The prog is alive: 4 very different albums on this Friday

Munich prog rockers of Deafening Opera have put the down time in lockdown to good use and finished arranging and recording some songs from their back catalogue acoustically, now available as “driftwood”. Some of them even received an extra twist like the swinging ‘snowman’s meadow’ (originally ‘No Man’s Shadow’ from 2013’s “Blueprint”) or the country-jazz of the ‘outlaw feline’. Closer to the original: the beautiful ‘as night and day collide’ from 2018’s “Let Silence Fall”. Nice surprise: Alexandra Stovall’s guest vocals on ‘Farewell Kiss’, with some banjo and slide guitar fun in the background. A relaxed little release to tide us over until the next full blown Deafening Opera. Dario

Hailing from London, this British four-piece is presenting what looks to be their fourth album. Sonically, we are treated to six expansive (mostly) instrumental tracks that were written to illustrate our current world of inflated individualism, the rise of something called post-truth phenomenon, and where this excessive egocentrism is leading to. Musically it will appeal to fans of acts like Toundra, Long Distance Calling, Earthside and lovers of the general progressive post-rock/metal genre. Quality stuff right here, highly recommended! Dario

Nick Beggs on the bass (and chapman stick), Adam Holzman on the keys and Craig Blundell on the drums – now if that’s not a wet dream of any prog musician’s supergroup, then I don’t know (except maybe if you’re a guitarist). Those three veterans and masters of their respective crafts, met of course in the live band of one Steven Wilson and – alas – started to go nuts with crazy jams during soundchecks at one point. “Fragments”, their debut as trio under the fitting name of Trifecta, is 45 minutes of pure bass/drums/keys fusion, and it is, as was to be expected, of the highest caliber. A joyride and with its many 3-minute or shorter songs kind of the antithesis to the new LTE. Refreshing. Dario

The day is finally here! The unexpected, yet highly anticipated sequel to one of the finest extreme prog classics is out. Between the Buried and Me are no strangers in the world of prog, especially after releasing “Colors” 14 years ago. And ever since, they’ve been consistently releasing top-notch records. So, does “Colors II” live up to the original? In terms of quality, it’s almost impossible to beat, but I will say that it is yet another stellar full-length, and is easily one of my favourites for this year. Of course, the band are tight as ever on here, with Blake Richardson’s drumming being the usual highlight for me, and the production is incredible. The only thing preventing this from being at such a high caliber is that it doesn’t have quite as many memorable moments, but that’s not to say there aren’t any good riffs, catchy vocals sections, or avant-garde moments that will make you chuckle… because they definitely have those. To sum up the sound of this album, they bring back the heaviness of the original record, but also throw in their more current sound they’ve established from the likes of “Coma Ecliptic”. and “Automata”. Whether you’re coming into this record as more of a fan of their old or new material, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy the ride! Colin