The blog’s back after an extended break and I have an exciting list of albums to share with you! While finding time to write has been very hard in the last few months, I have continued listening to new releases, prog or other, with the help of an endless list of recommendations from fellow members on the r/progmetal discord. So with no further ado, here is the disclaimer –

Disclaimer: Everyone has different definitions about which band, album and song is progressive and which isn’t. For simplicity, I have stuck to bands classified as progressive rock or metal either on rateyourmusic.com and occasionally based on what I think. Albums with prog as subgenres are included. Albums until June 2019 have been included (or until July? I may have lost track at some point) It is likely that a few of the popular releases from the last month are missing here, so feel free to let me know if your AOTY so far hasn’t appeared here!

I have unfortunately been less active in my communication channels but that should change very soon. Feel free to connect on Facebook, Instagram and Email (pdsprogblog@gmail.com). I’m active on the r/progmetal Discord for a quick chat whenever, and have a rateyourmusic and lastfm account for users on these sites.

Quicklinks –

Page 1:

Best Prog Albums of the Year so far

Albums that Narrowly Missed the List

Page 2:

Best Non-Prog Albums of the Year so far

⊕ Best Prog Albums of the Year so far⊕

Note: I have omitted a ranking mechanism here, consider these as my top twenty (plus two) prog albums of the year so far. You can always find my album rankings in RYM. Consider the albums in descending order here in terms of favourites.

Ihlo – Union

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Metal, Djent (Clean Vocals)

Label – Twenty’s Plenty

Ihlo joins a list of bands taking djent influences and fusing them in an atmospheric surround, made most popular by TesseracT. The opener self-titled, takes directly from said band, the very first melody sounding straight off their early albums. The highlights are the drum production (by Clark McMenemy), the atmosphere in general and the vocals by Andy Robison, who has a great high note. “Reanimate” opens with a standard djent riff and encompassing key touches, warming up the backdrop. A thumping bass accompanies soft vocals, which increase in intensity. The pre-chorus is delivered in a casual, hip-hop fashion while the chorus includes the highest of notes. The final repetition of the chorus has a superb flourish that Dan Tompkins would be proud of. “Starseeker” is simple yet memorable with a sumptuous guitar tone, a post- surround and good drum fills. Another scorcher of a track is “Coalescence”, fourteen minutes of relentless entertainment, ending things in great fashion and leaving a sweet lingering memory that gets you coming back to the album. Opening with a strong bass riff and ticking guitars, it picks up in intensity, compounding into a great sequence of atmospheric riffs and powerful vocals, followed by spiraling synths. After a soft pause and a reprise with a different beat, it builds up into a memorable outro with steady build-up of riffs, great drum thuds and more atmospherics. While the enjoyability is high, in retrospect, there are a few issues with the album. The djent riffs are as generic as they come and these atmospheric sections have a been-there-done-that feel. A few of the tracks don’t hit the sweet spot either, with “Triumph” especially following a very similar template to the previous tracks. That said, considering I rarely rate djent albums high, this one made a big impression.

Notable Tracks – “Coalescence”, “Starseeker”, “Reanimate”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Allegaeon – Apoptosis

Genre (RYM) – Technical Death Metal , Progressive Metal (Harsh Vocals)

Label – Metal Blade Records

American technical death band Allegaeon have been active in the scene for a long time now. This is their fifth album and have already toured a major part the world. I associate a specific sound with them that involves rapid-fire riffing and vocal delivery, latin acoustic arrangements and a slightly muddy production style. “Interphase // Meiosis” opens with a low growl and the first hint of a spiraling tech-death riff, following it up with almost every aspect of their sound hinted at above. A great breakdown hits us with swirling guitar shreds enveloping a tapped bass solo, the latter instrument making the biggest impression on the new album. Taking a leaf from Archspire, “Extremophiles (B)” has rapid guitar riffs coupled with overlapping fast-tapped bass-lines. Riley Mcshane also has a slightly underused but promising clean voice, which is revealed for a few seconds before the heaviness starts again. They have a close resemblance to Tim Charles of Ne Obliviscaris, a band with which they have toured extensively in recent years. The clean/harsh dichotomy should have been explored more; the segments with them on “Tsunami and Submergence” show promising signs. Other highlights include the electric energy on “Exothermic Chemical Combustion” and a sweet-sounding solo on “Metaphobia” that contrasts the dark nature of the riffs and vocals. “Colors of the Currents” is a lovely acoustic melody-driven track, the latin influences shining through. This is another feature that should have been used more: Quick switching between them and the harsher sections would have made for spectacular moments and pumped up the ‘Originality’ score. “Stellar Tidal Disruption” has an atmospheric flavor to its usual technical blazery that reminds me of the epics on the latest Vektor album. ‘Apoptosis’ is a another solid effort by a band that is clearly on an upwards rise, and their energetic live performances, which I look forward to experience again with new material, are sure to catch one’s eye.

Notable Tracks – “Stellar Tidal Disruption”, “Exothermic Chemical Combustion”, “The Secular Age”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Thank You Scientist – Terraformer

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Rock, Jazz Fusion (Clean Vocals)

Label – Evil Ink Records

Thank You Scientist’s sophomore album, ‘Strangers Heads Prevail’ was a doozy from start to end, one of my favourite records of 2016. ‘Terraformer’ was hence one of the records I was highly looking forward to in a year with a lot of big releases. After the instrumental intro ‘Wrinkle’, pre-release single “FXMLDR” opens with a characteristic riff and brass combo before giving way to Salvatore Marrano‘s Michael Jackson like voice while the bass thunders. The song structure is relatively straightforward, with phrases building up to big choruses where all the instrumentals are superimposed to maximum effect, followed up a lovely saxophone solo. It slightly overstays its welcome, a problem with many of the tracks on this lengthy album, though the high vocal note is very well executed. “Mr Invisible” is among my favorites tracks of the band, and “Swarm” comes closest to it here, filled with snappy riffs, addictive phrases and a chorus that tends to get stuck in your head for days. Smart mixing gives space to the bass and brass and the bridge includes instruments pitting off each other in typical jazz improv fashion. The album displays the usual variation in writing and experimentation that one has come to expect from the band. After a jazzy intro, “Everyday Ghosts” picks up the pace with an extraordinary bass and tapped guitar riff combo. The lyrics are a bit corny with phrases such as “million assholes” and the many-times-repeated “keep your head up”. The extended guitar solo and funk section is fun. “Chromology” is the typical long-length instrumental, starting with cartoon music influences, followed by jazzy slow riffs and a wonderful violin solo. “Anchor” is the major highlight in the second half – the emotional side shining through on the vocals and the backing violin. The vocals intensify in great fashion from verse to pre-chorus and chorus, with another violin solo, whose tone is so thick that I confused it for a guitar the first time around. Unlike ‘Strangers Head Prevail’ however, there are a few tracks here that don’t hit the mark. “Son of a Serpent” is eight minutes of unmemorable writing with the exception of a tremendous guitar solo. “Birdwatching” is a softer track with cool electronic effects but could’ve worked better as a shorter interlude. I feel like the writers were too indulgent on the album, wanting to pack in everything, while, truth be said, a solid 10 minutes or more could be done away with nifty editing. Nevertheless, with warm and crisp production and a wide array of influences that keep things interesting, ‘Terraformer’ is a very hard album to criticize.

Notable Tracks – “Swarm”, “Anchor”, “FXMLDR”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Hath – Of Rot and Ruin

Genre (RYM) – Death Metal, Progressive Metal (Harsh Vocals)

Label – Willowtip Records

Those who’ve followed my blog for a while would know about my absolute adoration for the latest Slugdge release, and this effort by Hath has come the closest to emulating it since. The first few tracks show exactly how: “Usurpation” has a heavy, hard-hitting opening riff and hefty harshes going for it with double bass thuds. The song provides a glimmer of a melody just as a beautiful solo keeps you glued to your headset. The chant-like sequence that follows, the final deep growl and ‘bleh’ as riffs speed up is in one word – epic. The latin strings that pick up with “Currents” along the same riff as the outro of the previous track is genius, the track itself being more prog death goodness. “Rituals” is longer in length, and employs a short pause separating it from the heaving, atmospheric riff intro. The collapse reveals a lively bass-line and creepy whispers. It then goes through a mind-numbing sequence of thundering riffs and drums. “To Atone” is the first obvious hint at progressive structures with odd time riffs, while “Withered” turns down the pace, though the artistic choice reveals a slight compositional weakness in such tracks. The album gets back on track with “Worlds Within”, whose intro sounds straight off Opeth‘s ‘Still Life’. The collapse into soft strings is appreciable variation and the bass solo is fantastic. The following riff build-up with its fast strumming and drum fills is one to behold and the final ‘bleh’ is always a welcome surprise. The last two songs are not really up there in my eyes. The former in particular, “Accursed”, has riffs that are only a slight variation to those done before and even with the slower passages feel familiar. Overall the consistency of riffs also fails to reach the lofty bar of ‘Esoteric Malacology’ but the album clearly has its place in this year’s best efforts, especially for prog death fans.

Notable Tracks – “Usurpation”, “Rituals”, “Currents”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Dawn of Nil – Culminating Ruins

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Metal, Death Metal (Harsh Vocals)

Label – Independent

French artist Vincent Laugier takes the ‘one-man band’ moniker to a whole other level, not only writing and performing everything on this impressive debut effort, but also mixing, mastering as well as designing the artwork for it. ‘Culminating Ruins’ manages to achieve what many find hard to achieve – Writing death or technical death metal with variety in composition, whether it is through including dissonance or infusing melodies, or, in this case, both. The opener, “Nauseous Existence” is a strong example of such writing, mixing technical riffs with these variations and low, blackened growls. The following shred-fest and turbo outro are impressively executed. “Our Crusade” has a few Death influences in the grooves, the familiarity aiding the listening process, while “Astral Vertigo” opens with a tremolo-heavy melody. One of the highlights of the writing includes the balance of these dissonant, hard-hitting moments with gut-wrenching, softer melodies, taking influence from post- genres, with them often being included in bridges. The production could use a lot more polish, and the drums sound a bit clunky, like they have been sampled. I, however, have a soft spot for the ultra-polished production of bands belonging to the The Artisan Era label, so some people might the stripped-down sound here. Though possibly deliberate, the vocals also remain low and not every coherent in the mix. These could be worked on easily, so Dawn of Nil should be one to look out for by fans and labels alike.

Notable Tracks – “Nauseous Existence”, “Culminating Ruins”, “Astral Vertigo”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Lord Dying – Mysterium Tremendum

Genre (RYM) – Sludge Metal, Progressive Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Entertainment One U.S.

Lord Dying have returned, having been struck by personal tragedy, to create a moving record that walks along the edge of sludge and progressive genres. The album opens with a simple opening riff with twisting melodies on “Envy the End”. The clean vocals are powerful, with similarities to those on King Goat or Boss Keloid, while the harshes are equally impressive. The bridge features a beautiful solo and more guitar melodies, and the track soon switches to an unorthodox variation of the initial riff. “Tearing at the Fabric of Consciousness” is a meditative track featuring a string and vocal duo, the latter including a few layered verses and expanding rhythms. One of the peculiar aspects of the album is the inclusion of these excellent short, two-minute tracks that should have been given far more space. Other such examples include “Exploring Inward” and “Even the Darkness Went Away”, featureing a great a build-up without a fulfilling climax. “Nearing the End of the Curling Worm” has harsh opening vocals and heavy metal riffs, with drum variation that shows an influence from Brann Dailor. Incidentally, the following verses also sound very much like something off ‘Crack the Skye’ (“Oblivion” being the closest example). The ‘progressive’ moniker comes more from the song-by-song variation rather than from the song structures themselves, which are relatively straightforward. Personal tragedy is lyrically explored in “Lacerated Psyche”, which has a great primary melody. The production is general is solid but the guitars at times sound a bit too high in the mix and the tone comes off as aggressive especially when the high notes hit. Outside of this, there is a drop in the quality in the second half of the album, with a few forgettable songs such as “Freed From the Pressures of Time”. However, with a strong emotional core, a striking combination of sludge and soft moments, and great vocals all round, this album a clear highlight of the year.

Notable Tracks – “Envy the End”, “Tearing at the Fabric of Consciousness”, “Nearing the End of the Curling Worm”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Tanagra – Meridiem

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Metal, Power Metal (Clean/Mixed Vocals)

Label – Independent

Tanagra, the American band’s sophomore effort is an extremely satisfying one. They write riffs with strong power-prog roots with twisting turns and changing tempos. Their real strength in songwriting is their excellent melodic sense. Opening title track, for example, represents this very well. The first verse subsides into a softer, charming section with magnificent keys and guitar solos one after the other. The vocals aren’t really at the forefront here unlike most power prog, and they’re often mixed so that the guitars are in more prominence. The soft, pleasant chorus on “Etheric Alchemy” contrasts well to the thicker, metal riffs. The magnum opus, “Witness”, is alone worth persisting for the hour-length of the album. One of the best tracks I’ve heard all year, everything falls into place for this one: The opening vocals have much more gusto and the orchestral arrangements drift you towards an outro that is overwhelmingly beautiful. The guitar melodies that form the core of the song bring me close to tears, supplemented by one of the most stunning solos I’ve ever heard. The production is solid for the instrumentals, though the vocals lack any punch. Additionally, the harsh vocals don’t work at all and sound forced and generic, to the extent that they completely destroy “Silent Chamber” which has very competent guitar-work going for it. They should enlist guest musicians if they would like to continue with this occasional mixed approach. These couple of negatives aside, this is a solid prog power effort, one of the sole substantial releases in the genre this year.

Notable Tracks – “Witness”, “The Hidden Hand”, “Meridiam”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Umpfel – As the Waters Cover the Sea

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Rock (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Independent

Experimental Rock is a tough genre for any artist. The balance between challenging traditional rhythms and riffs while maintaining a level of catchiness for the the average listener is vital but extremely hard to achieve. Norwegian band Umpfel, for the most part, get the balance right on ‘As the Waters Cover the Sea’. Opener “Burning Water” takes no time to introduce alternating harsh and clean vocals with an math-ish riff and drum combo. The harshes have a core touch, and so do the riffs occasionally. A sweet, bluesy solo features during the bridge, flowing smoothly into the primary melody of the song, played on the piano. It drifts into “Spheres of War”, an even more experimental track with glitchy riffs and drifting melodies, caching a surprise around every corner. “What Else” sounds like a calmer Haken track but drags a tiny bit. “Shofar” is a major highlight: Cleans that strain toward harshes alternate with instrumental riff sequences that takes a djent twist and the to-and-fro between these make for very interesting and equally enjoyable listening. It breaks down into a tappy riff and a hitherto drum fill, as those guitar licks get more airplay before going hard into a solo. After some vocal improvisation on “Peddler of Words”, we’ve the title track that is an instrumental wonder. Piano melodies twist and turn, accompanied by alternate riffs and a roaring bass line. The guitar-work during the bridge is sensational with gorgeous licks and a solo again by Jakub Zytecki. The uplifting nature of the song is another parallel to Richard Henshall‘s style. The variation from track to track stands out the most in the first half, though the second half drops off slightly. “Omnia” and “Transcend” are slightly lacking in quality. The cleans are the least impressive part of the album and for the next album the artists should explore a few guests to execute them too. Make no doubt though, this is one of the most unique albums I’ve heard all year and it’s quirky first half is a must-listen for all prog fans.

Notable Tracks – “Shofar”, “As the Waters Cover the Sea”, “Sphere of War ”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Edge of Reality – In Static

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Metal (Clean Vocals)

Label – Independent

If ‘In Static’ is anything to go by, Edge of Reality is a band with massive potential yet disappointingly very few listeners to show for it. I hope that changes soon and I hope that their inclusion here helps the band gain more traction. I like to think of this album as a Between the Buried And Me one with exclusively clean vocals. “Attack of the Great Worm” wastes no time diving into heavy riffs and drum fills. Similar to another band with the same influence, Native Construct. It consists of so many great moments packed together in one track, be it rapid cartoon-tune glimpses, electronic undertones, crisp riffing and great cleans. “A Consultation” is drenched in Vangelis atmosphere, interrupted by further soaring vocals. “Puzzle Box” gets back in on the heaviness, involving a bouncy verse with short phrases spurted out. The vocal prowess of Jesse Brock is prevalent on every track, and “Lovestruck” is a great showcase of the same, with high notes and deep screams followed by the emotional, softer notes delivered in a beautiful manner. The vocal performance reaches its heights on “Azira”. After a few swirling riffs and more cinematic backdrops, mesmerizing phrases are sung, climaxing in a high note that is, for the lack of a better word, orgasm-inducing. In the second half of the album is a great short track, “Remorse Code”, a short, glitchy instrumental that sounds like a The Algorithm track. “Illegal Chord” opens like a death metal track would do, with spiraling riffs and pinches. Unfortunately, the album also suffers from a problem sometimes called ‘BTBAMitis’. Many of the great sections on the album last for very short durations, and the lack of proper song structures can come off as very frustrating, a common trait in the early material of BTBAM. However, this does mean that you very rarely get bored in an album that lasts seventy minutes, an achievement in itself. A second minor downside to the album is that while it includes several heavy moments, they lack the needed punch in production. The vocals and the instrumentals sound too clean to be threatening. All said, this is the album to check out for those who enjoy the chaotic yet interesting mash-up of ever-changing segments, influences and genres.

Notable Tracks – “Azira”, “Attack of the Great Worm”, “Puzzle Man”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Snooze – Familiaris

Genre (RYM) – Math Rock, Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – 649467 Records DK

Snooze‘s signature moves involve mathy riffing and a sumptuous guitar tone, supplementing them with heavenly vocal harmonies. The opener “Amicas Pawsterum” does a great job of introducing this sound. Piano on “Have I Got a Friend for You” provides a third dimension to the music, with layered vocal segments (aka Gentle Giant, Haken) that are beautifully executed. “Hold On” and “Separation Anxiety” are highlights. The former has cute riffs (Chon is a good comparison) and a catchy chorus. The devil’s in the details and the huge pre-chorus with tremolos is a wonderful surprise. The outro is gorgeous: A straightforward few chords get a math twist and are followed by a beautiful solo. It flows smoothly into the latter track whose drums shift interestingly from double bass thuds to gentle rim taps. The vocals are the least notable feature on the album overall but suit the instrumentals very well. The post-hardcore verse with punk vocals in the midsection, followed by a double-take is worth checking out. “Dig Doug” has the most pleasant vocals at the start, the melodies working beautifully in tandem with the guitars. It includes a great jazzy moment using sax and acoustic strings. On a few occasions the math riffs don’t work as well, “Have I Got a Friend For You” being a good example, and the vocal layering trick gets tiresome after a while, around the moment “Tis I! The Good Boy!” gets playtime. The vocal harmonies themselves are amazing but the higher notes are not so clean and sound slightly stretched. These remain relatively small issues in a fresh album that should be getting far more coverage than it has.

Notable Tracks – “Hold On”, “Separation Anxiety”, “Dig Doug”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Jolly – Family

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Metal , Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – 46:12 Records

For someone who generally finds more joy dissecting the intricacies of progressive metal, a lot of my favorites this year are clean, catchy and hit the right chord emotionally. Jolly’s ‘Family’ does just that with its incredible opening half. “Lie To Me” shifts to and from hard riffs using soft vocals, a booming bass and a vibrant piano. Add in a few electronic sprinkles, and it all builds to a great chorus. The track features a bridge with a proggy riff sequence, piano bolts and ‘aa aa-aa‘s all mixed in perfectly, and, if all this wasn’t already great, caps it off with a gorgeous solo. “Lazarus (Space Masala)” has a few oriental influences and vocalist Anadale shines with an emotionally destructive chorus with double bass drum variation, another gorgeous solo and spoken word used in its length. The next couple of tracks remind me a lot of VOLA‘s newest effort. “Rain” is a simple ballad with vocals and soft piano melodies by Joe Reilly. “Ava” opens with a cartoon intro and a synth tune that gets you right on your feet. The heavy bridge is joined in by the synth and a fat bass, ending as one of the catchiest neo-prog track I’ve heard in ages. “Let Go”, the longest track dawdles for a while with samples and a few forgettable Nirvana-ish phrases, but springs into life midway with an excellent guitar and bass riff. “Violet” is another vocals-driven track, perhaps with the best lines in the album. The consistency drops off slightly on the last couple of tracks and “Circuit Heaven” especially sounds very derivative. Originality is not the album’s strong suit in general, but it doesn’t really matter when pressing the refresh button on the album is so incredibly tempting.

Notable Tracks – “Lie To Me”, “Ava”, “Lazarus (Space Masala)”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music

(Tiny side-note: since I really liked the descriptions of the A Novelist and Soen albums from the Jan/Feb post, I have retained them in their entirety here)

A Novelist – Folie

Genre – Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Independent

A Novelist consist of two primary members, Ben Nugent, who performs most instruments and vocals except drumming, which is performed by Alex Babineaux. They write music with a technical death metal core, especially on the guitars, and sprinkles of jazz and progressive flair throughout. Mixed vocals are used to great effect both as standalone features and when superimposed over each other. The cleans are slightly nasal but soaring and powerful, while the harshes are throaty and piercing. Most songs have saxophones crying in the surround, lending a somber edge to the music. The drumming is heavy and very involved. “Exteriors” and “Tombeau” are good introductory songs to the album, showing the tapped riffs and shred-heavy writing that are all over it. They are followed by “Apparitions”, one of my favourites for its sinister intro with whispers and a low sax drone. The soaring vocal lines on the chorus and crisp blast beats that support it work beautifully. Another favourite is “Caveat Lector” whose false jazzy build-up collapses into a sweeping riff and booming harshes, while the bridge, with its bass and drums breakdown, give your neck muscles a solid workout. The following track, “Stockholm Blues” is another fun listen for its catchy riff during the verses. The album is helped by an excellent mix and production job by Jamie King, best known for his work on Between the Buried and Me. For those looking for a fresh take on technical and progressive death metal, ‘Folie’ should be right up your alley.

Notable Tracks – “Apparitions”, “Caveat Lector”, “Stockholm Blues”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music// YouTube // Bandcamp

Soen – Lotus

Genre – Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – Silver Lining Music

I was a huge fan of ‘Lykaia’, the Swedish super-group’s previous effort and hence ‘Lotus’ was a release that I was very much looking forward to. It ultimately isn’t as addictive as the former was for me, but it has other redeeming features that kept my lofty expectations satisfied. For starters, the title track hits really hard and deep. New guitarist Cody Ford has magic in his fingers that David Gilmour would be proud of; his bluesy bends and stirring solo completely elevate the song to one of the band’s best tracks altogether. The ‘trad’ Soen songs are aplenty, with the other two singles, “Rival” and “Martyrs” being the best of the bunch. On the latter, Martin Lopez sets the pace on the drums as heavy, groovy riffs ring around. The second verse collapses into a wonderful piano melody, as it slowly intensifies into the chorus with a magnificent scream: Vocalist Joel Ekelöf seems to get better and more bold with every album. His lines are compelling, and lyrics often are stuck in my head for days in a row, case in point ‘Go back to the shadows, back to the shadows’ in the first verse and ‘In my head, it ain’t over’ on the chorus of album closer “Lunacy”. The biggest issue with ‘Lykaia’ was its production and particularly its dated master, but ‘Lotus’ does better in every sound department. Details such as the harmonies provided by the soft keys are very audible. Soen have been very consistent for a while now, perfecting their sound with every album and satisfying loyal fan expectations while gaining new ones by the day.

Notable Tracks – “Lotus”, “Martyrs”, “Rival”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube

Deathspell Omega – The Furnaces of Palingenesia

Genre (RYM) – Black Metal, Progressive Metal (Harsh Vocals)

Label – NoEvDiA

While feeling slightly guilty of promoting a band with a member who’s a suspected neo-nazi, I also felt obliged to share the only album on the list that is in the progressive black metal genre. I ultimately will let you readers decide whether you want to listen to them or not, so let’s focus on the music for the rest of the review. The first couple of tracks fire off warnings that the album is not for the faint-hearted. “Neither Meaning nor Justice” opens with sinister vocals while “The Fires of Frustration” shows off dissonance. The album is full of spiraling, dissonant and progressive riffs, dynamic; technical drumming; and audible, vicious harshes. This is all packed in a great mix and master, capturing the bleak atmosphere perfectly. “Ad Arma! Ad Arma!” opens with a menacing, prog riff with deep screams. A softer break accompanies vocal phrases that are delivered in the form of sentences in an interesting style. It is surprising to see how well they fit in with the instrumentation. The final “Ad Arma” screams transition smoothly into “Splinters From Your Mother’s Spine”, a massive riff fest. It is one moment thrashy; the next, slow and dissonant, and after, progressive. This mayhem continues into “Imitatio Dei”, which has an inhuman scream midway through it along with a cacophony of progressive riffs, vocals and spiraling drums. “1523″ is a good break with soft guitars and restrained phrases. Notable songs on the second half include “Renegade Ashes” has an outro filled with blaring symphonics. “Absolutist Regeneration” is another proof that the band can write some of the most original riffs in black metal. The length of the album is a slight problem and not too much distinguishes from one track to another, while the softer “You Cannot Even Find the Ruins…” is a disappointing closer. Nevertheless, this is an album worth checking for those new to progressive black, as long as you are willing to accept that one of the members is likely a prick.

Notable Tracks – “Ad Arma! Ad Arma!”, “Absolutist Regeneration”, “Splinters From Your Mother’s Spine”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Artificial Language – Now We Sleep

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock (Clean Vocals)

Label – Independent

Artificial Language’s second album in two years features catchy yet technical riffs and vocals that take influences from the likes of Einar Solberg and Michael Lessard, while including neoclassical touches for extra spice. A soft guitar duty opens “The Back of My Mind” followed by a hooky riff, an intro phrase and a shred follow-up that does not openly reveal a song structure. The vocalist Shay Lewis is at ease here, hitting all the right notes. Neoclassical hints arise from both the guitar and piano melodies. The bass is buzzing on “Endless Naught” and the piano twiddle is a highlight. A strong first half continues with “Pulses”, filled with soft phrases and beautiful guitar fills, executed in the perfect tone imaginable. The piano melodies are sumptuous on “Further From the Surface” with harder vocal lines to pull off. The rest are equally consistent in material: “Trail of Lights” boasts of a neoclassical and chug combo that offers something different, while “There’s No Bottom to This” has a catchy chorus and piano breakdown that keep things going. The final track features Lessard himself, in an album highlight that achieves a great technical and emotional balance in execution. It includes superimposed vocal phrases and caps things off with a well thought-out album reprise. There’s nothing overtly wrong with this album, but it does slightly drop off in the second half, mostly because the songs get harder to differentiate from each other. I haven’t heard the debut album but I have it from good ears as very similar to this one, so the band could go try their hand at something more experimental for their next effort.

Notable Tracks – “Now We Sleep”, “Pulses”, “Further From the Surface”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

Destrage – The Chosen One

Genre (RYM) – Metalcore, Progressive Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Metal Blade Records

I have a soft-spot for catchy, melodic metal-core and ‘The Chosen One’ came up at an opportune time as I hadn’t listened to an album of the likes in a while. The title track opens with a tapped riff and verses with typical core aggression, involving interplay between cleans and harshes. “About That” has short, rap-like delivery that vaguely reminds me of Marilyn Manson. Small moments such as a note’s pause for the bass to roll, a short shred section, and a soft clean sequence add to the fun. “Hey Stranger” opens with a riff having oriental vibes and a grunge-like verse as drummer Federico Paulovich throws around a few drum fills. The fun continues with “At the Cost the Pleasure” where cleans and harshes alternate is interesting fashion, the former written with quick-tapping riffs while the latter with more traditional core hard-hitters. This one has the best bridge and outro of them all, the sort that you can’t resist singing along: “Why do you make me ask? Why don’t you see by yourself?”. The best track on here is “Mr Bugman”, one of the most unique and fun core songs I’ve heard in a while. It opens with a peculiar guitar tweak and the verses are tip-tap, with effects shifting the sound from one ear to another in line with the riffs. It elevates to another level with a solid staccato sequence and more oriental touches, followed by a surprise sax solo that all prog fans would appreciate. Elsewhere, “Rage, My Alibi” has solid electronic variation. Writing something truly original in metal-core is difficult due to genre constraints but outside of the originality, it is hard to find anything negative to say about the album.

Notable Tracks – “Mr Bugman”, “At the Cost of Pleasure”, “About That”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube // Bandcamp

The Aristocrats – You Know What…?

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Rock, Jazz-Rock (Instrumental)

Label – Independent

I came to know far too late that The Aristocrats were working on a new album, and given that their first album is among my all-time instrumental favorites, I was sure to find something to like on this. It is my second favourite album by them now, thanks to a consistent theme and incredible variation shown by the super-group trio of Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller and Marco Minneman. “D-grade Fuck Jam” is the opener with a funny backstory. “Spanish Eddie” is one of my favorites, with its cowboy melodies (‘Western’ is the central theme of the album). Its softer moments are very pleasant, with Govan showing amazing restraint while playing his licks. “When We All Come Together” contributes to the theme with carnival goodness and a jazzy rhythm: I can see this one doing very well live. Govan even uses picked-up banjo-like riffs at a point. “Spiritus Cactus” uses percussion effects such as one that sounds like a rattlesnake and another that sounds like a marching band. I don’t believe I’ve heard a lot of Govan’s softer solos outside of Steven Wilson, but this one album has a bunch that are beautifully executed. The writing is much better than the previous albums, though a few inconsistencies exist, primarily in “Burial at Sea”, which is very drawn out. “Terrible Lizard” has a few guitar screeches that sound unnecessary and disruptive. Overall though, ‘You Know What…?‘ this is a top-notch instrumental album, engaging and interesting at the same time. A must listen for progressive rock fans.

Notable Tracks – “Spanish Eddie”, “Spiritus Cactus”, “The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube

Evan Carson – Ocipinksi

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Rock, Progressive Folk (Clean Vocals)

Label – Independent

Each year, an underground band tends to come out of nowhere and absolutely stump me, and the contender for this year is this gorgeous debut album by percussionist Evan Carson. It is inspired lyrically by the story of his own grandfather and the Polish Resistance Movements during WW2. “Sky” opens with piano and cinematic backgrounds, reminding me of a period film score. It follows it with up with bouncy percussion and a viola surround that is prevalent through the album. “Shards” opens with another lovely piano riff by the very talented Gleb Kolyadin. It is followed by lovely female vocals (I’m not sure exactly by who). The effects around her voice are amazing: her phrases are crystal clear and her delivery is forceful yet gentle. The timber of her voice reminds me of Youmna Jreissati from Ostura. The pre-chorus and chorus have varying layered effects too, and the pace picking up as the ‘Run, Child Run’ lyric comes up is inspired writing. “Chrysalis” starts off in a very somber fashion, the slow vocals with piano reminding me strongly of Lunatic Soul compositions, with the echoing spoken-word phrases reinforcing this similarity. An eerie sequence of vocals and classical piano twiddles transports you to war surroundings that the lyrics immerse you in, with The Pianist being a good film equivalent. Things take an immediately upbeat turn on “Otriad”, a stunning composition with a guest spot by Jim Grey. The piano harmonies are lovely, and I can’t think of a better vocalist than Grey here: his low, threatening vocals suit the lyrics to a tee. The replacement of traditional drums with a percussion box (I think) is a fresh and unique addition in general for the album. “Bloodlines” slows down things again, with a piano melody that flutters around like wind-chimes. The triple layering of vocals is excellent and emphasizes the quality of execution on show here. The transition is flawless into “The Fireflies of Falaise”, the heaviest track on the album. Its strings have an oriental influence, and a bass-line softly drones as the track reaches its enormous climax. I cannot recommend this album enough to everyone, it is the most beautiful and unique albums I’ve heard this year.

Notable Tracks – “Shards”, “Otriad”, “The Fireflies of Falaise”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // Bandcamp

Periphery – Periphery IV: Hail Stan

Genre (RYM) – Djent, Progressive Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – Century Media Records / 3DOT Recordings

‘Periphery IV: Hail Stan’ might be the album that took me most by surprise in a long, long while, and is a clear example of why one should always listen before judging any kind of music. This was my very first time for Periphery, and I’ve always heard mixed opinions about the band, so didn’t know what to really expect as I dug in. I was instead met with the most consistent album I’ve heard all year. Opening with a behemoth sixteen-minute track (“Reptile”) is a statement of intent in itself. After a short clean vocal intro, the raspy core vocals and djent riffs make a spectacular entrance. The chorus melts your face off with aggressive drumming and vocals that seem to reach unbelievable, uncomfortable highs. After an extended sequence with cinematic orchestration and syncopated beats, it climaxes in a humongous djent outro. “Blood Eagle” has the best djent-core riffs I’ve heard in a while, supplemented by excellent double bass thuds. The breakdown is sumptuous and the cleans are great, transitioning to harshes like I’ve never heard before. Then there’s the jaw dropping solo by Misha Mansoor. This song has it all, really. “Chvrch Bvrner” doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, pinch and djent, cleans and harshes, hand-in-hand. “It’s Only Smiles” is straight up radio pop-rock but works gloriously well with its vocal hooks and a perfect guitar solo. The last two tracks are also major highlights. “Sentient Glow” opens as another straightforward, mixed djent track, but the post- atmosphere and piano melodies distinguish it from the rest. “Satellites” has an elaborate intro featuring a bunch of gorgeous clean vocal phrases and breathtaking drum grooves. Every song has a memorable moment: the drums along with the softer keys moments on “Garden in the Bones”, the smooth electronic bits on “Crush”, among others.

I can already imagine the lingering questions. Over the couple of years since I started writing, I’ve often criticized core harshes, yet have all but praise for them here? I believe it’s because of how ambitious Spencer Sotelo is with his voice. I’ve also heard the album so many times now that my ears have got to used to them: It was definitely not the same the first time around. There’s also the other fact that the instrumentals are brilliant, so I had other great things to latch on to until my ears got used to the vocals. The next obvious question is how do I tolerate the lyrics? This one I’ll give, though I don’t pay particular attention to them, primarily because you know they aren’t taking them seriously (‘”Suck my balls” closes the album). When they do, for “It’s Only Smiles” for example, it’s far from bad. To sum it up, ‘PIV’ is evidence why Periphery are one of the biggest prog bands out there: it’s ambitious, addictive and a technical marvel to boot.

Notable Tracks – “Blood Eagle”, “It’s Only Smiles”, “Sentient Glow”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube

Devin Townsend – Empath

Genre (RYM) – Progressive Metal, Avant-Garde Metal (Mixed Vocals)

Label – InsideOutMusic / HevyDevy Records

‘Empath’ was the biggest release of 2019 in my eyes, even when the likes of Tool, Opeth and Dream Theater had announced the release of their newest efforts. Just the fact that Devin had, for his first album since Devin Townsend Project was dissolved, hired a wide-array of artists and an orchestra to work with promised to be a very ambitious move even from him. And it not only fulfilled that promise, but exceeded it by a mile. After the short introduction “Castaway”, the album starts with the pre-release “Genesis”, which I was addicted to for weeks put together. Every aspect of it is incredibly catchy: the wah-wahs that accompany the first verse, the marvelous drums shifting from groovy to double bass thuds, the cartoonish synth touches and the Ziltoid tip-of-the-hat. You can’t help but sing along – “Let there be light, let there be moon…”. “Spirits Will Collide” is a slower track with a choir background and simple, uplifting instrumentals providing backdrop to Devin’s thunderous vocals. “Evermore” is another pre-release with amazing bass lines by Nathan Navarro, jumping out of the mix in great fashion. “Sprite” is the most idiosyncratic track including symphonics and math-y drumming by Morgan Ågren. It ends with a refreshing set of beats, samples and strings in a sequence that I call ‘symphonic disco’. “Hear Me” is a track that pays homage to the artist’s Strapping Young Lad days. Anneke‘s soft vocals alternate with Devin’s thundering vocals and the drums thud at an unbelievable speed. One would find it hard to believe that the drums are humanly performed if Samus66 hadn’t post a play-through of him playing his signature ‘diarrhea’ beats. In the next track “Why?”, Devin goes full Disney, filled with gorgeous symphonies and the best Devin vocal performance I’ve heard in a long time. It might not be an emotional performance like “Deadhead” or a few tracks on ‘Ocean Machine’ but it has operatic vocals like he has never been done before. A penultimate phrase has such a high note that it breaks into a scream, a trait you would indeed find in his best vocal performances. His final “Why, why, why?” is the best vocal climax in years. “Borderlands” is my least favourite though it’s far from bad. It’s just a tad too long considering the simplicity of the riff and dragging of ambient parts. In a huge album like this, every second matters.

Every second does matter, however, on the final track, “Singularity”: A behemoth twenty-five minute one that is up there with the best Devin has ever written. I could write an entire review about just this track, which deserves a separate listen from the album for better appreciation. After a few Pink Floyd-like bends on the guitar, Devin’s warm vocals hug us with backing acoustic strings. It takes a darker path in the next act, as the heaviness rises and the vocals turn more aggressive, even including a cymbal crash reference to Rush. The transition into the next act is pure genius, with a slow shift in the overall mood of the instrumentation aided by rapidly intensifying blast beats. The third act is a weel-produced, harrowing cacophony of screams, drums and groans, the soundtrack of purgatory. It involves thick riffs with pinches, chants (‘Psychologic War!’) and huge drum grooves. The transition to the next is another evidence of a genius writer, the beats dropping and the ‘Selfish messiah’ lyric turning less aggressive with each repetition. The next couple of acts are instrumental with quirky touches by the piano and guitars, featuring a ramble of clips, whistles, electronica and ‘too-doos’, supported by experimental drumming. An epic album deserves an epic finale, and wow, does it deliver with ‘Here Comes the Sun!’. A catchy verse and groove from Anup Sastry bounce along in a progressive rhythm, as Devin and Anneke sing together –

“Join the heavens, join the sea

Shine for freedom, shine for peace

Through the future is hard to see

If you can’t shine for you dear, please shine for me”

Hitting closer and closer to home with every repetition, the final four minutes are only interrupted by a sensational guitar solo by Steve Vai before closing the curtains.

‘Empath’ may not be for everyone. It’s long, quirky, and stuffs so many ideas and themes into one album that them gelling seem almost impossible on paper. Devin has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to create the best possible album that represents his life, and as a Devin fan that has adored at least one album from each of his projects and bands, it is the perfect ode to the man that I can think of. It instantly heads into among my favourite Devin albums ever. It would take an absolutely flawless album to replace ‘Empath’ in the final AOTY list of the year, but you just never know with music, do you.

Notable Tracks – “Singularity”, “Genesis”, “Why?”

Links (Album): Spotify // Apple Music // YouTube

⊕ Albums that Narrowly Missed the List⊕

Clément Belio – Patience

Avandra – Descender

⊕ Spotify Playlists – Prog⊕

Quicklinks –

Page 1:

Best Prog Albums of the Year so far

Albums that Narrowly Missed the List

Page 2:

Best Non-Prog Albums of the Year so far