It is Prog‘s model new Tracks Of The Week! 5 new and various slices of progressively inclined music so that you can get pleasure from.
Congratulations to Italian kraut-gaze quartet Oslo Tapes, whose monitor Analemma received a decent race final week, pipping UK proggers Circu5 into secind place and with Halifax proggers L.O.E. in third place.
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is straightforward – we have collated a batch of recent releases by bands falling underneath the progressive umbrella, and collated them collectively in a single put up for you – makes it a lot simpler than having to dip out and in of assorted particular person posts, would not it? The thought is to look at the movies (or pay attention if it is a stream), get pleasure from (or not) and likewise to vote on your favorite within the voting kind on the backside of this put up. Could not be simpler, might it?
We’ll be bringing you Tracks Of The Week, because the title implies, every week. Subsequent week we’ll replace you with this week’s winner and current a bunch of recent prog music so that you can get pleasure from.
In the event you’re a band and also you wish to be featured in Prog‘s Tracks Of The Week, ship your video (as a YouTube hyperlink) or monitor embed, band picture and biog to us right here.
GAZPACHO – WE ARE STRANGERS
Norwegian proggers Gazpacho will launch their extremely anticipated twelfth studio album, Magic 8-Ball, via Kscope on October 31. We’re fortunate sufficient to have heard it, and we are able to let you know it is nice. The anthemic We Are Strangers is the second single from the album (the band shared 8-Ball in August) is an ideal taster for the delights that await you. Additionally, any track described as “like Rush had a fistfight with Godzilla” is OK with us!
“We Are Strangers was born throughout a jam session the place we had been enjoying round with some ‘attention-grabbing’ time signatures,” the band say. “The type that makes you think about if all these late nights might need made a long-lasting influence on the system. Because the track is about destiny and the way it randomly exhibits as much as change all the things, that instability felt proper. Our fates appear to be flying round till they randomly strike, whether or not good or unhealthy. Destiny wears a thousand faces and blindsides us, leaving all the things modified within the blink of an eye fixed. A cellphone name at evening, a check outcome, a lottery ticket. All strangers till they don’t seem to be anymore.
“When it was completed, we requested ourselves if this was a Gazpacho track or if it sounded a bit of like Rush had a fistfight with Godzilla and as soon as we considered it we determined the reply was ‘Hell Yeah’. To each.”
AIRBAG – ERASE
Norwegian prog trio Airbag introduced this morning that they’ll launch a dwell album, Dysphoria, via Karisma Information on November 21. The upcoming launch was recorded at Poppodium Boerderij in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands in 2024. The brooding Erase is the primary music launched from the album.
“Erase was in some ways the centre piece of the A Century Of The Self tour,” says guitarist Bjørn Riis. “It represents each the theme of the exhibits and the highly effective efficiency and sound of the band. It was actually a excessive level for us too, when all of the lights turned crimson and that foreboding echosound explodes from the audio system adopted by the thunderous bass. This dwell model is a straight-out rocker, and you may actually hear how a lot we loved ourselves on stage!”
PURE REASON REVOLUTION – BETRAYAL
UK prog rockers Pure Purpose Revolution just lately introduced they might be on the invoice for MidWinter progressive rock competition within the Netherlands in February, as a part of their upcoming The Darkish Third twentieth anniversary dwell exhibits, which can see Chloe Alper rejoining the band onstage. On the identical time, they shared a brand new remix/remodeling of the monitor Betrayal from their most up-to-date studio album, Coming Up To Consciousness.
“Love this epic combine from Wondastation, it’s an actual journey, pulling within the listener from begin to finish,” enthuses mainman Jon Courtney. “Betrayal has been dissected, however superbly reassembled, pushing the monitor to harmonic heights. Take pleasure in!”
ALEX HENRY FOSTER – IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN
Canadian post-rocker Alex Henry Foster goes the instrumental route on new single In The Valley Of The Solar, launched whereas he and his band work on materials for his or her subsequent album. The monitor retains true to Foster’s post-rock roots, however there’s loads of cinematic scope right here too, which is why his sound appeals to so many prog followers as nicely.
“It’s been loud, noisy, and actually intentional in my studio just lately, which is especially galvanising for me since I’m engaged on a stunning new inventive venture,” Foster says. “Shocking as a result of it wasn’t really deliberate at first, and I noticed its inspirational essence spark in my coronary heart in such a approach that it took priority over all the things I used to be foreseeing to immerse myself in at that time…”
JONAS LINDBERG & THE OTHER SIDE – GRUVAN
Melodic Swedish prog outfit Jonas Lindberg & The Different Siden will launch their newest album, Time Frames, on November 7. It is the follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed Miles From Nowhere, and Gruvan is the primary music to be launched from it. As you’d count on, it is melodic, epic (weighing in at over eight minutes!) and prodigiously delivered, with some quite youthful assist as nicely!
“Gruvan is Swedish and means ‘The Mine’,” Lindberg explains. “That is really the title of the studio the place many of the album was recorded. Initially meant to grow to be extra of a bluegrass tune, it derailed as traditional and ended up as an ‘Different Facet’ monitor with a 12/8 fusion groove as a substitute. On this one, my 2-year-old daughter crashed the percussion periods, grabbed a shaker and performed alongside. It sounded so cool that she ended up showing on the monitor.
FIRELIGHTERS – MY TIME WILL COME
Franco-British progressive rock band Firelighters started life as a duo of singer and lyricist Alex, who grew up steeped within the mists of Wales, and seasoned French composer and guitarist Joël (it is all first names solely right here) in 2020, however have since been fleshed out by Nicko Kalifornia (bass) and Hervé (drums), who joined in early 2024. The band are gearing up for the discharge of their debut album, Quiver, whch they’ll launch on October 24, and from which comes the catchy and energetic My Time Will Come.
“In opposition to a backdrop of intertwining guitar melodies, groovy bass traces, atmospheric keyboards and rhythms oscillating between restraint and liberation, Alex’s crystalline, emotive voice fluctuates between vulnerability and power,” the band say. “The songs unfold like landscapes: textured, spacious, and always shifting, with advanced preparations that advantage repeated listening.”
THE HIRSCH EFFEKT – DER BRAUCH
Hanover trio The Hirsch Effekt at this time introduced they’ll launch their new album, Der Brauch, via Lengthy Department Information on January 30. The album sees the band spreading their musical wings, shifting in a extra progressive vein than earlier, heavier albums. Which may solely be a very good factor. Title monitor, Der Brauch, which interprets as ‘the customized’ exhibits the band can nonetheless pack a punch, solely now it is combined with extra intricate and proggy passages.
“Our work with The Hirsch Effekt could be very project-based – some phases which might be very busy, then some monotonous phases the place I work alone. It is arduous to keep away from always questioning whether or not I’m working sufficient, incomes sufficient, contributing sufficient to retirement,” explains vocalist and guitarist Nils Wittrock. “Because the lyrics state: “Jeden Tag das gleiche, jedes Mal. Wo sind all die Leute, die ich nie sehen wollte? Keiner bleibt zu Hause, außer mir. Hoffentlich merkt keiner: Ich bin immer noch hier.” (“Daily the identical, each time. The place are all of the individuals I by no means needed to see? Nobody stays dwelling, besides me. Hopefully nobody notices: I’m nonetheless right here.”)”
