Welcome to this week's Tracks Of The Week. Five brand-new and diverse slices of progressively inclined music for you to enjoy.
Last week's results were a bit tighter than the week before. Congratulations to melodic Norwegian proggers Dim Gray, whose reflective Feathers won out over Frist*'s standalone Western Atmosphere in second place and with Belarusian trio Mission Jupiter in third place.
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 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.
AVAWAVES - NIGHTDRIVE
For the uninitiated, Avawaves are former Jethro Tull and Roxy Music collaborator Anna Phoebe and composer, producer and artist Aisling Brouwer, and the art rock duo will release their third studio album, Heartbeat, through One Little Independent Records on May 9. Nightdrive, the first single from the upcoming release is a perfect fusion of modern composition, ambient, and electronic styles that embody the pair's work.
"The album is about peeling back all the layers we cloak ourselves in until there is nothing left but the source, and discovering the strength that resides there," the pair say of Heartbeat. "We wanted this album to feel raw, honest, and intuitive. There are themes of resilience, determination, grit, and an optimism in forever chasing the dawn after dark. It’s the bursting of bubbles and realising how much lighter everything feels without them."
GHOST OF THE MACHINE - PANOPTICON
Melodic UK prog rockers Ghost Of The Machine are on a real roll right now. On the verge of releasing their second album, Empires Must Fall, on March 7 through progrock.com's Essentials label, the brand new video for the eleven-minute plus Panopticon (no, not the Peter Gabriel song of almost the same name) another example of how the band are upping their game. Created by Drain Hope GFX, who have previously produced music videos for the likes of Gong and Pure Reason Revolution, it's impressive stuff all round.
"Panopticon is one of several 'epic' length tracks to appear on the new album, and takes the listener on a sinister journey through the darkest recesses of the Empress's domain," explains singer Charlie Bramald. "Able to see past the shimmering illusion of glittering spires and golden halls, our protagonist discovers that he is in fact captive in a paranoia-inducing, all-seeing prison with a towering eye looming over all of its unwitting captives. Can the Prisoner evade the Watchman's gaze, escape the Panopticon, and expose the truth to bring down this empire built on false foundations?"
TIKTALIIKA - GODS OF PANGEA
Tiktaliika is the new sobriquet for Haken guitarist Charlie Griffiths, named after the title of his 2023 debut solo album, and as such he will release his new solo album, Gods Of Pangea, through InsideOut Music on March 14. On the album Griffiths explores the connection between the metal he loved as a youth and its connection with the progressive music he makes with Haken. And while this might be a video of a guitarist playing through the 17-minute long title track, do listen as musically it's so much more than that.
“Since the song was released just over a week ago, I’ve already been sent a bunch of guitar videos of people playing some of the sections, including an amazing eight-year-old, playing the ‘Iron Maiden’ section while wearing a dinosaur mask! As a musician, seeing others to pick up an instrument and connect with your composition is the best feeling there is, so I’m excited to put out this play-through to hopefully inspire some more shredders and riffers to join in the fun!”
BRUIT ≤ - EPHEMERAL
French post-rock quartet Bruit ≤ will release their second full-length album The Age Of Ephemerality through Pelagic Records on April 25. Ephemeral is the first track to be taken from the upcoming album, an avant-garde blast that carries the band's signature mix of post-rock with neoclassical and ambient electronica, accompanied by a striking video that documents the recording of the album, from two recording studios, time spent in La Soulane in the heart of the Pyrénées and an incredible two-week session in the old Gesu church in Toulouse.
"It shows the technological eras confront each other in a sonic choreography where a modular synthesiser, a 150-year-old organ, a classical ensemble and a rock band co-exist," the band say.
NEBULA NINE - BLOOD RED EYES
Nebula Nine are a new Swedish prog rock quartet who will release their first ever EP The Last Sky Piercer on February 28. This far the band have released two singles, Meta Girl in 2023 and Plastic Womb in 2024, and the new four-track EP sees the band taking things to the next level, having been mastered by Hans Olsson, whose impressive, eclectic resume includes work with the likes of Graveyard, Horisont, Dorrian Sorriaux and Diablo Swing Orchestra.
Blood Red Eyes represents the heavier side of the band, who describe the new EP as "complex, emotive and enthralling music that tell the tale of man’s exodus from earth in the face of an impending, world-ending cataclysm."
