Diablo Swing Orchestra "Swagger & Stroll Down the Rabbit Hole"

Country: Sweden
Genre(s): Eclectic Progressive Metal/Rock
Label: Candlelight Records
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: November 2, 2021 (digital), November 5, 2021 (CD), March 4, 2022 (vinyl)
Tracklist

1. Sightseeing In The Apocalypse
2. War Painted Valentine
3. Celebremos Lo Inevitable
4. Speed Dating An Arsonist
5. Jig Of The Century
6. The Sound Of An Unconditional Surrender
7. Malign Monologues
8. Out Came The Hummingbirds
9. Snake Oil Baptism
10. Les Invulnéables
11. Saluting The Reckoning
12. The Prima Donna Gauntlet
13. Overture To A Ceasefire

Line-up

Kristin Evegård

Daniel Håkansson 

Pontus Mantefors

Anders Johansson

Johannes Bergion 

Martin Isaksson 

Daniel Hedin 

Johan Norbäck

 + guests

Media/Samples
War Painted Valentine

Celebremos Lo Inevitable
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Sigh "Heir To Despair"

Country: Japan
Genre(s): Progressive Avant Metal
Label: Candlelight / Spinefarm Records
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: November 16, 2018
Tracklist: 
1. Aletheia (7:23)
2. Homo Homini Lupus (5:33)
3. Hunters Not Horned (6:47)
4. In Memories Delusional (6:17)
5. Heresy I: Oblivium (7:28)
6. Heresy II: Acosmism (1:45)
7. Heresy III: Sub Species Aeternitatis (2:26)
8. Hands of the String Puller (4:48)
9. Heir to Despair (10:15)

Total Time 52:42

Line-up: 
Mirai Kawashima - Vocals, Keyboards, Taishōgoto, Flute, Piccolo
Satoshi Fujinami - Bass
Junichi Harashima - Drums
Dr. Mikannibal - Vocals, Alto Saxophone
You Oshima - Guitars
   With
Phil Anselmo - Additional Vocals (2)
Kevin Kmetz - Shamisen

Description/Reviews: 

The term progressive metal can bring to mind some cringe-worthy images, among them Berklee dropouts making long sprawling songs with obtuse riffs written with one thing in mind — “How will this sound if I solo over it?“ What sets Sigh apart from such bands, aside from their black metal past, is that their sound actually progresses. It is not stagnant wanking. You know only to expect organized chaos when you go into one of their albums. So I should have not been surprised by the opening track of Heir To Despair (“Aletheia”) sounding like a space-age take on Jethro Tull as a metal band; it makes perfect sense.

Read the full review  at nocleansinging.com

Media/Samples 
Homo Homini Lupus

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Ihsahn "Àmr"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Eclectic Progressive Metal, Black Metal
Label: Candlelight Records
Format: CD, vinyl, digital
Release date: May 4, 2018
Tracklist: 
01. - Lend Me The Eyes Of Millennia
02. - Arcana Imperii
03. - Sámr
04. - One Less Enemy
05. - Where You Are Lost And I Belong
06. - In Rites Of Passage
07. - Marble Soul
08. - Twin Black Angels
09. - Wake
10. - Alone (Bonus) - 11:10


Total time 55:04

Line-up: 
Vegard Sverre Tveitan - vocals, instruments
   With
Tobias Ørnes Andersen - drums
Fredrik Akesson (Opeth) - guitar (2)

Description/Reviews: 

Ihsahn’s seventh solo album is the legendary Norwegian’s most eclectic and challenging to date. Morphing fluidly from mellifluous art rock ambience to vicious extreme metal, covering all points in between.

Media/Samples 
Arcana Imperii

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Ihsahn "Àmr"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Eclectic Progressive Metal, Black Metal
Label: Candlelight Records
Format: CD, vinyl, digital
Release date: May 4, 2018
Tracklist: 
01. - Lend Me The Eyes Of Millennia
02. - Arcana Imperii
03. - Sámr
04. - One Less Enemy
05. - Where You Are Lost And I Belong
06. - In Rites Of Passage
07. - Marble Soul
08. - Twin Black Angels
09. - Wake
10. - Alone (Bonus) - 11:10


Total time 55:04

Line-up: 
Vegard Sverre Tveitan - vocals, instruments
   With
Tobias Ørnes Andersen - drums
Fredrik Akesson (Opeth) - guitar (2)

Description/Reviews: 

Ihsahn’s seventh solo album is the legendary Norwegian’s most eclectic and challenging to date. Morphing fluidly from mellifluous art rock ambience to vicious extreme metal, covering all points in between.

Media/Samples 
Arcana Imperii

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Ihsahn "Arktis"

Country: Norway
Genre(s): Tech/Extreme Progressive Metal
Label: Candlelight Records
Format: CD, vinyl, digital
Release date: April 8, 2016
Tracklist: 
1. Disassembled (5:02)
2. Mass Darkness (3:52)
3. My Heart Is Of The North (4:43)
4. South Winds (5:34)
5. In The Vaul (4:09)
6. Until I Too Dissolve (5:24)
7. Pressure (6:04)
8. Frail (3:39)
9. Crooked Red Line (4:16)
10. Celestial Violence (5:24)
11. Til Tor Ulven (Soppelsolen) (9:13)

Total time 57:20

Line-up: 
Vegard Sverre Tveitan - bass, guitars, keyboards, vocals
   With
Tobias Ørnes Andersen - drums
Matthew Kiichi "Matt" Heafy (Trivium) - vocals (2)
Einar Solberg  (Leprous) - vocals (1, 10)
Jørgen Munkeby - saxophone (9)

Description/Reviews: 

Arktis is a further exploration of the classic Ihsahn sound, yes, but it also infuses his music with influences that range from classic progressive death metal to the pop music of the 80’s.
It would be too simplistic to place these two influences into a yin and yang dichotomy, imagining disparate tracks which feed from these two sources. Certainly, such tracks exist. For example, opener “Disassembled” is a perfect example. It begins with a riff that would not be out of place on an Opeth album. While Ihsahn’s signature, raspy vocals are a departure from that style, the countless synth lines present in this track are not. They are heavy with 70’s influence and their style, ducking in and out of the guitar riffs, is classic prog death. The following track, “Mass Darkness”, seems to continue along this track, heavily backed by choirs and Matt Heafy (Trivium) on a guest spot.
However, things start to become much more complicated on “South Winds”.

Read the full review by  Eden Kupermintz at heavyblogisheavy.com

Media/Samples 
Mass Darkness

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Kontinuum "Kyrr"

Country: Iceland
Genre(s): Atmospheric Post Rock/Metal
Label: Candlelight
Format: CD, digital
Release date: April 20, 2015 (EU), April 28, 2015 (USA)
Tracklist: 
1. Breathe 06:16
2. Í Huldusal 06:09
3. Hliðargötu-heimsveldi 05:24
4. Kyrr 04:16
5. Undir þunnu skinni 05:07
6. Lone 04:27
7. In Shallow Seas 05:14
8. Red Stream 06:11

Line-up: 
Birgir Thorgeirsson - Vocals, Guitars
Ingi Pór Pálsson - Guitars
Thorlakur Thor Gudmundsson - Guitars
Engilbert Hauksson - Bass
Kristján Einar Guðmundsson - Drums

Description/Reviews: 

Walking a thin line between dreamy post rock and post metal this album lures you in with dreamy sounds and hypnotising vocals reminding me of a heavier version of Duran Duran or Pet Shop Boys on album opener “Breathe”.
And it’s that dreamlike state that continues on throughout the whole album, making it a perfect album to listen to during a relaxing ride, yet at the same time there are enough layers to the songs to keep it interesting enough to just sit down to and have a good listening session.

 Read the full review by Robert Popovic at livereviewer.com

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp

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Xerath "III"

Country: UK
Sub Genre: Tech/Extreme Progressive Metal
Label: Candlelight Records
Release date: September 15, 2014
Tracklist: 
1. I Hold Dominion
2. 2053
3. I Hunt For the Weak
4. Autonomous
5. Bleed this Body Clean
6. Death Defiant
7. Sentinels
8. Passenger
9. Ironclad
10. Demigod Doctrine
11. The Chaos Reign
12. Witness
13. Veil Pt. 1
14. Veil Pt. 2

Line-up: 
Conor McGouran - Guitars
Richard Thomson - Vocals
Michael Pitman - Drums
Christopher Clark - Bass

Media/Samples 
Teaser

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Demonic Resurrection "The Demon King"

Country:  India
Sub Genre: Progressive Death/Black Metal
Label: Universal Music/Candlelight Records
Release date: July 13, 2014
Tracklist: 

1. The Assassination - 5:34
2. Facing the Faceless - 6:32
3. The Promise of Never - 6:07
4. Death, Desolation and Despair - 5:49
5. The Demon King - 6:38
6. Architect of Destruction - 5:35
7. Trail of Devastation - 4:26
8. Shattered Equilibrium - 5:04
9. Even Gods Do Fall - 4:53
10. The End Paradox - 1:38

Line-up: 
Sahil The Demonstealer Makhija – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mephisto– keyboards
Virendra "Viru" Kaith – drums
Ashwin Shriyan – bass guitar
Nishith Hegde – lead guitar

Description/Reviews: 

The new Demonic Resurrection album titled 'The Demon King' is definitely fit to be the release right after 'The Return to Darkness'. This being in terms of how the music has grown more mature, the amount of elements and obvious effort that has gone into making this album sound massive. It also has a more progressive slant, with a fair blend of groovy riffs mashed with pounding blasts, symphonic and scapey keyboard parts and powerful vocals. What's a bit more different with this album is the focus given to the concept, without which understanding the album would be futile, in my opinion.

 Read the full review by Pratika Prabhune at metalwani.com

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp (4 tracks)

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Pestilence "Obsideo"

Country: Netherlands
Sub Genre: Tech/Extreme, Progressive Metal
Label: Candlelight Records
Release date: November 11, 2013
Tracklist: 
1. Obsideo (4:06)
2. Soulrot (3:28)
3. Transition (3:14)
4. Necromorph (3:23)
5. Laniatus (3:14)
6. Distress (3:59)
7. Superconcious (3:33)
8. Aura Negative (3:43)
9. Saturation (3:13)
10. Displaced (3:23)

Line-up: 
Patrick Mameli - Guitars, Vocals
Patrick Uterwijk - Guitars
David Haley - Drums
George Maier - Bass

Description/Reviews: 

This time they offer a much more thought-out, well-integrated merger of their broootal death and their unquenchable affinity for  Cynic/Atheist styled prog and jazz elements. They even manage to recapture some long-lost elements of their early sound and that’s a truly unexpected surprise. I still harbor deep-seated resentments, but I’m forced to acknowledge this is way better, far more interesting and actually quite fun in a trippy, schizoid way. It certainly isn’t your typical death metal and it sounds quirky even by tech-death standards. Basically, it’s like a meth fueled Dance Dance Revolution marathon.

Read the full review by Steel Druhm at angrymetalguy.com

Media/Samples 
Necro Morph

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The Earls of Mars "The Earls of Mars"

Country: UK
Sub Genre: Eclectic, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock/Metal
Label: Candlelight Records
Release date: October 28, 2013
Tracklist: 
1. Poor Whores' Petition - 02:44
2. The Swinger - 04:50
3. The Astronomer Pig - 05:59
4. Cornelius Itchybah - 06:41
5. Otto The Magnificent - 03:31
6. The Ballad Of Ben Ayre - 02:34
7. The Last Glass Eye-Maker - 07:13
8. Some Place - 02:05
9. The Mirrored Staircase - 05:01
10. Mr Osbornes' Hazelnuts - 01:23

Line-up: 
Harry Armstrong - Voices & Pianos
Dan Hardingham - Guitars and Other Lesser Known Instruments
Si McCarthy - Upright Basses and Accordions
Dave Newman - Drums and Percussion

Description/Reviews: 

Despite all of those influences, though, “The Earls of Mars” is probably the most original thing you’ll hear all year. At their heart, the band are a 70’s-influenced rock band bringing together jazz, prog, space rock, doom and blues and forming it into a barking mad noise that you’ll either get or you won’t. If you don’t get it then close the door on your way out of the spaceship, as those of us who want to stay are off on a fantastical journey to who-knows-where, with The Earls of Mars steering the ship. 

Read the full review by Chris Ward at thisisnotascene.com

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp

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Ihsahn "Das Seelenbrechen"

Country: Norway
Sub Genre: Tech/Extreme, Progressive Metal, Avant Prog
Label: Candlelight Records
Release date: October 21, 2013
Tracklist: 
1. Hiber
2. Regen
3. NaCl
4. Pulse
5. Tacit 2
6. Tacit
7. Rec
8. M
9. Sub Ater
10. See

Line-up: 
Ihsahn - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Tobias Ornes Andersen (Leprous) - Drums

Description/Reviews: 

"Das Seelenbrechen" is a bold and adventurous recording that is a musical contrast to the progressive shades and saxophone augmentations of the Emperor vocalist/guitarist's previous two albums (2009's "After" and 2011's "Eremita"). The album exists in an entirely unfamiliar sonic world as Ihsahn draws upon his most esoteric influences, fully embracing the spirit of the avant-garde. Comprising ten vivid but disparate explorations in sound that range from bittersweet electronica to deranged and feral improvisation, "Das Seelenbrechen" is every bit as dark and destructive as the artist's previous work but is far more disorientating and disturbing than anything he has attempted in his past. "Musically, this album is a very deliberate sidestep to what I have been doing; a necessity to reset the creative parameters so not to fall into formula," says Ihsahn. "I think I do my best work slightly outside of my comfort zone and I've wanted to do something like this for a long time. Free form and improvisational can be scary for a musician but it is very liberating at the same time."  "Das Seelenbrechen" courageously eschews traditional metal instrumentation in favor of a limitless textural landscape that evokes the freewheeling spirit of artists like Diamanda Galas, Scott Walker, and John Zorn. 

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Altar Of Plagues “Teethed Glory And Injury”

Country: Ireland
Sub Genre: Post Metal, Experimental, Ambient
Label: Profound Lore Records/Candlelight Records
Release date: April 30, 2013
Tracklist: 

1. Mills
2. God Alone
3. A Body Shrouded
4. Burnt Year
5. A Remedy And A Fever
6. Twelve Was Ruin
7. Scald Scar Of Water
8. Found, Oval And Final
9. Reflection Pulse Remains


Line-up: 

James Kelly - guitars, vocals, keyboards
Dave Condon - bass, vocals
Johnny "S. MacAnri" King - drums

Description/Reviews: 

With “TGAI” a wholly new sonic canvas has been created. While still harnessing the elements in which helped shape their sound in the past (the black metal and post-rock influence, even though now more marginalized), “TGAI” sees Altar Of Plagues create not only their most unconventional and visceral album yet, but their most overwhelming album in their repertoire. With an array of elements that range from industrial, electronica, along with taking the ambient and experimental influence that much further by creating a more extreme and even harsher soundscape, the many sounds generated on “TGAI” become weaved and integrated to create an unforgiving scenario of suffocating majestic glorious noise and sonic mental disarray. The result being “TGAI” defined as a vision unparalleled.

Media/Samples 
God Alone

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