Articles by Phil Weller

You can usually find this Prog scribe writing about the heavier side of the genre, chatting to bands for features and news pieces or introducing you to exciting new bands that deserve your attention. Elsewhere, Phil can be found on stage with progressive metallers Prognosis or behind a camera teaching filmmaking skills to young people.

Articles by: Phil Weller

Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

“Not dissimilar to the sound Radiohead would later explore on King Of Limbs”: With the help of Brian Eno, Coldplay dipped into prog with Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

By Phil Weller published 15 April 24

The Grammy-winning track Viva La Vida remained unashamedly pop, but the rest of the 2008 record shows their experimental side

Sleepmwakeswaved - It's Here But I Have No Names For It

“More aggressive but with a parallel tranquillity… they continue to separate themselves from the post-rock pack”: Sleepmakeswaves’ It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It

By Phil Weller published 12 April 24

Australians’ fifth album boasts seismic, speaker-rattling production with punch and nuance

“Their sense of adventure has never been up for debate; their progressive ambitions are a perpetual undercurrent”: These songs prove Radiohead are prog

By Phil Weller published 13 March 24

From spanning musical styles to blending odd time signatures, the band have always been restlessly creative

"We chose to be a progressive metal band because it meant that we could do whatever we want." Periphery

By Phil Weller published 10 March 24

The story of how Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre finds the US prog metallers at their defiant best.

Anthony Phillips and Harry Williamson - Gypsy Suite

“Instantly recognisable, all detuned guitars and intricately detailed melodies… it feels like we’re waiting for Peter Gabriel’s vocals”: Anthony Phillips and Harry Williamson’s Gypsy Suite

By Phil Weller published 26 February 24

Remastered and expanded set from the former Genesis guitarist has its roots in the mid-70s, but feels timeless and evocative

"I think that Rush are the best band that have ever existed and ever will." Young UK prog rockers Square Wild state their case

By Phil Weller published 17 February 24

2023 was a big year for Manchester quartet Square Wild, wininng Best Unisgned Band in the Prog Readers' Poll and introducing themselves to the prog community in no uncertain terms

“We had a song called Sitting With A Duck On A Bay, and a song with the title Duck’s End. We thought, ‘Are we writing an album with a story here?’” The Aristocrats’ new record is many things, but it’s not The Wall

By Phil Weller published 16 February 24

Cartoon duck takes on malevolent police penguin on an Antarctic island in the trio’s concept outing – which is also their hardest-hitting work to date

“Grooves that are musically optimistic, but lyrically pessimistic… touches of nuance, beauty and snarl make their turmoil worth it”: The Pineapple Thief’s It Leads To This

By Phil Weller published 12 February 24

Modern prog mainstays return with a sombre yet impressive album that cements the advances they’ve made since Gavin Harrison joined the band

“Having suffered something of an identity crisis, minor blemishes don’t stop it being their best album in decades”: Pallas’ The Messenger

By Phil Weller published 3 January 24

The return of singer Alan Reed – who rebuffed a previous invitation – is an indicator of its quality

“I took my in-ear monitors out and the whole theatre was deathly silent. It was a proper goosebumps moment”: How IO Earth learned to shut up and trust their audience

By Phil Weller published 17 November 23

The return of vocalist Linda Odinsen revitalised co-leaders Dave Cureton and Adam Gough, and latest symphonic prog album Sanctuary is the result

Meet the Mavon Safia, the Finnish proggers uniting talent and taste through guitar-driven instrumentals

By Phil Weller published 6 October 23

Genre-hopping guitarist Markus Venehsalo has introduced himself to the prog world with a vivid and varied record that chooses accessibility over virtuosity.

“Signature absurdities, from a local criminal to sentient grease, neglect all pop sensibilities”: The prog nature of Everything Everything’s Re-Animator

By Phil Weller published 4 October 23

Manchester band’s 2020 album demonstrated they’d never really lived inside the indie rock community

“That sense of struggle permeates every moment”: TesseracT’s War Of Being

By Phil Weller published 15 September 23

Their heaviest album to date sees vocalist Daniel Tompkins revealing a new secret weapon

He’s a YouTube sensation who’s made an album inspired by Toto, Michael Jackson and 80s Genesis. “Now I get to find out whether I’ve gotten away with it or not,” says Martin Miller

By Phil Weller published 23 August 23

Meet the much-loved YouTube guitarist who’s given in to his prog temptations

Animals As Leaders and the story of Parrhesia

By Phil Weller published 25 March 23

"We do fit relatively neatly into the progressive metal genre," agrees guitarist Tosin Abasi as we discuss Animals As Leaders' latest album Parrhesia

Voivod and the making of Synchro Anarchy

By Phil Weller published 11 February 23

Canadian prog metal pioneers Voivod released their fifteenth studio album Synchro Anarchy in 2022. This is the story...

Five new prog acts you must hear this month

By Jerry Ewing, Phil Weller, Francesca Tyer, Matt Mills, Cheri Faulkner published 20 December 22

Check out Polyphia, Exist Immortal, D_Drive, Hekla and Ghost Toast, five great new up and coming prog artists

How Ihsahn ended up covering A-ha and Portishead on his Pharos EP

By Phil Weller published 11 September 22

On Pharos, the follow-up to Ihahn's Telemark EP, the Norwegian prog metaller displayed a softer experimental side

Muse - Will of The People: "hardly short on flamboyant outlandishness"

By Phil Weller published 25 August 22

Not yet rated

Matt Bellamy and co edge towards the strange on album nine

Between The Buried And Me and the making of Colors II

By Phil Weller published 18 August 22

In 2021 the North Carolina prog metallers Between The Buried And Me decided to record the follow-up to their 2007 album Colors

Muse's proggiest moments

By Phil Weller last updated 11 July 22

A lot of proggers love them, but the purists can remain unmoved. As they gear up for the release of their latest album Will Of The People, we look at Muse's proggiest tunes

How Protest The Hero got their groove back with Palimpsest

By Phil Weller published 19 June 22

Canadian prog metallers Protest The Hero tackled vocal torment to release the splendid Palimpsest

Radiohead's proggiest moments

By Phil Weller last updated 22 May 22

From grungy indie to avant-garde rock, Radiohead have always been restlessly creative. Here's their proggiest tracks

Gojira: "We grew up with Mike Oldfield's Crises..."

By Phil Weller published 29 April 22

With Fortitude French quartet Gojira placed themselves firmly in the prog metal world. Here they discuss wide-ranging influences from Mike Oldfield to Eastern drumming rhythms

The Tangent reveal new "mega prog" album Songs From The Hard Shoulder

By Natasha Scharf published 8 April 22

The Tangent mark their 20th anniversary with their 12th studio album - listen to a single edit of lead track The Changes