Album Review: Phantom Spell – Heather & Hearth

Band: Phantom Spell | Album: Heather & Hearth | Genre: Progressive rock, Hard rock, Heavy metal | Year: 2025

From: Murcia, Spain | Label: Wizard Tower

For fans of: Wishbone Ash, Uriah Heep, Queensryche

Bandcamp

Phantom Spell is the solo project of Kyle McNeill, a guitarist for the power metal band Seven Sisters. There are certainly throughlines between these two acts, but Phantom Spell takes a decidedly 1970s-influenced path in their music. Things are highly melodic, with solos aplenty and dramatic vocals throughout.

Continue reading →

Album Review: WEEED’s final three releases

Band: WEEED | Albums: Green Roses Vol. II, Mushroom, WEEED | Genre: Psychedelic rock, Psychedelic folk, Krautrock | Year: 2025

From: Portland, USA | Label: Photon Records

For fans of: King Gizzard, Mondo Drag, Weedpecker

Bandcamp (Green Roses Vol. II) | Bandcamp (Mushroom) | Bandcamp (WEEED)

WEEED, a favorite local band of mine, recently decided to call it quits. I’d featured them on this site at least three times before, with two of those reviews being quite positive. Originally based on Bainbridge Island, I saw them play in and around Seattle a number of times, and they always put on a killer show, blending smart psych rock with improvisational freak-outs. They relocated to Portland a few years ago, and they’d been largely quiet since the pandemic.

In announcing their dissolution, they also announced a farewell show (which I sadly missed, due to a scheduling conflict) and a trio of records they’d been sitting on. I’m going to take this opportunity to cover these three releases as a send-off to this band. This won’t be quite as in-depth as my full-length reviews, but it will cover more than a typical Odds & Ends.

Continue reading →

Album Review: Tropical Fuck Storm – Fairyland Codex

Band: Tropical Fuck Storm | Album: Fairyland Codex | Genre: Art punk, Experimental rock | Year: 2025

From: Melbourne, Australia | Label: Fire Records

For fans of: Squid, black midi, Cardiacs, Fuzz

Bandcamp

Tropical Fuck Storm is an Australian quartet that has been around since 2017, but I ran across them only recently. Their style is a little tough to define, but I think the genre tags I used above are pretty accurate. Maybe I could have tossed in “noise rock,” but I think that gets the point across. While not particularly “proggy” in the sense that they don’t ape the sounds of the 1970s or perform extended suites, their style is innovative and forward-thinking. They’re a genuine breath of fresh air in the rock world.

Fairyland Codex is the band’s fourth full-length release, and it might just be their best yet. The sound palette is diverse yet unified, and the band is able to weave in earworm melodies amidst supremely chaotic passages.

Continue reading →

Odds & Ends: September 1, 2025

Band: Jordsjø & Breidablik | Album: Kontraster | Genre: Progressive rock, Progressive folk, Krautrock | Bandcamp

Norwegian bands Jordsjø and Breidablik team up on this album to each deliver one epic apiece, fittingly titled “Kontraster” (“Contrasts”). Jordsjø’s composition is some of their best music in a long time, featuring a thrilling mix of classic prog that filters the influences of Genesis and King Crimson through their Norse folk-tinged lens. This work is balanced against many pretty acoustic moments that feel like they’re rooted in scenic fjords, but still with a foot in the modern prog-rock movement. Breidablik’s offering is much more electronic. Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, and other early prog-electronic acts are their obvious inspiration. Hints of their homeland still peek through, though. Airy flutes and twinkling guitars shine against the backing of looping synths.

Score: 91/100

Band: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Album: Phantom Island | Genre: Progressive pop | Bandcamp

King Gizzard’s latest album is a bit borderline for this site, but I enjoyed it overall. On this release, the band has incorporated a full orchestra into their music, and it’s a successful experiment. The lush soundscapes complement and elevate the band’s smart, Southern-inflected art rock, and it pushes the album from “fine” to “pretty good.” Their previous record didn’t really resonate with me; this is in a similar vein, but the freshness of all the strings and winds helps the band better realize their ideas.

Score: 78/100

Continue reading →

Album Review: Changeling – Changeling

Band: Changeling | Album: Changeling | Genre: Progressive death metal | Year: 2025

From: Berlin, Germany | Label: Season of Mist

For fans of: Opeth, Death, Cynic, Between the Buried and Me

Bandcamp

Changeling is a quartet made up of people with deep experience in the death metal world. Bandleader Tom Geldschläger has played with Obscura and Belphegor, among others, and the other three members have ties to acts such as Fear Factory, Virvum, and Dark Fortress. Backing up this supergroup is a slew of guest musicians, including a choir and small orchestra.

Continue reading →

Album Review: Liquid Pennies – Fore

Band: Liquid Pennies | Album: Fore | Genre: Progressive rock, Psychedelic rock | Year: 2025

From: Saint Petersburg, USA | Label: Threat Collection Records

For fans of: Zechs Marquise, WEEED, Osees

Bandcamp

Liquid Pennies is a Floridian psych-rock trio that dabbles in many genres. Their sound incorporates elements of progressive rock, electronica, post-punk, and more. This multifaceted approach lends their records a varied, exciting quality where the listener is never quite certain what’s coming next. Fore, their latest album, sees them expand upon their sound in inventive ways.

Continue reading →