It's Tracks Of The Week time. Seven new and diverse pieces of progressive music for you to enjoy.
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?
The idea is to watch the videos (or listen if it's a stream), enjoy (or not) and also to vote for your favourite in the voting form at the bottom of this post. Couldn't be easier could it?
We'll be bringing you Prog's 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.
Mars Red Sky - Maps Of Inferno
When French progressive doom trio Mars Red Sky teamed up with dark folk singer Queen Of The Meadow, the results were always going to transcend the ordinary. The cinematic Maps Of Inferno is taken from the upcoming Mars Red Sky & Queen Of The Meadow EP, due out at the end of April 2023.
The atmospheric recording details a disturbing journey through a maze inspired by the Italian architect/artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi's imaginary prisons with immense winding staircases. The claustrophobic video has been shot in a former submarine base in Bordeaux, which gives it a suitably bunker-like feel. It's gripping stuff.
Johnny The Boy - Crossings
Crippled Black Phoenix's Belinda Kordic and Justin Greaves, along with CBP alumnus and live bassist Matt Crawford, have created something far darker and heavier on their latest project, Johnny The Boy. They describe first single, Crossings as, "The act of dying, the final curtain call, sometimes dying alone, the surreal and the nightmares."
CBP teased the "new and exciting" project with the caustic No Regrets, which they snuck on the end of their 2022 long-player, Banefyre. Johnny The Boy's full-length debut, You is due through Season Of Mist in June 2023 with the trio name-checking black metal faves Bathory and Satyricon in accompanying press material. This is not for the faint-hearted!
Puscifer - Postulous (Re-Imagined by Phantogram)
Maynard James Keenan's other other band, Puscifer have tipped their 2020 album Existential Reckoning on its head and turned it inside out with 12 remixes, released under the title of Existential Reckoning: Re-Wired. This reworking of Postulous has been re-imagined by US trip hop duo Phantogram. Tool bandmate Justin Chancellor also reassembles UPGrade with The Crystal Method’s Scott Kirkland.
“Sometimes it’s just fun to break stuff,” says Keenan. “Then you latch on to one familiar piece and build something entirely new.”
Junkan - Waves Of Silence
French instrumental post-progressive metal project Junkan have only been going since late 2022 but are already working on their debut EP. Single Waves Of Silence offers a taste of the "faceless duo"'s cinematic sound that's been inspired by movie scores and their passion for post-rock.
Clocking in at over seven minutes, the sprawling track follows the peaks and troughs of the geography captured in its accompanying clip. One for fans of 65daysofstatic.
LYRRE - Call In The Wind
Eluveitie fans might recognise the band's ex-hurdy-gurdy player Michalina Malisz here, she formed the genre-transcending Lyrre with her husband Piotr Martuś. Their electronic-infused single Call In The Wind is taken from the Polish group's debut album, Not All Who Dream Are Asleep, which combines Malisz's delicate vocals with poetic lyrics and rich melodies. The album has been inspired by mythology and is out towards the end of April 2023.
Bike - O Torto Santo
Inspired by Syd Barrett and Can, this Brazilian quartet showcase their trippy progressive sounds on O Torto Santo, the lead single from their upcoming fifth album Arte Bruta, due out via Quadrado Mágico Records and Before Sunrise Records on May 5.
They've been around since 2015 and, as guitarist/vocalist Julito Cavalcante explains,
“We managed to mix all the coolest things we had already done with new references and older ones that have not yet appeared on other albums. We also added new elements and handcrafted instruments in the songs. The idea was to sound artistic and raw at the same time.”
Keyan - Arrhythmia
Iranian-Australian shredder Keyan demonstrates how he's become a YouTube sensation on his latest single, Arrhythmia. It's a complex blend of polyrhythms and eerie soundscapes that should appeal to fans of Animals As Leaders and Mastodon.
He's based in Adelaide and has previously teamed up with fellow Aussies Plini and Northlane as well as members from Canadian band Spiritbox – he's previously cited Plini as a big inspiration. His debut EP Gradient was released in early 2022 with more releases anticipated in the future.
