First half of September – 23 Highlights – Autumn picking up the speed!

I’ve been a huge fan of UK guitar talent Connor Kaminski ever since I saw him for the very first time shredding away with his buddy Thom Pankhurst at Radar Festival 2022. Now three years later (and just four months after the release of his collab EP with KEYAN, “Kinetic”), he finally presents his debut full length, “Tapestry”. Looking at the illustrious guest features on here (David Maxim Micic, Aleksandra Djelmash, Plini, RO1, Jordan Rudess, Olly Steele to name but a few), it certainly seems a very collaborative effort again. And yes, all these guest musicians bring in something unique to their respective songs, and with these world class players it goes without saying that the technical chops on display here are completely off the charts (including Connor’s obviously). But I can’t stress enough how incredibly inventive, imaginative and diverse Conor’s compositions are, the bases from which any lead instrument (or vocals in the case of ‘Bloodline’) can soar off and shine. Impeccable production, detailed and rich orchestral arrangements: without a doubt one of the best (for the most part) instrumental achievements of 2025! Dario

Starting off our first half of September rundown with possibly my second favorite EP of the year after Ipomonias “Contemplation Pt. 1”: “Navigate”, the second EP by Dutch Alternative Metal quartet Traversus. A quick sample of their 2023 debut “The Only Way Is Through” reveals a significant step up in composition and production – and progginess! Songs like ‘Eye to Eye’ and ‘When The World Goes To Waste’ are powerful and catchy with just the right amount of complexity. I bet they will work just as well in a live setting, so I’m looking forward to more material from them or maybe a live show as well, whatever comes first. Both would be fine with me. Dario

After 5 years, Green Carnation are back with a new album. “A Dark Poem, Pt I” is a beautiful exploration of melancholia and its different manifestation in one’s life. The Norwegians managed to create a very honest, cohesive piece of work while keeping it simple and even catchy! There are lots of nice, melodic riffs that stick with you. The album is mostly mellow, but it has heavier bits and even touches black metal terithory in ‘The Slave That You Are’. I can’t get enough of it since it came out, one of the best albums of the year, in my opinion. Evelina

“The Blue Nowhere” – one I’ve been anticipating for quite a while. Just from the singles I knew it’s going to be right up my alley. This might be the wackiest BTBAM record to date, combinig pop/rock elements, bluegrass, funk and so on with their signature heavy, intense sound. It’s fun, complex and perhaps a bit over the top, according to some. I personally really enjoyed the creative direction they took, similar to what they did with “Coma Ecliptic”, but way more chaotic. BTBAM have never been strangers to experimentation, but with this one they push their boundaries a bit further than usual. Evelina

“The World Outside” not only marks the return of Cea Serin after 11 years, but also the return of Generation Prog Records, the German boutique label that brought us such gems as Cea Serin’s last masterpiece “The Vibrant Sound of of Bliss and Decay” or Circle of Illusion’s “Jeremias”. Ten years between first and second album, eleven between second and third, that’s not exactly the release pace that will grow your audience exponentially in today’s fast moving world. So their infamous “What is Cea Serin?” shirt still holds true even 21 years after their semi-legendary underground debut “where memories combine” with no sudden jump in popularity expected anytime soon. Regardless of that, “The World Outside” is an excellent reminder that there’s still quality music like this out there: rooted in 90’s prog metal US prog metal, with carefully added heaviness. And after you’re done digesting this 69 minute chunk of emotional darkness, get ready for The Reticent’s “please”, out via Generation Prog Records on Nov. 13! Dario

Proghma-C is a hidden gem from Poland I had the pleasure to discover, thanks to their new release “Equation Toxic A“. That album spent 10 years waiting to be released, and it’s finally out. It is an almost cathartic sonic experience. The vocal harmonies and dissonance sounds add to that elevated, spiritual feeling. First it starts out slow, progressively building up tension and filling up the soundscape. There are interesting electronic sounds added thoughtfully at certain places during the record. The interesting drumming patterns add intensity and a lot of flavour too. Evelina

In this autumn weather, what your playlist needs is a bit of fairy doom. Let the LA band Faetooth take care of that. Their newest release, “Labyrinthine“, will take you to a journey of self discovery in an enchanted forest. Through fuzzy, brooding guitar riffs and mellow vocals a peacefully melancholic atmosphere is created. The hypnotic and shoegazey vocals switch to agonizing, gravely growls. Grab a cup of strong herbal tea and enjoy this album and its beautiful gloom! Evelina

If you’re in need of a comforting hug, then Pēlikel have just the thing, in the form of their latest album. Listening to “Okay, Maybe” creates a cozy, warm feeling in your soul. The Lebanese musicians blend seamlessly indie folk elements with prog. The dreaminess the acoustic guitar and the vocals create is grounded and expanded upon through the other elements. Add a sprinkle of symphonic music, some world elements and you have the recipe for something so gentle and nostalgic, yet brand new! Evelina

Madison, Wisconsin based quintet Solshade plays self-proclaimed “Progressive Pedalcore”, if you are to believe their Facebook bio. Or rather “Madison Progressive Twang”, if you’re more of an Instagram person? Be that as it may, their debut album “Proxy”, released on Sept. 12 via Silent Pendulum Records, absolutely slaps, no matter what you wanna call it. The line-up of their upcoming Nov. 21 Chicago gig with their band buddies in Snooze, Outrun the Sunlight and The Untold might give you a good indication of what to expect from their sound. Songs like ‘Everflow’ and ‘Overflow’ are a perfect example of the perfect flow they manage to create between atmospheric dreamy parts and abrasive prog/mathcore riff madness. Swinging like a silent pendulum from one style to another. Ok I’ll stop now if you promise to give “Proxy” a listen… Dario

Meet vianova – the new big thing in the metalcore scene. Check their new album “Hit it!“, the proof is in the pudding. Initially, I was thrown off by the T-Pain style autotune in the first track, but appreciated the experimental approach and kept curiously listening. The album has a lot of variety to offer – rap, RnB bits, flamenco guitar, gospel elements, synths, tasty riffs, harsh vocals, blast beats, breakdowns, saxophone. That eclectic mix is curated very well and it’s well tied together by the strong visual identity the band has crafted. With each listen new little bits are to be discovered. Incredible album! Evelina

Technically ‘only’ a physical label re-release through Bird’s Robe Records, the “Duress” EP from Aussie Alternative Prog Metal project Hence Confetti is just too good not to feature it here. After the brutal, yet emotional onslaught of the opening title track the journey goes through some unexpected prog grunge (‘Promise’), right back to the extreme prog madness of ‘Shang Tsung’. The dynamic versatility continues throughout the 26 minutes of the EP, yet with a clear emphasis on rather extreme stuff that is. Mind you, I don’t mean any standard death or black metal sounds when I say extreme here, rather in an avantgarde metal meets math sludge meets brutal Devin Townsend. Or something like that. Since it was originally self-released about a year ago from what I can gather online, the wait for new stuff might not be as long now. And thanks to Bird’s Robe, Hence Confetti is definitely on my radar now. Dario

Tulip’s “The Dark Tetrad” EP is not only by far the most symphonic release of this Releases of the Week edition, but also one of the most experimental, especially the second half that features guest appearances by Dropout Kings and Shaolin G. With most symphonic metal bands these days, I have the feeling that the standard tropes of the genre can become quite stale and uninteresting, not to say boring very quickly. Cleverly applied in such a powerful setting as this Texan trio is able to demonstrate here, I can’t help it but to really enjoy their fresh take on the genre. Add to that one of my favorite over the top vocal moments of the year from guest vocalist Kristin Starkey (Temperance/Twilight Force) towards the end of ‘Devourer’, and we have ourselves a powerful little EP that makes me really curious to catch their show supporting Ad Infinitum and Seven Spires, on tour in Europe now! Dario

Blistering shred and technical prog death wrapped in an epic sci-fi story about aliens invading earth? You’ll get all that and more with “Fiber Tormentum”, the new album by US based guitarist Matt Miller. The first release under his name to feature a full collaborative band effort – including vocals – “Fiber Tormentum” drives home eight high energy songs in about thirty minutes that barely leave any space to breathe in between. Instead, you’re confronted with a high volume output of notes (you can read into that whatever you want), so if that is what you seek, be the guest of Matt and his band and enjoy their “Fiber Tormentum”. Dario

There’s been a lot of buzz around Anika Nilles lately, since the news of her joining the legends Rush came out. Deservingly so, she is an incredible drummer! In September Anika released her second album “False truth” with her band Nevell. Her sound is very bright, colourful and funky, without lacking any complexity or technicality. The album is a fantastic jazz-fusion piece with some interesting cyber themes, especially prominent in songs like ‘Bowser’. The flow is incredible and sucks you in right away, making you forget about your worries for about an hour and relax in the beautiful world Nilles masterfully crafted. A must listen! Evelina

Norwegian Instrumental Punk-Jazz-Prog Trio Glutton has been around for a couple of years already, however their newest release, “Skiva heter Vishnu!” was my first encounter with their music. And a very happy encounter it was despite that first P in that trio of genre descriptors. Here, it mostly stands for something like ‘fresh’, ‘raw’, ‘real’, as opposed to anything sterile, quantized, computerized. Refreshing. Dario

The so-called windmill scene has sparked division in the prog community. Sonically, bands have been a little too experimental or punky to appeal to your average prog fan, so even despite the praise of UK artists like black midi and Squid, their expression is quite like no other progressive rock band. Now with a group like Maruja coming in, I think there is a chance to shift some people’s minds with how they stand on this sound. “Pain to Power” is their first full-length album since forming in 2014, and the hype they’ve been building on their previous trilogy of EP’s is quite unmatched from recent years. And how does it match up? Personally, it’s some of their best material to date, with a more expressive approach in vocal delivery (even going into Rage Against the Machine territory). Maybe not many proggers will enjoy the rap rock/post-hardcore aspects as much, but you really gotta pay attention to the instrumentals. The atmospheres, the performances, the songwriting and ideas; all come together perfectly for such a uniquely-driven masterpiece. You really have to give this a shot, as they are my current favourite band of the windmill scene. They may not be inherently “prog”, but they are definitely progressive by definition. Jazzy post-rock with an edge and direct message that will pull you in more. If you’re remotely into stuff like Godspeed You! Black Emperor or God Alone, I highly recommend giving them your attention. Colin

Only one year after their anticipated sophomore album, “With Love From a Padded Room”, American gothic noise rock band Crippling Alcoholism return with an even stronger full-length release. “Camgirl” touches base with both beautiful and disturbing sounds. While not quite too different from what they’ve done previously, their approach to more darkwave/synthpop structures makes for an even more unique listen. What really strikes me with this is that whether you want this to be more of a focused listen or just background noise, it does just as well of a job. The production and melodies together make it easy to grasp on first listen, while the more dark and ominous themes will pull you in more on repeated visits. From Chat Pile to The Cure to Cocteau Twins; this is an album not to be skipped. Colin

Armadi Tsayn – Armenian for “Sound of the Roots” – is a Boston based contemporary folk trio, specializing in the naturally proggy sounds of Armenian as well as Middle Eastern and North African musical traditions. With the Oud as a lead instrument, played by Samuel Sjostedt, their self-titled debut EP is a wonderful little glimpse into their sonic world, a beautiful world I’ll be happy to revisit more often in the future. Dario

Just by taking a look at the gorgeous artwork by Costin Chioreanu, you can tell that “Notan” is an album that will leave an impression. Jo Quail is a phenomenal storyteller, using primarily the voice of her cello. This time, the story we’re diving in is very heavy, immersive and familiar on a very primal level. The post-rock soundscape is incredible and spacious, almost lonely in a sense. The simplicity of it all draws attention to each tone and the way the entire composition is crafted with care and intention, guaranteed to get an emotional reaction out of you. Evelina

Ever since her first steps into the international Prog spotlight on Ayreon’s masterpiece “The Human Equation”, Marcela Bovio has been enchanting audiences with the perfect combination of technical proficiency and deep emotions in her voice. Her new EP, “Harmonies Unveiled” features special arrangements of six songs that puts into focus not only her very own, impeccable lead vocals, but also explores the possibilities of purely vocal centered harmonies with nothing but a piano for accompaniment. Now despite the completely acoustic nature, there’s one thing this EP is not lacking: power. Not to mention the emotional depth that reaches right into your heart and soul. I was lucky enough to witness her little piano/vocals concert at the Ayreon camping in Tilburg during the Live Beneath the Waves weekend in 2023, and this is basically that with three extra voices, increasing the possibilities for crunchy vocal cakes a thousandfold. Listen to the a cappelly outro for ‘Loneliness Anthem #1’ and tell me you’re not moved. Virtually impossible. Dario

Backed with one of the most wildly successful Kickstarter campaigns I’ve ever witnessed, independent UK based chamber prog duo Iamthemorning was able to release their ambitious triple live record, “Live at St. Mathias” the way they imagined it. The centerpiece being of course the full band performance with a most excellent backing band (Evan Carson, Liam McLaughlin, Lulu de la Rosa) I’m riddled with two things listening to this hour full of amazing music (and the occasional Marjana banter about dead people and such): my regret that I was not there for the concert and the dilemma of choosing one song for the playlist while writing these lines… Spare me the pain of having to make a decision and listen to the full album, will you? Dario

Once you’ve finished the Iamthemorning part of “Live at St. Mathias” and, like me, can’t get enough of that wonderful, dreamlike ambience they manage to create with their music, don’t worry! Vocalist Marjana Semkina laid down an equally enthralling set of her solo material on the same occasion. There’s not as much piano naturally, but the compositions are not one bit less compelling. Dario

Still not enough of that “Live at St. Mathias”-vibes? Luckily we have a mesmerizing Gelb Kolyadin piano recital to guide us further into the autumnal night. His improvisations on some of his own solo material and the occasional Debussy is evocative and dreamlike almost to a state of somnambulism. And now I don’t know what I’m looking forward to the most: new Iamthemorning? New Marjana stuff? New Gleb piano pieces? I don’t care. I’d take it all. Dario