We're back with another new Tracks Of The Week. Six new and diverse pieces of progressive music for you to enjoy.
But before that, a heart well done and a slap on the back to the Canadian prog metal quintet from Chilliwack in British Columbia, Medevil, who's Pray For Me edged ahead of German prog guitarist Martin Miller late on the day, with UK prog rockers Random Earth Project in 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 Prog's 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.
So get watching. And get voting at the bottom of the page.
Tame Impala - Wings Of Time
It's probably fair to say that Tame Impala's more recent excursions in to electronica haven't been as well received by some on the prog community than their earlier psych sounds. They may find this new track, recorded for the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, to their liking.
“Being asked to do a track for the D&D soundtrack seemed like an unmissable opportunity to indulge in my long time love of fantasy prog rock,” says Tame Impala's Kevin Parker. “I recruited my good friend Nicholas Allbrook, who is the person I know appreciates this subject matter the most. We rented a villa in Spain, that kind of felt like a castle, for two nights whilst on tour for Primavera. That location got us in the right frame of mind and it went from there. We stayed up late coming up with weird ideas and song lyrics.”
Dødheimsgard - Abyss Perihelion Transit
Still, if some prog fans get a bit sniffy about Tame Impala, how might they feel about Norwegian avant-garde rockers Dødheimsgard. Let's find out with their exploratory and occasionally extreme ten-minute long new track Abyss Perihelion Transit. It's the first single to be taken from the quartet's upcoming album Black Medium Current, which will be released through Peaceville records on April 14.
“The whole album revolves subjectively around perception, experience, psychology, objective/subjective reality vs external pressure, tropes, taboos, the laws of motion/causality which influences one’s life," explains vocalist and guitarist Vicotnik. "The subjective perception of reality vs the objective causal effects of reality and how they are bound interact. Epistemological dualism.”
Oïkoumen - Insidious
Insidious is taken from Dystopia, the new album from French prog metal trio Oïkoumen. The trio, founded by singer and composer Elie V. and lyricist Laura M. back in 2017, who were then joined by bass player and synths programmer Yael F. in 2018, take their name from the Greek word "oïkoumene" which refers to the known and habitable world. It is also a notion related to mankind and its relationships with its environment.
The band, who released their self-titled debut EP in 2020, cite Dystopia as a concept album about the anxiety generated by receiving all day long (bad) news from all around the world, from ecological and economic to human issues.
Ascher - What The World Can't Give
Ascher are a new prog rock quartet hailing from the USA who have released their debut album, Beginnings, today. The band features Doug Bowers (guitars/keys/bass/vocals), Blake Dickeson (rhythm guitar), Rob Perez (lead guitar), and Kyle Graves (vocals).
Beginnings features five instrumental pieces and four songs, ranging from the opening instrumental title track to guitar-driven rock, vintage keyboard wizardry, and a lofty hook-laden ballads.
Sunbeam Overdrive - Out Of Plato's Cave
Hailing from Marseille, France, quartet Sunbeam Overdrive mix prog rock with more modern influences, and released their debut album Diama earlier this year, from which comes this powerful single Out Of Plato's Cave.
“It’s a very energetic piece with djent and progressive accents to compliment Plato’s allegory of the Cave," the band state, "describing how difficult it is to look away from the illusions that easily feed our minds, to stand your ground when everyone around you thinks you’re a fool, to look for the light, for elevation, for the truth, and have the strength to keep your eyes and soul open when it hits you.”
Toadstone - Sacrifice
And now for something completely different, but hey, isn't that the beauty of modern day progressive music? Gloucestershire folk prog band, Toadstone released their second album Cernunnos earlier this year, from which comes this song, Sacrifice, evoking memories of Pentangle, a dash of Comus and all manner of acid folk delights.
"Toadstone continue to explore and refine their unusual and ethereal folk sound, taking inspiration from folk legends and the local landscape," state the band. "This is reflected in the album’s title, Cernunnos, referring to a Celtic nature god."
