Welcome to Prog's Tracks Of The Week. Eight brand new and diverse slices of progressive music for you to enjoy.
There wasn't a Tracks Of The Week last week, as there was a dearth of releases - not uncommon at this time of year, although this week we have quite a bumper crop for you. It could, however, prove to be the last TOTW of 2023 as releases are inevitably slowing down for Xmas. We may have a Christmas prog song themed one for you between now and the big day however...
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple - we've collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you - makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn't it?
We'll be bringing you Tracks Of The Week, as the title implies, each week. Next week we'll update you with this week's winner, and present a host of new prog music for you to enjoy.
If you're a band and you want to be featured in Prog's Tracks Of The Week, send your video (as a YouTube link) or track embed, band photo and biog to us here.
So get watching. And get voting at the bottom of the page. We share the winning video every Friday afternoon on the Prog socials.
DAMIAN WILSON & ADAM WAKEMAN - THE MAN FROM THE ISLAND
With its 18-voice choir and classic organ playing from Adam Wakeman and heartfelt lyrics, there's something seasonal about this offering from Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman, without it being anything to do with Christmas. However, with Adam Wakeman at the vocal helm, the poignant and heartfelt The Man from The Island is one of two songs Adam sings on Can We Leave The Light On Longer? the latest album from the pair, which will be released through Blacklake Records on January 12.
BJØRKØ - WHITEBONE WIND
Bjørkø is the side-project of Amorphis guitarist Tomi Koivusaari, whose debut album Heartrot is released today through Svart Records. Koivusaari lined up a stellar guest list to help him out on the new record which includes Waltteri Väyrynen (Opeth, ex-Paradise Lost), Lauri Porra (Stratovarius), and Janne Lounatvuori (Hidria Spacefolk) and vocalists Addi Tryggvason from Solstafir, Jeff Walker from Carcass, Amorphis's own Tomi Joutsen and more.
"Whitebone Wind features Marko Hietala form Nightwish and Petronella Nettermalm," explains Koivusaari. "Petronella acts as the counter element for Hietala’s high notes while they sing about death, which the many different contrasts containing the song is about. It’s also the most difficult song to perform vocally, which made Hietala the obvious choice as male vocalist to get it performed as it should."
LOUISE PATRICIA CRANE - LADIES OF THE ROAD
As Irish-born Louise Patricia Crane gears up for the release of her second solo album, she recently released a cover of King Crimson's Ladies Of The Road, for which she has now released a new video. Crane's new version of the song that originally appeared in 1973's Islands album also features Crimson alumni Mel Collins on saxophone, who played on the original, and Jakko Jakszyk on guitar, as well as an appearance from drummer Gary Husband.
“I'm not sure I can begin to articulate the feeling I get every time I hear Mel Collins playing that phenomenal saxophone on my own rendition of Ladies Of The Road," says Crane. "For a die-hard King Crimson fan it's a total pinch-me moment, with Mel of course playing on the original song from 1971's Islands album by the band. Then to hear Jakko fully let loose on that phenomenal, suggestive guitar solo once played by Robert Fripp, is just yet another dream come true. He plays a total face-melter on this and I love it."
MARIUSZ DUDA - I LOVE TO CHAT WITH YOU
The inspiration for the latest single and video from Riverside and Lunatic Soul mainman Mariusz Duda comes from Spike Jonze's 2013 film Her, in which the main character, Theodore Twombly develops a relationship with an artificially intelligent virtual assistant personified through a female voice. I Love To Chat With You is taken from Duda's recently released new solo album AFR AI D.
"The title I Love to Chat With You is obviously a reference to ChatGPT which, in 2023, put artificial intelligence in mainstream," Duda explains. "Musically, I wanted AFR AI D to have its own… electronic love song. The main inspiration for it was Spike Jonze’s 2013 film called Her. Perhaps you can call love by different names but it’s a little frightening when it is called AI."
MOON SAFARI - EMMA, COME ON
Swedish melodic proggers Moon Safari full melodic inclinations come to the fore on new single Emma, Come On, which features the kind of stacked vocal harmonies and catchy AOR rock sound you might expect from prime-time Styx, combined with an hilarious new video. The band release their long-awaited Himlabacken Vol. 2 album through Blomljud Records on December 8. We've only been waiting a whole decade for this new album!
”Do people still have posters of their favourite artists or movie stars on the walls in their room," the band ask. "This song is about celebrity worshipping, the slightly unhealthy kind. All dressed up in swirling moogs and guitars, as if Genesis in the mid ‘80’s kept one foot in their past and didn’t care for airplay. Which celebrity poster did you hang on your bedroom wall?”
GAUPA - SÖMNEN & FEBERSVAN
It's worth noting that Swedish progressive psychedelic rock band Gaupa were one of Prog's five bands to watch at the beginning of this year. They formed in 2017 over a shared love of Kyuss and Gentle Giant although Emma Näslund's impressive vocal performances have earned her numerous comparisons to the queen of quirk Bjork.
Gaupa released their most recent album Myriad through Nucelar Blast Records earlier this year, and also appeared at this year's Desertfest. The band's new video is taken from a live session they recorded at Monkey Moon Studios. Here they combine two sings, Sömnen, from Myriad, and Febersvan, from their debut self-titled EP into a mesmerising ten-minute performance.
STORM DEVA - ALCHEMY
Melodic proggers Storm Deva are musician Carollyn Eden and prog rocking astrophysicist Stuart Clark, who have just released their self-titled debut album, from which the comes the emotive Alchemy. Just one look at the video, directed by film maker Neil Monaghan, who has also worked with Arena and Clive Nolan, you'll see this is a band with musical chops and who just love to tell a story.
"Alchemy is a song very close to my heart and feels a quintessentially Storm Deva song," says Eden. "Writing it at a challenging time in my life took me into the stormy seas of a magical story world where everything is possible, and darkness can be turned into light.”
“The first time Carollyn played me the song, the drama of it hit me immediately," adds Clark. "The rise and fall of the piano riff made me instantly feel as if I was on the stormy waves, and the lyrical imagery carried me away. Although it’s perhaps not a conventional choice for a single, we kept returning to it as a statement of Storm Deva’s ambition, something that felt truly unique to the band."
UNPROCESSED - DIE ON THE CROSS OF THE MARTYR
Boundary pushing German quartet Unprocessed are another band with a brand new album released today, ...and everything in between. To celebrate the band have released a third single and video from the album. Die On The Cross Of The Martyr features some stunning six string work featuring guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage from fellow prog boundary pushers Polyphia.
“Our song Die On The Cross Of The Martyr showcases a darker and sinister side of Unprocessed, complete with guest guitar parts by Polyphia’s Tim Henson and Scotty LePage. This track is the ultimate guitar nerd’s wet dream and showcases another unexplored side of our music complete with soaring chorus that we’re itching to play live.”
