16 strong highlights from the second half of May 2026

It’s been a while since the two top spots of a Releases of the Week edition were so crystal clear. Yet they couldn’t be more different. Swedish duo Dimhav return with their sophomore opus “Ondine” and with it, they present one of the most engaging and fun listens as far as Classic Melodic Prog Metal with a symphonic edge is concerned in quite some time. The Lindroth brothers fire on all cylinders, be it the gorgeously fusion-y synth solo leads, exquisite, groovy riffing, powerful drumming or expansive symphonic arrangements. On top of it all, vocal overlord Stefan Heiman shines with an impeccable performance and if that’s not enough, wait for the beautiful oboe and bass parts. A Progressive Metal masterclass! Dario

On the other side of the coin we have Shwesmo, the solo project from Berklee graduate Yoel Genin, who has long abandoned his Melodic Prog Metal past (that he had with the excellent Distorted Harmony) and since specialised in Electronic Prog innovation par excellence. The first Shwesmo full length, “Trail to Now” already featured the Experimental Pop stroke of genius, ‘Entwined’, and after an achingly beautiful synth intro with ‘Lament’, “Undertide” presents his undisputed highlight, ‘Through the Flaming Hail’, a masterpiece of a song that could paint a hypothetical picture of Haken going fully electronic. (Including an absolutely jaw-dropping vocal performance by Israel Papa that reaches both technical perfection and emotional depth with absolute ease.) But is it really the best song of the album? The answer to this question may very well differ, depending on preference. Sharon Renold (‘Entwined’) returns for a second round with ‘A Notion’. And the ‘Forever Dancers’ close out 28 minutes of excellent music in a rather organic fashion somewhere between Jazz, Dubstep and Electronic Post Rock. Shwesmo makes the most complex rhythms sound danceable and shines both in instrumental as well in vocal waters. Let the “Undertide” sweep you away. Dario

When you’re able to start your musical career with a near-perfect song like “My Nightmare Ends Where Yours Begin”, then truly only the sky can be the limit. Norwegian talent ARIADNE has since released a couple more songs and compiled them into her first EP with the same title. With an acute sense for melodies that simply make your jaw drop in wonder, she doesn’t even need the famous last name(s) of her parents (and extended family) to draw your attention. Her dark alternative pop vibes are sure to gather fans from different musical backgrounds and all of them can look forward to every future bit of music ARIADNE will be releasing from here on out, because if those first four songs are any indication, we’re in for continued musical excellency, regardless of the Prog or Metal percentage contained therein. Dario

Looking at the 16 highlights of this Releases of the Week edition, there’s maybe 2-3 big names in between a lot of exciting newcomers. POKRUCH from Kyiv (Ukraine) might certainly be one of the lesser known names in this bunch, but with their debut album, “ПКРЧ Голосними”, this should change immediately. They have found their completely unique blend of Alternative Art Rock and Progressive Metal that manages to make you constantly wonder what comes next, but also grasp an idea of a certain POKRUCH sound immediately – both at the same time. Just one peculiar recurring theme worth a mention is the incorporation of a sprawling brass section. Crazy trumpet ad libs and mournful trombones included. A surprising and stunning display of creativity, this should find a wider audience in the Prog and Alternative scenes alike and I can’t wait to see what the next steps for POKRUCH might look (or sound) like. Dario

The music of Sweden-born, The Netherlands based musician and solo artist Kristoffer Gildenlöw has always been on the emotional, somber and melancholic side, not entirely unlike the band from which he once emerged. Most of the music released under his own has been traditionally more on the softer rock side though. That has changed now with his sixth album “Humanised”, which sees him ramping up the heaviness significantly, especially for the first two songs, ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ & ‘Landfill’. Lead single ‘The Almosts’ sees him tap back into the classic Kris G. style, but no matter if it’s heavier or softer, with “Humanised” he has collected another bunch of emotionally engaging songs, and I can’t wait to witness them live at the Pre-party to our 10th anniversary show on Nov. 27 at Cpunt in Hoofdorp. Will you be there as well? (Read Bob’s full review here: https://theprogspace.com/kristoffer-gildenlow-humanised/) Dario

A new force arises from the ever brimming Polish Extreme Metal scene. New? Well, not really, as not only the names of the musicians, or at least their (ex-)bands), do sound familiar. Also the band name itself suggests a direct continuation of Atmospheric Post/Sludgers Blindead. And rightfully so, Blindead 23’s new album “Deuterium” is technically their debut full length, despite the band’s history without the added numbers. The new line-up around Havoc (ex-Behemoth) showcases a boundless creativity, seamlessly moving between crushing post-heaviness – a perfect foundation for Patryk Zwoliński’s (Proghma-C) screams –  and somber melancholy, over which Roger Öjersson (ex-Katationia) is able to soar with achingly beautiful melodies (this time with his voice mostly). This fearless creativity doesn’t necessarily add to the accessibility of “Deuterium”, but it makes it all the more fascinating for those willing to invest their full attention. Dario

I don’t recall being familiar with the name Cellar Noise before stumbling across their new album “Panic Loves Telling Lies”. I’ll be sure not to forget that name anytime soon though, as their riff heavy Prog on the very edge between Rock and Metal is propped up by something that makes these riffs ever more addictive: immersive synth and Mellotron layers that are not pushed back by the heaviness of the guitars. On the contrary, they’re deliberately mixed at a similar level, which definitely enhances the full aural experience and makes Cellar Noise stand out from the crowd. A great album and a name that you should put down on your list, too! Dario

“The Moth”: without the shadow of a doubt, the most ambitious work in an illustrious career spanning three and a half decades full of ambitious works and projects. Canadian “Prog Metal Professor” Devin Townsend has always been one to combine the cheeky and whimsical with larger than life epicness like no other. Easily ten years after I first heard the rumour that he was secretly planning to compose a whole symphony, this rumour is now a reality and it listens to the name “The Moth”. It is not comparable to normal, regular albums. Neither in the vast scope of its symphonic sound featuring a full blown orchestra. Nor in the songwriting approach, that favors the whole thing over single ‘songs’. Hence, the term ‘composing’ would definitely be more accurate here. Add to that a mammoth (no pun intended) work of arrangement and production, and you have a magnum opus that most likely will divide longtime fans. Some may call it pretentious. But I have rarely met an artist more authentic in everything he does than Devin Townsend. Even if not everything he does resonates with me. But while I’m still taking my time digesting “The Moth”, having already identified a lot that I like about, you should take your time as well and give it as much it deserves and needs. Which is quite a lot, I’ll grant you that. But the promise of a genre-re-defining masterpiece awaits. Whether you’ll be able to unlock it is entirely up to you. Dario

Why is it that Australian musicians seem to have a particularly good hand for Instrumental Prog Metal? I have no idea to be honest, but with “Promise Me You’ll Thrive”, I Built the Sky not only undermines this well known fact in general, but also cements its place as one of Instrumental Prog Meta’s prime voices worldwide in particular. Truly, it’s no wonder, as Mastermind Rohan Stevenson has surrounded himself with some top notch players like keyboardist Rohan Sharma (RO1) and bassist Toby Stephenson (The Ominific). Yet it always comes down to the compositions of course and they are as engaging, uplifting and colourful as it gets. Also, when did you ever get some truly meaningful advice like this from an instrumental album with the title of its closing song: ‘Don’t Cry Because It’s Over, Smile Because It Happened! This is true summer prog, and boy is it thriving! Dario

Carrying the torch of Progressive/Tech Death this month is French/Swiss quintet The Scalar Process with their new, second album called “Agnomysticism”. With a sound somewhere in between the more brutal side of Rivers of Nihil and the technical precision atop floating keyboard atmospheres of The Zenith Passage, it comes as no surprise that they have enlisted the talents of Andy Thomas and Justin McKinney for some short but sweet guest spots. The quality remains insanely high throughout though regardless of any name-dropping. No wonder they will be sharing the stage with Psycroptic and the aforementioned The Zenith Passage in Japan later this month. A clear highlight of the genre that knows exactly how to marry the surgically brutal with the atmospheric and mystical. Don’t be fooled though: the breathing moment of the album arrives before ‘A Breathing Moment’. Dario

Wait, didn’t Echoes and Signals just put out an album back in February? Well yes, that’s right, and “Solar” garnered some rightful praise right here in this Releases of the Week(s) series. Not even four months later, mastermind Fedor Kivokurtsev and dishes up a nice dessert in the form of “Singularity and Other Stories”. I might be mistaken, but a psychedelic, Riverside-like trip as ‘Temporal Waves’ has to offer, might be new in his repertoire. Little fun fact on the side: this is the second album in this edition to feature the fantastic Leo Margarit (Pain of Salvation) on drums after Kristoffer Gildenlöw’s “Humanised” (see review above). And in both cases, I can attest to an emotional Prog album of high quality. Dario

The full organic sound of German Progressive Rock band Polis is both nostalgic and refreshing in an overly quantized world. The philosophical lyrics in their native tongue might take some getting used to at first, for the German and international audience alike. “Pilger” is their fourth album already and, like a good Prog album, it feels like a conceptual whole, while the songs also work on their own. An extensive use of vintage keyboards like the Hammond, an acoustic ballad with phenomenal guitar work, the subtle use of strings and a conceptual ‘Reprise’ of the opening theme from ‘Der Kreis’ – “Pilger” has got anything a good Prog album needs and definitely deserves to find an audience well beyond the German speaking regions. Dario

“…complicated music that’s also catchy!” That’s exactly the right description by drummer Lufeh Batera, talking about his new album, “Overwhelmed”. It’s like Toto with Brazilian roots, playing Progressive Metal with female lead vocals. It can be a bit overwhelming from time to time indeed, but whether you enjoy the fusion-y solo bits or the catchy, soulful choruses more, there’s a lot to like on this album. Dario

For a band with the term ‘Post’ in its name, Finnish quartet Post Pulse takes decidedly little influences from the whole lot of Post genres. The stylistic element of philosophical voice over samples is a prevalent one though, with the music more treading modern/alternative metal waters with progressive and atmospheric impulses. Keys and piano play a big role in the overall sound design, and as you might have guessed already, those widespread impulses are the ones that are catching my interest on their new album “Lupaus”. As the title track bears most of the straight forward alternative metal drive, it is my least favourite of the lot, but the other two regular songs ‘Not My War’ & ‘Incredible Creatures’, the quasi-instrumental Post Metal plea ‘A Strategy of Peace’ and the final long-track ‘The Hole’ easily display enough musical depth to keep my attention though. Dario

Is this – Isengard Metal? Well, Ukrainian Cinematic Symphonic Death Metal project Ersedu just infuses so much wonderfully dark brass into the music on their new EP “GORE” that you suddenly feel like you’re standing in the midst of the Uruk-hai production facilities. Or the Pits of Utumno. Glorious. Dario

Three songs in 46 minutes? That sounds suspiciously like a Prog record. Precisely. In this case it’s “Panacea”, the new live album by Swedish Psychedelic Progressive Folk Rock quintet Agusa. My first encounter with their music was their 2023 album “Noir”, and as it turns out, two out of those three songs on “Panacea” are from that album. All these wonderfully folky melodies make me want to go for an extended trip to the beautiful Swedish nature. And maybe catch a Prog gig or two along the way. The Swedes definitely know how to do both. Dario