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

“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

"The Wake was so well received because we went down a prog rock path with that album, so with the new album we continued down that path.” 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

Haken's Charlie Griffiths announces Tiktaalika – "the world’s first palaeontology-based progressive metal album!"

By Natasha Scharf published 8 April 22

Listen to Charlie Griffiths' new single Arctic Cemetery, featuring Between The Buried And Me singer Tommy Rogers

Voyager's technicolour A Voyage Through Time live stream review

By Phil Weller published 6 September 21

Australian electro-proggers Voyager celebrate 20 years with a fan picked set list covering their vibrant and varied back catalogue

Plini v Doja Cat: did she really swipe the Aussie prog hero's guitar riff?

By Phil Weller published 9 July 21

Young guitar virtuoso Plini chats to Prog about Impulse Voices, inspiration and why he considers imitation to be the most sincere form of flattery

"We never thought we would be releasing Virus during a pandemic!" Haken revisit the Cockroach King on their boldest album yet

By Phil Weller published 2 June 21

The Cockroach King made them, now they’re breaking him. Prog catches up with Haken to learn all about their ambitious album, Virus, which concludes the prog metal titans’ definitive decade

Karnivool's live stream of Sound Awake reviewed

By Phil Weller published 15 May 21

Australian progressive rock band Karnivool celebrate a decade of Sound Awake in style

Ihsahn - Telemark & Pharos live premiere review

By Phil Weller published 5 April 21

Norwegian prog metaller Ihsahn premieres his recent Telemark and Pharos EPs in last night's live stream

Introducing Prospekt: "We have the right twists and turns at the right times"

By Phil Weller published 3 September 17

Oxford prog metallers Prospekt are reborn and reshaped with new line-up and second album

Limelight: Orsome Welles introduce their metallic prog from Australia

By Phil Weller published 2 August 17

Metallic and melodic prog making waves from Down Under

A Formal Horse: "We’re all smelly, longhaired rockers at heart"

By Phil Weller published 2 August 17

Three singers and three EPs in and Southampton’s quirky four-piece A Formal Horse have found the perfect blend of ingredients for their hard rock meets nerdy prog cocktail

Phil Weller

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