The Top 10 Progressive Albums of 2017
To wrap-up the year, we offer you theTop 10 Progressive Albums of 2017– as selected by the DPRP writers.
We asked 22 of our prog-scribes to select their most magical musical meanderings of the year. Almost 140 different creations were chosen, from over 500 reviews on DPRP in the past year.
Here, we list the 10 which gathered the most love – with links to a video of each and the full DPRP review.
Some old favourites and some newer names - all of the highest quality. So read-on to peruse our 10 most perfect progressive proclamations of 2017.
Visit this page to see the individual Top 10 lists from each of our writers
10. LIFESIGNS - Cardington
"As much as we all love prog, it is definitely a niche market in music. It has been many years since a straightforward prog album was anywhere near the top of the charts. There was a time though, back in the 70s and 80s, when it happened pretty regularly. When a modern prog band has all of the right elements, it makes one wonder how successful they could be, if the current popular music scene was more diverse. Lifesigns easily fits into that speculative category."
Read the full DPRP duo review here.
9. ACCORDO dei CONTRARI – Violato Intatto
"These Bolognese prog-rockers recorded Violato Intatto live in the studio with minimum overdubs, and they have produced a double album of some purpose and focus. The band's sound has moved from a progressive jazz fusion, in the mould of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, to an organ and sax driven sound that echoes Van der Graaf Generator's mid-70s prime, whilst more than retaining their own identity."
Read the full DPRP review here
8. THE PINEAPPLE THIEF - Where We Stood
"The Pineapple Thief have produced, with Your Wilderness, an album that is identifiably theirs, whilst still having sufficient innovation to keep things interesting. This is not a splashy album in a technical sense, rather it is a delicate and nuanced work."
Read the full DPRP review here.
7. STEVE HACKETT - The Night Siren
"If the last few years are anything to go by, then we may very well be living in the decade of Steve Hackett. Few musicians from the "golden age" of prog are currently creating music this good. What I like most about Steve Hackett's recent output is that he has fully embraced his Genesis past, while also embracing his current creativity. None of the other former members of Genesis are doing that, and none of them are having the creative renaissance that Mr. Hackett is currently enjoying."
Read the full DPRP round table review here.
6. LUNATIC SOUL - Fractured
"You'll be hard pressed to find a more credible album, where the songs are as bare and impactful without being trite or contrived. The essence of song writing is at Fractured's core. It's a folk album by design and an alternative album in execution. It's the very archetype of what it means to write a 'progressive' recording. It's the very thing we, as fans of the genre, look for in an artful expression of rock music."
Read the full DPRP duo review here.
5. BIG BIG TRAIN - Grimspound
"I honestly cannot recommend Grimspound highly enough. For fans of their earlier work, there is much to enjoy here. Much is familiar, yet this album is more progressive than their last. While some may complain (not me!) that their sound is getting stale (blasphemy!), the band has stated that Grimspound is the final album in their folk-oriented album cycle. While I doubt the band will move into a death metal or djent direction on their next album, it does seem that they will be progressing into new and uncharted territory in the future. For now, enjoy the brilliance of their current catalogue. Wherever the tracks may lead, Big Big Train have more than earned my trust to remain on this musical journey with them."
Read the full DPRP duo review here
4. COMEDY OF ERRORS - House Of The Mind
"This is CoE's fourth studio album in recent years and I would consider it to be their best. For my money, these guys are up there with the best neo-prog bands in the world. A continuing maturity in composing and musicianship, and an abundance of sheer sonic delights makes this a contender for the best album of 2017."
Read the full DPRP duo review here.
3. SOEN - Lykaia
"Lykaia is not an album about great songs and not so great songs, nor heavy songs and more ambient songs. Compositionally, it is an ever-changing palette of musical colours; a banquet of crushing power on a platter of more ambient spaces. Building on past experiences, you can still hear bits that remind you of Opeth and Tool. Yet equally, sections mirror Wolverine, Pink Floyd and Fates Warning. As an entity though, this album sounds uniquely like Soen."
Read the full DPRP Duo Review here
2. LEPROUS - Malina
"It is not only the emotional roller coaster that spins over this album that makes it so unbelievably good. Also the focus on clever instrumentation and tonal variety does its part, plus newly acquired influences that bring this next dimension to the sinister universe of Leprous. It is for a reason that this band has gained such a huge standing in the prog metal scene so rapidly. They still are a singularity in style, and do everything they do with ultimate perfection, be it in the studio or on stage. As unbelievable it may appear, they are even better as a live band."
Read the full DPRP Round Table review here.
1. STEVEN WILSON - To The Bone
"Ultimately, this is a compelling work and is certainly not a standard pop album. The enthusiasm that Wilson had in creating the music contained within, is obvious. Don't be swayed by some of the short-sighted opinions that exist out there. This is another substantially strong release from Steve Wilson, and easily one of the best albums of the year."
Read the full DPRP Round Table review here
You may also like:
The DPRP writers' Top 15 Albums of 2014
The Best Progressive Rock Albums of 2015
The Best Progressive Rock Albums of 2016
Visit this page to see the individual Top 10 lists from each of our writers