Neil Howell "The Way Out"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Eclectic Progressive Metal/Rock
Format: digital
Release date: March 28, 2025
Tracklist

1. Empty

2. The House is on Fire

3. Intruder

4. No Money in Philosophy

5. Option One – Denial

6. Pathfinder

7. Hope Only Goes So Far

8. Option Two – Despair

9. Fatherly Advice

10. Option Three – Acceptance

11. Logic Dictates

Credits

Neil Howell – Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Synths and Keys, Drum Programming 

   With

Lisa Mann – Lead Vocals (4)

Mad Scientist Dorn – Lead Guitar (7)

Alex Parkinson (Mothman and the Thunderbirds) – Lead and backing vocals (11) 

Egor Lappo – Lead guitar (11)  

Angela and Clara – Backing vocals (11)  

All songs written by Neil Howell

Description/Reviews:

Striking a fine line between mayhem and beauty, The Way Out showcases Howell’s unique brand of progressive metal. From the blistering guitar attack on tracks such as The House is On Fire and Intruder, to the more poignant Pathfinder and Option Three (Acceptance), the album is never far away from its many twists and turns. Highlights include the genre-bending No Money in Philosophy, the aching serenity and crushing devastation of Hope Only Goes So Far, and the final epic track, Logic Dictates.

Sure to please adventurous listeners and fans of Opeth, Devin Townsend, and Porcupine Tree, The Way Out is not an album to be missed. Howells’ latest offering is designed to dazzle, astound, and perhaps, even help.

Media/Samples
No Money In Philosophy

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Derev "Troubled Mind"

Country: Canada 
Genre(s): Progressive Metal
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: March 26, 2025
Tracklist

1. Buried Voice (7:23)

2. Cyclone (5:39)

3. Crawl Space (1:16)

4. Room 9 (6:15)

5. Paracusia (4:35)

6. Tides of Time (5:59)

7. Darker Self (5:44)

8. Trace Within (5:01)

Credits

Adel Saflou - Vocals

Armando Bablanian - Guitar

Michel Karakach - Drums

Stan Komarovsky - Bass

Ran Zehavi - Keys

Description/Reviews:

Derev is a progressive rock band captivating global audiences with its innovative blend of progressive rock and traditional Middle Eastern music. The forthcoming album "Troubled Mind" promises to take listeners on an emotional journey, featuring both energetic highs and poignant lows. It is recommended for fans of Opeth, Dream Theater, and Porcupine Tree.

Media/Samples
Room 9
Cyclone

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Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate "The Uncertainty Principle"

Country: UK
Genre(s): Progressive Rock
Format: CD, digital
Release date: March 4, 2025 (digital), April 12, 2025 (CD)
Tracklist

1. Certainty

2. Everything Changed

3. The Ultraviolet Catastrophe

4. Copenhagen

5. Cause and Effect (But Not Necessarily in that Order)

6. The Uncertainty Principle

7. Inside the Atom

8. The Think Tank

9. One Word that Means The World (Arkhipov)

10. Between Two Worlds

11. Living with Uncertainty

Credits

Malcolm Galloway - lyrics, lead guitar, synths, mastering

Mark Gatland - bass guitar, vocal engineer, additional guitars and synths, co-producer

   With

Kathryn Thomas - flute (6)

Ethan Galloway - vocals (11)

Music written by Malcolm Galloway and Mark Gatland

Produced by Malcolm Galloway and Mark Gatland (1-5,7-9, 11) and Malcolm Galloway, Mark Gatland and Kathryn Thomas (6,10)

Booklet notes by Malcolm Galloway

Artwork by Malcolm Galloway and Mark Gatland, using Nightcafe and DALLE-3 (AI art), photography and Photoshop.

Description/Reviews:

The album is a mixture of vocal and instrumental tracks, combining elements of progressive/alt/art-rock, electronic, and contemporary classical music. 

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

Copenhagen

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Chercán "Chercán"

Country: Chile
Genre(s): Progressive Rock, Fusion
Format: digital
Release date: March 4, 2025
Tracklist

1. La Culpa (6:51) 

2. Caen Las Hojas Blancas (5:46) 

3. Kalimba (4:54) 

4. Desolación (En) (1:10) 

5. Tiempos Paralelos (5:13) 

6. Las Mentiras Del Muro (5:14) 

7. Relato De Una Obsesión. Parte I: Quimera (6:50) 

8. Relato De Una Obsesión. Parte II: El Orate (6:04) 

9. 7 Colores (4:19) 

Total Time 46:21

Credits

Martín Peña - Voices, guitar (9)

Simón Catalán - Bass

Roberto Faúndez - Electric and acoustic guitar

Matías Bahamondes - Saxophone

Rodrigo González Mera (La Desooorden, Homínido) - Drums and percussion

    With

Benjamín Ruz - String arrangements, violins

Javiera González - Viola

Ariadna Kordovero - Cello

Drums, Guitars, Vocals-recorded at Estudio LeRock (Santiago) by José Tomás Molina

Saxophone-recorded by Pueblo Obsoleto, Valdivia

Bass-recorded by Simón Catalán, Valdivia

String Quartet-recorded by Benjamín Ruz and Eduardo Padilla at "Estudios ZUR", Santiago

Percussions-recorded by Rodrigo González Mera at Estudio “El Pequén”, Valdivia

Mixing: Jorge Fortune at Telúrica Estudio, Coyhaique

Mastering: Carlos Barros (Kalimba, The Lies of the Wall, Parallel Times, 7 Colors) / Jorge Fortune (The Guilt, Chimera, Orate, White Leaves Fall)

Cover: Paulina Rosso

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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Artnat "Two"

Country: Portugal
Genre(s): Progressive Rock 

Format: CD, digital

Release date: March 1, 2025
Tracklist

CD 1: Alternative lifes

1. Temporarely sane

2. Stranger in a strange land

3. Return to Tantra

4. To be free

5. The cristal man

6. Wondering

7. Walls of sorrow

8. Underdogs

9. Under a bad sign

10. Warlord

11. Ritualis of Extinction

CD 2: Parallel Universes

12. MechVerse

13. Just another cool world

14. Andromeda joy

15. Frozen

16. Newborn

17. Kakuan revisited

18. KEPLER 442 B

19. Shapeless 2

20. Wormhole crossing

Credits

Manuel Cardoso (Tantra) - electric & acoustic guitars, vocals, harmonica, occasional electric bass and keyboards

Sara Freitas - vocals

Paulo Bretão - electric bass

João Samora - drums & percussion

João Parriera - keyboards

   With

Pedro Luis (Tantra) - acoustic piano (2, 17)

Emilio Robalo - piano & synth (1, 13, 14, 15, 18)

Alexei Tolpygo - acoustic violins

Mick Trovoada - congas

Production, mixing, mastering and cover art by Manuel Cardoso

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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Nuova Era "20.000 leghe sotto i mari"

Country: Italy
Genre(s): Symphonic
Label: AMS
Format: CD, digital,vinyl
Release date: February 28, 2025
Tracklist

1. 20.000 leghe sotto i mari (36:25)

a) La partenza
b) La caccia
c) Smarrimento
d) Capitan Nemo
e) Il Signore delle acque
f) Mondi misteriosi
g) Nel profondo
h) Prigionieri dell’abisso

2. Nautilus (16:05) - CD bonus track

Credits
Walter Pini: keyboards
Rudi Greco: electric bass
Maurizio Marra: drums
Alex Camaiti: vocals, guitars

Description/Reviews:

“20.000 Leghe sotto i Mari” (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas), in fact, openly inspired by Jules Verne’s literary masterpiece, consists of a single suite of almost 40 minutes in length – divided into two acts in the LP version – that constitutes a sort of summary of everything that Italian progressive rock has always represented: a musical genre often used to describe the complexity and variety of the human soul, thanks to continuous and unpredictable harmonic, rhythmic and melodic changes, all intimately linked by a single thread. Apart from some electric guitar and keyboard sections that clearly sound modern and fresh, “20.000 Leghe sotto i Mari” could well be mistaken for one of the great symphonic prog albums released in the early 70s!

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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The Orphaned Bee "Thinking Without Language" EP

Country: Australia
Genre(s): Progressive Rock, Electronica
Label: Bird's Robe Records
Format: CD,digital
Release date: February 28, 2025
Tracklist

1. Rain (4:05) 

2. Water (3:43) 

3. Sanctuary (4:31) 

4. Fire (5:05) 

5. Ascendance (5:50) 

Total Time 23:14

Credits

Music by Brett Tollis

Lyrics by Brett Tollis and Laura Boettcher

Drums by Alex O'Toole

Additional piano by Ron Pollard

Mixed by Ron Pollard at Studio Sleepwalker's Dread

Drums recorded by Tim Carr at Rancom St Studios

Mastered by Tim Carr at Gnomelabs

Description/Reviews:

The Orphaned Bee’s EP is a 23-minute sonic journey through elemental themes, blending synth-driven soundscapes with atmospheric depth. Opening with “Rain,” the EP immediately sets a cinematic, almost sci-fi tone, while “Water” introduces a heavier, battle-like intensity with distorted vocal effects. “Sanctuary” slows things down, evoking solitude and calm after a storm, while “Fire” explores rhythmic flickers of sound, mirroring a dancing flame. The EP concludes with “Ascendance,” a return to its sci-fi roots, closing the experience in a sweeping, experimental synth finale. It is a soundtrack for a sci-fi movie as yet unmade.

Read the full review by Benny (the Ball) Benson at rockthejointmagazine.com

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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Fifth Daughter "Stellar Season"

Country: UK
Genre(s): Psychedelic, Progressive Rock, Folk
Label: Fruits de Mer
Format: vinyl
Release date: February 28, 2024
Tracklist

1. The Eternal Dance

2. Become Sun

3. House Of Ra

4. Forever Knowing

5. In Love With The Sun

6. Season Of Fasting/Call For The Equinox

7. Even Winter

Credits
Nicholas Whittaker (Diagonal)
James Howarth
   With
Luke Foster (Diagonal)
Dave Wileman (Diagonal)
Will Howes - ambient guitar

Description/Reviews:

“Stellar Season” is a very evocative and melodic album, well produced and played with a strong opening track introduced by a kind of wind chime soft percussion, wistful flute and gentle acoustic guitar before entering an Incredible String Band influenced vocal section (a connection also most evident on ‘In Love with the Sun’ and ‘Call for the Equinox’ with its haunting repetitive chant). The music has an effortless fluidity and a multiplicity of instrumental variation ... One cannot also help but recall to mind Jade Warrior in places. A special call out to Luke Foster’s impactful drumming which adds much to a magical formula that will transport the listener not only back to the intoxicating blends of prog, psych and acid folk of the past, but also into the future on its imaginary journey to another world.

Read the full review by Benedict Jackson at dimensions-in-sound-and-space.com

Media/Samples
Even Winter

Submarine Silence "Atonement Of A Former Sailor Turned Painter"

Country: Italy
Genre(s): Symphonic
Label: Ma.Ra.Cash Records
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date: February 21, 2025
Tracklist

1) Majestic Whales

2) Les Mots Que Tu Ne Dis Pas

3) Limbo Of The Rootless

4) Atonement Of A Former Sailor Turned Painter

    I) Guadeloupe

    II) Port Of Spain

    III) Shango Orishas

    IV) The Floating Painter's Palette

    V) Chanson à La Lune

    VI) Port-au-Prince

    VII) Niet Vergeten!

    VIII) Self-Portrait For Two

5) Zena (Extra Track)

Credits

Guillermo Gonzales : Vocals & Lyrics

Manuela Milanese: Vocals & Backing Vocals

David Cremoni: Acoustic & Electric Guitars

Marco Croci: Bass

Maurizio Di Tollo: Drums

Cristiano Roversi: Keys & Additional Instruments

   With

Roine Stolt: Guitar (1)

Artwork & Visions by Ed Unitsky

Description/Reviews:

Embark on a transformative journey with Atonement of a Former Sailor Turned Painter, a progressive rock experience that goes beyond music—it's a narrative of courage, remorse, and the pursuit of meaning. This unique album stands out not only for its compelling storytelling but for its lyrics, which span in five different languages (English, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Dutch), capturing the rich, multicultural essence of the Caribbean's seafaring world.

The concept album follows a former sailor seeking redemption through art, where the turbulent seas of his past are channeled into brushstrokes that lay bare his restless soul.

Each song and story draws listeners into evocative realms: the camaraderie of the Leviathan's Dream Tavern, a place of meeting refuge and shared tales; the haunting Siren's Tooth Reef, caught between storm and calm, a limbo for souls who glimpse their own unrest; and the mystical Floating Painter's Palette, where art and memory merge in a wordless plea for forgiveness and peace.

This album is a sonic logbook, an invitation to navigate uncharted waters of dreams, regrets, and introspection. Let the music and storytelling guide you through this odyssey—a vivid exploration of human fragility and resilience, as notes and narratives weave together a tapestry of redemption and profound self-discovery. Each song is accompanied by a short story that embodies its storytelling, enriching the listener's experience and deepening the narrative context of the album.

Media/Samples
Majestic Whales  

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Jack O' the Clock "Portraits"

Country: USA
Genre(s): Avant/Folk/Chamber Progressive Rock
Format: CD, digital
Release date: February 13, 2025
Tracklist

1. Josephine's Fresh Cuts

2. I'm OK, You're a Shithead

3. No. 4 Mountain

4. Another Sunny Day/Star of Monster 

5. Year of the Gypsy Moths

6. In the Gold Coin Saloon

7. My Life's Not Wasted

8. Lazy Tom Bog

9. The Gardener

10. Nature Abhors a Vacuum

11. Puer 1

12. Twomile Island

13. Isolation Booth

14. Stone Cold Steve Cactus In Mojave

15. Windigo Knocking

16. It's Hard To Find Booze On Sunday

17. Puer 2

Credits

2003 MUSICIAN CREDITS:

Damon Waitkus - acoustic guitar, bass (1,2,4,6,13), flute (5), drums (11, 17)

Emily Packard - violins

Brad Mehlenbacher -drums

Roger Vaughan - bass (7, 11,17)

Recorded by Damon Waitkus at Roger and Rochelle's in Smithfield, Rhode Island, Summer 2003

2023-4 MUSICIAN CREDITS:

Damon Waitkus - vocals, guitars, hammer dulcimer, piano etc.

Victor Reynolds - bass, guitars, piano, vocals, etc.

Kate McLoughlin - bassoon

Recorded by Damon Waitkus at Orchard Hill Studio, Brattleboro, Vermont, and Victor Reynolds in San Mateo, California, 2023-2024

We also sampled some unreleased past contributions by:

Ivor Holloway - tenor sax and clarinet

Art Elliot - organ

Jonathan Russell - clarinet

Dave McNally - mellotron

Mastered by Myles Boisen at Headless Buddha Mastering Lab, Oakland, CA

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

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