#prog metal 2025

[capitalchaostv]

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME

[burlveneer-music]

RuinsZu - Jazzisdead Live - skronk heaven in this live meeting of legendary drummer Tatsuya Yoshida with Zu's bassist (Massimo Pupillo) and saxophonist (Luca T. Mai j) recorded at the Jazzisdead Festival (Turin, 2024)

[heavy-nfld]

SHOW ALERT: Quidi Vidi Brewery Battle of the Bands - Kicker, Dahlia, Dread Method, and Twin Brooks @ Quidi Vidi Brewery - Saturday, February 22nd, 2025. Doors at 6:00 PM. No cover.

[krazetv]

Full Nothing - 'The Perfect Animal' Album Review | Featuring Tom Englund...

[sunburnacoustic]

For any Muse fans who might get frustrated about how the fandom seems to always be throwing a tantrum about new Muse songs and how much they dislike Muse's 'new directions', just a gentle assurance that the fandom has always been like this.

They were really not fond of Black Holes and Revelations when it came out, some of them didn't even believe Supermassive Black Hole was a real song. They thought it was a joke. Muse, their beloved metal-leaning hard rock band, going glitz, glam and electro? Ignoring the fact that their main man just built a whole synthesizer into his electric guitars (the XY Kaoss pad), Muse and electronic? Ignoring the arp synth on Bliss, Muse and electronic?

Supermassive Black Hole was the first single on BHAR, and the old fans were aghast. Hated it. Then when Twilight used the song and brought Muse to the attention of... well. Teenage girls, essentially, it again split the fandom into the old heads (the real, gritty rock fans, you hear me) and the airheaded dumb teenage girls that only knew them through Twilight and silly romance novels. (I hope you understand these aren't my words. It's just... fucking 2006. The 00s were horrible like that.)

They also hated Take A Bow. Despite the fact that Muse had been using the opening synth progression as an intro to Space Dementia live throughout the Absolution tour, they disliked the synths on it. They hated Invincible.

And just to balance things out, Muse in the meanwhile were having a blast: Matt doing his alien schtick in interviews, jetsetting across Europe from headline gigs and festivals to award shows, they occasionally got to take charter flights and stuff, and they were in an interesting place musically where their sound was expanding, taking inspiration from nightclub indie music like LCD Soundsystem and bussing with the Strokes (they've said Starlight was inspired by them), working up to playing some of the biggest arena and even stadium gigs of their lives. 2006 Reading Festival, their first Reading headline. Huge moment for Muse. 2007, two sold out nights at the 90,000 capacity new Wembley. All this is to say, if Muse hadn't made Black Holes the album they did, there's no way they'd be nearly as successful as they are today. So don't doubt it and don't feel bad for them! But the Muse fandom is passionate, and so you maybe heard the naysayers louder than you would with most band fandoms.

But were there detractors before Black Holes? Might surprise you, but yes! And I'm not talking about Pitchfork and the rest of the press!

This will make no sense in 2025's musical landscape and understanding of rock and guitar music, but fans hated Time Is Running Out. I've seen those old Muse messageboard threads, they did Not hold back. TIRO was a 'pop song', and so it was Bad. It was Muse selling out. Fans had heard quite a few of these songs well before release, and Muse were threatening to go 'more prog' on their third album, and it threw their OOS-loving fans a little. (Check out this interview from the archives with then-BBC Radio 1's Steve Lamacq for a sense of what was going on).

So don't worry about who hates Thought Contagion or whether fans inexplicably dislike Will Of The People, an album so classically Muse that I am forced to wonder whether the fans that dislike it and I are actually thinking about the same band when refer to them. It's been like this on The Resistance (god, they hated the symphonic bits, strings used to really rile up the anti-sentimental rock fandom. Riffs and RIFFS ONLY you hear me?), The 2nd Law got So Much Hate for Muse embracing electronic music (again, not new....) and working with Skrillex, it was the whole reason the 'back to basics, back to our rock roots' idea even popped into the band's head when going in to make Drones. Matt's talked about the well, fan pressure to sound a certain way on the song Pressure, and Simulation Theory itself got a lot of agitated fan responses.

The interesting thing with Muse is that despite it all, the reason why they are still such a widely loved band is that people come around to their albums. At the end of the day, it is fantastic music. Well written, incredibly forward-thinking and genre-blending. Fans' love for Muse keeps them giving the newer albums another chance, and you will often see this in most Muse Youtube comment sections (or other places), there are many comments about how their songs grew on fans. They like them after a few listens. It's just about trusting the band to be good at their job and make incredible music, and I can't give up on Musers despite all my above qualms because they do still have that love and trust. Don't worry about it.

Also, about BHAR specifically (and this is me citing some sources), someone asked about it on the Muse reddit a little while ago and it'll basically confirm what I just told you. Very interesting insight into the place rock music occupied in popular music at the time (in opposition to other genres, the rebellion genre if you will, as opposed to Just Another Popular Genre. That's a whole post in itself). Don't worry about it.

[chazza-studies-mphys]

Sunday, 9th February 2025

The aforementioned brain-melting but entertaining experience of catching up on a particle physics lecture whilst listening to prog metal 💥 feeling much more up for it today so hopefully I’m over my minor illness :)

🎵Parasomnia Album – Dream Theater

[mcflythrills78]

rocksound: McFly, Download Festival 2025

REVIEW: McFly at Download Festival. What an absolutely incredible sentence that is. A decade ago, such a spectacle probably wouldn’t have been possible, but off the back of Busted’s incredible showing on this same stage 365 days ago, having one of the UK’s most successful bands share their career’s work on iconic ground like this makes all of the sense in the world. It makes even more sense with the opening gambit of ‘Where Did All The Guitars Go?’ and ‘Land Of The Bees, showing off the band’s love for hair metal jubilance and sporadic prog in quick succession. But it’s the stream of hits that follow that show why they are so renowned and adored. An exuberant ‘Star Girl’, a grin-inducing ‘Obviously’ and an ingeniously-placed ‘All About You’, the gooiest song ever to have a wall of death requested alongside it, are all received with child-like glee those stuffed inside this tent, a reaction that encompasses everything that a festival like this should represent. No borders, no boundaries, no judgment and no limits. Just pure, unadulterated joy, the sort that we all should make more room for. McFly at Download? Absolutely.

✏️ Jack Rogers 📷 Carla Mundy

[black-arcana]

EPICA's SIMONE SIMONS Releases Music Video For Second Solo Single 'In Love We Rust'

EPICA singer Simone Simons has released the official music video for her second solo single, "In Love We Rust". The track is taken from her debut solo album, "Vermillion", which will be made available on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Simone, who has been a pioneering force within the world of metal for over two decades as part of EPICA, worked on "Vermillion" with her musical partner and longtime collaborator Arjen Lucassen (AYREON).

Arjen is no stranger to Simone's soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle's stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. "Vermillion" emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force.

Simone and Arjen state about "In Love We Rust": "The video was filmed in just one take to keep it as pure and raw as possible. We opted to keep it in black and white so as not to distract from the song or the performance.

"'In Love We Rust' is quite different from our first single 'Aeterna', which shows how diverse this album is. This is one of our favorite songs. We hope you love this as much as we do."

For more than 20 years, ever since she was a teenager, Simons has been carving her own path as a woman within the world of metal. As a lead singer, icon, and role model for a whole generation of female metalheads, the EPICA lead singer remains one of the most prominent key figures in all things metal. After eight albums and countless global tours with her band, Simone Simons finally found the time to release her first solo album — a moment 15 years in the making. Her breathtaking debut "Vermillion" is a stunning feat chronicling her storied past as well as her rise to fame, and showcasing her many different influences ranging from prog rock to film scores to metal to electronic elements.

Of the timing for her eagerly awaited foray into the realms of a solo career, the Dutch singer says with a disarming grin: "EPICA has my priority and I always have the liberty to do other musical projects besides my career in EPICA. Yet I never had the time to dive into a project to this extent."

When "Aeterna" was first released a month ago, Simone and Arjen stated: "'Aeterna' is the big, epic opener of the album and it comes with this amazing video too, directed by Patric Ullaeus. It definitely sounds the closest to EPICA and AYREON, blending powerful Latin lyrics with a touch of an oriental feel. We've tried to strike a balance between the mighty, bombastic sounds and the more atmospheric parts. Since it's the first track people will hear from this album, it's super important to us and we're really excited for people to hear it!

"'Aeterna' takes the point of view of a star about to go supernova to explore how everything in the universe is interconnected, like a cosmic web made from stardust. It deals our deep emotions, consciousness and other mysteries of life that science still can't fully explain. Essentially it's a reflection on our place in the vast universe and the connections that bind us together, as we're all, to quote Carl Sagan, 'made of starstuff.'"

"Vermillion" track listing:

01. Aeterna 02. In Love We Rust 03. Cradle To The Grave (feat. Alissa White-Gluz) 04. Fight Or Flight 05. Weight Of My World 06. Vermillion Dreams 07. The Core 08. Dystopia 09. R.E.D. 10. Dark Night Of The Soul

This past March, Simone told Mexico's Summa Inferno that EPICA's follow-up to 2021's "Omega" album will likely be released in 2025.

"I love the songs so far that we've written," Simone said. "There's more [songs that have been written] than fit on the album. So it's gonna be cool. And we won't tour that much this year. So we are focusing on the EPICA album and the 'Symphonic Synergy' shows [where EPICA will play alongside an orchestra], which is a lot of work."

In November 2022, EPICA released "The Alchemy Project" through Atomic Fire Records. The EP was co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Niilo Sevänen (INSOMNIUM) and Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) along with melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT),keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) and Roel Van Helden (POWERWOLF) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur.

Just one day after the release of its anniversary reissues "We Still Take You With Us" and "Live At Paradiso", EPICA celebrated 20 years of existence live in September 2022 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, the same place where they played their first show (supporting ANATHEMA) back in 2002.

EPICA was formed by guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen after leaving AFTER FOREVER in 2002, and the band quickly gained attention outside their home country, taking big steps towards becoming the leading symphonic metal superpower they have long proven to be. After their ambitious debut "The Phantom Agony" (2002) and the surprisingly eclectic sophomore work "Consign To Oblivion" (2005),the road took them to new heights via their first concept masterpiece "The Divine Conspiracy" (2007) and their global breakthrough "Design Your Universe" (2009). 2012's opus "Requiem For The Indifferent", 2014's bedazzling "The Quantum Enigma" and "The Holographic Principle" (2016),cemented their reputation as not only one of the hardest-working metal bands in the business but also as one of the best. With "Omega", the final part of the metaphysical trilogy they began with "The Quantum Enigma", they reclaimed the throne without so much as the blink of an eye, amassing three million-plus streams during the first week of the album's release.

[emphasisonthehomo]

What if I decided to make my personality for 2025 being really into prog metal?

[vinylspinning]

Rwake: The Return of Magik (2025)

They say good things come to those who wait, but after the 14-year silence that followed 2011's mildly disappointing Rest album, I'd pretty much given up Little Rock, Arkansas progressive sludge dealers Rwake for dead.

And yet, here they are, unexpectedly alive and unwell (just as we want them) with their sixth full-length, 2025's aptly named The Return of Magik, and I'm happy to report that, in spite of their long hiatus, Rwake's signature sonic holocaust remains intact.

So does their core line-up, which still includes vocalist Chris 'C.T.' Terry, keyboardist Brittany Fugate, bassist-turned-guitarist John Judkins, bassist Reid Raley, drummer Jeff Morgan, and new second six-stringer Austin Sublett in place of the comically named Kris 'Gravy' Graves.

That last alteration is the most concerning, crucial, and may partly explain Rwake's decade-long disappearing act, because the dearly departed Gravy left very big boots for Sublett to fill, and yet he does with a similarly astonishing display of imaginative shredding.

Although, I do believe it's Judkins who performs the lap and pedal steel that lend a country twang to the album's monumental first cut, "You Swore We'd Always Be Together" (check out that swampy nightmare of a video) and its brief, delicate instrumental coda, cryptically named "Φ."

Barring this last exception to the rule, each, invariably colossal song here is classic Rwake: raging maelstroms of extreme beauty and horror (or "cruelty and grace," as press materials aptly put it), searing sludge metal savagery and prog/post-metal complexity, all wrestling each other to a magnificent, bloody draw.

Obliquely-named behemoths like the title track, "With Stardust Flowers," and "In After Reverse" contrast melancholy melodies with cyclopian power chords, only to be rudely interrupted by gargantuan counterpoint riffs and, oh yeah, those scintillating solos.

And their lyrics, delivered by C.T. with trademark rage and acidity, declare obscure but evocative diaristic yarns of arcane philosophy and cosmic enlightenment, spiritual imagery and religious ritual (from the wrong side of the pulpit), and post-apoca-psychede-lyptic hippie mysticism from the bowels of hell ... a.k.a. Arkansas.

On "Distant Constellations & The Psychedelic Incarceration" the honor of 'Sinister Minister,' presiding over this 'Winter of Hate' with enlightening anti-gospels, falls to fellow Arkansas native and arguably the state's greatest living rock 'n' roll legend, Jim 'Dandy' Mangrum.

And, man, it's good to know that he’s still out there (aged 77!), high on the hog, and ready to "come to the rescue."

Even the album's packaging and artwork reflects the music perfectly with its autumnal colors and dead nature: whitewashed bone, fallen branches, browning leaves, discarded nests, plus creepy moths right out of The Silence of the Lambs -- "it puts the lotion in the basket"!

All this wonderfully dreary iconography and pagan symbolism, when coming from a band located deep in the Bible Belt, only reinforces the staggering contradictions that make Rwake's musical blueprint so special, their aesthetic so unique, and thus almost impossible to replicate.

So I'll say it again: good things come to those who wait, and I, for one, am beyond grateful that Rwake finally found it in themselves to bring about The Return of Magik; I just hope we won't have to wait until we're in our 70s for another collection of musical spells.

More Rwake: Voices of Omens, Rest.

[count-mecha]

Chaos and Carnage Tour 2025 in Nashville

Dying Fetus / Cradle of Filth / Fleshgod Apocalypse / Ne Obliviscaris / Undeath

Second time for me seeing Dying Fetus but the first time I got to see them close up. They rip as always. Looking forward to a new album soon.

This was my first time seeing Cradle of Filth, and it was the main reason I've been looking forward to this show for months. The set was amazing. They played material from all over their catalog from classics of the first few albums as well as the more impressive guitar driven stuff from their recent albums.

Fleshgod Apocalypse from Italy was really fun. I went into their set blind and I'll have to check out more of their stuff.

Ne Obliviscaris from Australia was another set I went into blind for. Prog metal featuring violin. I really enjoyed the arrangements and technical guitar playing.

It was great to see Undeath play to a crowd like this. I caught them at Growlers in Memphis a few years ago, so I love to see them keep rising.

Second year in a row attendeding Chaos and Carnage. This might be the most packed turnout I've experienced at Brooklyn Bowl.

It was also very fun to dress up for this. I've never done that before. I had quite a few people complimenting telling me I looked just like Dani, and I had a bunch of people wanting to take a picture and yap with me for a minute.

[rastronomicals]

11:30 PM EST February 13, 2025:

Opeth - “Will o the Wisp” From the album Sorceress (September 30, 2016)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

File under: Proggy Black Metal/Black Metallic Prog

–

[greensparty]

Album Reviews: Queen / The Kinks

This week, I got to review two classic rock reissues!

Queen Queen I Special Limited Edition Dolby Atmos Audiophile Blu-ray

2025 blu-ray edition

1973 album cover

Originally released on July 13, 1973 (a couple months later in the U.S.), UK quartet Queen's debut album Queen was released. They were truly bigger than the sum of their parts: virtuoso guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon, drummer Roger Taylor (who I got to see sit in with Foo Fighters in 2005) and of course Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest singers of any music genre in history! This band could do hard rock with elements of metal and prog rock, but they were so much more than that. How many bands had what it took to pull off something like "Bohemian Rhapsody"? Or blend "We Will Rock You" into "We Are the Champions"? The band went beyond genres and labels. I got into Queen as a teen, just before Mercury's death in 1991. The band’s albums A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races are classics. But the debut album was one to truly announce themselves to the world. There's been several reissues of this album over the years. Last year they released a special collector's edition box set of it titled Queen I. Expanding on that box set's mix, Sony recently released the album in Dolby Atmos audiophile blu-ray. The timing of this blu-ray also serves as a tribute to producer Roy Thomas Baker, who passed away in April.

This Dolby Atmos mix was created from stems of the 2024 stereo mix. I've gotten to review some blu-ray Dolby Atmos mixes over the years, but I need to admit I am listening on my TV hooked up to the blu-ray player and not some high-end stereo system for the Dolby Atmos, so I am not able to comment on this as some sort of audiophile. Both May and Taylor were executive producers on this mix. Queen itself has carried on in various incarnations since Mercury's passing, but Deacon retired from music in 1997, hence he wasn't involved with this release. I had heard this album in the past and it's a good first album for the band as you can hear the ambition and grandiosity that was about to be full blown on later albums. The album opener "Keep Yourself Alive" is one of my favorites and there's some bangers like "Great King Rat" and "Liar". In listening to this blu-ray there is the Dolby Atmos version as well as the stereo version and the stereo backing version (instruments only). All of these were interesting ways of hearing it, but in the end it's the album itself that was a good stepping stone to later masterpieces by the rock royals!

For info on Queen I

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Kinks The Journey Part 3

album cover

In 2023 we celebrated the 60th anniversary of British Invasion legends The Kinks. To celebrate I got to review The Journey Part 1, which covered 1963 to 1974, and The Journey Part 2, which covered 1965-1975 (basically further listening from the era of Part 1). In both of my reviews I noted that I was looking forward to the mid-70s-to-mid-80s era of the band. This week sees the release of BMG's The Journey Part 3, which covers 1977 to 1984! Woo Hoo!

I first discovered them in the 80s and dug their song “Come Dancing” when I saw the music video. I, then, worked backwards and discovered some of their older stuff, but "Come Dancing" was one of my favorite songs of the early MTV era! This entire era for The Kinks is interesting in that they were now a little older and not the young punk-ish garage rockers they began as in the 60s. For this review, I got to review the double vinyl edition. Side 1 and 2 are the compilation of 1977-1984 including "Living on a Thin Line", "Do It Again", "Low Budget" and of course "Come Dancing"! Side 3 and 4 is a live concert they did at Royal Albert Hall on July 11, 1993. It is a greatest live hits of sorts. While the concert is certainly good, within the context of the band's "Journey", I think they should have had side 3 and 4 be the band's music from 1985-1993. I'd be surprised if they made a whole new compilation of that era and some of those songs might've worked better being tacked onto the 80s hits here. As a compilation, I actually think this is better than Part 2. I loved this era of the band and it's cool to see it get it's due!

For info on The Journey Part 3

4 out of 5 stars

[krazetv]

FEAR DEVOID - Far Away | Official Lyric Video

[fetznerdeathrecords]

Weald & Woe - Far from the Light of Heaven

Melodic Black Metal from Boise, Idaho, US

This album sees the castle metal band’s steel as sharp as ever. Offering more musical variation through a collaborative writing process, Far From the Light of Heaven showcases Weald + Woe’s signature melodic medieval black metal sound while featuring elements of folk, power, trad and prog; their siege weapons are harder, faster, and heavier. Conceptually, the album tackles the spiritual cost of fighting for the good of the realm

1. This Vale of Tears 03:37 2. Brought to Ruin 04:25 3. Warchild 04:50 4. Radiant One 05:19 5. Breaking of the Sword 04:44 6. The Skyless World 06:14 7. Blood upon the Blade 03:39 8. Stars That Guide the Slain 04:04

Release date: July 4th, 2025 via @fiadhproductions

@wealdandwoe

[columnistfromtheabyss]

Review: Helheim - HrabnaR / Ad vesa (Dark Essence Records)

Norwegian Viking black metal stalwarts Helheim return with their twelfth studio album, HrabnaR / Ad vesa, a daring and ambitious self-split record that showcases their enduring creativity and authenticity. Released on June 20, 2025, via Dark Essence Records, this album sees primary songwriters H’grimnir and V’gandr each helm one half of the record, delivering two distinct yet cohesive expressions of Helheim’s storied sound. The result is a profound journey through Norse mythology and human introspection, wrapped in a sonic tapestry that balances raw aggression with progressive depth.

The album’s first half, HrabnaR, penned entirely by H’grimnir, kicks off with the blistering “Geist,” a track that marries ferocious black metal riffs with a hauntingly melodic chorus. H’grimnir’s vocals snarl and soar, while Hrymr’s relentless drumming anchors the song’s dynamic shifts. “Sorg er dødens spade” follows, its melancholic black ‘n’ roll swagger and ethereal clean vocals evoking a somber yet defiant spirit. “Livsblot” and “Mennesket er dyret i tale” round out this section, the former with its intense, ritualistic energy and the latter a sprawling, reflective epic that showcases H’grimnir’s knack for weaving atmosphere and heaviness. This half is unapologetically bold, offering a slightly more aggressive edge while retaining Helheim’s signature Norse mysticism.

The second half, Ad vesa, crafted by V’gandr, dives into the metaphysical, exploring the four components of the human soul in Norse mythology: Fylgja (fate), Hamingja (luck), Hugr (mind), and Hamr (form). The standout “Fylgja” is a near-eight-minute odyssey, blending heavy riffs, black metal fury, and majestic prog-rock flourishes. V’gandr’s vocals are commanding, guiding listeners through a labyrinth of intricate guitar work and atmospheric keys. “Hamingja” surprises with its progressive leanings, featuring unconventional rhythms and a soaring, epic quality, while “Hugr” leans darker, its melodic black metal core laced with experimental touches. The closer, “Hamr,” is a devastating finale, raw and ethereal, leaving a lingering sense of otherworldly unease.

What makes HrabnaR / Ad vesa so compelling is its duality. H’grimnir’s HrabnaR is visceral and immediate, while V’gandr’s Ad vesa is cerebral and expansive. Yet, the album never feels disjointed, thanks to Helheim’s cohesive vision and Iver Sandøy’s stellar production, which strikes a balance between raw black metal grit and organic clarity. Recorded at Duper and Solslottet Studios, the sound is both harsh and inviting, with every instrument given room to breathe.

If there’s a critique, it’s that the album’s ambitious split concept might not fully transcend the band’s established formula. While both halves push boundaries, they don’t entirely rewrite Helheim’s playbook, and the cover art—a simplistic, somewhat dated image of a figure in a forest—feels underwhelming compared to the music’s richness. Still, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise triumphant release.

HrabnaR / Ad vesa is Helheim at their most inspired, a testament to their 33-year legacy of authenticity and evolution. It’s a must-listen for fans of Viking and black metal, offering a deep, rewarding experience that lingers long after the final note. Helheim have crafted not just an album but a saga—one that honors their Norse roots while boldly forging new paths.

Rating: 4/5