Album Review: Sigh – Goh-Ka

Band: Sigh | Album: Goh-Ka | Genre: Progressive metal | Year: 2026

From: Tokyo, Japan | Label: Peaceville

For fans of: Enslaved, Between the Buried and Me, Opeth

Sigh is one of the longest-running and most influential progressive metal bands out there. Starting off as a symphonic black metal band in the early 1990s, they quickly took a more experimental turn and never looked back.

Goh-Ka is the band’s 14th full-length release (or 13th, if you want to categorize last year’s re-recording of their 2007 album, Hangman’s Hymn, a little differently). This album is based on kusōzu, a Japanese artform depicting the nine stages of decay described in Buddhism. These are used as a means of meditation on impermanence.

The music here sticks to Sigh’s usual style. But where the last album of theirs I listened to–Shiki–left me unimpressed, this is one of their strongest outings. Avant-garde, progressive, and Japanese folk elements play large parts on this album, and the use of recurring musical themes ties everything together. Japanese folk was more prominent than usual on Shiki, and that trend continues here.

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Album Review: Mastodon – Marrow Deep

Band: Mastodon | Album: Marrow Deep | Genre: Progressive metal | Year: 2026

From: Atlanta, USA | Label: Loma Vista

Bandcamp

Mastodon is a trailblazing band in the realm of modern metal. As it stands, prog-sludge is one of the most popular varieties of progressive metal, at least by the sheer number of bands playing in that style, and much of that popularity can surely be attributed to these Atlantans.

In revisiting their discography prior to writing this review, I noticed something of a parallel to Metallica’s career trajectory. Both bands started off with four absolutely stunning albums. This phase of work was then followed by a shift toward more radio-friendly sounds. (Obviously, The Hunter was nowhere near the success that Metallica’s self-titled was, but there are still overarching similarities.) Metallica’s subsequent records have ranged from middling (Death Magnetic, Hardwired), to awful (Reload, St. Anger), to downright baffling (Lulu). Mastodon, meanwhile, has been more consistent (and simply better, to be frank), but their output since the masterpiece that is Crack the Skye has oscillated boring-to-okay.

Marrow Deep, the group’s ninth LP, comes at a time of major change for the band. It follows five years after their last album, the perfectly fine but overlong Hushed & Grim. It’s also their first release since the death of guitarist-vocalist Brent Hinds, following his messy firing from the band. Longtime touring keyboardist João Nogueira has also joined the band, officially making Mastodon a quintet, alongside new guitarist Nick Johnston.

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Album Review: Nostalghia – Departure

Band: Nostalghia | Album: Departure | Genre: Progressive metal | Year: 2026

From: Mexico City, Mexico | Label: Independent

For fans of: Opeth, Enslaved, Riverside

Bandcamp

Nostalghia is a one-man project helmed by Mexican multi-instrumentalist Alex Becerra. This album is my first exposure to Nostalghia, but it looks like this is a very prolific project. According to RYM, this Departure is Nostalghia’s 14th release since their debut in 2020. The music on this record is stunningly diverse and ambitious. Aside from the band’s black metal roots, jazz, classical, alt-rock, classic prog, and more all play important parts here.

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Album Review: Genghis Tron – Signal Fire

Band: Genghis Tron | Album: Signal Fire | Genre: Post-metal, Industrial, Cybergrind | Year: 2026

From: Poughkeepsie, USA | Label: Relapse

For fans of: Dillinger Escape Plan, Nine Inch Nails, BTBAM

Bandcamp

Genghis Tron’s last album, 2021’s Dream Weapon, was my introduction to the band. It was also a rather sharp break with their first two records. Where their first two were scourging mixtures of electronica, grindcore, and mathcore, the lush textures and restrained tempos of Dream Weapon were downright relaxing by comparison.

Their new album, Signal Fire, then, is something of a return to their earlier sound. It’s not entirely without the spacey post-rock elements that dominate on Dream Weapon, but this is a much more intense and aggressive release.

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Album Review: Deathspiral of Inherited Suffering / Elysian Blaze / Panegyrist / Maerund – Sunthema

Bands: Deathspiral of Inherited Suffering, Elysian Blaze, Panegyrist, Maerund | Album: Sunthema | Genre: Black metal, Progressive metal, Post-metal | Year: 2026

From: Memphis, USA; Adelaide, Australia; Chicago, USA; Tallinn, Estonia | Label: Rubeus Obex (USA); I, Voidhanger (Europe)

For fans of: Cormorant, Enslaved, Batushka

Bandcamp

I first found out about this record through Rate Your Music’s handy “Upcoming Releases” feature. It was there that I saw Panegyrist had their first new music since 2018 coming out! Their lone LP, Hierurgy, is a stunning, unique release. It blends avant-garde black metal with liturgical music and lyrics so dense and obscure that I feel like I need a theology degree to understand them.

Sunthema, the four-way split LP with Panegyrist and three other acts, continues on that trend. (Side note: Personally, I would have transliterated the Greek “συνθεμα” as “synthema,” but to each their own. The word is more often found in its plural form, synthemata, and it refers to any signs, symbols, or material tokens, especially those associated with certain rituals. Esoteric terms and ideas are prominent on this record.) All four acts here weave their brands of forward-thinking metal with Christian mysticism to make something powerful and enthralling.

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Odds & Ends: July 6, 2026

Band: Bekor Qilish | Album: Consecrated Abysses of Dread | Genre: Avant-garde metal | Bandcamp

The new album from one-man Italian experimental metal act Bekor Qilish sees a further refinement and evolution in the act’s sound. Black metal is still at the root of what he’s doing here, but there is a lot more at play. Riffs are bizarre and ultra-technical. This constant oscillation can be exciting and lead to some fantastic juxtapositions. At the same time, though, it can also come off as disjointed or unfocused. There is a lot to like on this record, but I think Bekor Qilish’s music works best in the format of a slightly-shorter EP.

Score: 78/100

Band: Different Light | Album: Binary Suns (Part 2 – Alternate Reality) | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp

Different Light is back with part two of their Binary Suns project, six years after releasing part one. Overall, it’s fine. It’s relatively sunny, piano-heavy prog that’s rooted in the 1990s. There is some good occasional crunch, and the vocal performance is strong. Certain passages are maybe a little cheesy for my taste, and transitions between the sub-sections of the suites can occasionally be a little awkward. But if you like Spock’s Beard and crave more Spock’s Beard-sounding music, this is a pretty decent choice.

Score: 74/100

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TEE’s Best of 2011-2018

I once received an email asking me if I had best-of lists for previous years before I started this site. I do, but I didn’t have easy access to them. Posting rundowns of new music I listened to in a given year was something I did on my personal Facebook page via the site’s now-defunct Notes feature 2011-2018.

Recently, I decided to see if I could access them, and it turns out I can! It’s just a hassle. I figured it may be good to copy them over here to hopefully give them greater longevity. I don’t trust Zuck to not just entirely nuke the Notes archive at any given moment.

Before I get into this, a few disclaimers and clarifications:

My first best-of list was actually in 2010, but I do not have that. At the time, I had a show on the University of Washington’s radio station, and the station asked everyone for a top 10 list for that year. I submitted my list, along with a one-sentence description of each record. Everyone’s lists were published in the campus paper. I tried searching The Daily’s archives, but I couldn’t find it.

For the first few years I did this, it wasn’t a ranking. It was everything listed alphabetically with a score out of ten. (It should also be noted that my scores out of 10 are scaled differently than my scores out of 100, which are in turn different from my RYM 5-point scale and ProgArchives’ 5-point scale.) I eventually eschewed the scores in favor of a ranked-list.

These are also not curated best-of lists. These cover all records released in a given year I listened to, so there’s usually some real crap mixed in there.

While I would say my taste has mostly remained consistent, my opinions on a number of records have shifted over the years, sometimes significantly. I will be posting the lists in the order in which I originally posted them with my original commentary, typos and all. However, if my views have shifted significantly, I will add a note explaining so.

I’m not planning to add images to this. That’s just going to take too long. From 2015 onward, I included Bandcamp links. For earlier ones, I would often include a YouTube link; I will add Bandcamp links where I can.

Alright, let’s get to it!

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Album Review: A Forest of Stars – Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface

Band: A Forest of Stars | Album: Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface | Genre: Progressive metal, Post-metal | Year: 2026

From: Manchester, UK | Label: Prophecy

For fans of: Arcturus, Ashenspire, Primordial

Bandcamp

A Forest of Stars has been around for nearly 20 years, but this record is my first exposure to them. It is their first release in eight years, so, in my defense, they have been quiet lately. Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface is their sixth full-length release, and it’s full of theatrical, abstract, and highly emotive music that draws from classic prog, folk metal, folk, and avant-garde music. It’s a demanding record: the six songs range between nine and 17 minutes in length, and all the compositions are dense as hell. But it’s well worth your time and attention.

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Odds & Ends: June 1, 2026

Band: Angine de Poitrine | Album: Vol. II | Genre: Math rock | Bandcamp

I’ve gone on record saying I’m really not a fan of microtonal music, but Angine de Pointrine’s microtonality is more restrained compared to some other acts I’ve heard. Their unusual tunings and oddly-fretted guitars serve to enhance their wild and inventive riffs. Their music is energetic and driving, drawing from psychedelia and garage rock. Some of the individual songs can run a bit long, but overall, Vol. II is a fantastic display of technical prowess and inventive composition. “Utzp” in particular is one of the most exciting songs of the year.

Score: 80/100

Band: Divided by Design | Album: Stages to Osiris: Rebirth | Genre: Progressive metal | Bandcamp

The latest EP from this British instrumental trio is some really solid music. The band draws heavily from Tool, Porcupine Tree, and their ilk on the non-extreme end of alt-influenced prog metal. The music is usually melodic and fairly lush, with each song capturing clear dramatic arcs and motifs that tie everything together. This 30-minute release is, in my view, an ideal vessel for this style of music. It’s long enough to express some interesting ideas without drawing on so long as to become tedious and exhausting. I’ve listened to many 45-to-65-minute versions of this record from a lot of other bands, and this more-digestible size really suits this style well.

Score: 83/100

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Album Review: Neurosis – An Undying Love for a Burning World

Band: Neurosis | Album: An Undying Love for a Burning World | Genre: Post-metal | Year: 2026

From: Oakland, USA | Label: Neurot

Bandcamp

I will be totally honest. Neurosis is one of those bands that I know has been massively influential but which I’m simply not that familiar with. I’ve listened to Through Silver in Blood, and that is a fantastic record. I also know they’re considered one of the primary progenitors of post-metal as a distinct genre, along with Isis, whose former vocalist and bassist has joined the band. (I have run across folks trying to insist that post-metal and atmospheric sludge metal (another term frequently used to describe Neurosis’s work) as being distinct. There may be a technical argument to be made there, insofar as there is non-sludgy post-metal, but I don’t think there’s any atmospheric sludge I’ve heard I couldn’t also describe as post-metal.) That is to say, I went into this record blind.

An Undying Love for a Burning World is Neurosis’s 13th full-length release and their first in a decade. I’d heard it getting some positive buzz, so I decided to give it a spin. And boy, am I happy I did!

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