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Another month, another five albums to add to your playlists. A really diverse collection this month from across the prog genre.
As ever, each album comes with a mini review, plus all the necessary links you need to discover more about the artists, to listen to their music and, most importantly, to buy your own copy.
Published on 15th September 2024
All words, selections and layout by Andy Read.
1: VOLA - Friend of a Phantom
Country: Denmark/Sweden
Sub-genre: Progressive metal
Description: This is the fourth studio album from this Danish/Swedish quartet. Judging by the first three songs being previewed on their Bandcamp page, it sounds likely to propel them into the premier league of modern prog-metal bands.
This is a band that has impressed listeners with their ability to blend numerous styles into a single composition. There is a drive, an energy and a certain bravado to this release that I just love. The official release is slated for November 5. I hope to catch a date on their European tour in November.
Top Track: Break My Lying Tongue
Listen to and buy the album on Bandcamp
More info from the official band website
2: QUINTANA - The Traveler
Country: USA
Sub-genre: Heavy-Psyche
Description: Hailing from Ohio, this is an impressive one-man journey through the heavy-psyche desert. It offers strong vocals and great guitar work, with touches of doom, grunge and stoner. Overall this reminds me of a fuzzier version of the wonderful King Buffalo. Great stuff (and only five dollars!)
Listen to and buy the album on Bandcamp
3: ANUBIS - The Unforgivable
Country: Australia
Sub-genre: Progressive-rock
Description: Hailing from Sydney, this band has released six studio records to date, plus three live discs and several European tours. Their brand of hard-nosed prog-rock has always appealed.
Album number seven sees a return to the narrative concept-album format. This is a 45-minute song split into ten parts, over two sides of vinyl. The tale is about a young man's fall into, and escape from, a religious cult called The Legion of Angels.
It's darker and more atmospheric than their previous effort, Homeless, reminding me more of their A Tower of Silence release that came out 13 years ago.
Anubis will be playing three dates in Europe at the end of October.
4: KALANDRA - A Frame Of Mind
Country: Norway
Sub-genre: Progressive/folk/Scandie
Description: This is a band that I've been following keenly since their debut album, The Line, became one of my favourite releases of the past five years. This follow-up is a gorgeously-delivered collection of melancholic Scandic alt-folk with sublime vocals and an inventively-engaging instrumental backdrop.
The focus of the sound is undoubtedly the versatile voice of Katrine Ødegård Stenbekk. Her haunting textures remind me a cross between Agnes Obel and Marjana Semkina (iamthemorning).
Kalandra are currently on their first headlining European tour. I will be grabbing my copy of this album at their show in London on 21st September.
Top Track: The State Of The World
5. THE ECHO VEILS - The Calm Beneath The Noise
Country: Mexico
Sub-genre: Progressive-rock
Description: This is a new crossover prog band consisting of Poli Elizondo and Guillermo Garcia Herreros. Guillermo was lead vocalist, keyboardist and main songwriter for Electro Compulsive Therapy. I praised their self-titled debut in 2022 (review here)
This is an intimate collection of dreamy prog-rock in the singer-songwriter style. It will delight those seeking a mainly acoustic style of music with heartfelt lyrics and ethereal electronic backing.
More great music to be discovered here in our special round-up of
The Best Progressive Rock Albums of 2024 (so far)
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