That said, not every writer has contributed to this year’s post because 2025 has, unfortunately, been a rather lacklustre year for new releases, and site morale has waned. Fortunately, the albums picked herein defy the year’s overall trend towards disappointment, and show that music is still worth listening to. Indeed, we have a variety of proggy gems for you, from adventurous symphonic prog death to exploratory post rock to elder statesman prog rock to, sigh, Vince’s pick… and much more! Give our selections a spin, tell us what we missed (Parasomnia apologists will be shown to the exit), shout at us for being wrong, and keep your fingers crossed for some good new releases in the second half of 2025!

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

Post-rock is a genre that’s nearly impossible to get right. You’re too quick with the buildups, and you miss the entire point of “crescendo-core”; but if you’re too slow, you’re a boring waste of time. Bruit ≤ nail the delicate balance, employing a wide range of strings, horns, and choirs, an ensemble of electric guitars, spoken word snippets, and a slew of electronic techniques in their buildups. And when they reach the climaxes—often lasting minutes at a time—it feels like my heart stops beating and I forget to breathe. The Age of Ephemerality reaches a musical and emotional zenith in their massive releases of noise (heh, get it? That’s what bruit means in French) that little music can compare. Mahler said “A symphony must be like the world, it must contain everything,” and Bruit ≤ are the modern embodiment of that sentiment. Good luck to any bands releasing music in the second half of 2025—this is gonna be a tough release to top. 

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

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

There’s something to be said about an album that clicks with you instantly. Even some of the greats didn’t get my respect until the fourth or fifth listen, but you know an album is special when that first listen hits you like a freight train. Changeling ensnares you with batshit technicality in its first few minutes, then hits you with its first of many incredible moments about a minute-thirty into “Instant Results”. Each song has a distinct motif that guides the listener through some monumental runtimes, and while songwriting complexity takes center stage, band leader Fountainhead’s vision is never bogged down with attempting to shred everyone’s faces off all the time. Instead, these songs build and swell, cementing foundations upon which they reprise and reuse melodies not in a way that feels stale, but makes each note feel purposeful. 

Recommended tracks:  The whole album
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

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

Progressive jazz fusion isn’t anything new; neither is psychedelic prog. Nevertheless, Chercán’s sax-forward combination of all of the above feels fresh and novel, with a smattering of strings providing an intriguing lean towards chamber music. Beyond just pleasant aesthetics, this Chilean self-titled debut displays a rare wealth of talent. Both heavy and light sections of Chercán overflow with emotion, and the band’s upbeat, tireless energy is infectious. The extra spice of the aforementioned genre mashups adds an uplifting warmth as well, infusing the air with tropical scents of summer as the music plays on. In a year that so far hasn’t offered a terribly impressive lineup of albums, enjoy this unexpected debut from a batch of talented musicians expressing their passions.

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

Dessiderium – Keys to the Palace
Recommended for fans of: Devin Townsend, Wintersun, Ne Obliviscaris
Picked by: Daniel

I can’t remember the last time an album swept me off my feet so quickly. Keys to the Palace brings yearning and unapologetic emotion into death metal without ever drifting into the familiar territory of melodeath. An operatic metal odyssey that is both lush and maximalist, dazzling and brutal. Yngwie Malmsteen once said, “How can less be more? More is more.” Depending on the time of day, I might roll my eyes—or nod in agreement. But Keys to the Palace makes a strong case for the latter. The album is a whirlwind of excess: more melody, more harmony, more orchestration, more blast beats, more speed, more feeling, more… more! Every track stretches itself toward the heavens with sumptuous guitars, sweeping keys, and drums that never stop carrying the listener forward. Even its pensive moments aren’t truly resting points; they’re coils being wound tighter, launching us toward another wave of heavy majesty. The LP doesn’t just play; it blooms—loudly, vividly, and without restraint. Each track throws open a new door, each transition winds deeper into its grandeur, until suddenly I realize: The Palace is my heart.

Recommended tracks: Dover Hendrix, A Dream That Wants Me Dead, Magenta
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

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

For me, the upper echelon of releases from the first half of 2025 is mostly filled with progressive death metal. Yet it’s a 30-minute post-metal EP, put out not a week into January, that I’ve found the most impactful. With eight years having passed since their last studio work, Polish quartet Obscure Sphinx return with Emovere, and they’re better than ever. Through three perfectly paced tracks, the band moves fluidly among tidal-wave riffs and shimmering melodic passages without so much as a note out of place. Emovere’s dark, velvety atmosphere is engrossing, its production is crisp, and the powerhouse vocal performance from Zofia “Wielebna” Fraś ranks among the year’s best so far. Even as an EP, Emovere feels complete and compelling, offering endless replayability. If Obscure Sphinx can deliver this much impact in 30 minutes, their next LP could be a post-metal work for the ages. 

Recommended tracks: Scarcity Hunter, Nethergrove
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia
Recommended for fans of: Bad Omens, Spiritbox, Breakk.away
Picked by: Vince

I haven’t disappointed anyone in a while, so I figured it was time to get that quota back up. Seven months into the year, two since Sleep Token dropped their fourth LP back in May, and I’ve yet to hear anything that comes close to the level of addictive power and emotional resonance than Even In Arcadia. Cinematic, soulful, drenched in downtuned chugs and trip-hop rhythms, the album maintains the band’s stirring blend of occult mythology and pop appropriation. If Take Me Back To Eden set their star on the horizon, Even In Arcadia proves Sleep Token have what it takes to keep it blazing.

Recommended tracks: Look To Windward, Emergence, Caramel, Gethsemane, Infinite Baths
Related links: Spotify | original review

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

Modern prog rock’s most prominent artiste returned revitalised with this Thick as a Brick-esque two parter, setting the empyrean above as his theme. Comprised of two approximately twenty-minute epics, and with a talented roster including Russell and Alan Holzmann, Randy McStine and Craig Blundell in tow, it’s Wilson’s most quintessentially progressive rock release since Hand Cannot Erase, and probably his best work since then, too. The duel tracks burst with lively ideas, Rush-esque riffs and solos vie against Floydian atmospherics and Tangerine Dream electronica, but Wilson always sounds like himself, a master of homage over imitation. While fans may have been split over his recent output, The Overview demonstrates that Wilson remains one of the most stalwart talents in the scene. 

Recommended tracks: there are only two, so pick one!
Related links: Spotify | original review

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

Upon release, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + was an overwhelmingly dense constellation of noises, refusing to be mapped or connected in much of a meaningful way. After a few days of listening, the constellation started to take shape into something much clearer, something which was new and exciting. Now, over a month later, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + has cemented itself as my favorite Vildhjarta record, marking the furthest evolution in the sound of thall since Vildhjarta‘s debut. + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + holds within itself a veritable sea of stars to swim in, a vast expanse of uncharted sound that I have not yet tired of exploring. Even in a year with a myriad of quality releases, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + continues to outshine the competition, serving as an illuminating north star of quality and inspiration for my own personal tastes.

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

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

Birna gently invites the listener into its world by asking them to look within—a heartbeat in 6/8 establishes the rhythmic structure of opener “Hertan” along with setting the record’s ethos of reconnection with the natural world, first beginning with the self and then extending outward. A mystical and intoxicatingly primal atmosphere pervades every moment of the record, from its exultant dance pieces “Ljos til Jord” and “Himmindotter” to its lumbering, dreamlike, hazy tracks “Dvaledraumar” and “Jord til Ljos”. Birna’s central songwriting force is layers, introducing a simple idea and building on iterations until the track can barely contain itself. At their peak, pieces triumphantly burst forth like a river through a dam, all the while never letting go of a deeply chthonic sensibility. Centerpiece “Dvaledraumar” does this in a more subtle manner, utilizing field recordings of frozen lakes and traditional instrumentation in tandem with a glacial pace to lull the listener into an ethereal, hypnotic state before breaking the spell with the sound of melting ice and songs of springtime. Birna opens a powerful dialogue between myriad forces of nature, manifesting through the she-bear, our most celestial and feared of beasts.

Recommended tracks: Dvaledraumar, Jord til Ljos, Ljos til Jord, Hertan
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

The post Our Favourite Albums of 2025 (So Far)! appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

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.

25. Psychonaut – Unfold the God Man (2018)

Genres: Post-metal, progressive metal, sludge metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Dvne, Mastodon, Isis

The debut from a band that is now the pride of the Belgium post-metal scene, Unfold the God Man was, and remains, a game-changer for progressive post/sludge metal and atmospheric prog metal as a whole. Psychonaut provide a take on the genre that manages to simultaneously meet the primal energy of early Mastodon and the brainy sophistication of contemporary The Ocean—all while presenting us with vastly new avenues of proggy riffage. Each successive track is its own journey of compositional discovery; showcasing inventive riff writing, gradual builds and subversive explosions of distortion, unconventional chord progressions, and distinctive Phrygian scales used in the lead guitar work. These are some aspects that make Psychonaut one of a kind; curating a unique sound with the same basic equipment that any other metal band has at their disposal without playing into gimmicks. The way they make metal sound so different with such familiar tools makes the music almost seem primordial. That’s the factor that truly sets Psychonaut apart from the rest. There’s no wrong choice for favorite track on this legendary debut.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Sabrina

24. Dimhav – The Boreal Flame (2019)

Genres: Progressive metal, power metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Symphony X, Dragonland, Seventh Wonder

How many power metal albums start with a ten-minute lyricless epic? Well, add one to the counter for The Boreal Flame. Keen-eared readers may recognize the vocals of Daniel Heiman (of Lost Horizon, Sacred Outcry, Harmony, and many others) once he finally shows up for track two, rounding out this trio with the instrumentalist Lindroth brothers. Although Dimhav stand firmly in the realm of power metal, their music carries a sharp edge occasionally bordering on death metal aesthetics, bolstered by the often frenetic rhythms of the drums and guitars. The Boreal Flame’s epic fantasy style takes root in their instrumentation, sprouting from the smattering of acoustic, sometimes folksy elements included for extra spice, like the guitar features at the beginning of “Realms of a Vagrant King” and “Chthonic Elegy.” Symphonic keyboard elements including strings and brass further evoke the medieval majesty of a faraway magical setting. Dimhav’s intricate, creative composition unfolds like the chapters of a novel, forming a plot of rising and falling actions through the steady, deliberate development of each track. Whether it’s the soaring music, the fanciful narrative, or the beautiful album art that caught your attention, The Boreal Flame harbors a special warmth for those brave enough to dive in.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Doug

23. Bent Knee – Shiny Eyed Babies (2014)

Genres: Progressive rock, art rock, avant-garde (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: The Dear Hunter, Radiohead, Joanna Newsom, King Crimson, Björk

We can think of prog rock as both a genre, a staid conformity to principles laid down by foundational bands, and as a sensibility, a commitment to the pushing of boundaries and continual compositional progression; Bent Knee are one of the groups that embody the latter definition. Shiny Eyed Babies, their sophomore album, consummately blended such a wealth of influences as to be utterly unique: one hears elements of everything from Radiohead, King Crimson, and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum to Joanna Newsom, Björk, and Jefferson Airplane. Courtney Swain’s versatile, haunting, and powerful vocals are the band’s defining feature, but Ben Levin and Jess Kion’s angular riffs, Gavin Wallace-Ailsworth’s inimitably idiosyncratic drumming, and Chris Baum’s gorgeous violin work, all held together by Vince Welch’s ambitious sound design, are equally vital components. From piano-led art-pop to dissonant avant-jazz to vicious rock madness, Shiny Eyed Babies remains Bent Knee’s most ambitious, defiant, and unique work—the cult classic’s cult classic.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Christopher

22. Wilderun – Olden Tales & Deathly Trails (2012)

Genres: Folk metal, death metal, progressive metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Amorphis, Enslaved, Opeth

Wilderun’s 2012 debut offering Olden Tales & Deathly Trails was the strongest of any folk metal band since the pioneering efforts of Skyclad’s The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth and Cruachan’s Tuathna Na Gael in the ‘90s. And frankly, even outside of the folk metal genre, no American metal band has come close since, except maybe ANARCHŸ. Finally, there was a band that was doing something original, something fresh and exciting, and not just rehashing the same-old, tired, “viking” clichés every idiot living north of Zürich and wearing eyeliner, leather, and fake fur onstage had already beaten to death since ‘95. Utilising American folk music traditions and songs and combining them with progressive and death metal, Wilderun renewed my interest in the genre with fierce growls, crooning baritone vocals, and such skilful film-score-level orchestration it would make Hans Zimmer blush. Inarguably, Olden Tales remains a standout moment in folk metal. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Francesco

21. Altesia – Paragon Circus (2019)

Genres: Progressive metal, progressive rock (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Haken, Riverside, Opeth, Nospun

Altesia is a perfect band for fans of the 2000s traditional prog metal era when bands like Riverside and Dream Theater were still in their heyday. Whereas bands of that era either mostly dropped off the face of the Earth, left to do other genres, or just dipped in quality, Altesia have been hard at work with two stellar albums and a third on the way. On debut Paragon Circus, Altesia demonstrate brilliant, prodigious songwriting with a strong intuitive understanding of the effective progression of longer tracks as well as short, catchier tunes. Whether it’s the Opeth-style mesmerizing croons that transition into angular growls on “Hex Reverse,” the otherworldly arpeggiated synth passages that build during the climax of “Amidst the Smoke,” or the satisfying and emotional guitar solos on “Cassandra’s Prophecy,” this album has enough meat to compete with the replayability of the prog classics.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Sabrina

20. Slice the Cake – Odyssey to the West (2016)

Genres: Progressive deathcore (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Black Crown Initiate, Rivers of Nihil, Fallujah, Vildhjarta

In terms of scope, Odyssey to the West truly is an album like no other. Combining the themes of Christianity, Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, and a healthy heaping of meta-reflection, the incessant blend of proggy deathcore and Shakespearean spoken word makes this album a true cult classic. Whether you’re banging your head as the breakdowns abound or scratching your skull at the hidden meanings beneath the album’s layers of symbolism, this is an album that always has something more to give. While tracks like “Westward Bound” and “Unending Waltz” offer quick hits of heady deathcore, the only way to experience this from the top, following the album’s pilgrim through his entire epic journey. From the bottom of the ocean to the peak of the holy mountain, Odyssey to the West will stick with you.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Cooper

19. Arcane – Known/Learned (2015)

Genres: Progressive metal, progressive rock (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Caligula’s Horse, Dream Theater, Haken

Before becoming best known as the lead singer of acclaimed Australian prog group Caligula’s Horse, Jim Grey helmed a group by the name of Arcane. While he would eventually leave it behind to focus on his bigger band full-time, they managed to hold on long enough to bestow upon us the titanic, miraculous swansong that is Known/Learned. The first disc alone is a testament to the sheer scale of compositional ambition on display, from the exquisitely paced multi-minute rising action of “Unturning” to the evolving keyboard motifs on “Instinct” to, well, pretty much everything about the 23-minute “Learned”, which is a serious contender for best prog epic of the decade. So many tracks here feature a gradually building crescendo at their heart, executed with an absolutely impeccable command over dynamics. The second disc, meanwhile, is a perfect comedown from its bombastic counterpart, focusing on soft, warm bits of heart-meltingly lovely balladry that show off the sheer beauty of Grey’s calmer register better than anything before or since. Somehow cracking two hours without a single track feeling like filler, there are few prog albums that feel as utterly complete as this one.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Ian

18. Warforged – I: Voice (2019)

Genres: Dissonant death metal, progressive metal, black metal (harsh vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Portal, Gorguts

I: Voice is a nightmarish descent into sonic chaos, an avant-garde death metal labyrinth that remains unparalleled to this day. Its fusion of dissonant riffage and Adrian Perez’s utterly acidic vox embodies the terror of the album’s story: a cryptic, self-referential odyssey that weaves between the perspective of a lost traveler and an enigmatic, godlike observer. As jagged transitions, jazz-infused solos, and eerie acoustic interludes reinforce the album’s themes of psychological torment, motifs return only to be missing a limb and with their heads on backwards. With I: Voice, Warforged have created a nightmare made substance, a serrated spiral of sound that pulls you in and never lets go.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Cooper

17. Anciients – Voice of the Void (2016)

Genres: Progressive death metal, sludge metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Mastodon, Enslaved 

“Ibex Eye”. I can basically end the writeup right here, because to this day, it’s one of my all time favorite songs. It’s the best Opeth song that Opeth never wrote and contains one of the most brutal lyrical outros I’ve ever heard. However, this writeup isn’t about this one song, it’s about a whole album full of brutal, THC-soaked riffs, fist-bumping choruses and an atmosphere that feels like walking on the harsh surface of Arrakis. Intro “Following the Voice” wastes no time getting down to its brutal riffage and infectious chorus, “Worshipper” showcases the band’s early Baroness-esque sludge side, and “Pentacle” is the perfect shorter offering that rips through its six minute runtime. If you’re a fan of getting sludgy and proggy with your death, then Voice of the Void is not to be missed! 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Zach

16. Hands of Despair – Well of the Disquieted (2018)

Genres: Progressive death metal, progressive black metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Enslaved, Edge of Sanity

This is it. To this day, Well of the Disquieted by Hands of Despair is still the only 10/10 I have ever given on the blog. It’s bleak, heavy, demonic, visceral, but also melodic, emotional, and deeply cathartic. Hands of Despair are masters of the harsh-soft writing that Opeth popularized and use that to deftly craft huge, labyrinthine compositions with minimal repetition that somehow still make perfect sense through their acumen for building and releasing tension. A multitude of my all-time favorite moments and especially climaxes are on this album, and though the record may not be the most immediately accessible thing out there due to its density and length, Well of the Disquieted is absolutely worth sinking your teeth into.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Sam

15. Karma Rassa – Vesna…Snova Vesna (2018)

Genres: Progressive metal, progressive rock (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Anathema, Riverside, Pain of Salvation, Radiohead, Alcest

Have you ever sampled something and been instantly transported to another dimension? Well, that’s what happened to me when I found this album on Metal-Archives while browsing for the blog back in 2018. Vesna… Snova Vesna is a gorgeous, ethereal work detailing the four seasons with poetic Russian lyrics, starting in spring (“Vesna”) and ending in spring again (“Snova Vesna”). Through floaty synths, textural and melodic guitarwork, a very forward, warm bass presence, and beautiful, lush singing, Karma Rassa craft an otherworldly atmosphere up there with the best of Alcest while simultaneously engraving their lengthy compositions with dynamic twists and turns befitting of the prog label. Whether it’s a simple lead guitar melody, a sudden saxophone solo, a dramatic percussion-driven section, or benign textural strumming with synths, every creative decision on this album just works. I still have yet to encounter another album that manages to capture such levels of ethereal beauty and melancholy in its atmosphere while also keeping this level of complexity. As far as I’m concerned, Vesna… Snova Vesna is a monumental achievement and a must-listen for any prog fan.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Sam

14. Frost* – Falling Satellites (2016)

Genres: Neo-progressive rock, progressive rock, hard rock (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Arena, Marillion, Dream Theater, Genesis, Yes, old Haken, Steven Wilson, Subsignal

Frost’s debut Milliontown has become something of a legend in progressive rock circles; Falling Satellites doesn’t receive quite as much kudos, but for me it’s their masterpiece. The group’s only album of the 2010s, Falling Satellites is a thematically cohesive smørgasbord of beautifully composed, keyboard-led, energetic progressive rock fuelled by creative soloing, pop hooks, driving riffs, and an infusion of electronica that provides some real highlight moments (“Towerblock”, “Closer to the Sun”, “Hypoventilate”). Jem Godfrey and John Mitchell are our dynamic singers and soloists, while Nathan King and Craig Blundell form the tightest rhythm section in modern prog rock. The “Sunlight” suite comprising tracks six through eleven may well be Frost’s greatest work to date, and every song has at least one moment that’ll blow you away, if not a dozen. Meditating on the radical contingency of existence, Falling Satellites is awash with bittersweet optimism, an irrepressible sense of gratitude, and chock full of callbacks and reprises. With this and four other records, Frost have proven they’re not just another prog rock group, but probably the most innovative and forward-thinking band of the genre’s last twenty years—I lost a year in this album or maybe more. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Christopher

13. Ostura – The Room (2018)

Genres: Progressive metal, power metal, symphonic metal (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Symphony X, Ayreon, Seventh Wonder

Symphonic prog metal comes in many flavors. One of the most unique is that of Ayreon, the guest-star-studded metal opera outfit responsible for a litany of over-the-top concept albums, and rarely does any other group come close to replicating their operatic oeuvre. For Ostura, though, with their sophomore album featuring three separate vocalists and a guest guitarist credit for the man Arjen Anthony Lucassen himself, that company is not so out of reach. The Room (unlike the film of the same name) truly excels in all aspects of composition and performance, replete with incredible vocal performances and some of the most emotionally moving sections I’ve ever heard from a metal album—especially one as little known as this. While the music itself is operatic and elevated, The Room lays out a surprisingly personal and relatable narrative, offering a metaphorical look inside the turmoil of a young girl’s mind (voiced by Youmna Jreissati) as she grapples with the divided personifications of her own imagination (Elia Monsef and Michael Mills) struggling for supremacy in her internal universe.

Links: Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Doug

12. Slugdge – Esoteric Malacology (2018)

Genres: Progressive death metal, technical death metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Hath, Rivers of Nihil 

We’ve seen a lot of prog death get on this list, and that’s just because it’s objectively the best subgenre. However, despite the bevy of other prog death picks, none of them really sound like Slugdge. There’s something about the squirmy, slimy riffs blessed by Mollusca himself that sit atop this opus of an album. Every single guitar part slithers through section after slime-ridden section, and makes up in spades for any artificiality in the intelligently programmed drums. The clean vocals and soaring choruses on “Slave Goo World” and “The Spectral Burrows” perfectly contrast with the heavier “Salt Thrower” and outstanding closer “Limo Vincit Omnia”. Esoteric Malacology is one of those albums that I walked away from with a new favorite moment and song each listen, and all eight tracks still continue to fight each other for which is best on every fresh listen. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Zach

11. Seventh Wonder – The Great Escape (2010)

Genres: Progressive metal, power metal (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Symphony X, Dream Theater, Kamelot, Circus Maximus

Even in a genre renowned for producing songs of above-average length, few songwriters dare approach the hallowed thirty-minute mark without splitting their composition into bite-sized pieces on the track listing. In 2010, Seventh Wonder sailed far beyond their hesitant progressive compatriots with a title track clocking in at a massive 30:22. Where one might expect such an epic piece’s pacing to drag by the end of the half-hour, “The Great Escape” flows smoothly as a sequence of individual scenes, each new story moment accompanied by equally fresh melodies. The complex structure also comes packed with compositional flexes and flourishes, including extended instrumental sections and an abundance of clever licks and beautiful themes that you would struggle to find on most entire albums, let alone individual tracks. Despite the constant changes, there’s still a clear sense of building towards some final destination, and the finale sounds all the more triumphant as a brand new theme rather than one more reprise of a tired chorus. Of course, while the behemoth closer may be the most obvious draw for The Great Escape, the rest of the outing offers no shortage of highlights. From the gorgeous piano- and synth-string-laden “King of Whitewater” to hefty breakdowns in “The Angelmaker,” Seventh Wonder perform with a heady mix of progressive precision and power metal bombast. Even moments of cheesy candor like the chorus of “Alley Cat” skate by without reproach, nestled unobtrusively among all the epic moments made real by Tommy Karevik’s marvellous voice. From a band that still hasn’t achieved massive renown, The Great Escape is an unexpected masterclass in all things prog.

Links: Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Doug

10. Aquilus – Griseus (2011)

Genres: Symphonic black metal, atmospheric black metal, classical, folk (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Chopin, Agalloch, Debussy 

What more can I say about this album that I haven’t already in one of my Lost in Times? Could it be that no other artist has successfully attempted and nailed something this ambitious in the fusion of classical music, film score and black metal? Or perhaps that for weeks on end, “Loss” continuously echoed in my brain until I was practically sick of it. Griseus is a monumental achievement in songwriting. Each song is a journey in and of itself, one that yearns for eighty minutes of your attention, and one that well deserves it. If you aren’t sold by the time ‘Nihil’ turns from black metal to acoustic folk to something from a Danny Elfman score, then this album simply isn’t for you. Even more disturbing, this was all done by one incredibly talented man. Horace Rosenqvist understands music composition and classical elements like no one else in the field, and Griseus will tell you everything you need to know about his skills. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Zach

9. Vanden Plas – The Seraphic Clockwork (2010)

Genres: Traditional progressive metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dream Theater when they were still good and any band remotely like it

What do you do after releasing a career-defining concept album? Clearly, you write another one that’s even grander in scope, and most importantly, just as good! The Seraphic Clockwork leans even further into the grandiose, theatrical presentation cemented on Christ 0 with its orchestration, dramatic vocal lines, and abundance of expansive compositions. Tracks like “The Final Murder” and “On My Way to Jerusalem” push Vanden Plas’s boundaries into epic territories eclipsing even previous hallmark “January Sun” in grandiosity, while “Frequency” and “Holes in the Sky” are among the punchiest the band has written to date; “Rush of Silence” manages to do both. Of course, all the classic Vanden Plas hallmarks are still there: rocking riffs, thoughtful vocal melodies that are both catchy and carry vast emotional depth, tasteful melodic guitar and keyboard solos, and a wondrous, magical atmosphere to tie it all together. The Seraphic Clockwork is a masterclass in ambitious yet grounded songwriting, cementing Vanden Plas’s place in the underground prog metal canon.

Links: Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Sam

8. Virvum – Illuminance (2016)

Genres: Technical death metal, progressive death metal (harsh vocals, mostly harsh) 
Recommended for fans of: Obscura, Fallujah, Vale of Pnath

Pewww [the craziest forty-minute collection of riffs and solos you’ll hear in your life]. In Virvum’s sole studio album, this Swiss quintet perfected technical death metal. Guitarists Nic Gruhn and Toby Koelman unleash mind-bending, interweaving guitar lines and stupidly sexy solos for forty minutes straight. Handling the low end on bass, Arran McSporran plods along almost matching the axemen in pace and notes, an impressive feat considering Gruhn and Koelman lay down more solos per minute on this thing than any band not named First Fragment or Equipoise. Don’t even get me started on the mathematical precision of Diego Morenzoni on drums: Virvum truly are the Swiss watch of metal, so mechanically precise as to be a work of art. Oh, and Illuminance is emotional and stuff, too, despite the crazy sci-fi angle, the massive bursts of cleaner trem picking giving me that sweet sweet frisson. When “Illuminance” ends (after possibly my favorite guitar solo of all time at 4:30) with its final repeated chant of “HELPLESS FINAL GLIMPSE AT A DISAPPEARING SUN,” I get shivers every time. Paced and performed perfectly, this is a debut that may never be topped again in the tech death world. It’s impossible to be this good on your first try. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Andy

7. Tanagra – Meridiem (2019)

Genres: Progressive metal, power metal (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Symphony X, Kamelot, Seventh Wonder

We here at The Progressive Subway are nothing if not willing to beat a meme to death. Our metaphorical offices often echo with the irresistible refrain of “RAIN FEARS NO FIRE, JUST AS THE TIDE FEARS NO SHORE” which opens “Witness,” the intense and climactic final track of Meridiem. Tanagra is a powerful band in the truest sense of power metal, featuring uniquely deep vocals from (now-ex) vocalist Tom Socia alongside beefy instrumental parts, with excellent songwriting to tie it all neatly together. Although less explicit about its story than most of what we consider “concept albums,” Meridiem presents a succession of mysterious cosmic fantasy scenes (partially inspired by Steven Erikson’s Malazan series) with a level of evocative clarity that few can match. Rather than getting in your face with excessive power metal theatrics, Tanagra lay out immersive worlds in every one of their songs, from the unassuming mysticism of “Etheric Alchemy” to towering timeless majesty in “Across the Ancient Desert.” The moments that make Meridiem stand out are the ones where the music draws you into the fantasy, inviting you to imagine a dream world where these incredible scenes could become real. “Witness” is undeniably the most memorable (and memeable), but it’s the capstone of an unforgettable album that stacks one incredible track on top of another the whole way through.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Doug

6. Alkaloid – Liquid Anatomy (2018)

Genres: Progressive death metal, technical death metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Obscura, Rivers of Nihil, Beyond Creation

TRANSDIFFERENTIATING CEPHALOPODS!!! The first of now several (ex-)Obscura offshoots, Alkaloid turned down the tech and turned up the prog from Diluvium-era Obscura with the help of frontman Morean, and the results speak for themselves. From Morean’s Supertramp-y cleans on catchy bangers like “Kernel Panic” to the frenetic tech explosion of “Chaos Theory and Practice,” the sci-fi inspired tracks are all masterful and span the gamut of what prog death can be. The first two-thirds of the album are tech-y prog at its finest hour, but Liquid Anatomy concludes with a nineteen-minute epic, “Rise of the Cephalopods,” and what a finale it is. Slowly building up from the start of the squiddy empire and building to them as the flying, dragon-like species they will be in the future sitting on thrones of human remains, the track is as stellar as its concept, and a fitting closer to one of the best progressive death metal albums of the decade.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Andy

5. Xanthochroid – Of Erthe and Axen Acts I & II (2017)

Genres: Progressive black metal, symphonic metal, musical theater (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Ne Obliviscaris, Ihsahn, Opeth, LARP music 

Xanthochroid is prog-black to show your DnD friends. Of Erthe and Axen Acts I and II are exactly as grandiose and pretentious as the titles make them sound, feeling more like a stage play set to metal than a regular old album, complete with lyrical and musical reprises throughout the eighty-minute production, not to mention an entire orchestra backing it all. Xanthochroid bleeds epic fantasy imagery from the very first minute, pausing to show their folk side every so often. When the metal comes, it’s full of massive, Ne Obliviscaris-esque chords and raspy, Ihsahn-styled vocals. When they tone down the screams and double-kick drums, they evoke an atmosphere of wonder, palettes of lush forests and small tavern-inns existing on the precipice of two nations at war. And unlike most concept albums, Xanthochroid have told the equivalent of a Greek tragedy within their surprisingly fleshed out fantasy world. Of Erthe and Axen is never not overdramatic; it revels in drama. The album’s very sound puts you at the forefront of a world in dire straits, and the perspective of the two brothers who shape its events. ‘Towards Truth and Reconciliation’ is one of the best album closers out there, mostly because of its latter half, making lyrics out of every prior song’s title, truly feeling like you’re coming full circle in this epic tale. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Zach

4. Wilderun – Sleep at the Edge of the Earth (2015)

Genres: Progressive death metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Turisas, Disillusion

You got folk in my Opeth! It’s no secret that Veil of Imagination is my favorite album of all time, but Sleep at the Edge of the Earth is the album which put Wilderun on the map with triumphant, bombastic melodies in the classic Opethian style of progressive metal. Evan Berry’s rich baritone and Mikael-tinged growls are integral to the winding tracks, and boy do they wind. With an ambitious suite like “Ash Memory” and timeless epics like “The Garden of Fire,” Wilderun’s sophomore album showcases songwriting maturity most bands never achieve. With enough Turisas in the album’s DNA to satisfy both the folk fans and the high-minded prog fans, it’s great party music, too; I reckon you could raid a village or LARP with Sleep at the Edge of the Earth playing. While Wilderun have since topped the release (*wink wink*), at least in my opinion, many fans nevertheless regard this as their best, and it’s not hard to see why—most bands could only dream of a peak this high. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Andy

3. Native Construct – Quiet World (2015)

Genres: Progressive metal (mixed vocals, mostly clean) 
Recommended for fans of: Between the Buried and Me, Haken, The Human Abstract, Thank You Scientist

Excessively technical, excessively theatrical, excessively cheesy—Native Construct’s Quiet World revels in glorious excess at any given moment, cramming tons of ideas into each song and working many of them into motifs that stretch across its runtime in a manner not unlike Between the Buried and Me. Typically, this would be a recipe for failure, but a clever utilization of reprises and recontextualized lyrical ideas packaged in a completely reasonable fifty-minute runtime makes its scattershot compositions shockingly effective, creating something more accomplished than the sum of its parts. Though, this is not to discredit Quiet World’s parts: “The Spark of the Archon,” for example, is a powerfully cinematic track with some of my favorite progressive metal moments while “Your Familiar Face” is a pithy mixture of Queen and My Chemical Romance, acting as a nice mid-album respite from the balls-to-the-wall technical excess. Quiet World fully embodies the phrase “flash in the pan” given its almost mythical stature as a quirky masterpiece from a band who released just one album and then moved on, and it is well deserving of a place in the top three.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Dave

2. Disillusion – The Liberation (2019)

Genres: Progressive metal, melodic death metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Edge of Sanity, In Mourning

For those who don’t know who Disillusion are, the band has essentially cemented itself as one of the most celebrated in the history of underground progressive metal. The Liberation is the second album, in a three part trilogy, following the simultaneously esoteric and unprecedentedly successful Back to Times of Splendor. Delivering on the expectations curated by the dreams of prog and melodeath fans, Disillusion presents us with a prominently cohesive chain of shifting rhythmic and melodic patterns in the form of distorted riffs, unique colors and textures of vocals, and mood-setting orchestral components. Being masterful songwriters, the band not only writes individual tracks that build and pay off around distinct, cohesive themes, but each of those tracks are also a significant means of creating the build and pay off of the album in its entirety. The album begins with four twisting tracks chock-full of gorgeous melodeath riffs, technical solos, and gutturals. As the album proceeds, we’re introduced to increasingly passionate lead guitars, somber and introspective croons, atmospheric acoustic passages, and heart wrenching strings and brass as the album climaxes. The Liberation narrowly missing the top spot isn’t only a testament to the album’s musical value but its wide reaching appeal for prog metal fans, it’s not too brutal to be ostracizing those averse to dissonance while also retaining all the elements authentic to the grittiness of metal.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Sabrina

1. Wilderun – Veil of Imagination (2019)

Genres: Progressive death metal, symphonic metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Turisas, Persefone, Ne Obliviscaris, In Mourning 

Yes, we’ve heard from them twice before in this countdown, but they had the audacity to take the top spot, too. Are we an unrepentant coterie of groupies? Yes. Do Wilderun deserve the top spot anyway? Absolutely. On their third album, the red-socked quintet leaned even further into the cinematic orchestral sound, fully consummating grandiose atmospheres and rapturous symphonics into their ever-evolving Opethian progressive death metal style. Veil of Imagination showcases the band’s dynamic range from softer acoustic passages and orchestral breaks to monstrously intense death metal with blast beats and blistering blackened tremolo. Evan Berry’s deft blend of theatrical cleans and guttural Opethian harshes comprise one of the best vocal performances in the genre while the intricate and majestic orchestral arrangements of Dan Müller and Wayne Ingram elevate the compositions to mountainous heights. An introspective meditation on the pitfalls of neuroticism infused with literary lyrics and bookended by poetry recitations, Veil of Imagination is a chiaroscuro of harmony and chaos, of crushing death metal and orchestral levity. It’s an album to be treasured for all its elegiac beauty and cathartic brutality, and a singular accomplishment within the progressive metal underground, heralding the maturation of a band who will doubtlessly go on to be remembered as one of the greatest of their age. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Christopher

Our Spotify playlist contains every band in the Top 50, apart from Ad Nauseam who aren’t on Spotify, we threw in an alternative for your listening pleasure. Other than that, what’s left to say other than thank you for joining us on this journey through the underground! Please stop booing us for missing your favourite album. We’re going to go focus on our usual reviewing and not get tied up in any more projects. This does make me wonder though… what are the best underground prog albums of the 2020s so far?

The post Our Top 50 Underground Prog Albums of 2010 – 2019: Part Two 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.

As far as methodology goes, our long-time metric for reviewing albums was any band with fewer than 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. We’ve since abandoned that threshold specifically so we can roast bands like Dream Theater, but for this post and future posts regarding “underground” bands and albums, we’ll be keeping that threshold. All of these bands had fewer than 20,000 monthly listeners at the time of voting; they might be over that threshold now. Additionally, that threshold isn’t foolproof; some unexpectedly big bands slip through the cracks, but rest assured you won’t be seeing the likes of Tool, Gojira, Opeth or Devin Townsend in this countdown.

There were countless bands we wish had made the cut but unfortunately didn’t make the top fifty. As a result, we’re starting out with honorable mentions from some of our writers who wanted to give a shout-out to their favourites that missed the bar.

Honorable Mentions

Andy: All Traps on Earth – A Drop of Light | orchestral progressive rock | Bandcamp

Dave: Gallowbraid – Ashen Eidolon | Cascadian black metal | Bandcamp

Chris: Subterranean Masquerade – Vagabond | oriental progressive folk metal | Bandcamp

Francesco: Icefish – Human Hardware | traditional progressive metal | Bandcamp

Cooper: Hath – Of Rot and Ruin | progressive death metal | Bandcamp

Doug: Darkwater – Human | symphonic traditional progressive metal | Bandcamp

Sabrina: Headspace – I Am Anonymous | traditional progressive metal | Bandcamp

Sam: Kingcrow – Eidos | atmospheric progressive metal/rock | Bandcamp

50. StarSystems – StarSystems III (2016)

Genres: Progressive metal, djent, jazz fusion (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Plini, Intervals, Sithu Aye, Arch Echo

I’m not sure whether the dearth of instrumental albums in this list says more about the Progressive Subway staff or about instrumental music itself. In either case, the presence of StarSystems as the only ranked instrumental entry, and in last place at that, undersells its significance. The last and longest of three debut self-titled releases which straddle the line between EP and LP, StarSystems III stands as one of the most consistently great instrumental albums I know of, featuring absolutely no misses and showcasing incredibly emotional vocal-less songwriting comparable to genre greats like Plini. To me, StarSystems III demonstrates the heights that instrumental prog reached in the last decade just as much as any of its better-known contemporaries.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Doug

49. Southern Empire – Civilisation (2018)

Genres: Progressive metal, progressive rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dream Theater, Sons of Apollo, The Flower Kings, Transatlantic

With gargantuan epics and cheesy prog metal antics, Southern Empire’s sophomore release Civilisation is simply epic in a way reminiscent of Transatlantic or Dream Theater at their gaudiest. Civilisation opens with “Goliath’s Moon,” an unreasonably catchy bop that has been a mainstay of family karaoke on road trips for half a decade. The twenty-nine minute beast “Crossroads” contains everything one could possibly hope for in such a lengthy epic: glorious reprises, face-melting solos, and tons and tons of cheesy charm. But the real highlight for me is “Cries for the Lonely,” which I would not only consider one of the best prog epics of the 2010s but also one of the best prog tracks ever. It’s beautifully bombastic, building from its overture with a huge swell which crashes into a violin solo before gritty tenor Danny Lopresto belts out the first of many verses. Even at a husky nineteen minutes, the track never loses steam. Civilisation came out my freshman year of high school, and “Cries for the Lonely” was the exact length of the drive to school, so my mom and I have heard the track a million times, and I love it more with every listen. Southern Empire shot for the stars, and they hit the moon… Goliath’s moon. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Andy

48. The Ruins of Beverast – Exuvia (2017)

Genres: Atmospheric black metal, experimental doom metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Blut Aus Nord, Decline of the I, Esoteric, Heilung

Sometimes an album has perfect cover art. Julia Schneider’s painting for Exuvia encapsulates the album, its deep purple ochre decorating the perfect shade of night for the shamanic ritual pictured. Delving into Exuvia is scary and intense, hypnotically suffocating. Alexander von Meilenwald’s solo project has never been for the faint of heart, but The Ruins of Beverast’s fifth album transcends space and time, transporting the listener back to the Middle Ages: I’m in a mead hall about to be ravaged by Grendel. From the three part opener and title track to the closing notes of “Takitum Tootem,” there’s a pulsating rhythm, a liveliness that’s impossible to escape. Exuvia is pre-industrial, back to the good old days before technology poisoned us and fighting off demons was mere entertainment. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Andy

47. Novembre – URSA (2016)

Genres: Gothic metal, doom metal, progressive metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Katatonia, Anathema, Tiamat

As the saying goes, beauty is rarely skin deep. If the rocky boot of Italy with its blue skies and sunny beaches evokes within you cheery, uptempo albums, just know you’re missing out on a world of depth, in which albums like Novembre’s URSA bloom like black roses. Drawing clear inspiration from the broody, melancholic death and gothic metal aspects of groups like Katatonia and Anathema, the Rome-based outfit Novembre takes these elements and creates a distinctly painterly atmosphere on URSA, where the sounds, like colours, flow into one another to create light and shadow. The progressive nature of the album lends itself to effecting changes in mood and tempo not merely throughout its runtime of over an hour, but also within songs themselves: haunting ecclesiastical chanting leading into strained, impassioned, despairing harsh vocal cries; tremolo-picking passages dissolving into reverberant minor-key arpeggios and saxophone. In a country that’s primarily known for their power metal scene, Novembre stands as the antithesis; a consummate effort to portray beauty in tenebrosity. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Francesco

46. Children of Nova – Impossible Landscape (2012)

Genres: Progressive rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Closure in Moscow, The Mars Volta, Rishloo

There’s something to be said for burning short and bright rather than slowly fading away. While their time as a band may have been tragically brief, San Diego’s Children of Nova managed to put out two excellent releases in that span, namely 2009’s unfortunately-not-eligible-for-this-list The Complexity of Light and its often-overshadowed follow-up, Impossible Landscape. While its predecessor was a wild, explosive blast of The Mars Volta-core chock-full of bongos and piercing falsetto wails, Impossible Landscape is a more mature, measured effort, with greater focus on tight songwriting and strong melodies. Frontman Teo Lopez scales back his stratospheric shrieks in favor of his powerfully melodic mid-range, working in harmony with the instrumentals rather than passing the spotlight back and forth. This approach pays off in the form of the punchy yet progressive riffs of songs like the title track and “Erratic”, and when they indulge their more sprawling instincts on closer “It’s Just a Ride”, it feels like something special. Not a bad way to go out, I’d say.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Ian

45. Barren Earth – A Complex of Cages (2018)

Genres: Progressive death metal, melodic death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Amorphis, Ghost

We all make fun of our glorious leader Sam for liking cheesy, theatrical music, but the truth is, so do I. A Complex of Cages is what happens when you put Opeth and Ghost in a blender, and I mean that as a compliment. Opener “The Living Fortress” is the perfect tone-setter, beginning with a bludgeoning main riff that leads into Jon Aldara’s overdramatic cleans. As much as the riffing is clearly inspired by Ghost Reveries, there’s enough 70s prog influence and epic, fist-pumping choruses to keep things interesting. Speaking of choruses, it’s hard to find a song on this album without an incredible one, with special mention to “Further Down” and “Dysphoria”, which continue to be stuck in my head long after I finish my 300th listen of this masterpiece. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Zach

44. The World is Quiet Here – Prologue (2018)

Genres: Metalcore, progressive metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Between the Buried and Me, Native Construct, Others By No One

Prologue took the prog-metal underworld by storm back in 2018, and it did so for good reason. I’d call The World is Quiet Here one of the few bands from the underground scene that manage to thrive while being so heavily influenced by a major act in the genre, rather than being held back by it. They’re absolutely taking a page (or more) from Between the Buried and Me’s style; very abrasive metalcore mixed together with unpredictable genre-fusions and a good amount of goofiness packed in. But they take this blueprint and make it their own, with their riffing far more influenced by djent, and the genre mish-mashes having a hell of a lot of western/americana/country influence to give them their own flavour. Prologue is well produced, flows excellently from track to track, provides technical chops, memorable choruses, a concept that’s easy to understand yet well written, and has a unique sense of urgency that allows it to pack all these things in one tight, fifty-minute package.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | ‎Apple Music 
Write up by: Dylan

43. Iapetus – The Body Cosmic (2019)

Genres: Melodic death metal, progressive metal, black metal (mixed vocals, mostly harsh) 
Recommended for fans of: Ne Obliviscaris, Opeth, Persefone

Themes of space in metal have frankly been done to death, in many contexts a dour reflection on humanity’s fear of the unknown or abject loneliness. Iapetus take a more transcendent perspective on space on The Body Cosmic, as according to Iapetus, you are the cosmos reflecting upon itself, proclaiming “Where does the weight of the universe lie, if not with me?” Such statements of grandeur are accompanied by equally ambitious progressive melodeath, employing Dan Presland’s (ex-Ne Obliviscaris) unrelenting blast beats underneath melodic guitar work that reverberates through the cosmos until it decays into acoustic guitar and gentle clean vocals, all spread out over multiple ten-plus-minute pieces. The title track opens The Body Cosmic with an intensity and resplendence that most bands would close an album with, and yet Iapetus use that as a springboard to even loftier compositions, culminating in the explosive “The Star of Collapse.” The Body Cosmic makes a firm statement that we are never alone in our shared curiosity, optimism, and capacity to love, and does so with an unmatched fiery passion.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Dave

42. Thrawsunblat – Metachthonia (2016)

Genres: Melodic black metal, folk metal (mixed vocals, mostly harsh) 
Recommended for fans of: Agalloch, Ulver, Moonsorrow, Windir, Ellende

An album replete with folk black metal brilliance and vivid animist lyricism, Metachthonia yearns for an ancient kind of self-discovery: each track paints vignettes of reconnection with the primal forces that move us as humans, whether they be our connections to the Earth, the stars, our ancestors, or other people. Joel Violette’s lyrics are rich, evocative, and truthfully life-changing: Metachthonia’s ideas help ground me to my roots when I feel lost or overwhelmed, pointing me back to the things that are important to me. All of these, well, chthonic themes are backdropped by intense and sprawling melodic black metal pieces inspired by Canadian folk music and accompanied by the virtuosic cello work of Raphael Weinroth-Browne; harsh vocals and blast beats tear across the landscape while earthy cleans and acoustic guitars force you to stop and listen to the Earth’s breath. A true standout of forward-thinking black metal expression, I can say without hesitation that Metachthonia is my favorite album of all time thanks to a mixture of supreme songwriting and lyricism that speaks to me at my core.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Dave

41. Conjurer & Pijn – Curse These Metal Hands (2019)

Genres: Post-metal, sludge metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Baroness, Svalbard, Rolo Tomassi

As the only collaboration album to make the list, Curse These Metal Hands sits at the vast crossroads of Pijn’s aching melancholia and Conjurer’s potent ferocity. And despite each band wielding balefire with their own respective sounds, these Englishmen opted instead to create a salve to nihilism. Over the album’s four tracks, one’s life is completely and utterly affirmed, the weight upon one’s shoulders lifted, and the clouds blocking the sun parted. This is no subtle affair; these Englishmen pound optimism into you note by note, riff by riff until you too are lifted up and see the light of day. From the epic lyrical climaxes of “High Spirits” to the nursery-rhyme like motif that closes out the album on “Sunday,” this album serves one purpose. And it achieves it beautifully. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Cooper

40. Black Peaks – All That Divides (2018)

Genres: Alternative metal, progressive metal, post-hardcore (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Deftones, Mastodon, Vheissu-era Thrice, Loathe, Moon Tooth

A bright-burning but brief legend in the UK alt metal scene, Black Peaks’ tremendous second album was sadly their last. Deftly blending indelibly British progressive post-hardcore with the sludgy dynamism of Mastodon and the heavy grooves of later Deftones, Black Peaks managed to forge a unique identity within an often homogenous genre on All That Divides. Will Gardner’s bellows, shrieks and angelic cleans were the hook, built upon intricate riffing both progressive and punchy, and a varied rhythm section which could rise to every occasion. From the punky energy of “Electric Fires” to the post-metal crescendousness of “The Midnight Sun” to the heart-wrenching refugee crisis ballad “Slow Seas”, Black Peaks pushed the UK proggy post-hardcore scene to giddy heights that yet remain unsurpassed. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Christopher

39. Vulkan – Mask of Air (2011)

Genres: Progressive rock, psychedelic rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Mars Volta, Rishloo, Closure in Moscow, Malina-era Leprous

Vulkan’s heavy rock sound defies description and comparison but lands somewhere between The Mars Volta, Leprous with a little less depression, and Closure in Moscow or VOLA with a little less pop. While the intervening years and two additional albums have brought them some much-deserved recognition, Vulkan spent the majority of the previous decade being criminally underrated for their clever songwriting, lively psychedelic tone, and expressive yet enigmatic lyrics. Although 2020’s Technatura seems to have finally been their breakout release, their debut Mask of Air still shows the band at their best, with numerous tracks that could easily be the highlight of a lesser album, including a final one-two punch (“Pyrrhus” into “Howling Owls (Pt. 3)”) that remains one of my all time favorite album closers.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Doug

38. In the Silence – A Fair Dream Gone Mad (2013)

Genres: Progressive metal, progressive rock, alternative metal (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Katatonia, Karnivool, Tool, Riverside

What convenient timing! For an almost Tool-worthy length of time, A Fair Dream Gone Mad has remained the one and only album by little-known California band In the Silence—but no more! With a new label deal signed last year and a pair of singles from the upcoming album released so far, now is the perfect time to dive into this melancholy prog band in anticipation. Their dark, gothic atmosphere feels most comparable to Katatonia, with mournful vocals and an atmospheric flair to the production that brings an autumnal chill to the air at any time of year. Balancing thick, syrupy distortion with occasional dashes of subtle acoustic guitar, In the Silence have mastered a very specific aesthetic, and A Fair Dream Gone Mad drips with it.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Doug

37. Cheeto’s Magazine – Amazingous (2019)

Genres: Progressive rock, symphonic prog, neo-prog, heavy prog (strange vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: The Flower Kings, A.C.T., Genesis

Cheeto’s Magazine are not the kind of band I would usually listen to and Amazingous simply defies intuitive logic; it doesn’t make any sense to me how this album turned out so good. This is a once in a decade sort of deal—perhaps, an accidental masterpiece. Paced immaculately and written close to perfectly, Amazingous brings the listener through a sanity-melting path of muppet vocals, harsh muppet vocals, inspirational pep-talks, and achieving ultimate power through contact with eldritch forces. Cheeto’s Magazine is molded out of the progressive rock classics from the 70s and 80s while providing a contemporary twist on the genres of old, contributing sounds from the current progressive metal scene. This culminates in a super refreshing, upbeat, and playfully cohesive sound. Amazingous is deceptively friendly in its sonic presentation but there is something ungodly sinister going on underneath the surface.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Sabrina

36. Spawn of Possession – Incurso (2012)

Genres: Technical death metal (harsh vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Necrophagist, First Fragment, Decrepit Birth

Spawn of Possession have been a tech death mainstay for decades and knew since day one what they wanted to do with their music: abrasive death metal with a whole bunch of neoclassical influence to create an epic, nigh theatrical, atmosphere that somehow co-exists with some of the heaviest melodies ever written. Despite all three of their albums following this similar structure, Incurso makes the other releases essentially redundant. This is a product that assembles everything that made their debut and sophomore releases promising and elevates it to heights that have yet to be reached again in the technical death metal scene. Incurso has some of the most complex-yet-catchy passages of music I’ve ever heard, with its neoclassical elements adding a certain wow factor that sticks the landing upon first listen and consistently elevates the experience upon revisits. It’s grandiose and larger than life, yet never struggles to keep the listener engaged in spite of its incredible complexity. If that isn’t enough to sell you on Incurso, it’s one of the few death metal albums I’d highly encourage you to listen to with a lyrics sheet, for they are some of the grimmest, darkest, yet also beautifully written lyrical passages in the genre’s history. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | ‎Apple Music
Write up by: Dylan

35. Bent Knee – Land Animal (2017)

Genres: Progressive rock, art rock, avant-garde (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: The Dear Hunter, Radiohead, Joanna Newsom, King Crimson, Björk

Throughout their defiantly uncategorizable career, art rock darlings Bent Knee have made a name for themselves largely by striking an incredibly deft balance between the cerebral and the primal, using their fancy Berklee music degrees to alchemize raw, bleeding-edge emotions into angular, groovy indie prog tunes that expertly zigzag listener expectations. Perhaps none of their records address this balance as head-on as Land Animal, whose loose concept centers around the conflicts that arise between humanity’s breakneck technological expansion and the ancient, animalistic desires and fears that remain unchanged from millions of years ago. It’s seemingly heady stuff, yet, fittingly, it also manages to be one of the most accessible albums Bent Knee have ever made, with Courtney Swain’s keening soprano and Chris Baum’s expertly arranged strings at the heart of its unforgettably potent hooks. Offering soaring dynamic builds (“Holy Ghost”, “Time Deer”) and quietly devastating ballads (“Insides In”, “Boxes”) in equal measure, Land Animal is a record for the partially-evolved beast in all of us.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Ian

34. Daydream XI – The Circus of the Tattered and Torn (2017)

Genres: Progressive metal, power metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Seventh Wonder, Dream Theater, Symphony X

One of my favorite tropes in prog metal is that of the concept album, and The Circus of the Tattered and Torn is a gem of an album that simply adheres to and delivers on all the tropes you could ask for in spades. Cheesy spoken word interludes? Check. An epic instrumental overture? Check. Over-indulgent songwriting? Hell yeah. Daydream XI play their asses off on this album, channeling all their theatricality, showmanship, and passion into creating banger song after banger song. They equally nail the grandiosity of power metal as they deliver on softer, emotionally vulnerable prog moments, carried as much by Tiago Masseti’s insanely charismatic vocal performance as by the sublime instrumental arrangements. One moment your face contorts to the depths of stankdom, and the next you’ll be listening to gospel and you won’t even be mad because it’s so well done. Everything you want in your classic prog metal is here, and I can’t recommend The Circus of the Tattered and Torn enough. (New album when??? :(((( )

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Sam

33. DGM – The Passage (2016)

Genres: Progressive metal, power metal (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Symphony X, Haken, Vision Divine

Italy’s DGM are the sunny peninsula’s answer to the USA’s Symphony X, with impressive heavy guitar work, melodic vocal lines, beautiful keyboard melodies, and a rhythm section that could teach a metronome how to keep time. The Passage brings together speedy, melodic power metal and traditional progressive metal to create massive hooky choruses and virtuosic instrumental passages that crescendo masterfully into outro sequences that maintain a breakneck pace until the very last note. Simone Mularoni’s surgical work on the six-string and Mark Basile’s inspirational vocal tone are a duo to be reckoned with, and although that seems to be a staple of progressive metal outfits in this vein, using the aforementioned Symphony X as an example—if Symphony X is a Dodge Viper, then DGM is a Ferrari 488. Both have power and speed, yes, but only one of them has the artistic sophistication of a land whose beautiful landscapes inspired the cultural revolution that was the Renaissance. The other has a MAGA shaman.

Links: Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Francesco

32. An Abstract Illusion – Illuminate the Path (2016)

Genres: Progressive death metal, atmospheric death metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Kardashev, Insomnium 

Long before they released Woe, I knew future Subway darlings An Abstract Illusion from a random Reddit post. They already stood out from their Opethian peers by putting a heavy emphasis on atmosphere, making them more akin to someone like Mare Cognitum than the aforementioned Swedes. AAI weave shimmering aural tapestries, combining bludgeoning trem-riffs with ambient keyboard noodlings and leads, the slight black-metalisms of Saor coming through on songs like “Abode of A God” and “Drop This Planet of Dust”. “Skeletons of Light” remains a favourite for showcasing how these Swedish prog-wizards would tackle the art of the long-form prog epic, and the sixteen-minute behemoth remains a testament to writing songs that feel way shorter than they actually are. 

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Zach

31. The Reticent – On the Eve of a Goodbye (2016)

Genres: Progressive metal, death metal (mixed vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Wilderun, Perihelion Ship

The Reticent have become infamous for delivering some of the most hard-hitting, depressing, and gut-wrenching albums out there for covering topics like dementia, depression, and suicide in visceral detail. On the Eve of a Goodbye was the beginning of this trajectory. Led by Grammy-nominated music instructor, Chris Hathcock, The Reticent snake through a harrowing story about the last twenty-four hours of a girl that the narrator couldn’t save before her tragic suicide; emotional introspection and questioning observation separate intervals of masterclass Opeth-inspired death metal mediated by a dynamic, powerful production. Hathcock conjures insane growls alongside mathy, technical riffs, shifting between acoustic, somber passages and hateful distorted cacophonies. “The Confrontation” is when all hell breaks loose and the real mind-bending instrumentals take us by storm. The finale, particularly the tracks, “Funeral For a Firefly” and “The Day After” are potentially perspective-changing songs to hear in the album’s epilogue. This is one of the most depressing albums you will likely hear; I say that with the utmost praise.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music 
Write up by: Sabrina

30. Moron Police – A Boat on the Sea (2019)

Genres: Progressive rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Thank You Scientist, Voyager, Haken, Bear Ghost

The sheer glow-up of Moron Police in the late 2010s needs to be studied. Sure, their early material showed musical promise beneath its forced quirkiness and sophomoric song titles, but I don’t think anyone expected a follow-up this good. A Boat on the Sea is one of the most exultantly colorful-sounding albums I’ve ever heard, with soaring, infinitely catchy choruses backed up by lush, creative musicianship that presents a delightful new bit of instrumentation at every turn. While its lyrics may have grown more serious (and more apropos than ever in recent times) in their commentary on warlike, capitalist hegemony, the prevailing mood is that of radiant, defiant joy. The world may be locked in a cycle of fascism and violence, but we can still smile and laugh at life’s absurdities with the ones we care about most.

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Ian

29. Equipoise – Demiurgus (2019)

Genres: Technical death metal (harsh vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Beyond Creation, Necrophagist, First Fragment, Inferi

Written by members of Beyond Creation, Inferi, and Greylotus and featuring members of every other tech death band on the planet, Equipoise’s Demiurgus is the definition of tech death for tech death’s sake. Solos are traded around like a toxic plague, exotic scales latching onto your skin and STANKY fretless bass worming its way into your bones. At every turn, Demiurgus hits the listener with the purest distillation of technical prowess, and yet Equipoise still manage to make the whole thing memorable in part thanks to their classical influence yet mostly thanks to the sheer ludicrousness of the whole thing. Did I mention the fretless bass is rather STANKY?

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Cooper

28. Anubis Gate – Anubis Gate (2011)

Genres: Progressive metal, power metal (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Vanden Plas, Seventh Wonder, Pagan’s Mind, Circus Maximus

Anubis Gate’s self-titled marked the beginning of a new era for the band: previously fronted by producer Jacob Hansen, bassist Henrik Fevre takes on vocal duties, his down-to-earth timbre sitting in strong juxtaposition to Hansen’s cosmic, beamed-in-from-satellite vocal approach. The shedding of Hansen’s vocals and some of the more industrial electronics gave Anubis Gate the opportunity to write more straightforward power/prog and, incidentally, make their catchiest and most personal record to date in the process. Anubis Gate’s sense of groove has never been better, intertwining hefty chugging with crystal-clear soaring guitar melodics (“The Reformation Show”, “Hold Back Tomorrow”), all augmented by Fevre’s impassioned vocal performance. Replete with commanding vocal lines and energetic power metal swagger (“Desiderio Omnibus”, “Telltale Eyes”), Anubis Gate still makes room for dramatic sentimentality (“Golden Years”, “Oh My Precious Life”) and extended pieces (“World In a Dome”, “Circumstanced”) in between its more immediate moments. Anubis Gate shows that, in the right hands, a transition album can still be thoroughly engaging and eschew the growing pains associated with change entirely.

Links: Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Dave

27. iamthemorning – The Bell (2019)

Genres: progressive rock, chamber pop (clean vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Oceansize, Ludovico Einaudi, Riverside, Sigur Ros

Although I ever-so-slightly prefer Iamthemorning’s debut ~, The Bell is an easy pick for this list as the band’s proggiest record to date. For those unfamiliar with the sound, the chamber duo consists of Gleb Kolyadin on piano and Marjana Semkina singing craft magnificent whimsical songs with haunting lyricism. On The Bell, the two bring in a whole host of guest musicians to turn the humble duo into a veritable prog rock ensemble, and the results are stunning. With tracks like the epic-in-miniature-proportion “Freak Show” and banger “Salute,” Iamthemorning truly found the perfect balance between chamber music and progressive rock. Plus, these guys write such beautiful and (deceivingly) simple music that you should have no problem showing it to your non-prog friends!

Links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Write up by: Andy

26. Ad Nauseam – Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est (2015)

Genres: Dissonant death metal, technical death metal (harsh vocals) 
Recommended for fans of: Artificial Brain, Gorguts, Spawn of Possession, Ulcerate

Few albums have broken a genre with their qualities and ambitions: some that come to mind are Vektor’s Terminal Redux, Yes’ Close to the Edge, and Astor Piazzolla’s Tango: Zero Hour. These albums shifted the paradigm with their technical brilliance and progressive outlook, perfecting what had come before and setting the standard for years to come. In similar form, Ad Nauseam’s Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est took dissodeath to a whole new plane of existence. With completely familiar mechanisms in a framework I know and love, Ad Nauseam simply surpass their peers in every regard. NQVOE is stunningly beautiful, endlessly precise, heavy as anything, and yet sophisticated. Building their own equipment to their specifications, NQVOE is produced so you can hear each clack of the bass perfectly, each brush of the drumstick on the cymbal, and each eerie chamber instrument. This is Modern art and a perfect album for those willing to let the dissonance into their ear holes. 

Links: Bandcamp 
Write up by: Andy

Phew. There we have it, the first round of the best underground prog album of the 2010s. Any surprises? Anything you thought would be higher? Anything you’re expecting for the top 25? You’ll have to wait a little while for Part Two but we promise it’ll be worth it and that you’ll probably end up shouting at us for the things we missed out! We’ll just go ahead and sharpen the pitchforks for you, shall we? We’ll see you soon for the remaining 25 albums!

The post Our Top 50 Underground Prog Albums of 2010 – 2019: Part One 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.

The Progressive Subway was founded in 2018 by Sam to highlight the best bands in the progressive rock and metal underground. From humble beginnings of essentially posting collections of notes, the site evolved into a more serious blog of music criticism. Our definition of “underground” started at 5,000 Spotify monthly listeners or fewer and eventually settled on a more judicious threshold of 20,000. As time has gone on, that boundary has begun to make less and less sense. Progressive rock and metal are niche genres at best, the biggest bands in our scene have maybe four million monthly listeners—the global population is 8.2 billion; when looked at that way, all prog is underground, and there are plenty of bands we don’t cover who are still “underground” to the average prog fan. And so, we’ve decided to eliminate that threshold. Henceforth, we’ll be reviewing all prog rock and metal bands (and some related stuff we feel is within our remit); you’ll get to read our controversial opinions about all your favourites, from Dream Theater to Opeth, from King Gizzard to Devin Townsend, from Haken to Haken side projects. 

To lovers of underground music and the underground bands that follow us: fear not! The prog scene is vast because the progressive underground is vast. For five years we’ve journeyed up and down the subway tracks (yes, as in a train subway, not a sandwich shop—you seriously never worked that out?!) in search of the best emerging bands and we’ve come to know and love many of them. And even if we didn’t love them, if the reviews were a bit mean sometimes, we’re still rooting for them. We will not forget our underground origins. Our hope is to grow the site in reach and output, in order to be able to highlight even more underground bands than ever before to an even larger audience, to become a thriving hub for prog fans to discover new things and discuss how wrong we are about, well, everything. In the new year, we will be publishing a few “best underground albums of the decade” posts, and features such as our “Lost in Time” series will remain committed to the underground scene. If you’re thinking “oh, they just want to put things like Caligula’s Horse and Blood Incantation on their end of year lists” then you clearly don’t realise what a great big bunch of haters we are (7/10s both of them; in fact, everything you love is a 7/10)!

The prog community is a wonderful, supportive place, but there aren’t so many critical sites; we see a lot of promotional sites where high scores are doled out like candy, who would vaunt the virtues of even renowned clunkers like Transitus, Sorceress, and The Astonishing. There’s nothing wrong with promotional sites, but when people are haters, you can at least trust that they’re being honest. Sure, we’re not quite AngryMetalGuy—more like SardonicProgElitists—but reviewing should have qualitative standards. You may not agree with us, in fact, you probably shouldn’t, but you can at least guarantee that we’re telling the truth about how we feel about an album. And then you can send us threatening comments! 

There you have it. The Progressive Subway has officially connected to the overground lines. This is a brave new future for the site and we’re hoping our readers and the bands that have become a part of our little community will join us on the ride. Take a seat and get comfy, we’ll be stopping at some great recommendations, some hot takes, and some really scathing critiques of your music taste. Choo-choo! 

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