Mike Johnson "The Gardens Of Loss"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Avant Prog
Label: Cuneiform Records
Format: CD, digital
Release date: January 30, 2026
Tracklist

1. Dies Irae (3:24) 

2. Boys With Toys (1:59) 

3. The Lords Of Creation (6:08) 

4. Destitution Meal (2:54) 

5. Transcience (7:23) 

6. Dumbstruck (7:53) 

7. The Gardens Of Loss (7:48) 

8. Souless In Gaza (8:28) 

Total Time 45:57

Credits

Mike Johnson ( Thinking Plague) – guitars, lap steels, fiddle, fretless banjo, sampler-synthesizer programming and "pencil guitars" (7)

   With

Simon Steensland – bass (except 7)

Morgan Ågren – drums and percussion (3–6)

Kimara Sajn – drums and percussion (1, 2, 8)

Jeremy Kurn – piano

Elaine diFalco – vocals

Dave Willey – bass, drums (7)

Bill Pohl – guitars (8)

Elise Roy – flutes

Caitlin Hilzer – oboe, English horn

Nuno Mourão – bassoons (3)

Mark Harris – clarinets, bass clarinet, alto saxophone

Shane Endsley – trumpets

Jon Stubbs – trombones

Oene van Geel – violins, "concertmaster"

Pablo Rodriguez – violins

George Dumitriu – violas

Pau Sola Masafrets – cellos

César Puente Sandoval – double basses

All music composed and orchestrated by Mike Johnson.

Lyrics by Mike Johnson except for “Transience” by Elaine diFalco.

Strings and bassoons recorded by Björn Warning at Warning Studios, Amsterdam, Netherlands. warningstudios.nl

Woodwinds and reeds recorded by Loren Dorland at Mighty Fine Studios, Denver, Colorado.

Vocals, drums, basses, guitars, piano, trumpets, trombones, oboes and English horn recorded “at home.”

Mixed and mastered by Colin Bricker and Mike Johnson at Mighty Fine Studios, Denver, Colorado. mfpcolorado.com

Produced by Mike Johnson.

Mixed and mastered by Colin Bricker and Mike Johnson.

Description/Reviews:

Mike is influenced by harmonically adventurous twentieth-century classical music, as can be heard in the ambiguous tonality of the music, and the rigour of his dense, complex compositions. Like many rock musicians he is self-taught, but very knowledgeable, and his fusion of rock and classical music is as seamless as it is compelling and for the first time ever amongst his 8 albums as leader of Plague, he has had the opportunity to use orchestral instrumentation as one of the pillars of this work!

Perhaps this is the reason why this is a Mike Johnson album and not a Thinking Plague album?

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

Major Parkinson "Valesa – Chapter II: Viva the Apocalypse!"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Progressive Rock/Pop
Label: Apollon Records/ Degaton Records
Format: CD, vinyl, digital,cassette
Release date: March 13, 2026
Tracklist

1. Elevator Pitch (1:13) 

2. Showbiz (6:38) 

3. Superdad (6:49) 

4. Father Superior (3:33) 

5. Viva The Apocalypse! (4:18) 

6. The Doctor In Command (4:50) 

7. Karma Supernova (8:54) 

8. Maybelline (5:09) 

9. Kiss Me Now! (3:17) 

Total Time 44:41

Credits

Jon Ivar Kollbotn: Main vocals, additional keys

Lars Christian Bjørknes: Keys, backing vocals, percussion

Eivind Gammersvik: Bass guitar, additional keys, percussion, sound design

Sondre Veland: Drums, rototoms, percussion

Øystein Bech-Eriksen: Guitars

    With

Sondre Skollevoll: Guitars, backing vocals

Peri Winkle (Claudia Cox): Lead vocals(tracks 8-9), backing vocals, violin

Halie (Hannah Emilie Wright Grung): Lead vocals(tracks 3-4), backing vocals

The Barba Sisters (Romi & Paola Barba): Apocalypse choir

Lady Moth: Eyes on the prize

William Grøv Skramsett: Trumpets

Morten Norheim: Saxophone

Iver Sandøy: Additional percussion

Written, arranged and produced by Major Parkinson

Performed and recorded live in Degaton Studios, May 2025. 

Additional recordings in Degaton Studios, Room 114, PillStreet PopUp, Duper Studio, Solslottet

Lyrics: Jon Ivar Kollbotn

Mix: Anders Bjelland – Tracks 2-6

Mix: Iver Sandøy – Tracks 7-8

Mix: Eivind Gammersvik – Tracks 1, 9

Engineering: Eivind Gammersvik, Lars Christian Bjørknes

Editing & programming: Eivind Gammersvik, Lars Christian Bjørknes

Apocalypse choir arrangement: Josh Greene

Mastering: Jørgen Træen

Front cover & inlay photography: Michael Nigro

Cover design: Martin Kvamme

Description/Reviews:

Valesa – Chapter II: Viva the Apocalypse! is the new full-length album from Norwegian art-pop cult band Major Parkinson, and the second installment in their ongoing Valesa series. Expanding the neon-shaded universe of Velvet Prison, this chapter pushes the project into sharper, more visceral territory, blending theatrical art-pop with psychedelic rock, groove-driven arrangements, and a darker narrative edge.

Recorded largely live with the full band in the same room, the album carries a renewed physicality and immediacy. Prominent horn sections, dual vocal interplay, and a groovy, rhythmic pulse gives the record an energetic, almost feral presence that marks a distinct evolution from Part I’s synth-infused aesthetics. Thematically, the album explores the dark magnetism of showbiz, American mythologies, and the hallucinatory line between utopia and delusion — delivered with the band’s trademark dark humor and cinematic flair.

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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Textures "Genotype"

Country: Netherlands
Genre(s): Progressive Metal
Label: Kscope
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: January 23, 2026
Tracklist

1. Void [3:49]

2. At The Edge Of Winter [6:42]

3. Measuring The Heavens [6:51]

4. Nautical Dusk [5:35]

5. Vanishing Twin [5:49]

6. Closer To The Unknown [4:08]

7. A Seat For The Like-Minded [5:01]

8. Walls of the Soul [7:52]

Credits

Daniël de Jongh – Vocals 

Bart Hennephof – Guitars 

Joe Tal – Guitars

Remko Tielemans – Bass 

Uri Dijk - Keyboards   

Stef Broks – Drums

   With

Charlotte Wessels – Vocals  (2)

Mixed by Forrester Savell

Description/Reviews:

Serving as the conceptual counterpart to 2016’s acclaimed Phenotype, Genotype is not a continuation but a rebirth. For nearly a decade, fans speculated about its existence, but what arrives now is not a relic of unfinished ideas - it’s something entirely new, written from scratch and self-produced. Genotype distils the essence of TEXTURES’ DNA into eight new songs, mixed by Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus). Lyrically, the album speaks to the unheard - introverts, outsiders, and those navigating internal worlds that often go unseen, standing as an ode to authenticity and resilience.

Featuring the singles Closer To The Unknown, At The Edge of Winter (featuring Charlotte Wessels) and Vanishing Twin, the record balances technical precision with powerful songwriting - the hallmarks that have made TEXTURES one of progressive metal’s most respected names over their 20+ year career.

Media/Samples
Bandcamp
At The Edge Of Winter
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Gong "Bright Spirit"

Country: UK
Genre(s): Psychedelic, Space Rock
Label: Kscope
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: March 13, 2026
Tracklist

1. Dream Of Mine [10:32]

2. Mantivule [06:22]

3. The Wonderment [05:11]

4. Stars In Heaven [04:01]

5. Fragrance Of Paradise [07:39]

6. Relish The Possibility [03:09]

7. Eternal Hand [06:48]

Credits

Fabio Golfetti: Guitar

Kavus Torabi (Cardiacs, Knifeworld): Singing, Synth, Guitar

Dave Sturt (Jade Warrior): Bass

Ian East: Saxophones

Cheb Nettles: Percusion

Recorded and mixed by Frank Byng at Snorkel Studios, London

Description/Reviews:

Bright Spirit marks the third instalment in a trilogy that began with The Universe Also Collapses (2019) and continued with Unending Ascending (2023). Bright Spirit sees Gong at their experimental best, more adventurous and more open to the dream than ever.

And dreams are central here. Not just as lyrical imagery, but as a way of thinking - where psychedelia, love, and the thin membrane between worlds feed into the music. The opener, ‘Dream Of Mine’, unfurls like a transmission from the in-between, its mid-section blooming into harmonies and an angular melody that feels like a key turning in a long-awaited lock. Frontman Kavus Torabi describes it as a moment everything has been pointing toward, a flash of clarity inside the swirl.

Elsewhere, there’s tenderness - unexpected perhaps, but unmistakably Gong, ‘Fragrance Of Paradise’ being Torabi’s first-ever love song. ‘The Wonderment’ finds Gong in deeply meditative form, a mystical and explorative journey both inwards and outwards, timeless and expansive, another piece of the kaleidoscopic puzzle that makes up Bright Spirit.

Media/Samples
The Wonderment 
Stars in Heaven
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Anton Roolaart "The Ballad of General Jupiter"

Country: Netherlands
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Label: Wandering Willow Records, Moonjune Records
Format: CD,digital,vinyl
Release date: January 9, 2026
Tracklist

1. Amsterdam

2. The Ballad of General Jupiter

3. The Cry of Seven Doves

4. Touch Your Desire

5. Star Child 

6. Rain

7. And the Sky Turned Yellow

8. Yesterday and Today

Credits

Anton Roolaart - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Synths

Rave Tesar (Renaissance) - Piano and Keyboards

Bob Kirby - Drums and Percussion

Wouter Schueler - Flute and Saxaphones

Rozh Surchi - Background Vocals

Mark Donato - Background Vocals

Sean Carolan - Newscaster Voice

Composed and produced by Anton Roolaart except 'Yesterday and Today' written by Jon Anderson (Yes) 

Mastering by Rave Tesar

Description/Reviews:

Blending rich musical textures with evocative and lyrical storytelling, The Ballad of General Jupiter is a collection of sonic tales — snapshots of imagination, emotion, and resilience. With echoes of Bowie, Pink Floyd, and early Genesis, Roolaart paints vivid musical portraits shaped by imagination, introspection, and social consciousness as he explores not only personal themes, but also broader reflections on a world grappling with chaos, greed, and injustice.

The opening track, Amsterdam, sets the tone with an intimate reflection on Roolaart’s 2020 return to his homeland in the Netherlands—an emotional homecoming shaped by both fulfillment and loss. Expanding beyond earthbound concerns, tracks like Rain and The Cry of Seven Doves explore more otherworldly themes, enriched by the saxophone and flute contributions of Amsterdam-based musician Wouter Schueler. 

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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Laughing Stock "Life in Seven Dreams"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Art Rock
Label: Apollon Records
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: February 27, 2026
Tracklist

1. A Dream Within A Dream (1:06) 

2. Summer's End (5:46) 

3. Not Today (4:04) 

4. The House (4:37) 

5. All The Strength (5:45) 

6. The Fire (6:51) 

7. We Look At The River (7:20) 

8. From The Shadows (7:18) 

Total Time 42:47

Credits

Jan Mikael Sørensen - Electric Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Keys

Jan Erik Kirkevold Nilsen - Electric Guitar, Vocals, Keys

Håvard Enge - Synthesizer

   with

Tim Bowness (No-man) - Lead Vocals (3)

Bjørnar Kristiansen  

Terje Johannesen - Trumpet 

Produced and mixed by Jan Mikael Sørensen

Mastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo

Cover artwork by Jan Erik Kirkevold Nilsen.

Media/Samples
Not Today
Summer's End

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Imperial Measures "Threefold"

Country: Multinational
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Format: CD, vinyl,digital
Release date: January 1, 2026
Tracklist

1. Taking my Time 
2. Water Child 
3. Time Lapse 
4. Through A Lens 
5. Walk Away 
6. Lake House 
7. Between the Lines 
8. Reading the Runes 
9. Faces 
10. Last Song 
11. Killing Time (digital bonus track)

Credits

Peter Rand (Imaginary Kings) – Music / Lyrics / Keyboards / Guitars

Stefanie Kisamore – Lyrics / Vocals

Kevin Hartnell – Bass / Drums / Keyboards / Guitars / Mixing / Mastering

Media/Samples
Bandcamp
Through A Lens
Lake House

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Môr "Tomorrow’s Relics"

Country: Multinational
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Format: CD, vinyl, digital
Release date: December 5, 2025 (digital), late  December 2025 (CD), January 2026 (vinyl)
Tracklist

1. Timeslip (5:33) 

2. The Nine (8:09) 

3. Thirty Six Barrels (5:12) 

4. Quiet Time (4:50) 

5. Tomorrows Relics (8:02) 

6. Risk Averse (7:44) 

7. Ravenstongue (4:54) 

Total Time 44:24

Credits

Ramlee Oak - Lyrics, Vocals, Drums, Bass, Keys

Peter Rand (Imaginary Kings) - Music, Keys, Guitars

Chris Matthews - Music, Guitars, Engineering, Mastering

Alex Fadista - Guitars

   With

Chris Bouchard - Drums (2)

Sven-Martin Keil - Saxophones (5)

Description/Reviews:

Môr (which is the welsh word for “sea”) released their second album Tomorrow’s Relics, on 5 December 2025, and it’s magnificent. It is an example of why I love progressive music. The album’s seven-song cycle, coming in just over 43 minutes, is intelligent and highly accessible. It’s also melodic, profound, literary and relevant. One of its many highlights for me as a listener is the vocals of Ramlee Oak, which I find stellar and tremendously moving. His voice is rich, vibrant and compelling. His stylistic delivery adds to the music and doesn’t overwhelm it.

Read the full review by Rick Peuser at theprogressiveaspect.net

Also read the reviews by John Wenlock-Smith at progressivevoyages.co.uk and by Professor Mark at progressiverockcentral.com

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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Mark Wingfield "Elemental"

Country: UK
Genre(s): Instrumental Progressive Rock, Fusion
Label: Dark Energy Music, MoonJune Records
Format: CD, digital
Release date: November 30, 2025
Tracklist

1. Hope Valley (4:08)

2. We Live Here (5:40) *

3. Tamin Negara (5:28) *

4. Suntar (6:09) *

5. Falcons Ridge (3:56)

6. Zag Zig (4:09)

7. Seven Bridges (7:49) *^

8. A Sign in the Weather (7:09) *^

9. Silver Wind (4:14)

10. Tantallon (7:19) *

(*) Recorded live in the studio with no overdubs.

(^) Recorded at the September 2025 Livestream concert.

Credits

All instruments played by Mark Wingfield.

All tracks composed by Mark Wingfield.

Produced by Mark Wingfield.

Mixed and mastered at Heron Island Studio by Mark Wingfield.

Photos by Daniela Scaramelli and Gül Işık.

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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robec "The Forest is Too Loud"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Instrumental Progressive Rock, Electronica
Label: Gymnocal Industries
Format: CD,digital,vinyl
Release date: November 28, 2025
Tracklist

1. Unknown Overture (6:52) 

2. The Apanthropist (4:05) 

3. Latibulate (11:13) 

4. Nikhedonia (7:41) 

5. The Forest Is Too Loud (15:20) 

Total Time 45:11

Credits
robec aka Marius T. Røbech - instruments

   With

Sondre Veland (Major Parkinson, Wardruna) - drums

Mastered by Jørgen Træen

Cover art by Ana Jorge

Description/Reviews:

The Forest is Too Loud is an instrumental album that explores expansive soundscapes shaped by restless rhythms and mesmerizing bass lines. Twangy guitars and spacious synths create a cinematic atmosphere, while, true to classic prog rock style, the extended tracks shift from quiet ambiences to epic leads. This album is a journey through sonic exploration and diverse genre inspirations, offering a complete and immersive listening experience.

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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