Cocojoey – Stars
Recommended for fans of: Sophie, iwrestledabearonce, Electric Callboy
Picked by: Dave

What do the genres bitpop, digital fusion, j-pop, hardcore breaks, and cybergrind all have in common? They all play a central role on STARS, the latest release by Chicago artist Cocojoey. To call STARS eclectic would be an understatement, but don’t mistake Cocojoey’s eclecticism for a lack of intention or focus: every song features compositional breadcrumbs to give direction among the chaos, hinting at central melodies in introductory moments and recontextualizing ideas in both the more melodic and intense settings. Additionally, STARS’ instrumentation intertwines with its utterly relatable lyricism. The end product is a glimpse into a chaotic internal world where unbridled technicolor glee is used as a tool to fight off a volcanic fury that builds inside when left to reflect on the injustices imposed on us. Alongside this, though, STARS is just fun: a lighthearted and optimistic streak often cuts through the heavy lyricism, particularly on tracks like “INFUSION BAbY”, whose chorus sounds like an unimaginably frenetic magical girl transformation, or “MIDNIGHT LICKING HOURS”, a song about Cocojoey’s cat that features a playful and dancey VGM beat. Overall, Cocojoey does an amazing job of synthesizing STARS’ ideas in a way that is hyperactive, maximalist, and compositionally brilliant.

Recommended tracks: TIME TO GO!, THE I LIKE SONG, hearth<3, COCOJOEY’S LACK OF REGRETS
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Glass Garden – Desperate Little Messages
Recommended for fans of: Thank You Scientist, daoud
Picked by: Claire

If you’ve ever listened to jazz pop and found yourself thinking “this is good, but it could really use a rapper’, then boy, do I have an album for you! Desperate Little Messages, a winsome sophomore effort from New Jersey’s Glass Garden, is clever and catchy, with a rapper/singer duo whose deliveries range from whimsical to intimate to tongue-in-cheek from one breath to the next. Thank You Scientist’s fingerprints are all over, too, with several of their members on Glass Garden’s roster. The playful bass lines, swinging brass, and piano-forward textures are irresistible, and these Desperate Little Messages are delivered in a package that’s as tightly assembled as it is gently unguarded.

Recommended tracks: Making Space; Sleepy, Hollow; Will-of-Whispers
Related links: Spotify | original review

The Dear Hunter – North American EP
Recommended for fans of: Coheed and Cambria, Closure in Moscow, The Reign of Kindo, Bear Ghost
Picked by: Ian

Plenty of bands can release good stuff when they’re trying their hardest – putting their absolute all into making something truly special. But you know a band is truly talented when even the throwaway collections of bits and bobs they toss out on a whim are genuinely excellent. This tie-in EP to The Dear Hunter‘s recently released “North American Tour” mockumentary is not their magnum opus, and it sure as hell isn’t trying to be. What it is is an absurdly fine-tuned, breezy collection of five standalone bops from one of the best bands in prog right now, freed from the burden of trying to make their usual grand, conceptual fare and let loose to make something just plain fun. From the tight, intricate grooves of “Classic Wrock” to the kickass horn-and-guitar breakdown of “Shlammin’ Salmon” to the dreamy, blissful “Burritokyo”, these songs are seriously great despite their silly titles, blending the tight “future funk” style of their previous record Antimai with a looser, more psychedelic vibe. If this is the quality The Dear Hunter can put out for a humble little EP, their upcoming proper full-length Sunya is set to be absolutely stellar.

Recommended tracks: Shlammin’ Salmon, Burritokyo
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

McKinley Dixon – Magic, Alive! (jazz rap)
Combining excellent jazz beats with poignant lyricism and a great cast of guests, McKinley Dixon proves again he should be the face of jazz rap.
[picked by: Andy] 

Insania – The Great Apocalypse (power metal)
Classic EUPM that isn’t a self parody is increasingly rare these days, but Insania have hit the sweet spot. Cheesy singalong choruses and shreddy solos galore, these Swedes take bombastic fun to heights it hadn’t yet reached this year.
[picked by: Andy] 

The post Our June 2025 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Vildhjarta – + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar +
Recommended for fans of: Meshuggah, Frontierer, Humanity’s Last Breath, Car Bomb
Picked by: Justin

Vildhjarta lift their gaze to the stars on + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar +, the result being a sonic equivalent of clandestine constellational cartography, fanatically surveying a strange, foreign sky. A budding new tonality within thall is eagerly explored, superimposed on an elevated backdrop of genre fundamentals that Vildhjarta themselves pioneered over a decade earlier. Like every Vildhjarta release before it, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + marks the largest evolution of sound within thall in years, an inspired rhythmic and tonal ideological proliferation. 

Well, either that, or Andy’s right and it’s no different from AI generated slop. Listen and decide for yourself, that’s what music is all about anyway.

Recommended tracks: + Två vackra svanar +, + Sargasso +, + Den spanska känslan +
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Vauruvã – Mar de Deriva
Recommended for fans of: Wolves in the Throne Room, Panopticon, Kaatayra, Mare Cognitum
Picked by: Andy

Caio Lemos, the man behind Bríi, Kaatayra, Vauruvã (among others), is no stranger to the blog: Mar de Deriva is the seventh album I’ve reviewed of his since being tenured here in 2022. The record runs with Lemos’ patented formula of atmospheric black metal, mixing in acoustic guitars, Brazilian rhythms, clean vocals, and tranquil synths, but the vibes he curates on Mar de Deriva are new to this album in his extensive discography. Dwelling in a hazy dreaminess, Mar de Deriva is stunningly surreal, and drifting away while listening to the record is the premier listening experience to be had in 2025 so far. Turn Mar de Deriva on and let it wash over you. 

Recommended tracks: Os Caçadores, As Selvas Vermelhas No Planeta dos Eminentes
Related links: Bandcamp | Instagram | original review

SubLunar – A Random Moment of Stillness
Recommended for fans of: Riverside, Lunatic Soul, Porcupine Tree, Airbag
Picked by: Doug

[Editor’s note: this album released in April, but various dark forces conspired against posting the review in a timely fashion, so we’re including it in this month’s post.]

When I first heard the opening bars of A Random Moment of Stillness, I was instantly transported back to my early days of exploring progressive music in high school. SubLunar’s gentle yet melancholy vibe plays in the same emotional space popularized by Riverside, with a particular similarity to the sonically straightforward but compositionally deep structure of Memories in My Head. Although these inevitable comparisons must be acknowledged, I encourage you not to view them as a negative judgment. SubLunar offer a talented homage to a very particular style of heavy progressive rock, but by virtue of the love they show for that era and the skill with which they write and perform music, A Random Moment of Stillness provides a beautiful and welcome hit of nostalgia rather than feeling like a rote or unoriginal cash-in on someone else’s work. In addition, SubLunar build a slightly different atmosphere with their greater emphasis on spacey post-rock influences, one which better complements the existential doubts raised by the album’s lyrics. The experience of confronting the fleeting nature of your own mortal existence might not immediately call to mind a lot of positive adjectives, but there’s a strange comfort in the gloomy ambiance backed by high quality lyricism and musicianship. As long as you’re prepared for an introspective journey, settle in for a listen and let the gentle darkness soothe the pain of living for a while.

You might also like: Unmanned, Falling Upwards, Attract / Deter, A Sun Blur
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia
Recommended for fans of: Bad Omens, Spiritbox, Dayseeker, Bastille
Picked by: Vince

Even In Arcadia further taps the vein of the masked cohort’s decadent brand of alt-pop and metal, seasoning the vintage with surprising notes of reggaeton and world music alongside tried-and-true progressive additions like saxophone. Drummer II is once more a highlight as he spiders his way across trip-hop dance beats, melancholic pianos, and crushing guitars, adding architectural flair to the band’s non-euclidean structures, while Vessel supplies heart and hurt aplenty with his sundering croons and impassioned shrieks—a clarion call to summon the hosts of Houses both Feathered and Veridian. Take Me Back To Eden was always going to be a tough act to follow; Sleep Token’s pop and metal formulas crystalized so perfectly as to create a near-flawless gem, one whose allure still burns deep two years on. Even In Arcadia doesn’t quite reach those same meteoric heights—fans hoping for another balanced helping may feel a way about the increased focus on more “mainstream” elements—but that hasn’t stopped Sleep Token from penning some of their most addictive cuts, while continuing their history of powerhouse closers with the epic “Infinite Baths.” More velvet than steel, Even In Arcadia still cuts deep, a luscious record with a lethal hold on my heart.

You might also like: Look to Windward, Emergence, Caramel, Gethsemane, Infinite Baths
Related links: Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Aesop Rock – Black Hole Superette (rap)
Handling all production duties himself as usual on his tenth album, Aesop Rock provides a vibrant, ever-shifting backdrop for his lyrically dense rapping with beats that range from relentless and frenetic to chill and jazzy. With the usual riveting, story-focused tracks (“John Something”, “Snail Zero”), a penchant for uncovering profundity in the mundane, and the occasional laugh-out-loud lyric, this is rap music that will keep you thinking (in the best possible way).
[Picked by: Claire]

The post Our May 2025 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Changeling – Changeling
Recommended for fans of: Alkaloid, Obscura, Devin Townsend, Morbid Angel, Yes
Picked by: Zach

This album is a psyop. Since I’ve listened, I’ve woken up with a new song stuck in my head every day. Today it’s the opening guitar riff and chorus of the title track, but it’s the opening homage to Princess Mononoke from “Abdication” that’s been banging around in my head the most. For those who don’t like tech-death and don’t mind harsh vocals, listen to the last two songs at the very least. Changeling even converted some of the non-tech-death heathens in our writing room, which is definitely a sign that it’s good. This is probably my favorite tech-death album since Carnosus belched out Visions of Infinihility, and I can compare both by saying they’ve got killer songwriting. Changeling are reliant on the strength of the compositions, choosing to eschew the cheap thrills of constant blast beats and sweep picking for moments that feel earned, all while displaying the virtuosity of the team of musicians Fountainhead brought together.

Recommended tracks: Instant Results, Falling in Circles, Abyss, Anathema
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Bruit ≤ – The Age of Ephemerality
Recommended for fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, Caspian, We Lost the Sea
Picked by: Andy

This is the single greatest post-rock album of all time, I said it. Between the most crushing, emotionally freeing climaxes I’ve ever heard and gorgeous classical and electronic buildups, The Age of Ephemerality is breathless and sublime. Each track builds and builds until they touch God, and then they keep going higher. With an electric guitar ensemble recorded in the resonant space of a church, a full string quartet, a quartet of horns, several masterful synth players and programmers, and a wickedly tight drummer, Bruit ≤ have a clear frontrunner for album of the year.

Recommended tracks: Progress / Regress, Technoslavery / Vandalism, The Intoxication of Power
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

Messa – The Spin
Recommended for fans of: Windhand, Chelsea Wolfe, Pijn, Latitudes
Picked by: Doug

Growing as an artist comes with the risk that that growth will incur a cost to the artist’s identity as a performer. Not so for Messa; the fourth outing from this Italian bluesy doom metal group remains as hauntingly beautiful as ever. As their complex potion of stylistic influences has bubbled away over the years, it’s condensed down to a supernatural potency that reflects the band’s continually expanding musical talents. The Spin further elevates Messa’s presentation to a state of transcendence through a mix of precise, technical instrumental work and Sara Bianchin’s tragically emotional singing. The band members share the spotlight for a combination of stirring choruses and otherworldly solos, and the grand culmination of their efforts for the absolutely stellar climax of “The Dress” will leave you wondering where this kind of music has been all your life. Well, wonder no longer—it’s right here!

Recommended tracks: Void Meridian, Immolation, The Dress, Thicker Blood
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Tómarúm – Beyond Obsidian Euphoria
For fans of: Ne Obliviscaris, An Abstract Illusion, Fallujah, Wilderun
Picked by: Cory

With Beyond Obsidian Euphoria, Tómarúm envisioned a work frighteningly large in scope and shaped it into an intricate, immersive, and highly rewarding behemoth of an album. This seventy-minute journey is intense and requires quite a bit of commitment and focus. But Tómarúm provide plenty of hooks and lighter instrumental passages that serve as aural footholds, allowing you to regroup along the way. The resulting experience is wondrous and sure to please anyone who enjoys epic prog death in the vein of Ne Obliviscaris or An Abstract Illusion.

Recommended tracks: Shed This Erroneous Skin, The Final Pursuit of Light
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Black Country, New Road – Forever Howlong
For fans of: The Beatles, black midi, Keller Williams, Steve Reich, Love, The Beach Boys, The Smile
Picked by: Cooper

If you know anything about me, you’re probably not surprised to see Black Country, New Road appear as my Album of the Month, but if you know anything about BCNR you’d realize that my love for this album wasn’t as guaranteed as it seems in hindsight. Thankfully, BCNR stick the landing in regards to switching vocalists and have once again delivered a masterful array of baroque pop instant classics. While still containing a healthy helping of post-punk angst, Forever Howlong sees the band exploring their sensitive side as vocals become the soft gooey core of nearly every track. While Forever Howlong may not reach the same heights as its predecessor Ants from Up There, it carves a new space entirely—one softer, stranger, and equally beautiful.

Recommended tracks: Two Horses, For the Cold Country, Nancy Tries to Take the Night
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Sumac, Moor Mother – The Film
Recommended for fans of: Isis, Neurosis, Chat Pile, Thou, Mizmor
Picked by: Dave

Led by squealing, atonal improvisation, The Film is about as musically deconstructed as a metal record can get—I can count the number of conventional sludge passages across its runtime on one hand. Yet, in its wailing dissonance and amorphous improv sections, a sharp focus emerges. Moor Mother‘s spellbinding spoken word guides a vast majority of The Film, delivered with a fervor that crests by its end into an apocalyptic fury. There’s a strong attention to detail and intentionality in its improvisation: even small bits like the frantic chime jingling in the extended instrumental break of “Scene 5: Breathing Fire” exude a rhythmic punctuation when listened to closely. What The Film lacks in conventional melody and song structure it makes up for many times over in sheer brilliance both compositional and lyrical.

Recommended tracks: Scene 2: The Run, Camera, Scene 5: Breathing Fire
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Felgrave – Otherlike Darknesses
Recommended for fans of: Stargazer, Timeghoul, The Ruins of Beverast
Picked by: Justin

Sprawlingly ambitious and truly singular; Otherlike Darknesses transcends the boundaries of death/doom metal, bringing to life a breathtaking vision of longform progressive songwriting, ever-evolving motifs, gripping textural soundscaping, and the most satisfying full album experience of the year so far for my tastes. I absolutely adore albums that have such massive ambitions, and artists who are brave enough to attempt to put them to record. Even if they fall short (they almost always do), the pure conceit behind the vision is such an awe-inspiring experience that the shortcomings end up not mattering, or even becoming singular quirks that turn into strengths over a long enough period of time. Felgrave has created one such record, my only gripe with it being: “there’s not enough of it”. Otherlike Darknesses is going to be the album to beat for 2025, and has the potential to land itself a 10/10 if it holds up over the year. Can’t recommend this one enough.

Recommended tracks: Winds Batter My Keep
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Belnejoum – Dark Tales of Zarathustra
Recommended for fans of: Nile, Ne Obliviscaris, Fleshgod Apocalypse
Picked by: Daniel

With Dark Tales of Zarathustra, fantastical themes blend with grandiose orchestration and blistering blackened death metal to summon quite a compelling debut for Belnejoum—a band made up of both underground talents and members of well known groups including Fleshgod Apocalypse, Nile, and Annihilator. Drawing heavily from ancient Persian myth, the release conjures apocalyptic heavy tracks in almost equal measure with pensive interludes, making Dark Tales a meticulously crafted journey through flame and shadow, wrapped in a distinctly modern extreme metal sound.

Recommended tracks: Tower of Silence, On Aeshmas Wings, Upon the Mortal Blight
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Dormant Ordeal – Tooth and Nail
Recommended for fans of: Decapitated, Behemoth, Ulcerate
Picked by: Cory

Tooth and Nail is pummeling and relentless death metal, yet still elegant and accessible. With a guitar tone that rips your insides out and vocals that speak venom into your soul, the experience is a visceral one. But Dormant Ordeal deftly wield subtle changes in rhythm and slight melodic hooks to keep the ear amidst the sonic battering. Add in the tasteful use of dissonance, beautifully clear production that retains plenty of character, and an inhuman drum performance, and you get a truly addictive album. Perhaps a glutton for punishment, I’ve returned to Tooth and Nail more than any other LP this year.

Recommended tracks: Horse Eater, Ophans, Everything That Isn’t Silence Is Trivial
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review coming soon

Non-Subway Picks

Thornhill – Bodies (alternative metal, metalcore, nu metal)
The Australian quartet complete the synthesis begun on sophomore album, Heroine (2022), brewing a batch of heady, grinding alternative metal chased with shots of earworm metalcore and luxurious trip-hop to create one addictive cocktail. A sweet taste on my musical palate I haven’t been able to shake since first sip.
[picked by: Vince] 

Kaki King – Tutto Passa (post-rock, flamenco, atmospheric)
Kaki King’s signature style of flamenco-ish acoustic guitar (think Rodrigo y Gabriela, Jon Gomm, or Andy McKee) is back with this genre-spanning EP. While recent releases have fallen a bit flat, Tutto Passa is somehow a return to form while also breaking new ground for King, expanding into more atmospheric territory than usual. Tutto Passa is like a long train journey: watch different landscapes pass by with the clicking-clacking of the wheels underneath.
[picked by: Ishmael] 

Skrillex – Fuck U Skrillex You Think Ur Andy Warhol but Ur Not!! <3 (hybrid trap, brostep, dubstep) 
Umm wtf. What is Skrillex doing here? This thirty-six track album flows as a single piece, and while it’s a little cringe at times, it’s so energetic and fun it more than makes up for it by just being a banger. 
[picked by: Andy] 

Natalia Lafourcade – Cancionera (chamber folk)
Long one of my favorite musicians in the world, Lafourcade continues the style of her last album, magnum opus De Todas las Flores. That is, wonderful jazz-infused chamber folk. This time she has a full orchestral ensemble, and everything was recorded in one take with all musicians present right in the studio. She continues to create her legacy. 
[picked by: Andy] 

The post Our April 2025 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

We’ve got something to satisfy all tastes: versatile post-metal, the return of one of prog-death’s most underrated one-man projects, the biggest band in black metal, some minimal listenable folk, the comeback of prog rock’s main man, the comeback of the biggest band in poppy prog metal, some rather tasty jazz fusion prog metal, the return of the biggest avant-garde black metal outfit in the scene, doom drone for big fuckin’ weirdos, a cocktail of blackened hardcore, your monthly dose of dissodeath, weird Lovecraftian prog black, and a thing we forgot from last month! And in addition to all that we’ve got a bunch of non-Subway picks of the stuff beyond the prog world that you should check out. Surely at least one of those piqued your interest? Hit play on the playlist, have a browse, we’ve got choooons for dayzzzz.

Dessiderium – Keys to the Palace
For fans of: Opeth, Wintersun, Devin Townsend, Ne Obliviscaris, Disillusion, Kardashev
Picked by: Zach 

Dessiderium’s Alex Haddad has returned with a massive stylistic shift. Moving away from his love affair with Opeth, Haddad has opted to lean further into his JRPG soundtrack influences with a healthy scoop of Strapping Young Lad-era Devin Townsend. The result is a massive, sixty-two minute odyssey of computerized string sections, grooving riffs, and triumphant, belted clean vocals. A far cry from the murky atmosphere and black metal stylings of Aria, yet uniquely Dessiderium all the same. Keys to the Palace tells the cautionary tale of childhood innocence lost through juxtaposed synth swirls and the heaviest riffs Haddad has ever written. This is Dessiderium at its most maximalist and dramatic, but undoubtedly, the most crystal clear picture of Haddad’s vision for the project. 

Recommended tracks: Dover Hendrix, Pollen for the Bees, Keys to the Palace, Magenta
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
Recommended for fans of: Lantlôs, Møl, Sadness, Harakiri for the Sky
Picked by: Dylan

Deafheaven’s Lonely People With Power brought back all the attention that the band garnered from their iconic 2013 album Sunbather. And for good reason, for it’s one of the most complete blackgaze LPs I’ve come across. From minute one, it’s immersive, epic, relentlessly heavy yet also intelligent enough to understand when to scale back and let the song breathe. Lonely People with Power includes some of Deafheaven’s heaviest tracks to date, which bring forward unbelievable performances from all musicians in the band. Its seamless flow and three-act structure make for a cinematic experience, phenomenal to close your eyes to as it swallows you into its exploration of humanity’s neverending search for power and the consequences it has brought them. Whether you’re into blackgaze, prog, or just music in general, Lonely People WIth Power will surely strike a chord with anyone who gives it a fair shot. 

Recommended tracks: Revelator, Winona
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

The Overmold – The Overmold
Recommended for fans of: Krallice, Khanate, Sunn O)))
Picked by: Justin

The Overmold’s “The Overmold” (The Overmold) is a massive slab of experimental doom/drone metal that has ended up becoming my favorite listening experience of the year so far. Mick Barr (Krallice) and Tim Wyskida (Khanate) fuse together their respective brands of avante-garde songwriting to create a pensive, intimate experience. At times expertly restrained, other times explosively bombastic, “The Overmold” explores improvisation, dynamics and rubato in a way not often heard in metal and metal-adjacent music. Three shorter vignettes follow that allow the duo to explore their sound in a more structured environment, cementing The Overmold as a truly unique exploration of big fuckin weirdo songcraft. 

Recommended tracks: The Overmold
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

Steven Wilson – The Overview
Recommended for fans of: Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Tangerine Dream, John Hopkins
Picked by: Christopher

If modern progressive rock has a figurehead, then it’s surely Steven Wilson, and while he’s been experimenting a bit more with pop and electronica feeling on recent outings, The Overview saw him return to his erstwhile home. Comprised of two epic suites meditating on cosmic perspective, and channelling a wealth of 70s classic prog influences and filtering them through his own inimitable prism, Wilson treats us to an odyssey through a variety of sonic vistas. On “Objects Outlive Us” the prog rock reigns while on “The Overview” electronica underpins everything, and the production throughout is the best you’ll hear all year. This is easily Wilson’s best album since Hand Cannot Erase (and I say that as a defender of The Harmony Codex and To The Bone), and it’s one of his most audacious musical experiments to date. 

Recommended tracks: there’s only two, but if you’ve only got time for one then go for Objects Outlive Us  
Related links: Spotify | original review

BÅKÜ – Soma
Recommended for fans of: Cult of Luna, Amenra, Neurosis
Picked by: William

SOMA, the debut offering of French act BÅKÜ, makes a bold first impression. Haunting thrums fill an impossibly empty space as the listener studies the psychedelic album art. They are swaddled in an intriguing, blistering cold. Synthetic chirps noodle in and out like sensory floaters. Drums kick in. A man hollers, and then a different man recounts the results of a sleep study. Such is the bizarre variety of SOMA. Each track is one of a five-part suite, simply titled “OPPOSITE”. Between the transient familiarity of post-metal churn, BÅKÜ gives us black metal riffs, a hardcore breakdown, an ASMR section (seriously). The composition spins a delicate trapeze—it is long-winded and entrancing without ever falling into dull repetition. Fans of heavy, sludgy fare who are willing to embrace the ordeal of post-metal will find a serious gem in this record. Those who need no convincing will enjoy a captivating take on the genre.

Recommended tracks: OPPOSITE 3, OPPOSITE 5
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe
Recommended for fans of: Closure in Moscow, The Dear Hunter
Picked by: Chris

I made it clear in my original review of TFoMB that while Coheed is my favorite band, I’d had some misgivings with aspects of the latest Vaxis saga of records between songs that were too long in the tooth and songs that fell too much into the radio rock territory. TFoMB felt much like a return to form for the band, and if anything I like it even more weeks after its release. A great record, it’s progressive in the sense that the band take themselves through a multitude of sounds and feels without losing the plot or their sense of self, and a return of more guitar based riffing and melodies really brings this record to a higher station than recent efforts. TFoMB maintains that Coheed feeling of a pop base hiding behind a guitar-driven prog rock veneer, and that combination is just too sweet for me to not gobble up.

Recommended tracks: Goodbye Sunshine, The Father of Make Believe, Play the Poet
Related links: Spotify | original review

Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar
Recommended for fans of: Gorguts, Charles Mingus, Oranssi Pazuzu, Blut Aus Nord, Ulcerate
Picked by: Andy 

My darling Imperial Triumphant are back with another NYC-themed opus, the package tighter and meaner than ever without sacrificing too much of their characteristic weirdness. Never shy to riff hard, it seems that the power trio have upped their game tenfold in the past couple years. With brainy highlights like “Hotel Sphinx” and “Rot Moderne” to counteract the brute force of “Gomorrah Nouveaux” and “NEWYORKCITY,” there’s something for everybody (assuming you can withstand a great deal of dissonance. Have a gold star, Imperial Triumphant. You’ve earned it. 

Recommended tracks: Gomorrah Nouveaux, Hotel Sphinx, Rot Moderne, Industry of Misery
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Chercán – Chercán
For fans of: Vulkan, Thank You Scientist, The Mars Volta
Picked by: Doug

For their self-titled debut, Chercán could be said to imitate a number of other prog bands, but the borrowed styles take on a life of their own in the Chilean band’s capable hands. Starting from psychedelia-laced progressive rock akin to Vulkan, the additional layers of saxophone and strings bring a distinctive timbre to Chercán’s sound, and a unique flexibility to take on a wide range of influences including the realms of jazz, folk, and beyond. Offering sweet mystery and romance, lively and uplifting jazz, and even some aggressive, almost shouted angst, Chercán is a thrill from start to finish.

Recommended tracks: Tiempos Paralelos, Relato De Una Obsesión (both parts), 7 Colores
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Smiqra – Rɡyaɡ̇dźé!
Recommended for fans of: Ὁπλίτης, Car Bomb, Blut Aus Nord, Plebeian Grandstand, Frontierer
Picked by: Cooper

Ever since Ὁπλίτης’s 2024 masterpiece Π​α​ρ​α​μ​α​ι​ν​ο​μ​έ​ν​η, I’ve been on the lookout for new releases from the black metal mastermind J.L. behind the album, but it turns out he thought he could trick me by releasing music under a different name! Thankfully, I’m much too clever because J.L. (now called Smiqra) picks up right where Π​α​ρ​α​μ​α​ι​ν​ο​μ​έ​ν​η left off with Rɡyaɡ̇dźé!, but instead of the primal mysticism that ran through the last album, this new album is fraught with raw intensity. Pounding drums, shrieking sax and synthesizers, and angular guitars combine into a slurry of hardcore and black metal that knocks the listener down and keeps kicking.

Recommended tracks: qa-si-re-u!
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Burning Palace – Elegy
Recommended for fans of: Ulcerate, Artificial Brain
Picked by: Andy

Dissodeath can sometimes get a bit lost in the ambiance and forget the death metal part. Burning Palace sure haven’t. While cerebral time signature changes and alien guitar parts, the group relentlessly punish with shockingly heavy riffs from the Replicant and Wormhole school of dissonance. With Ulcerate-ish cracks of melody seeping through, Elegy’s got it all. A fine hour for dissodeath and riff lovers, indeed.

Recommended tracks: Malignant Dogma, Awakening Extinction (Eternal Eclipse), Sunken Veil, Elegy
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review coming soon

Cthuluminati – Tentacula
Recommended for fans of: Oranssi Pazuzu, Ved Buens Ende, A Forest of Stars, Arcturus, Enslaved
Picked by: Sam

To those who’ve spent enough time on the internet, the idea of silly tentacles touching you all over the place has rather…sensual connotations, but on Tentacula I promise that you can rest assured because this sensuality goes no further than the ears. The goofy goobers at Cthuluminati have spread their tentacles across a multitude of disparate genres: from black metal, to psychedelic rock, to post-metal, to horror synth, and of course, prog. Molded in unpredictable, yet strongly cohesive songwriting with glorious peaks and enthrallingly spooky valleys, Tentacula is a bewildering album in all the right ways.

Recommended tracks: Cthrl, Abysmal Quatrain, The Illusion of Control
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Wÿntër Ärvń – Sous l’Orage Noir – L’Astre et la Chute
Recommended for fans of: Empyrium, Vàli, Ulver’s Kveldssanger, The Moon and the Nightspirit
Picked by: Dave

Like Wardruna’s Birna back in January, Sous l’Orage Noir – L’Astre et la Chute has been a soothing balm for me in a period of duress and uncertainty. Sous l’Orage Noir is comprised of dark folk compositions that wind around pastoral ideas, occasionally stretching its tendrils into darker and more ominous territories through the use of sharp dissonance and harsh vocals. Even in the face of its more intense elements, Sous l’Orage Noir never loses its sense of delicacy as each track gingerly moves from idea to idea; the backing instruments gently introduce texture to the pieces and often engage in elegant dance with the guitars through counterpoint. Additionally, the vocal performances are all spectacular, whether it be Wÿntër Ärvń’s harshes, Judith de Lotharingie’s clean vocals, or the myriad chants that accentuate passages. Overall, Sous l’Orage Noir is an endlessly replayable and forward-thinking record that stretches just that bit more into dark folk’s black metal roots.

Recommended tracks: Un Voile sur l’Azur, Appelé à l’Abîme, Vingt Ans de Brouillard, Ad Umbras
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Havukruunu – Tavastland
Recommended for fans of: Grima, Saor, Moonsorrow
Picked by: Daniel

[Editor’s note: February release but, as Daniel says, he didn’t get to it ’til March. I tried disciplining him but if anything he enjoyed the caning]

Since Tavastland arrived on the last day of February, I didn’t really get to sit with it until March. But from the moment the choral chant hit in the opening track, “Kuolematon Laulunhenki,” I felt something primal stir—a tribal feeling, resonating deep in my bones. That instinctual pull only grew stronger as the album unfolded. Towering, chest-thumping riffs; soaring, melodic solos that are memorable and even singable; raw, harsh vocals that snarl and yet are somehow strangely melodic—all give Tavastland a solid foundation that would make this a stellar black metal release with just those elements, but it does so much more. The production and mastering are some of the best I’ve ever heard in the genre, retaining that black metal coarseness but still crystal clear and giving every instrument and vocal element its rightful place in the mix—everything shines when it needs to, and nothing feels overcrowded. And of course, the recurring choral passages that cut like sunlight through a forest canopy lend the whole LP a ritualistic majesty.

Recommended tracks: Kuolematon Laulunhenki, Yönsynty, Kuoleman Oma
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

clipping. – Dead Channel Sky (experimental hip hop)
Not quite as cohesive or experimental as some of their earlier oeuvre, Dead Channel Sky is nonetheless a solid addition to clipping.‘s discography. clipping. are as punchy as ever.
[picked by: Ishmael]

Warbringer – Wrath and Ruin (thrash metal)
Now and then, I go on a kick where I just want some fast, heavy, straight-up metal ruining my eardrums. Warbringer absolutely delivers on this and more, unleashing a barrage of heavy thrash with the pacing and compositional variety to make Wrath and Ruin a holistic ass-kicker.
[picked by: Cory] 

Jefre Cantu-Ledesma – Giftsongs (ambient)
Through a hellish midterm season, I basically only listened to ambient and classical minimalism for a week straight. This gorgeous release got a lot of airtime, its delicate piano parts and sprawling compositional style perfect for zoning out to.
[picked by: Andy] 

Hexecutor – …Where Spirit Withers in Its Flesh Constraint (black metal/thrash metal)
Hexecutor continues their streak of being one of the most consistently above average bands in the black/thrash scene. …Where Spirit Withers in Its Flesh Constraint is a triumphant standout within the genre. Plus, that logo is awesome, isn’t it?
[picked by: Justin]

Devin Townsend – The Moth (progressive metal)
This one technically hasn’t found a studio release yet and we’ll review it when it does, but myself and Cory both caught the live stream and hoo-boy what an accomplishment! You can pay for the stream via onair.events and if you’re a Devy fan and haven’t, believe me, it’s worth it.
[picked by: Christopher]

The post Our March 2025 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Lorem Ipsum – Même Quand ta Main Quittera la Mienne
Recommended for fans of: Beethoven, La Dispute, In Fear and Faith, Astor Piazzolla
Picked by: Andy

Even at just thirteen minutes, Même Quand ta Main Quittera la Mienne is basically a life-changing EP. Addicting and unique, the French quartet’s take on screamo is, for all intents and purposes, perfect. Wrought with raw emotion from the vocal performance, the stellar chamber music underlying Foulon’s screams and singing is beautifully contrapuntal, with small details still revealing themselves thirty listens later. Music really doesn’t get much better; I lament that this EP is only thirteen minutes long.

Recommended tracks: all three of them
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

Jonathan Hultén – Eyes of the Living Night
Recommended for fans of: Anathema, Heilung, The Pineapple Thief, Lunatic Soul
Picked by: Ian

[Editor’s note: this album released in January but Ian was otherwise engaged so we’re tacking it onto this month’s post]

Jonathan Hultén has wandered far and wide across the musical landscape since his departure from the goth-metal realms of Tribulation, and here he has carved out his own beautiful niche: a sparkling, vibrant twilight of sound that recalls the soft yet expansive melodrama of late-era Anathema with a primal, neofolk twist. The melodies and arrangements feel ancient and timeless, and in combination with Hultén’s masterful command over vocal timbre, they can soothe a part of your soul you weren’t quite aware you had. This is music to relax one’s weary being after a taxing journey, physical or otherwise, and watch from a warm sanctuary as the short light of the eventide gives way to a dark, starlit night.

Recommended tracks: Afterlife, Riverflame, The Dream Was the Cure, The Ocean’s Arms
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Sleep Paralysis – Sleep Paralysis
Recommended for fans of: Blut Aus Nord, Imperial Triumphant, Oranssi Pazuzu
Picked by: Justin

My cohorts here at The Progressive Subway have described Sleep Paralysis as “annoying”, “grating” (that’s the point) and have given it generally low ratings. Good thing for you then, dear reader, that I am here to impart upon you the correct opinion about this album. I agree that Sleep Paralysis is a bit on the nose with its influences and lyrics, but it pulls the avant-garde black metal style off in a uniquely recognizable way that completely justifies the choices that make this album so controversial in our little circle. Listen and decide for yourself whether or not you agree with my opinion; either way, I am one review closer to assimilating this website into “The Progressive Subway Plus Justin Rambling in the Corner About Weirdo Death/Black Metal”. Rolls right off the tongue. 

Recommended tracks: Sleep Paralysis, Fever Dream, Helplessness
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Decline of the I – Wilhelm
Recommended for fans of: The Great Old Ones, Oranssi Pazuzu, Blut Aus Nord
Picked by: Cory

With a massive, 45-minute slab of bleak but elegant post-black metal, Decline of the I reverses the band’s titular trajectory and ascends our February ranks. Wilhelm is ambitious to say the least, layering electronic percussion, monastic chants, ethereal choirs, bowed strings, and bites of spoken philosophy into its wandering compositions. But in true sheep-dog fashion, Decline of the I herds all these elements into a coherent and compelling whole. The band accomplishes the rare feat of compromising on neither the black nor the post-metal aspects of its sound, excelling handily at both and delivering an album that stakes an early claim as one of 2025’s most impressive.

Recommended tracks: L’ Alliance Des Rats, Éros N
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Crown of Madness – Memories Fragmented
Recommended for fans of: Gorguts, Ulcerate
Picked by: Daniel

As a newer contributor to the Subway and someone who had yet to review an album I was truly gaga about, I spent the month after writing my original review second-guessing myself. Had I gone too easy on Memories Fragmented? Did I pick enough nits? Was my score too generous? Then the album dropped, and I gave it another listen—then another, and another. A week after its release, I’ve played it every single day. Spoiler alert: I absolutely did not go too easy on it. I am even more in love with the beautiful melodies that are strangled out of its contorting, dissonant guitar motifs; and the percussion’s artillery barrage still leaves me shell shocked. I want to savor this album, yet at the same time I’m already anxiously anticipating whatever Crown of Madness does next.

Recommended tracks: Sovereign Blood, Ashes of Mine, The Grand Design
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Maud the Moth – The Distaff
For fans of: Björk, Lingua Ignota, Anna von Hausswolff
Picked by: Andy

Labyrinthine and dense, The Distaff is a look into the mind of artist Amaya López-Carramero, and the album is as complicated and beautiful as thought. With self-contradicting and poetic lyricism, The Distaff’s message—lyrically and musically—is obscured, but the trip is gorgeous and evocative. Through winding compositions, eerie instrumentals, and a stellar vocal performance, Maud the Moth has positioned herself as the artist to beat for weirdo prog in 2025. 

Recommended tracks: A Temple by the River, Exuviae, Despeñaperros, Fiat Lux
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Scimitar – Scimitarium I
For fans of: Slaegt, Molten Chains, Malokarpatan, Messa
Picked by: Justin

Scimitarium I was The Progressive Subway’s February sleeper hit; none of us got around to it until pretty well into March, but all of us were instantly enamored with it. Scimitar play an arcane form of heavy metal with plenty of black metal leanings à la Negative Plane, Malokarpatan, Spirit Possession etc… Strong songwriting and brilliant structuring lends way to serpentine riffs, and the entire experience is tied together by Shaam Larein’s lilting vocal performance. Don’t sleep on this sleeper hit.

Recommended tracks: Aconitum, Hungry Hallucinations, Ophidia
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Majestica – Power Train (power metal)
Despite my general distaste for modern power metal (not for lack of wanting to love it), Majestica know the formula for a great song despite the campy cheese. You’ll love those impressive vocal lines, guaranteed.
Picked by: Andy

The post Our February 2025 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

January kicked off the year with a bang. If you like weird tribal folk stuff, you’ll be plenty pleased with a couple of our picks this month, and if that’s not your bag then we also have crescendous post metal, whiplash-inducing trad prog, intense dissonant death metal, and some folk metal with a South American twist. So whack the heating up, make yourself a drink, and kick back with our playlist while you peruse our picks. 

Wardruna – Birna
Recommended for fans of: Sowulo, Heilung, Forndom, Nytt Land
Picked by: Dave

In keeping with my reputation as a Gay Little Forest Goblin, I naturally gravitated quite heavily to Wardruna’s latest release, Birna. Posturing itself as both a retrospective of their previous work (“Hertan”, “Hibjørnen”, “Birna”) and as a springboard for evolution in their sound (“Dvaledraumar”, “Himmindotter”, “Skuggehesten”), Birna is a consummate folk release, combining powerful and larger-than-life cinematics with Animist lyricism designed to channel a more primal inner self through our relationship with the she-bear, a mystical and renowned creature throughout human history. “Dvaledraumar” in particular utilizes spacious and barren soundscaping to conjure a hazy dreamlike state, and despite its exceedingly minimal sonic palette, its atmosphere is all-encompassing and hypnotic. Additionally, “Himmindotter” and “Ljos til Jord” stand out for the opposite reason, utilizing high-energy percussion to craft utterly danceable moments that stand rooted in chthonic sensibilities. Overall, Birna is an intoxicatingly primal experience and a must-listen for those with a wilder edge.

You might also like: Nordein, De Mannen Broeders, Alora Crucible, Sangre de Muérdago + Judasz & Nahimana
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Obscure Sphinx – Emovere
Recommended for fans of: Cult of Luna, Neurosis, Tool
Picked by: Cory

More than eight years after their last studio work, post-metallers Obscure Sphinx have returned with Emovere, a thirty-minute, three-track EP. Put simply, it’s the band’s best work—and, released not one week into January, it may be the best post-metal we hear all year. Emovere’s sound centers around the dynamic vocals of Zofia “Wielebna” Fraś, whose emotive cleans and screams are a performance to behold. Surrounding her, dark, down-tuned instrumentation fluidly oscillates between crushing and beautiful, without a single passage or transition out of place. The result is a soundscape that’s awe-inspiring yet soothing, and ultimately deeply resonant. I haven’t been this taken with an EP in over a decade (since Haken’s Restoration), and I can’t wait for the band to return with a long player.

You might also like: Blindead / Blindead23, Múr, E-L-R, Cavernlight
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Labÿrinth – In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye
Recommended for fans of: Angra, (Luca Turilli/Lione’s) Rhapsody (of Fire), Symphony X
Picked by: Francesco

I don’t think it’s a risk to say that Italian power/prog metal bands are some of the best in the biz, and Tuscany’s Labÿrinth are certainly no exception. In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye has all the hallmarks of a great power metal album: memorable sing-along choruses, guitar playing at speeds a considerable fraction of c, flashy keyboard work, and the kind of double-kick drumming that would make a speeding locomotive blush. Labÿrinth are great at what they do and they love to let you know it. Remind me to add the Massa province to my next Italy travel itinerary; those hills are alive with the sound of progressive power metal music.

You might also like: DGM, Vision Divine, Michele Luppi’s Los Angeles
Related links: Spotify | original review

Discordant Meditation – Tragic Creature
Recommended for fans of: Disentomb, Morbid Angel, Gorguts
Picked by: Justin

Look, the other albums on this list are good listens, great even! But sometimes you just need your music to be a monster that hooks its claws into your chest and drags you into a pit with it. Well, Discordant Meditation is that monster, and Tragic Creature is that pit. Flurried guitar riffs weave through dense song structures; herculean drumming propels nearly every moment, and a deep, menacing vocal performance is just the cherry on top. The music is all tied together by a subtle psychedelic tinge that elevates Tragic Creature from your run-of-the-mill tech death album to one that claims a deserved spot among the best releases of January.

You might also like: Faceless Burial, Replicant, Fathomless Ritual
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Wyatt E. – Zam​ā​ru Ultu Qereb Ziqquratu Part 1
Recommended for fans of: Om, Lowen, Earth
Picked by: Andy

While I agree with my peer and good friend Dave for the majority of his excellent review of Belgian droners Wyatt E., I don’t feel the same way about the bookending tracks meandering too long in their post-metal-esque buildups. Getting lost in the journey is part of the fun, and even Zam​ā​ru Ultu Qereb Ziqquratu Part 1’s extended drones are psychedelia of the highest quality, in a league with Neptunian Maximalism (wow, what do the Belgians have in their water with regards to freaky drone??). And those middle tracks truly are superb, from the wonderful poetic narration and vocals to the shorter but still satisfying climaxes. Wyatt E. have truly done something next to impossible: written an interesting drone album. We’re going back to Mesopotamia with this one, boys.

You might also like: Sunnata, Zaum, Neptunian Maximalism, Uulliata Digir, The Ruins of Beverast
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Arraigo – Crioyo
Recommended for fans of: Salduie, Rata Blanca, Alestorm
Picked by: Claire

Fusing down-to-business heavy riffs with Argentinian cultural themes and traditional instruments, this third full-length album from Buenos Aires-based Arraigo is a lively ride. Crioyo rocks, it frolics and dances, and it even kind of swashbuckles. Not to be outdone by the folk-metal stylings of the bombo legüero, charango and co., the album’s guitar work is a nimble mix of chugging riffs and frolicsome soloing, and the vocal delivery is captivating in the band’s native Spanish. A host of infectiously catchy melodies are on offer across the album, and Arraigo doesn’t let up, throwing more and more elements at the wall for forty-two boisterously enjoyable minutes (wait, there’s trumpet now!?)

You might also like: Barloventos, Raza Truncka, Conception

Related links: Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

L.S.Dunes – Violet (Post-hardcore)
The Thursday/Circa Survive/Coheed/MCR supergroup returned this month with their sophomore effort Violet, which saw them delve more into a refined version of themselves than the original, raw, punk version from their debut. An album that sounds like the feeling of someone grabbing you by the shirt as you walk away and begging you to stay. Picked by: Chris

The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow (synth-pop)
Of all the mega popstars, this guy and Bruno Mars are the best in my expert opinion. Over a sprawling eighty-five minutes, Abel Tesfaye shows up his gorgeous tenor and elegant synth pop arrangements. When lots of pop feels vapid, Hurry Up Tomorrow is refreshingly authentic. Picked by: Andy

The post Our January 2025 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

i Häxa – i Häxa 
Recommended for fans of: Chelsea Wolfe, Massive Attack, Radiohead, Björk
Picked by: Christopher

The debut work from Rebecca Need-Menear and Peter Miles is an arrestingly unique and genre-traversing work that marries dark folk, trip-hop, art rock, ambient, and electronica influences together into a strange and arresting yet consummate brew. Sojourning into an eerie lyrical underworld, ominous strings, dread monologues, and explosive backbeats plunge the listener into a sonic black lodge where doppelgangers lurk and malign forces beckon. i Häxa sounds like it emanated out of an ancient forest and possessed its makers as conduits to its message. The crystalline production is unimpeachable rendering both voice and instruments crisp as a frosty autumn morning. An utterly unique listening experience, an astounding debut, and an album that has obsessed me, i Häxa reveals new depths with every successive listen, pulling the listener ever further into an emotive soundscape from which they may never escape.

You may also like: Ophelia Sullivan, Marjana Semkina, Mingjia
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Ungfell – De Ghörnt
Recommended for fans of: Dissection, Windir, Ulver, Immortal
Picked by: Dave

Ungfell’s De Ghörnt are a last-minute upset to my year-end list, forging a hideous, decrepit, and undeniably compelling package from meloblack, second wave, and idiosyncratic folk. Ungfell are at their best when they incorporate musical ideas which are left field for black metal, be it the myriad bass solos to be found across its runtime, the soft atmospheric keyboard breakdowns, or the occasional organ backdrop; you can rest assured that whatever the idea, it’s integrated with absolute ease. However, their execution of more standard black metal ideas deserves just as much attention, whether it be staccato riffs crashing into the listener, deft and energetic transitions between ideas, or beautiful contemplative folk interludes.

Additionally, I’d like to take a minute to discuss the album’s concept, which revolves around a hubristic hunter who climbs a mountain and encounters the Rollibock, a fearsome goat cryptid. Much to my dismay, there are no lyrics available, so it’s impossible for me to dive much deeper into the story than that. Ungfell (and any other artist reading this), if you’re going to write a concept album, I’m begging you to make the lyrics available! We’re always eager to take a deeper dive into a concept album if the lyrics are available.

You may also like: Havukruunu, Thrawsunblat, Hyperion
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

M​ú​r – M​ú​r
Recommended for fans of: Gojira, Cult of Luna, The Ocean, Textures
Picked by: Christopher

Debuts rarely come along that sound so assured and mature (the other one that came out this month that I wrote up earlier in this post and that is also a self-titled work by a band with a diacritic in their name notwithstanding), but Icelandic progressive post metal quintet M​ú​r prove their sense of vision and weight deftly enough to secure a Century Media Records signing pre-release. It’s easy to see how they managed such a coup: combining the crushing grooves of early Gojira with the layered atmospheres of Cult of Luna-esque post metal, and adding a soupçon of synths and keytar, M​ú​r come storming out the gates with a sound all of their own and a record that’ll keep you headbanging through the final stretch of 2024.

You may also like: Hippotraktor, Seyr
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Bedsore – Dreaming the Strife for Love
Recommended for fans of: Opeth (Watershed/The Last Will and Testament), Blood Incantation, Edge of Sanity
Picked by: Andy

I normally disagree with the old adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover; I find it’s a pretty reasonable way to judge a book. You can’t judge a band by its name, though, or else you’d never listen to anything. Who would have thought a band called Septicflesh would write really nice symphonic death metal? Well Bedsore, despite the disgusting images the name conjures up, perform very regal progressive death metal. Where similar contemporaries like Opeth (scroll down for my take on their latest one) and Blood Incantation actually have fun with their retro aesthetic, Dreaming the Strife for Love is much more mature with its progressive meanderings, and I find it’s absolutely delightful, from the charming blackened vocals to the gorgeous organ bits, Bedsore aren’t what you’d expect but nonetheless a must listen for prog death fans. 

You may also like: Perihelion Ship, The Anchoret, Mefitis, Sweven
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Anarchÿ – Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ
Recommended for fans of: Coroner, Annihilator, Vektor, Exmortus
Picked by: Francesco

There’s a new Anarchÿ concept album in town and this time we’re ditching Shakespeare for Space Jesus. Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ is an aggressive, progressive, and even a little bit neoclassical thrash metal album that is replete with the kinds of riffs that are sure to give you whiplash. It’s an excellent continuation of the melodic, technical sound they’ve established over the last two albums, and in my opinion, as good an album as any to start with if you’re unfamiliar with the band. With a little bit of experimentation in the acoustic landscape of Xenötech, Anarchÿ hone a listening experience that is provocative and thrilling; their distinctive sound becoming many-faceted and refined. Their lyrics are always thought-provoking even if I found the narrative idea of the album wasn’t all that interesting as a whole. But I digress; there aren’t many thrash outfits these days that are doing what Anarchÿ does on Xenötech. Certainly one of the most unique thrash metal albums released all year.

You may also like: Vexovoid, Quasarborn, VENUS
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Dragoncorpse – The Fall of House Abbarath
For fans of: Dragonforce, Inferi, Unleash the Archers, Worm Shephard, Brojob
Picked by: Cooper

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Dragoncorpse’s last major output, The Drakketh Saga; after all, I gave it a 6.5 citing its clunky pacing and uncomfortable limbo between the worlds of deathcore and power metal. But with The Fall of House Abbarath, Dragoncorpse have fixed nearly every qualm I had with its predecessor all while further strengthening their uniquely quirky identity. Each track on this release is a surprise; pummeling breakdowns hide behind every corner, hand in hand with melodic choruses as catchy as the heavier moments are backbreaking. From the singalong choruses to the headbanging refrains, The Fall of House Abbarath is just a whole lot of fun. And with each track come new additions to the Dragoncorpse mythos if you’re into that sort of thing.

You might also like: Obsidious, Demonic Resurrection
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Opeth – The Last Will and Testament [progressive metal] THEY’RE BACK. You know what I’m talking about, and it’s glorious. Beyond Mikael’s silkily gritty growls, TLWAT is Opeth near their best and is extraordinarily inspired for a band entering their thirtieth year of existence. From Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull supplying flute and spoken word for the loony concept to new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (who’s the same age as Opeth!!) absolutely killing it on his first studio album with the band, there’s a reason this album got so much buzz. [pick by: Andy]

Ulver – Liminal Animals [synth-pop] Another reliable collection of synth-pop bops from Norway’s most genre-fluid band, completed shortly after the tragic passing of Tore Ylwizaker, the keyboardist and sound architect who became a pivotal driver of Ulver’s ever-changing sound. Spin the album and raise a glass. [pick by: Christopher, seconded by Andy]

The post Our November 2024 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

DGM – Endless
Recommended for fans of: Evergrey, Symphony X, Vision Divine
Picked by: Francesco

In Rome, they don’t say “Wow, DGM’s newest album Endless is really great!”, they say “Bhe spigne tanto!” They don’t say, “Have you listened to DGM’s newest album Endless yet?” They say rather, “Aò! Eddaje!” They wouldn’t say, “Wow, those guys in DGM really play their asses off on the new album Endless!” Instead, they might say “Ancora je l’ammollano!” And they probably wouldn’t say, “On the new album Endless, DGM with technical prowess and expert arrangements once again demonstrate why this outfit is among some of the best names in today’s Italian metal scene.” They would be more likely to say, “Mica pizza e fichi, ah!” 

Don’t be a pariolino – if you’re into melodic progressive/power metal and actual instrumental wizardry, this album will check all the boxes.

You might also like: New Horizons, Icefish, Inner Vitriol, Labyrinth
Related links: Official website | Spotify | original review

Iotunn – Kinship
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Amorphis, In Mourning, Ne Obliviscaris, Insomnium
Picked by: Andy

Epic is a term that’s thrown around all too often, but Iotunn truly are epic. Jon Aldará is a titan of progressive metal vocals, on the same level as Einar Solberg (Leprous) and Mikael himself. Kinship is full of booming, earwormy choruses, spacey atmosphere, cosmic song structures, and tons of ripping solos. The Danish/Faroese giants (the band name is old Norse for “giant,” and, yes, pun intended) write remarkably fun music, and it’s a perfect soundtrack to close out the year.

You might also like: Barren Earth, Hamferð, Sunless Dawn, In Vain, Descend, Wilderun
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Carnosus – Wormtales
Recommended for fans of: Archspire, Revocation, Infant Annihilator, Psycroptic, The Black Dahlia Murder
Picked by: Zach

If I could just write “caveman like” and be done with this, I would. Unfortunately, I need to use all 10% of my brain to write how Wormtales makes me feel. Carnosus continues the amazing trend of “dumb music, smart musicians” that I’ve seen crop up in tech-death over the years. Everything about this album is stupid in a brootal sort of way. The drums are thundering, and blisteringly fast when need be, perfectly complimenting the chugging guitar rhythms and low-end fuckery. But the cherry on top is Jonatan Karasiak’s disgusting noises, all coming together to create something that rivals Replicant for the Subway’s prestigious Cave Species of the Year award.

You might also like: Hath, Slugdge, Afterbirth, Wormhole, Xoth
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

The Circle of Wonders – IV: Timber
Recommended for fans of: The Dear Hunter, Seventh Wonder, Coheed and Cambria, Dream Theater
Picked by: Ian

Reader, I ask you this: do you like big, soaring melodies? How about heartfelt, melodramatic concept albums that build upon said big melodies with bigger, more theatrical reprises? Is your first reaction upon hearing an album lasts for 86 minutes something along the lines of, “Well, if they’ve got enough ideas to fill it out, why not”? Do you have positive opinions towards any of the following: folksy acoustic guitar and mandolin, intricately layered a cappella vocal passages, and/or indie-prog singing lightly seasoned with angst? If you answered “yes” to all of those questions, well, you’re probably just me, and my therapist says I should stop talking to myself so much. But if you resonate with the majority of what I described, definitely check out IV: Timber, a cheesy yet powerful tale of love’s uphill battle against heartache and despair with some of the best damn choruses I’ve heard all year.

You might also like: Adjy, Whale Bones, Good NightOwl
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean
Recommended for fans of: Behemoth, Solstafir, Enslaved, Cult of Luna, Tool
Picked by: Sam

Returning to and expanding upon their 2017 EP, Schammasch once again grace us with their intense, hypnotic songwriting. Like the previous Maldoror Chant, the emphasis on Old Ocean lies on atmosphere and percussion, and goddamn do they succeed at it. B.A.W goes completely ham behind the kit, making full use of every surface and tension of his instrument as his percussive talents dance around the sonic space like you’re getting a brain massage. The atmosphere is dense and layered with hypnotic chords, both melodic and rhythmical, an incredibly warm bass tone, and pelagic ambience. Furthermore, through Cult of Luna-esque crescendo structures the band reaches some of their highest peaks yet, and thanks to its consistently compelling atmosphere, Old Ocean is a thoroughly engrossing experience.

You might also like: Sermon, Antipope, Dark Fortress, Ultha
Related links:  Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Frost* – Life in the Wires [neo-progressive rock] Frost* return with a hefty eighty-five minute double record of synth-soaked, conceptual progressive rock with solos and grooves aplenty. Recalling the style of Milliontown and Falling Satellites, Godfrey, Mitchell, Blundell and King’s powers are undiminished, proving they’re still the most energetic and innovative prog rock group around. A beautiful soundtrack to evaporate to. [pick by: Christopher]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD” [post-rock] Rarely can an artist accomplish both compelling musicianship and a powerful, concise political statement at the same time; NO TITLE does both effortlessly. In true post-rock style, GY!BE leaves the dark implications of the album and song titles to passively sink in as distorted atmospheres float by—sometimes beautiful and hopeful, but just as often dissonant and despairing. [pick by: Doug]

Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible [Mathcore, Alternative Metal] Better Lovers’ Highly Irresponsible is the welcome full-length return of Every Time I Die’s songwriting sensibilities combined with Greg Puciato’s ferocious Dillinger-esque form, effortlessly delivering many of the lovable facets of each group and even finding itself breaching catchy territory on occasion. [pick by: Dave]

The post Our October 2024 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Pyrrhon – Exhaust
For fans of: Imperial Triumphant, Gorguts, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Chat Pile, Car Bomb, Frontierer
Picked by: Andy

After taking some shrooms to the woods, Pyrrhon are back as acerbic and even more focused than ever for their fifth LP. It is violent, socially critical, unsubtle, and sick as hell. From Moore’s sewer-y gutturals and caustic screams to one of the tightest rhythm sections in tech death to the Scarcity-influenced guitar parts, Pyrrhon fire on every cylinder. Don’t miss this.

You might also like: Scarcity, Aseitas, Ad Nauseam, Weeping Sores
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Papangu – Lampi​ã​o Rei
Recommended for fans of: Magma, Sun-Ra’s Arkestra, Mastodon, Gentle Giant
Picked by: Zach

Do you like weird shit? Of course you do, you’re reading a prog blog. Papangu are back for their second offering, and continue to rocket themselves into becoming one of the many blog darlings. This time, they’re helped by a full, six-piece lineup of musicians that cover at least seventeen different genres. There’s plenty of jazzy freakouts to be found, but what propels Lampi​ã​o Rei forward is the strong use of dynamics and expertly done songwriting. You aren’t gonna want to miss out on this one, because it’s gonna end up on many an end of year list. 

You might also like: Subterranean Masquerade, Seven Impale
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Ubiquity – The Ascendant Travels Among the Stars
For fans of: old Opeth, In Mourning
Picked by: Chris

Anthony Deneyer of Omnerod takes the lead on this progressive death metal project, this time in the more Opethian vein, bringing along two of his bandmates to help put together a dense and intense concept album about Jack the Ripper. Maintaining that oppressive Omnerod atmosphere but taking it down a more traditional progressive death metal route, Ubiquity have crafted an impressive record that manages to capture and contain a sense of pervasive evil, while consistently wowing on a technical level, suffusing everything with a powerful sense of dread. Certainly, Ubiquity will tide you over until the new Opeth drops in November, and it may just stay with you thereafter. 

You might also like: Omnerod, Wills Dissolve, Piah Mater
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Toby Driver – Raven, I Know That You Can Give Me Anything
For fans of: Soen, David Gilmour / Quieter Pink Floyd, Ulver
Picked by: Dave

Toby Driver’s Raven, I Know That You Can Give Me Anything is a peaceful and contemplative mood piece, indulging in tranquil and shimmering instrumentation that gently underlies Driver’s soul-bearing vocal performance. Tracks like “Someday There’ll Be An Avalanche” push themselves along with lightly coaxing drumwork and a flute solo while “Antinous in the Nile” is slower, mournful, and heavily atmospheric. Title track “Raven, I Know That You Can Give Me Anything” offers a satisfying climax as Driver delivers Raven’s most full-throated vocal performance. It’s the beginning of Fall in the northern hemisphere, and Raven couldn’t have come at a better time: it’s the perfect soundtrack to watching the bees gather the last of the goldenrod pollen, particularly when paired with the natural lyrical imagery of opener “Ticking Timebomb.”

You might also like: Fjieri, Kayo Dot, Good NightOwl, i Häxa
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Consider the Source – The Stare
For fans of: The Aristocrats, Snarky Puppy, Thank You Scientist, Mahavishnu Orchestra
Picked by: Ian

After this gig exposed me to so many incredible underground artists I never would have checked out otherwise, it seems almost like cheating to cover a band I actually know and enjoy from beforehand, but The Stare is a strong enough album to stand on its own. It’s a brilliantly unique melding of jazz fusion, progressive metal, Balkan folk, and spacey psychedelia that somehow manages to be both virtuosically self-indulgent and tightly focused. The performances are top-notch throughout, and each track offers a new, mind-bending set of twists and turns for the trio to gleefully romp through. Its turn toward heavier sounds may not be quite as bold as I would like, but this is still a phenomenally executed iteration of the band’s sound. Also, I highly recommend checking these guys out live if you can– they shred unbelievably hard.

You might also like: Matt Darriau, Elephant9, Marbin
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Fen – Dear Mouse
For fans of: Pearl Jam, 311, Foo Fighters, Fair to Midland
Picked by: Dave

Fen’s Dear Mouse is a grab-bag of well-executed alt rock, taking only the best from popular 90s styles and fully exploring ideas across a range of diverse tracks. More importantly, though, these tracks are just fun: opener “Ritual Lite” carries a bouncy-yet-chunky guitar riff throughout its runtime while Doug Harrison fires off lyrics at 100 miles an hour; “The Password is I Believe” is carefree pop-punk to blast while riding around windows down with your friends; and “The Seam of the Heart” powerfully mixes a touching vocal performance with some Dear Mouse’s more chaotic and progressive instrumentation. I was a little disappointed to hear that Fen are likely done for a while, but I am so grateful that we got this anthology of tracks from the last decade or so.

You might also like: Mile Marker Zero, Orion, Advent Horizon
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Sometimes when sniffing around in the progressive underground, we come across a manhole cover and escape into the harsh light of the surface world blinking myopically at what they’re listening to outside the scope of our blog and sometimes it’s pretty good stuff.

Kalandra – A Frame of Mind [alternative folk rock] The Nordic group’s sophomore delivers another collection of effortlessly pretty compositions, evocative of Scandinavian forests and existential melancholy but with a greater sense of bite than on their debut, pushing into heavier territory and some enormous crescendos. [pick by: Chris]

Nubya Garcia – Odyssey [spiritual jazz] I love Kamasi Washington’s style, but his albums are too damn long. Nubya Garcia fixes that, crafting an easily listenable but gigantically lush and vibrant spiritual jazz album for the ages. [pick by: Andy]

Lady Blackbird – Slang Spirituals [soul] With an extraordinary voice and bluesy grooves, Lady Blackbird’s sophomore Slang Spirituals is a modern love letter to seventies black music, refracted through soul’s prism and flirting with folk, psychedelic, and even progressive flavours. [pick by: Chris, Sam]

The post Our September 2024 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Sangre de Muérdago + Judasz & Nahimana – A Ilusão Da Quietude
Recommended for fans of: Trobar de Morte, The Moon and the Nightspirit, Current 93, dark folk Agalloch
Picked by: Dave

Sangre de Muérdago and Judasz & Nahimana’s A Ilusão Da Quietude is a testament to the potential of collaboration in music. Both groups hail from differing sides of the instrumentation spectrum, with Sangre de Muérdago focusing on earthy Galician folk while Judasz & Nahimana specialize in hypnotic and rhythmic industrial electronics, and when brought together on Ilusão, their work is a stunning integration of natural and synthetic, flowing between the two styles with seemingly zero effort. Songs like “Cantiga da Rainha das Aguas” and “Cantiga de Folhas e Agulhas” build and collapse on the two styles of instrumentation, leaving plenty of room for electronics to fill in the empty space left by folk before returning to its original form by song’s end. Moreover, every vocal performance on Ilusão is pristine: Priscila da Costa’s ethereal and soulful voice is absolutely perfect for Sangre’s primal instrumentation and when everyone joins in for group vocals, the result is hauntingly gorgeous. A Ilusão Da Quietude is a standout folk record that effortlessly made its way into my top albums of the year.

You may also like: The Visit, Musk Ox, Thragedium
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Sur Austru – Datura Str​ă​hiarelor
Recommended for fans of: Negura Bunget, Enslaved, Heilung, Moonsorrow, Thy Catafalque
Picked by: Andy

Romanian black metal is a beautiful thing, its inclusion of traditional folk a core of each bands’ identity. From Negura Bunget rose Dordeduh and Sur Austru, and the latter’s third album is simply sublime folk black metal. Hypnotic drumming, a full collection of traditional instruments, cemented by collaborations with a local artist for the album cover and local poet for the lyrics, Datura Str​ă​hiarelor is a stunning work conjuring absolutely unique soundscapes that feel both utterly organic, and like only one band could ever possibly have thought them up. 

You may also like: Dordeduh, The Ruins of Beverast, Thragedium, Finsterforst, Aquilus
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Meer – Wheels Within Wheels
Recommended for fans of: Bent Knee, The Dear Hunter, pop Leprous, Kalandra
Picked by: Chris (seconded by Dave)

They didn’t know they were competing but they’ve won a place on this month’s list anyway: Meer’s third album sees them pushing further into progressive compositional territory, their gorgeous symphonic arrangements gliding over a stalwart rhythm section with sibling vocalists, Johanne and Knut, belting over the top. We get folkier flavours on “Chains of Changes”, contemplative nostalgia from “Take Me to the River”, a pop banger called “Behave”, and an epic finale in the form of “This is the End”. Let’s hope it isn’t the end, because Meer have reached the pinnacle of their sound here. Wheels Within Wheels should be a mainstay in any self-respecting prog rock fan’s library. 

You may also like: Iamthemorning, Marjana Semkina, Haven of Echoes
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

The War Yaks – Bifurcate
Recommended for fans of: Thank You Scientist, Bent Knee, The Mars Volta, King Crimson
Picked by: Ian

Have you ever heard an album so precisely tuned to your specific tastes that you feel it might as well have been made with you in mind? Well, I have, and it comes in the form of Bifurcate. This is an incredibly enjoyable tour de force of wildly shifting, deeply layered, yet always melodic styles of prog, ranging from calming odd-meter balladry (“Codriver”) to twisted, jazzy saxophone freakouts (“Train”) and everything in between. True, the DIY production is a bit ragged at points, but there’s heart and passion behind every note, and it makes every sweet moment full of warmth, every emotional climax full of goosebump-inducing power. Bifurcate isn’t a perfect album. But it’s a strong case that the Yaks are an artist with the potential to make a 10/10 work down the line, and that’s not something I run into every day.

You may also like: We broke the weather, Eunuchs, Cabinets of Curiosity
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

delving – All Paths Diverge
Recommended for fans of: Elder, Weedpecker, Elephant Tree
Picked by: Doug

Nick DiSalvo is back to fill the gap between Elder albums with another solo outing. All Paths Diverge moves delving in similar directions to the development of Elder themselves, with greater metal influence, shimmering keyboards, and richer textures built from the unique combination of stoner, psychedelic, and krautrock. While delving’s sophomore still lacks the consistency demonstrated by the members of its parent project—entirely understandable for a largely solo endeavor—its impactful moments still deliver emotion and tickle the listener’s ear with complexity that felt noticeably absent from Hirschbrunnen. With such polish and DiSalvo’s proven creativity, delving represents a rising force to be reckoned with in the prog world.

You may also like: Gold & Silver, Papir, Son Cesano, Himmellegeme
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Non-Subway Picks

Bent Knee – Twenty Pills Without Water [Art rock/pop] Two members down but undiminished in their uncompromisingly unique sound, Bent Knee lean into art-pop and Radiohead influences on their seventh(!) album Twenty Pills Without Water, which showcases catchy bops and more ambient-inspired pieces, all suffused with vulnerability and melancholy; eclectic in vibe but unified in theme, it’s a delightful assortment that ranks high in their now storied discography. [pick by: Chris, seconded by: Ian]

Marianas Trench – Haven [Pop rock/symphonic rock] Yeah, its sonic grounding in 2010s electropop, new wave, and Queen-esque pomp rock, combined with its thematic basis in Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, may make it come off as a bit too tropey, but when the execution strikes this fine of a balance between sleek, danceable hooks and ambitious symphonic-rock odysseys, and when the vocal performances are this gloriously extra, who even cares? Sure to please anyone’s inner theater kid. [pick by: Ian]

Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All [Technical death metal] While I do have my moments, I can be extremely picky with tech death, and Nile’s latest is the first time the band’s music really clicked: The Underworld Awaits Us All is filled with brutal technicality, a touch of Egyptian imagery, and enough interesting song structures to keep a fickle tech death enjoyer like me engaged throughout. [pick by: Dave]

Jpegmafia – I Lay Down My Life for You [experimental hip hop] With crazy bars full of references and Peggy’s unique brand of industrial, metal-y rap production, this is his most cohesive work yet. [pick by: Andy]

Wintersun – Time II [melodic death metal] 12 year old Andy’s dream came true [Editor’s note: Andy is sickeningly young, some of us were twenty when that album released]. [pick by: Andy]

Magdalena Bay – Imaginal Disk [synth pop] Returning for a third album, Magdalena Bay layer Imaginal Disk up to the hilt with layers of exquisitely produced synth, catchy beats, some more ambitious compositional ideas, all held together by Mica Tenenbaum’s silky voice. If your summer road trip playlist doesn’t have a bunch of these tracks on it, do you even have a summer road trip playlist? [pick by: Chris]

Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet [pop]: Brat summer was a psy-op by the CIA to reinvigorate the cocaine trade by getting everyone to listen to shitty 2010s club music again; Short n’ Sweet is a psy-op by the CIA to increase the birth rate of white people—at least the lascivious latter is catchy, irreverent, and surprisingly well made. [pick by: Chris]

Kingcrow – Hopium [progressive metal]: Continuing on the path of The Persistance, Kingcrow are back with their melancholic brand of groovy, electronic-infused progressive metal. They reintroduced some of the atmosphere and guitar solos from Eidos, added more electronic synthwork, and generally just dialed up the prog meter for another magnificent addition to their catalogue. [pick by: Sam]

The post Our August 2024 Albums of the Month! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.