It's Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week! Six brand new and diverse slices of progressively inclined music for you to enjoy.
Thanks to a dearth of releases there was no TOTW last week, but we can let you know that Finnish dark proggers Amorphis romped home with their new single Bones, followed by young Scottish proggers Ihlo in second place and Canadian cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne in third.
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple - we've collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you - makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn't it? The idea is to watch the videos (or listen if it's a stream), enjoy (or not) and also to vote for your favourite in the voting form at the bottom of this post. Couldn't be easier, could it?
We'll be bringing you Tracks Of The Week, as the title implies, each week. Next week we'll update you with this week's winner and present a host of new prog music for you to enjoy.
If you're a band and you want to be featured in Prog's Tracks Of The Week, send your video (as a YouTube link) or track embed, band photo and biog to us here.
JO QUAIL - REX
Prog's favourite cellist, Jo Quail, has announced that she will release her new album, Notan, through her own record label, Adderstone Records, on September 12. The new album takes its name from the Japanese concept that explores the interplay of light and dark, the album itself a personal journey through polarity. Ahead of that is the epic, sometimes disconcerting nine-minute new single, Rex, a bold and stunning new musical journey.
"The first single from Notan is Rex, some of you who’ve been with me since the early days might remember it first appearing back in 2010," Quail explains. It’s a piece I’ve returned to in live performance, and over time, it’s evolved and reshaped itself. This version is something quite different: a reimagining that feels both familiar and entirely new. I’m really proud to be releasing it now — and yes, it’s over nine minutes long (a bold choice for a single, I know!)."
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - ABSENT THEREAFTER
Like much of the music on their upcoming album, The Blue Nowhere, US prog metallers Between The Buried And Me's new ten-minute single, Absent Thereafter, is something of a musical rollercoaster which really highlights the band's diverse approach to music. Kicking off with a full-force metallic approach with harsh vocals, before their true diversity shines through, is unlikely to win them many friends within the prog community, who will simply switch off before more palatable sounds hit their ears. For those who do persist, rewards await.
“To me, Absent Thereafter feels like the quintessential BTBAM song – fun, intense, spacy, and still fucking heavy," says vocalist Tommy Rogers. "I like to think it takes the listener on an unexpected journey, with ear candy waiting around every corner. It’s a deeper dive into all of the dynamic places you’re taken within The Blue Nowhere!”
“This song moves arrangement-wise in two parts divided by a key change and tonal shift of the chorus, but is ultimately the big fun time bombastic energy of a Van Halen shuffle with Huey Lewis and the News horns going through variations that are sometimes heavily syncopated, sometimes lost in space, and sometimes inspiring you to break out into a do-si-do," adds bassist Dan Briggs. "Grab your washboard and let’s go!”
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN - PHILOSOPHER
Swedish 60's prog style trio The Vintage Caravan have shared a new video for Philosopher, which is taken from their upcoming album, Portals, which they release through Napalm Records on September 26. The chugging progged up rocker also features fellow Swede, Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt on vocals. You can catch the band live in the UK this October.
"Having toured extensively with Opeth the last years we made quite good friends with them and we were so honoured when Mikael offered to lend us a helping hand with our new album," the band enthuse. "Originall,y Óskar meant to sing the whole song, but after discussing the possibility of having Mikael guest on one of the songs, I couldn’t hear the song anymore without him singing the verses. He did a stellar job and we couldn’t be happier with it.
"Philosopher is the opening track of our album, and we wanted to start this album with a more quiet dreamy intro leading into this quite heavy song. Full of laid back rock riffs with bubbling arpeggiating synth textures, the song leads into the first Portal of five, signalling the beginning of this journey of an album."
STEELEYE SPAN - OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY
Folky proggers, or indeed proggy folkers, Steeleye Span, have just released their latest album. Conflict is the band's first new album for six years, following on from 2019's acclaimed Est'd 1969, and from which comes their new single, Over The Hills And Far Away. Some may recognise it as the theme from 1990s British television series Sharpe, as recorded by folk musician John Tams, which was also recorded by former Span member Tim Hart for his 1981 album My Very Favourite Nursery Rhymes. As usual, the band have given it a joyous reworking in their own inimitable style.
"The album's title reflects the times we find ourselves in, but also the stretch and tear of our relationship with this planet that hosts us," the band state.
CHIMPAN A - KARL'S SONG
Chimpan A, otherwise known as Rob Reed of Sanctuary and Magenta, and vocalist Steve Balsamo, release their latest album, M.I.A. Vol. 1 through Tigermoth Records on August 29. They've been releasing a string of artful cover versions, and their latest is a take on The Hollies The Air That I Breathe. But we've opted for the B-side, Karl's Song, an original written in honour of former Soft Machine musician and composer Karl Jenkins, whose own music is sampled in the piece and who is a fan. Karl's Song also features vocals from Kirstie Roberts and Magenta's Christina Booth.
“Rob and I both absolutely adore the music of Sir Karl Jenkins," says Steve Balsamo. "Karl is from my hometown, Swansea, and I recently got to meet him when he filmed a piece for BBC’s The One Show as part of his 80th birthday celebrations. Karl visited where I work for the TV piece, and I got to spend time with him. I told him that I played The Armed Man to my father as he was dying, and Karl, very movingly, said how often he’s told stories like this — and how much they move him .We sampled a piece from The Armed Man — Kyrie — and wrote a song around it. We sent it to him for approval, and he said it was ‘very clever.’ We were chuffed to bits."
AISLES - BLUE SKIES
Chilean prog quintet AIsles are dropping some definite Leprous vibes on their brand new single, Blue Skies. That's thanks in no small part to new vocalist Boris Seeder, who makes his recorded debut with the band on the new single. He replaced the previous singer, Israel Gil, who stepped down from the band in 2023. The band will venture over to the UK for live dates in November.
“This is the first song we worked as a full band since Boris joined a year ago," says guitarist German Vergera. "We feel empowered with this new lineup and the new music we have made together. Blue Skies is a song about how someone thinks about the person they love, without knowing where they are or how they are. Due to unknown circumstances, these two people are separated. It's a love song about the value of inner life and subjectivity.”
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