very psychedelic in the musical sense, and sometimes that’s all you need. With strings, flute, woodwinds, analogue synths and a very soft sound in all percussive instruments, the two members of Taxology (who unsurprisingly met at music school), pull all the stops of a warm and relaxing Psychedelic release and of course, that cool concept absolutely works its charm alongside the music. Dario

Quantum Fantay from Belgium on the other hand is a longstanding name in the Psychedelic/Prog realms. Despite the big X at the end of the album title of their newest release “The Butterfly EffeX”, which would indicate a ten usually, this should be their twelfth full length record, as long as Prog Archives can be believed. (Edit: according to their very own Bandcamp page, it is indeed the band’s 10th album, I guess that means the Prog Archives were wrong!) Compared to the Italian newcomers mentioned above, Quantum Fantay can easily pick up the pace and spiral deeply into trance vibes. This is exactly the sound I can imagine being played at a secret forest rave. Yet they wouldn’t be too out of place at a Prog Rock Festival either. Spaced out synth vibes atop floating bass grooves – Quantum Fantay clearly excel at their unique discipline, building more bridges between musical scenes that seem to be far apart usually. The Quantum Fantay sound remains completely coherent and logical though after more than 20 years of band history. Here’s to more of that! Dario

In between all these psychedelic textures, I feel like there’s a spot for a sweet, jazzy fusion colour right now. Enter Montreal’s Greenhouse Ensemble and their second album, “Mezzanine”. Right from the get-go, the Canadian septet knows to enchant their listeners with their folky fusion flavours, rich harmonies, melodies traded between trumpets, violin and word-less vocals. Another unlikely case of “Facebook ads that worked”. But regardless of where I picked up the name, I’m very glad I did as the Greenhouse Ensemble’s music spreads pure joy. Dario

Canadian prog rock duo Crown Lands has been making waves ever since they erupted onto the prog scene some five, six years ago or so with their authentic, Rush-influenced sound. The international community at least finally got wind of them with their 2021 “Buffalo” EP at the latest. And after a two-part instrumental as well as experimental side quest with “Ritual I & II”, they’re back to their retro-styled prog rock they’re known for with their latest release, “Apocalypse”. And it’s pretty clear from the beginning: if Rush-style vocals ain’t your thing, this might rub you the wrong way as well. If you embrace them, you’re in for an epic ride though. Dario

Whoa, this one struck out of nowhere. Avantgarde alt-metal champs Primus have moved with the current times and released a little off-shoot, aptly titled “A Handful of Nuggs”! Its essence is certain to be ‘The Ol’ Grizz’, a new and unreleased single featuring new drummer John “Hoffer” Hoffman for the first time. He had replaced long-time drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander in 2024 after the latter had lost his passion for the band. ‘The Ol’ Grizz’ is prime Primus (pun intended), featuring an equally goofball-odd yet impressively flexy slap bass groove alongside Les Claypool’s signature squawky vocals. Bassists are sure to love it from the start, but even by the time the track goes into its atmospheric and melodic middle section, even conventional listeners will be hooked. Overall, this is some of the best post-90s Primus material.

The rest of the release is a bit on the filler side. Ronnie James Dio’s shoes are hard to fill, and Primus’s interpretation of Holy Diver (with Piddles Pity Party covering vocals in lieu of Claypool) is just a bit too close to the original to warrant much of a long-running place in one’s listening rotation. ‘Little Lord Fentanyl’ is re-hashed from its 2025 release; the live version of ‘Dutchess’ (from the 1997 “Brown Album”) is certainly nice to listen to but feels like just another nugg thrown in to fill the hand and lift the release above a plain single.

Nevertheless, by virtue to the lead single alone, this is a curiously fun palate change for everyone enjoying classic Primus weirdness. With stylistic familiars Angine de Poitrine giving the genre a bit of a contemporary comeback, their fans too may appreciate fresh material from the originators. Bas

French Baroque IDM Thallsters of Mirar continue their ‘chokehold’, as Evelina aptly described their sound reviewing “Ascension” last year, successfully with their newest Opus, “Gradus ad Parnassum”. THALL guitars constantly at or over maximum compression for that sick surgical precision that always seems on the verge of ruining your speakers. Electronic industrial beats between ultra slo-mo epicness and breakcore madness. With the real epicness provided by not only those classical samples this time, but also some real Norwegian tunes courtesy of Lovise Espeland. Some might find it completely stupid and ridiculous. Not metal at all or what not. I’m just vibing. Will you be vibing too? Dario

Before the Thall movement took things to even more extremes, Djent was exploring more heaviness, more guitar strings than ever before, and just all around complex, heavy songwriting. French one-man project The Dark Atom sits right on the edge between the two and on his newest album “Singularity”, all signs point to maximum complexity, wrapped in neon sci-fi electricism. And in his singular vision, Florent Guldeman once again proves that no one plays and produces this kind of Instrumental Prog Metal quite like he does. Dario

So far, we’ve only covered the studio output of Denver, Colorado based prog band Squeaky Feet, namely their first two albums, “Cause for Alarm” and “Overview Effect”. As it turns out, their improvised live stuff is just as much fun! To be honest, they have so much live stuff up on their Bandcamp and YouTub profiles that I wouldn’t know where to start at all. With their “nameless//shapeless” series, they are compiling some of their best live jams though, and vol. 2 of that got released back in May, which makes it a perfect addition to this RotW edition. Dario

Whether it is a good idea for a band to throw their everything at producing a live album right after having just released their studio debut is probably a question that needs a case by case evaluation. In the case of Greek newcomers Herta it becomes immediately clear that their enthusiasm, energy and dedication, already present in spades on their 2025 full length debut “Beyond the Illusion”, translated directly into a packed headline show Kytarro club in their hometown of Athens. With “The Illusion Alive”, they have produced a confident exclamation mark they can use to knock on many doors in the European and international heavy live music scene. But they need to be careful not to blast these doors down. Dario

From Greece to Italy. From Athens to Rome. One more live album that chronicles the status of a new band just after the release of their debut full length. And these “Live Signals” by the Eternal City’s very own Ghost on Mars make me think of an alternate reality where maybe Leprous could have dropped a live document right after “Tall Poppy Syndrome” instead of three album cycles later. I wonder what that might have sounded like. Perhaps a bit rough around the edges, but most certainly dripping with passion, energy and the songwriting prowess that is sure to capture everyone’s attention. At least the attention of everyone who loves Prog Metal. That sweet spot between the maturity of an established band and the youthful exuberance of newcomers, that is where the magic happens and gold lies. “Out of Time and Space”? Sometimes out of Rome is enough. Dario

Wrapping up this expansive RotW-Edition with a curious little EP from Canadian Post Rock Poet Alex Henry Foster with three different versions of his song “From the City to the Ocean”. Very interesting to hear the different stages from the short single version to two extended live versions, one from the rehearsal stage, one from a live gig in Belgium. And interestingly enough: the live version seems to be the best one! The first single leading up to his next album has been published in the meantime, the release date of said album announced (“The Fragile Beauty (Of New Morning Hopes”, Oct. 23). A European tour starting towards the end of November confirmed. Good times for all Alex Henry Foster fans, old and new. Dario