exo-X-xeno "Luminous Voyage"

Country: Multinational
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Format: digital 
Release date: June 19, 2025
Tracklist

01. The Event Horizon 

02. Vitruvian Man

03. At the Water's Edge

04. Onward, Love

05. Reaching for Beyond

06. Into the Night

07. Live Life

Credits

Craig Maher: Guitars, Lead Vocals

Billy Sherwood (Yes, Circa:, Arc Of Life, Conspiracy): Bass, Backing Vocals

Patrick Moraz (Yes, The Moody Blues): Keyboards

Jay Schellen (Yes, Circa:, Arc Of Life, Conspiracy, GPS): Drums

Media/Samples
Bandcamp
Reaching for Beyond 
Onward, Love

Links:
Web page
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Proggnosis

Babal "Running In The Gutter"

Country: UK
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Label: Fruits de Mer Records
Format: CD,digital,vinyl
Release date: August 8, 2025
Tracklist

1. One Big Family (5:19) 

2. The Best Restaurants (8:55) 

3. The World That We Know (8:05) 

4. Cake Music (7:36) 

5. We Shall Be Fables (5:38) 

6. Running In The Gutter (9:07) 

Total Time 44:40

Credits

Karen Langley – vocals, arrangements

Rob Williams – guitar, guitar synth, programming

Jon Sharp – drums

    With

Paul Smith – acoustic bass

Chris Gill - bass 

Description/Reviews:

BABAL have come up with a blend of songs that illustrate the band’s improvisational skills, still retaining musical ideas that weave poetry and dynamic vocals that are at the band’s core.

 Opening track “One Big Family” is a full-on attack on social media; the rise of the biggest brain-washing experiment in history; “eye sockets sore, mind in chaos, thoughts flying round, like a bird in a cage, manic with facts and terrible rage! Nowhere to go, I can’t turn the page!”.

“The Best Restaurants” is a sharp take on poverty consciousness and opposing huge wealth, and a vain hope that religions may save us, but very probably not. ”All I saw was a crowd of starving souls, chewing at their wishes”.

“The World that we Know” is a plea for the World to wake up to the real possibility of extinction, “I wanna green world! I wanna green world! I want it to smell good; I don’t want it to stink like it does at the moment! Open your arms and let it in!”.

“Cake Music” is a satire on the virtues of neo-liberalism, “recycle now and do your bit! Be a match when the fires are lit; move a little closer to the cholera pit!”

“We Shall Be Fables” is a song that lulls the listener, yet reminds us ultimately of our mortality (one of Karen’s recurring lyrical themes), “life is eating us up, we shall be Fables, when the noon-tide beckons and the reaper reckons; we shall be Fables”

Title track, “Running in the Gutter” is a love song, poignant yet hopeful that love can still make the difference in all our lives; “you won’t applaud, it has a drive, it’s not a lot till love arrives! Love is not a number, it lives, it dies, running in the gutter, it doesn’t strive”. We can all get there, no matter how far down in the gutter we are.

Media/Samples
Bandcamp
Preview

Links:
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Progarchives

Dice "Awen Energy From Outer Space"

Country: Germany
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Label: Scene Records
Format: CD, digital
Release date: July 18, 2025
Tracklist

1. Chasing The Sun (11:55) 

2. Burning Paper (9:45) 

3. Living In This Mad World (13:03) 

4. Lost In Time (8:38) 

5. Awen Paper Outro (Dreamscene 27) (4:15) 

6. Deep In Outer Space (12:03) 

Total Time 59:39

Credits

Christian Nóvé - vocals, keyboards, bass

Ramona Nóvé - background vocals

Yannick Franke - guitars

Tom Tomson - drums

Links:
Web page
Progarchives
Proggnosis

Whispers of Granite "Liquid Stone"

Country: Norway/Germany
Genre(s): Progressive Rock/Pop
Label: Apollon Records
Format: CD,vinyl, digital
Release date: July 4, 2025
Tracklist

1. Spirals (7:15) 

2. Hiding In Plain Sight (5:04) 

3. Endlessly (4:56) 

4. Fleet City (4:07) 

5. Ocean Maker (8:10) 

6. One More Reason (4:51) 

7. Age Of Seven (5:46) 

8. Silver Green (6:43) 

Total Time 46:52

Credits

Trude Eidtang (White Willow, When Mary): Vocals & vocal arrangements

Andreas Hack (Frequency Drift, Haven of Echoes): All instruments 

   except

Wolfgang Ostermann: drums

Michael Fischer: bass (6)

Marek Arnold: sax (5)

Paul Sadler: guitar solo (3), (8)

Lyrics and vocal compositions by Trude Eidtang

Music written, arranged, mixed and produced by Andreas Hack

Description/Reviews:

The project draws influences from folk, indie, and cinematic music, combining melancholic progressive rock with lush, atmospheric textures. 

Trude’s vocals are at the heart of the music, intertwining seamlessly with Andreas' atmospheric keyboard work and intricate guitar arrangements. Together, they craft a sound that balances melancholy and hope, fragility and strength.

Media/Samples
Bandcamp
Stream & buy

Links:
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Anders Buaas "Trollringen"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Label: Apollon Records 
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: June 6, 2025
Tracklist

1. Prologue (3:07) 

2. Opening Credits (4:05) 

3. Best I Can Be (4:48) 

4. Intermission (1:58) 

5. Trollringen (8:28) 

6. Sunrise (4:18) 

7. The Balance Of Being One (5:22) 

8. The Last Drop (4:24) 

9. As I Draw My Last Breath (8:10) 

10. End Credits (4:24) 

Total Time 49:04 

Credits

Anders Buaas - guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion

Steinar Børve (Mythopoeic Mind) - soprano saxophone

Henrik Madsen/Rune Erling Pedersen - drums & percussion

Joakim Biondi - piano

Tim Condor - vocals 

Tanya Wells - vocals

Miriam Kjølen - vocals

and more

Produced and written by Anders Buaas

Mastering by Jacob Holm Lupo

Cover design by Kristian Kaupang

Media/Samples
Trollringen
The Balance Of Being One

Links:

Facebook

Progarchives
Proggnosis

Gösta Berlings Saga "Forever Now"

Country: Sweden
Genre(s): Instrumental Progressive Rock
Label: Pelagic Records
Format: CD, vinyl, digital
Release date: June 6, 2025
Tracklist

1. Full Release

2. Through The Arches

3. Arrangements

4. Forever Now

5. The Sprig and the Birch

6. Fragment II

7. Ascension

8. Dog Years

9. Make of Your Heart a Stone

10. Ceremonial

Credits

Rasmus Booberg - guitars, mixing

David Lundberg - keyboards

Alexander Skepp - drums, percussion

Gabriel Tapper - bass

Jesper Skarin - percussion

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

Links:
Web page
Facebook
Progarchives
Proggnosis

The New Grove Project "Epiqurium"

Country: Sweden
Genre(s): Instrumental Symphonic
Label: New Grove Music
Format: CD,vinyl,digital
Release date: August 1, 2025
Tracklist

1. Epiqurium 1

2. Epiqurium 2

3. Epiqurium 3

4. Epiqurium 4

5. Epiqurium 5

6. Epiqurium 6

7. Epiqurium 7 

Credits

Robert Webb (England): Keyboards, Orchestral Synthesis and Webbotron

André Schornoz: Bass

Timo Vuoppola (Fouette): Guitars

Mattias Olsson (Änglagård): Drums and Percussion

Composed by Per Sundbom.

Additional compositions and arrangements by Robert Webb

Engineered by Robert Webb at Garden Shed studios, Greece

Produced by Robert Webb, Per Sundbom and Ingemar Hjertqvist

Cover design by Dan Pettersson/DP Bild

Images by Per Sundbom

Media/Samples
Bandcamp
 
Links:
Progarchives
Proggnosis

Skullcap "Snakes of Albuquerque"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Instrumental Jazz-Rock, Fusion
Label: Cuneiform Records
Format: CD, digital,vinyl
Release date: May 30, 2025
Tracklist

1. Pine Trees Of Tennessee (5:35) 

2. Rt. 40 (3:13) 

3. Bear Out There (3:27) 

4. Journey To The Sunset (3:21) 

5. Snakes Of Albuquerque (4:27) 

6. Miles (1:06) 

7. Orange Sky (4:21) 

8. Just Passin' Thru (1:55) 

9. Desert Turtles (6:20) 

10. Ambrosia Burger (1:32) 

Total Time 35:17

Credits

Janel Leppin - cello, Minimoog

Anthony Pirog - electric guitar

Mike Kuhl - drums, percussion

All compositions by Skullcap.

Recorded at The Brink Analog and Digital Studios in Richmond, VA on December 27–28, 2023.

Engineering, mixing and mastering by Mike Reina.

Produced by Mike Reina.

Description/Reviews:

Snakes of Albuquerque is the debut recording from the rock and jazz, free improvising, classically informed, adventurously rhythmic, and memorably tuneful power cello trio Skullcap.

This is not a band that is easy to pigeonhole. The song titles offer a kind of road map through its unpredictable terrain. ‘Journey to the Sunset’, ‘Snakes of Albuquerque’: these suggest Gothy darkness, jumper cable skronk, and an internationalist mindset, all qualities apparent in Skullcap’s sound. But tying those attributes to a single genre? Not going to happen.

Snakes of Albuquerque is a record of instrumental rock that doesn't sound like anyone else. With this instrumentation, how could it? 

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

Surunaamio "Surunaamio"

Country: Finland
Genre(s): Progressive Rock/Metal
Label: Isosisko Records
Format: digital
Release date: May 30, 2025
Tracklist

1. Musta

2. Epäinhimillinen

3. Äänetön kevät

4. Kuoleman kentät

5. Näkymätön voima

6. Erämaa

7. Yksinäinen tuli

8. Menneisyys

Credits
Kalle Koo (At The Hollow) - Vocals, guitars & bass

Matias Rokio - Drums

Music & lyrics by Kalle Koo

Recorded, mixed & mastered by Janne Saksa

Album cover by Tuomas Vuorensola

Description/Reviews:

While At the Hollow’s soundscape was serene and sensitive, tranquillity has transformed into rage, anger and power that comes from deep within. The album’s music combines the raw sensitivity and punk attitude of Apulanta’s Kiila with the heavy melodic nature of Dissection’s Reinkaos album. The drums hit hard, the riffs cut deep, and the vocals carry with strength. Despite the heavy surface, Surunaamio also carries a deep blue melancholy, not unlike Juha Tapio. The combination of Surunaamio doesn’t neatly fit into any single genre, but it contains influences from different directions and makes it something entirely its own. Light, shadows and every shade in between.

Media/Samples
Äänetön kevät
Näkymätön voima

Links:
Facebook (Kalle Koo)

Lorentzen "Leave Nobody Behind"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Instrumental Progressive Rock, Classical
Label: Apollon Records Prog
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: May 30, 2025 (CD, digital), July 4, 2025 (vinyl)
Tracklist

1. Leave Nobody Behind (9:20) 

2. Autumn (1:03) 

3. Offering To Lares (7:40) 

4. Evening (0:49) 

5. Lament (1:34) 

6. Dimensions Of Hope (6:28) 

7. The Dark Hours Of My Being (1:00) 

8. Solitude (1:32) 

9. Leave Nobody Behind 2 (4:33) 

10. Symbols (0:52) 

11. Remembrance (1:12) 

12. Dimensions Of Hope (4:49) 

13. Autumnal Day (2:20) 

Total Time 43:12

Credits

Eivind Lorentzen (Gentle Knife)
    With
Atle Pakusch Gundersen (Wintherstormer, The Cut)
Trond Gjellum (Panzerpappa)
Jácome Guerrero Kiko (Superkabras)
Paulin Skoglund-Voss - cello
Markus Reuter (Stick Men)
Davide Rossi - violin
Charlotte Valstad Nilsen (Gentle Knife)
Brian Talgo - mellotron, recitations

The album was mostly recorded in Lydkjøkkenet by Øystein Vesaas and in Double Decker Studios by Arild Brøter
Mastering by Jacob Holm-Lupo
Cover design by Siv Gade Lien
Additional artwork by Susanne Hæstad.

The album is produced and mixed by Eivind Lorentzen and Øystein Vesaas.
Music composed by Lorentzen except Dimensions of Hope I-II composed by Lorentzen, Antonio de Honestis and John Sinks.

Description/Reviews:

A roster of great contributors come together in this project helmed by Norwegian musician and composer Eivind Lorentzen (ex-Gentle Knife, Oldenborre, K, Synsbedragerne etc). Together they create an album of evocative minimalist prog characterized by great performances interspersed with readings of Rilke. Firmly rooted in the prog, modern classical and nordic jazz realms, and nodding to Vasks, Reich, Fripp, Frahm, Bartsch and others. 

Repeating motives in asymmetric meters are contrasted and echoed with live strings, drums and acoustic and electric guitars.  A listener phrased it as “humanistic minimalism”. At first glance apparently nothing much goes on… but then it does… Hope remains a central dimension in the record, expressed in the album title Leave Nobody Behind and the eponymous pieces as well as in the pieces Dimensions of Hope I-II, and notwithstanding The Dark Hours of my Being (a Rilke poem recited on the record).

Media/Samples
Streams

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