20 Highlights for the first two weeks of October 2025!

Ever since his 9-Cello version of Opeth’s Harvest dropped and kinda went viral nine years ago, Canadian Cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne has been revolutionizing the ways the sound of a Cello can enhance and enrich Progressive Metal. After years of touring with Norwegian prog poster boys Leprous, he finally released “Lifeblood”, the follow up to his Cello-only 2020 debut solo album, “Worlds Within”. The eight songs therein sum up not only the experiences he collected on this journey, and his love for Prog in particular and Metal in general, but also more ethereal, acoustic Folk and World Music sounds he’s been exploring with projects such as The Visit and Kamancello as well as electronic beats and loops. All of that on top of his Classical music background, distilled into eight mesmerizing songs, each with its own distinct personality. Everything performed on the Cello. All of that yields a fantastic hour worth of some of the most beautiful music released this year and a must listen not only for Cello enthusiasts. Dario

Seeing Australian Psychedelic Stoner Prog trio Khan live with US-doomsters Rezn this summer was the perfect setting to discover their music. Fast forward roughly two months, and their newest album, “That Fair and Warlike Form // Return to Dust“ has landed, featuring two lengthy compositions of those names. The three basic ingredients of their sound as mentioned above are being melted, merged and molded to a cohesive whole that is equally dreamy, groovy and heavy when it needs to be. The flow of both songs is as smooth as silk and there’s rarely a break or change that feels forced, weird or unnatural, which happens a lot with those long compositions, especially in Prog. But then again you could argue that it is a defining trademark of the genre. But that is of course a discussion for another time. For now I’m happy that Khan were able to avoid those tropes by focussing on flow, feeling and atmosphere. Dario

If you’ve heard some songs just once in a live setting around 11 years ago, and then finally a studio release comes out and you still remember the riffs and melodies and why you’ve fallen in love with them all these years ago, then these songs must be very special indeed. You can finally hear them now on “Samsara”, Kali’s debut album. The six-piece from Regensburg, Germany adds Stoner and slightly doomy influences to their very own take on heavy Progressive Rock/Metal, as well as piano and organ passages for good measure. The songs sound as enticing as ever after all these years and I’m really happy that they are finally available to listen to for a wider audience as they deserve. So go listen to them now! Dario

Dissona aren’t as prolific in their output as I personally would like them to be. I still spin their 2016 album “Paleopneumatic” from time to time. But it’s definitely understandable that they’re not churning out albums like mad. The kind of music that is on “Receptor” is complex, bombastic, emotionally confronting and dramatic. Definitely too much to grasp in a single listen. It takes time to digest, and with the amount of layering most definitely will have taken time to write and compose. The album is themed after the journey of a person who comes into contact with and is eventually integrated with eldritch alien technology that transforms them into a monstrosity. Leaning heavily into the thematical journey Dissona went for a more electronic, at times almost EDM-like, approach to their particular style of music. The apparent dissociative-identity-feeling within the mind of the protagonist coming to the front most eagerly in one of the singles on the album: ‘Incisor’. Starting with a clavichord seamlessly flowing to a keyboard fill, then followed by harrowing vocals together with syncopated drums, switching to a few bars of EDM, into a haunting chorus, more chaos and eventually abruptly ending after a second chorus. Dissona’s ‘Receptor’ definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted, and it definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s one of those albums that’ll either end up high in your top 10 of the year, or you won’t want to touch it anymore after giving it two or three spins. Marcel

“Let’s do it again”. That’s what our adorable protagonist said at the end of the previous Syrek album, “Story”, leaving us with an open ending. A few years later we get the continuation with “Story 2”. Just by the cute artwork and straight to the point name, one could falsely assume that this is a simple, easygoing album. But if you’re familiar with the work of Terry Syrek you know that this couldn’t be further from the truth. The music is complex, dynamic and masterfully done. And with an all-star cast like that you wouldn’t expect anything less  – Bryan Beller & Mohini Dey on the bass, Lalle Larsson on keys and Marco Minnemann on drums in addition to Syrek’s virtuoso guitar performance. In this album some extra magic is added by the nyckelharpa, played by the Swedish virtuoso Erik Rydvall (Gåte, Wardruna). Syrek provides us with an engaging, heartwarming audio theatrical experience, narrated once again by Keith Szarabajka (whom some of you might know as the voice of Joshua Graham in Fallout New Vegas). Our little adventurers sail to the north in search of new adventures. Their encounters with other characters, fights and movements are presented in a very playful way. With little to no narration, expressive little bits and strong guitar-driven melodies, there’s a lot to fuel your imagination. “Story 2” is an absolute delight, especially for all of us grown-up children. Evelina

Polish Post Sludge/Post Black Metal quartet Gorycz completely took me by surprise with their new album, “Zasypia”. The atmosphere they manage to evoke is simply jaw dropping, and their grooves are absolutely irresistible. Don’t ask me where I stumbled across their name, but it was completely unknown to me until recently. It makes me all the more happy that I discovered them just at the right time so that I can plunge headfirst into their bitter darkness. And often I will! Dario

The Progressive/Technical Death Metal cake of this edition goes without a doubt to Canada’s Omnivide. 1 ½ years have passed since their phenomenal debut album “A Tale of Fire”, and back then, our Reviewer Bob said in his 9-star review: “I am sure they have plenty of ideas in their locker and I look forward to hearing more from them.” And well, here we are with “Arise”, a five song EP chock full of these ideas. An excellent balance between brutality, technicality and melody is almost a given now with anything coming from this talented bunch. That they would even hit Rivers of Nihil level gold with some of the parts on their second release already was not to be expected though. “Arise” indeed I’d say. As a new, unstoppable force in Progressive Tech Death realms. Welcome! Dario

The second album in this edition with a kaleidoscopically colorful cover artwork comes from US Prog/Jam band Squeaky Feet. Their sound on their second album “Overview Effect” is just as colorful and exuberant as the artwork suggests. Sprawling and flamboyant, whether they be exploring funky, proggy, psychedelic or heavy and groovy waters. squeaky as they may be, they’re always surefooted. And exuding happiness and joy on every corner, through every pore. Maybe that’s the squeaky effect? Dario

Autor & Punisher is an incredible experimental project that has been around for a little more than 20 years. I find the machinery involved in creating the industrial sound fascinating and very refreshing in this era of predominantly digital samples and effects. “Nocturnal Birding” is Tristan Stone aka Author & Punisher’s latest album. Right from the start, it is intensely heavy and brooding, almost creating a vacuum. Each track carries that immersive, breathtaking feeling while also having enough diversity to not get redundant. Making a bird themed album while using industrial sounds that couldn’t be less natural creates a really interesting perhaps oxymoronic case. But the rawness of the both “ends of the spectrum” makes them more aligned than one would initially expect. I find it hard to express how great I think this album is without turning this into an essay, so I’d stop here and encourage you to go experience “Nocturnal Birding” for yourself. Evelina

Three years after their sophomore effort “Watching Worlds Collide”, French Melancholic Art Proggers Esthesis are back with their third album, “Out of Step”. Still dark and moody, but on the softer, more electronic side, maybe a bit like Smalltape or Sammary when talking about more recent releases, or even The Pineapple Thief or Mariusz Duda’s Lunatic Soul might come to mind as musical reference points. The wonderfully atmospheric almost would-be title-track ‘The Frame’, that we premiered upon its single release date, might be a good starting point to dive into the gloomy universe of Esthesis. Giving guest vocalist Mathilde Collet some more room in the last two songs adds a wonderful extra dimension. All in all a solid, beautiful little gem from mastermind Aurélien Goude and his band. Dario

In anticipation of the new Lychgate album, I accidentally put “Witchcraft & Harrowed Souls” in my list of new releases to check out only to notice later, that other than the fact that both acts hail from the UK and play extreme metal, they are not the same band at all. Where I was expecting some proper Avantgarde Black Metal, I was greeted with full on Symphonic Death Metal on this sophomore album by Lychlake. A chance discovery, but a happy accident indeed, as the quality on display here both in terms of the Metal aspect as well and in particular the Classical orchestrations is absolutely top notch. Came for the gate, got the lake instead. Stayed for the lake. Dario

If you love the old school 70’s prog sound, then “Firebrand” is just what you need. It is the new surprise album from Ring Van Möbius. The Norwegian musicians mix jazz and psychedelic elements in that classic way so seamlessly, one wouldn’t guess it was released this year. “Firebrand” sounds like the lovechild of ELO and Gentle Giant. It is bright, fluid, spacey and very enjoyable, you almost don’t feel the 47 minutes pass by. Unfortunately, this will be the last album from the band, but at least they made sure to put out one last final musical journey before the end. Evelina

With “Tangram”, Smalltape dips into a few genres, sometimes unexpectedly, throughout the album. Some tracks, like ‘Second Chance’, would fall into progressive rock territory, with The Pineapple Thief or Moon Safari coming to mind. But then, out of the blue, pure jazz would take the stage (‘Tesselate’) which sometimes would take me out of it, since I’m not a huge jazz fan. However, as a whole piece, it’s quite a coherent release, with repeating themes, that gives a cosy feeling and is very pleasant. No ground was broken here, but I enjoy the directions the album was going, and I can for sure recommend this record for fans of Bruce Soord’s work, as well as melodic and jazz music enjoyers. Alex

New food for anyone craving for some more guitar centered Instrumental Prog Metal came on October 10 with “Front Line”, the new album from US based, Guatemalan-born guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Hedras. The focus lies in the melodies mostly, which is not to say there are great shred parts and fusion licks scattered about here and there. Good stuff for the crowd of Plini and the likes. Dario

I have been a big fan of Blindfolded and Led to the Woods since their “Nightmare Withdrawals” album in 2021, and while that might still be my favourite effort, “The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me” takes the band to another level of heavy. New Zealand has a great array of blackened dissodeath artists like Ulcerate, Setentia, and Bridge Burner, so that influence shines through on this record. I’d say they push that evil black metal sound even more than before, which blends well with their proggy deathcore-influenced style, creating something truly unique. I continue to look forward to seeing where they go after this effort, because these guys are on a roll! Colin

Come join the dark side with Frayle. Their fourth full-length album “Heretics & Lullabies” is a nice, alluring blend of doom and shoegaze. The gentle, mellow vocals melt into the brooding soundscape. The band clearly puts a lot of effort into their stunning visuals as well, which deepens the atmosphere. One thing that surprised me was the Lana Del Rey cover and how good it is, taking a more dark feminine approach with it. Evelina

The obscure Stoner Doom that Berlin based quartet Mriodom concocted for their debut album “Vlies” managed to attain a rare goal: making music with German lyrics, in my mother tongue, that actually sounds listenable to me. And if that basic achievement wasn’t enough, the wailing Sax and Clarinet of Babbett Kazzer is adding a kind of sacral vibe, not entirely dissimilar to the Cello tones in Laudare’s “Requiem”, one of the most innovative albums from last year. Only in a slightly more haunting, evil way. Five the Hierophant’s dark, hypnotic rituals (or masses?) come to mind as well. Some of the vocal melodies are daringly dissonant, but work in an eerie avant garde way somehow. Disturbingly intriguing. Dario

“Horizonts/West” is the 12th studio album of the post hardcore band Thrice. It is a follow up to their previous release – “Horizons/East”. It’s a very well-produced, cinematic sonic experience. While I have to admit, the album is a bit predictable once you’re familiar with their previous work, that doesn’t make it less enjoyable. There’s something very comforting and emotional in Thrice’s sound. The gravely vocals, the clear tone, mixed with the fuzz and the intentional intensity at certain parts create a very enjoyable experience. Evelina

I am thoroughly convinced that siblings Sturle & Sjur Dagsland must be some kind of Norwegian forest aliens. There’s absolutely no other explanation how they’d be able to come up with all these otherworldly, alien sounds. Primal and futuristic at once, it feels closer to ritualistic conjuring of spirits rather than songwriting. Their second album is both mesmerizingly beautiful and disturbingly terrifying at the same time. Come enter these “Dreams and Conjurations” if you dare. Dario

About a year ago, the Swedish experimental  fusion band Goat released their 6th studio album with the same name. It is an eclectic mix of fizzy guitars, jazzy influences and world elements. This October, the band released “The Human Language ‘Goat’ Tape”, a remix of last year’s album. The remix was done by the producer human language. In this version, the edge of the original Goat is “beveled” and flipped, but the essential spirit of it remains. There is some old school hip-hop flare, some groove, funk, ambient and even stoner elements are added to the already colourful mix. Both versions are worth the listen! Evelina