It's Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week! Six brand new and diverse slices of progressively inclined music for you to enjoy.
A big well done to Halifax (North of England Halifax, btw, not Nova Scotia) post-rockers L.O.E., whose Carl Sagan-inspired A New Consciousness eventually triumphed last week, facing some stiff competition from French proggers Edenya and with Italian instrumental psychedelic rockers Da Captain Trips in a very respectable third place.
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.
IHLO - REPLICA
Scottish prog trio Ihlo, Andy Robison, Phil Monro, and Clark McMenemy, release their second album, Legacy, through post-progressive label Kscope on August 29. Replica is the band's second single to be taken from the upcoming album, a mix of brooding, slow-building atmosphere and a bombastic conclusion. It captures the band's essence perfectly and should appeal to both old and young prog fans.
“Written only months after the completion of the debut album, Replica became an instant fan favourite at live shows," the band state. "Finessed through energetic performances on the road and with some final additions in the studio, Replica represents the versatility and sudden dynamic shifts found on the album. The main themes are evocative and atmospheric, and the breakdown showcases an aggression previously unheard from the band. Knowing how well it was received in its debut on the In Stasis live EP, we’re very excited to present it in its final intended form!"
OUR OCEANS - GOLDEN RAIN
Dutch prog trio Our Oceans return with a brand new single, Golden Rain. It's their first new music for five years, since they released their second album, While Time Disappears in 2020. The trio - singer and guitarist Tymon Kruidenier and his former Exivious bassist Robin Zielhorst and drummer Yuma van Eekelen - will release their new studio album Right Here, Right Now, through Long Branch Records on October 24.
"After finishing While Time Disappears, I knew immediately that I wanted to create something lighter and more uplifting," Kruidenier comments. "Golden Rain was the first song I wrote with that intention, and it perfectly captured the vibe I was aiming for. It was also the song we jammed out the most as a band, not only to refine the arrangement, but also to develop a production template for the rest of the album. With that in mind, it felt only natural for it to be the album’s opening track."
DISCIPLINE - WHEN NIGHT CALLS TO DAY
Detroit progressive rock veterans Discipline will release Breadcrumbs, their ambitious new studio album, through Progrock.com's Essentials label on August 1, from which comes first single, When Night Calls To Day. It's their first new album for eight years (predecessor Captives Of The Wine Dark Sea saw the light of day in 2017), and has been mixed by legendary producer Terry Brown (Rush, Fates Warning) and features new cover art from Hugh Syme. The quartet will play a special album launch show at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, Michigan on August 16.
“This album represents some of our most ambitious compositions,” says vocalist and keyboardist Mattyhew Parmenter. “We’re excited to share it with both longtime listeners and new audiences.”
RAPHAEL WEINROTH-BROWNE - POSSESSION
Canadian cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne is back with another new single, the Eastern vibe of Possession, which features on his upcoming album, Lifeblood, which is released on October 3. Until now, Weinroth-Browne has worked with the likes of Leprous and has shared stages with Evanescence, Apocalyptica, Devin Townsend and opened for artists ranging from Polish neoclassical pianist Hania Rani to Nordic folk ensemble SKÁLD and UK legends Soft Machine.
"With Possession, I wanted to combine Arabic-inspired melodies and heavy grooves with the haunting, gothic atmosphere of Opeth and the cold, almost alien atonality of Meshuggah," says Browne. "This track originated as an improvised jam in maqam Saba, a scale associated with sadness and lamentation that appears in both Turkish and Arabic music. This early incarnation of the piece became a viral reel on Instagram before I decided to turn it into a fully-fledged composition. I feel that 'Possession' encapsulates my diverse influences and remains one of my most succinct and direct musical statements."
AMORPHIS - BONES
Moody Finnish prog metallers Amorphis recently announced they would release their brand new studio album, Borderland, through Reigning Phoenix Music on September 26. The rifftastic Bones is the second single taken from the upcoming album, a pounding heavy rocker that mixes a thunderous riff with a typical catchy chorus from the band. Perhaps a bit heavy for those with more sensitive ears, fans of heavier prog should love it.
“As a starting point, I wanted to prove that even a keyboard player can create an Amorphis song which is based on a heavy riff, and to everyone's surprise, Bones turned out to be the heaviest Borderland song,” reveals keyboardist Santeri Kallio.
DAVE PEN - NO HIDING
Frontman for London modern prog trio Archive as well as half of art rock duo Birdpen, Dave Pen will release his second solo album, Life Inside The Feeder Mind, on October 10, four years after Abran Wish & The Light Party, a conceptual record that marked his solo debut. A man with Pen's musical pedigree, his solo work is also of interest to some prog fans, veering towards the experimental art rock end of the spectrum. The brooding six-minute No Hiding single is a perfect example.
“I wrote No Hiding at a time when I couldn’t help but see images of the things I love being burnt and turning black,” Pen explains. “Sometimes things come out dark and you have to let them worm their way out, face what you’re scared of, take a breath, stand up and hold on. I feel this is what this song does.
"These new songs come from a dark and often confused state of mind. Our world is one of continued reminders of growing uncertainty, so I used the writing of them as some sort of sonic therapy. After all, aren’t all our brains in constant feed mode, with our mouths wide open to be drip-fed fear and worry, with just an occasional morsel of hope?”
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