Band: Agusa | Album: Prima Materia | Genre: Progressive rock, Psychedelic rock | Bandcamp
The newest release from this (mostly) instrumental Swedish act sees them push in a more overtly psychedelic direction. In the opening track, blues flavors are prominent alongside jazzy flourishes. “Under bar himmel” has a dreamier feel to it; it strongly channels Camel’s gentlest moments. This cut features a great slow build, and it’s probably my favorite on the album. “Ur askan” is bouncy and organ-forward, and the closing “Så ock på jorden” has some fun, funky wah-wahed guitar that complements the band’s usual Camel-isms quite well. Parts of this album can run a bit long, but it’s overall another solid release from this band. If you like Camel or some of the jazzier classic prog acts, you’ll probably like this one a lot.
Score: 75/100
Band: Bear Ghost | Album: jiminy | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Bands like Bear Ghost always split my opinion. On the one hand, there is no denying that they’re fantastic musicians who write unique, creative music full of twists and surprises. On the other hand, there’s an overwhelming atmosphere of camp, corniness, and self-aware goofiness. I don’t need my prog to be as dour as King Crimson, but I’m not looking for something with its tongue always and invariably in-cheek. In that way, they remind me a lot of Devin Townsend, an artist for whom I have similarly mixed feelings. Despite their technical prowess, a lot of this material comes off as purposelessly weird-for-weirdness’s-sake. (The vocals are also just way too over-enunciated, and that gets under my skin. It reminds me of children’s music at times.) So, I would say, if you like the overt silliness of acts like Cheeto’s Magazine, or Devin Townsend’s cartoonier music (such as Z2), you’ll probably like this a lot. But if you’re like me, and you tend to be more annoyed than enthused by kitchen-sink weirdness, you might want to skip it.
Score: 63/100
Artist: Adrian Cornelius | Album: This Is Not an EP | Genre: Pronk, Progressive pop | Bandcamp
This release is a tad bit shorter than what I normally cover, but the three songs here are strong enough I felt I had to share it. There’s a jovial, oddball energy here that is strongly inspired by–but distinct from–Cardiacs. It draws from that band’s energy and odd humor, and it also includes strong pop sensibilities that often remind me of moments on Abbey Road. “Social” features some great vocal arrangements, and I love the inclusion of saxophone. “Bad Boy” has a more intricate instrumental backing and grander overall atmosphere, including some powerful synth leads. This one channels Steven Wilson’s best pop instincts with classic prog grandiosity. This non-EP ends with “Pass Me a Lighter”. Its verses are fanciful, and the chorus is impactful and rich.
Score: 88/100
Band: The Ocean | Album: Holocene | Genre: Progressive metal | Bandcamp
Holocene is the fourth concept album from this German ensemble about a geologic eon in Earth’s history. (There is also 2007’s Precambrian and the two-part Phanerozoic, released in 2018 and 2020.) This record is often atmospheric and moody, with haunting synths contrasting against bludgeoning guitars and drums. The melodies are strong, and there is a lot of dynamic variation, which I like. That said, the band’s rooting in atmospheric sludge and post-metal prevents this from being a top-tier release for me. It’s a pretty solid B-to-B+, but parts of this record can come off as same-y and monotonous.
Score: 82/100
Band: Opsis | Album: End of Light | Genre: Progressive rock, Space rock | Bandcamp
This Italian band’s debut EP is based on an Isaac Asimov short story, Nightfall. I’ve never read it, but I know Asimov mostly focused on sci-fi (though he dabbled in every Dewey decimal categorization except for 100, psychology and philosophy). The music here is fittingly astral. It often reminds me of a slightly-more-spaced-out Tool. There’s good grit and build and drama to the three songs here, and they know when to take things in weirder, wonkier directions to maintain variation.
Score: 82/100
Band: Zhorhann | Album: Ainsi Parlait Hominina | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Zhorhann’s debut album is an instrumental album full of twisting, distorted riffs and lighter, jazzy inclusions. It’s got lots of weird passages and unorthodox chords. Parts of it sound like a more lighthearted ni record. The production on this record is pretty loud, but it’s surprisingly clean. All the elements come through powerfully. Overall, this is a solid instrumental release that does a good job of switching things up often enough to remain interesting.
Score: 77/100