the Top 10 Progressive Albums of 2023

When it comes to prog, few bands actually progress. Most that claim to be a part of this genre, just wank around with an overabundance of guitar solos that the songs are merely bookends for, rather than serving songs that go somewhere.  The bands that made this year's top 10 list, are taking you places with their songs. There are some guitar solos here and there, but shredding is not the emphasis, nor is using odd time signatures for the sake of just doing so. Some of these bands are more metallic and a few albums even flirt with pop at times. These are not the coolest prog albums, but the best, fuck what other blogs say,.   After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Progressive albums of 2023.

10-Hawkwind - "The Future Never Waits" 

With 81-year-old Dave Brock as the sole surviving member of the band, I was not sure what to expect. Nik Turner is the member I am sure to miss the most, but it seems keyboardist Thighpaulsandra who has played with Spiritualized, is making huge contributions to the sound, as it is more focused on the space part of the space rock equation and rocking less. Though I am not sure how heavy I want an 81-year-old man to rock it. Brock answers this to a certain extent in "the End". There is a more fuzzed-out guitar tone that comes in though it is whisked off into the cosmos with the swirl of synths around it that are jostling for position in the mix.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/hawkwind-future-never-waits.html

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9-Megafauna-"Olympico" 

What sets this Texas band apart from the pack is how the vocals of Dani Neff , are sugary in a pop fashion that does not succumb to normal pop sensibilities. There is harder rocking under the surface of these songs. From the onset of this album, she declares the time has come to "say goodbye to normal people" and that becomes their mission statement. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/megafauna-olympico.html

8-Blood Ceremony- 'The Old Ways Remain"

 This band was lumped into the "vest metal" movement over a decade ago when female-fronted proto-metal bands were gathering some steam. These days the band owes less to Coven and more to Jethro Tull, not just due to the flute solos, but the overall jammy vibe that goes down. This sounds like it came from 1968, with the double-tracked vocals of their frontwoman, now fully aware of what they are  creating here

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/blood-ceremony-old-ways-remain.html

7-Vanishing Kids- "Miracle of Death" 

Here is the 6th album from this progressive collective that is pushing the bong in a darker more atmospheric direction for this album. By the time it gets to the guitar solos things have wandered into a more doom-like jam, with the drums crashing around it. While the darker more atmospheric textures are present the guitar keeps things in a more metallic direction with a sense of adventure that sometimes even leans into a blues-like swagger.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/09/vanishing-kids-miracle-of-death.html

6-Yakuza- "Sutra"

Chicago Avant - Guardians are back. It's been over ten years since their last release. There is a more focused intention to bring the heavy here. Bruce Lamont, moans with more anger over the off-kilter riffs that are framed with dissonance. A return to form for the band though takes close notes from their peers.,thus making a Highly enjoyable listen,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/yakuza-sutra.html

5-Enslaved -"Heimdal" 

The band finds ways to keep it fresh 16 years later. Only two original members, though guitarist Ice Dale has been in the band since before black metal became cool and anyone knew who Enslaved were ...well at least in America. They bring new sounds to the table, making it more impressive that they can keep pumping out songs that are this inspired 16  albums later. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/03/enslaved-heimdal.html

4-Riverside - " ID. Entity"

Sure, there are big rock moments, but it has more in common with Tears For Fears than Dream Theater, which is fine by me. This Polish band has been around for over 20 years now, so I am well aware of who they are. I like how unlike many so-called progressive bands they have actually allowed their sound to progress. How progressive would they be if they were still doing what they were doing back in 2001? 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/riverside-id-entity.html

3-Nebulae Come Sweet -"De Lumi​è​re"

This band out of Belarus caught me by surprise, as they go above and beyond to take things in a different direction. This album came out in March and sadly flew under the radar. They feel more European than American in the almost classical manner they go about this. They blend dark melodic brooding with big grandiose choruses. They prove just because you are singing it does not mean you can not do so in a commanding fashion that has balls to it. An album full of dark wonderment. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/10/nebulae-come-sweet-de-lumiere.html

2- Peter Gabriel -"i/o"

After 21 years Gabriel is releasing his first album of new original songs. At the ripe age of 73, Gabriel's voice sounds great. It is progressive rock that is more adventurous than other artists on mainstream rock radio though not as wild as say what he did with Genesis back on "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". Impressive that he is still capable of doing this into his 70s, as his work is more vocally challenging than say the Rolling Stones. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/12/peter-gabriel-io.html

  1-Katatonia - "Sky Void of Stars" 

This album is not at all produced like a metal album.  There are some interesting jazz-like layers of guitars, blended with a wide scope of electronic sounds. This is clearly more of a progressive rock album and thankfully falls on the darker side of that genre. The gloomy Swedes find their take on prog to be coated in slithering darkness, which finds the band continuing to evolve even this late in their career.  The emotive refinement of their songs is what gives them the top spot. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2022/12/katatonia-sky-void-of-stars.html

The 420 Play List

Rather than end your day with same boring old tunes all the bong worshippers today will be, ya know the ones, Bob Marley, Cypress Hill , Pepper  and the mix of jams bands the jeep driving masses will be playing today here is a mix of classics with a wider range of sonic colors, a sprinkle of indie rock, metal, and other sonic oddities colored with the haze of the mind altered weirdness  ,  here you go smoke'em if you got em.

Pierce the Veil - " Pass the Nirvana"

 

 healthyliving- " Dream Hive"

   

 Spotlights - "Sunset Burial"

   

 Death Valley Girls - "Watch the Sky"

 

 Mystic 100's - "Drug Man"

   

 Boygenius- "True Blue"

 

Lana Dey Rey- "A&W"

   

 Megafauna - "Dozer"

   

 Ugly- "In My Pocket"

   

 jpegmafia X Danny Brown - "Run the Jewels"

 

Megafauna : "Olympico"

The first thing that strikes me about this band from Texas is how the vocals of Dani Neff help set them apart. They are sugary in an pop fashion that does not succumb to normal pop sensibilities. There is harder rocking under the surface of these songs. It opens with a fairly brisk groove as she declares the time has come to "say goodbye to normal people" .  The second song it takes longer for the harder elements to creep in, but the songwriting has more going on than the legions of bong worshipping rockers that come closest to what is being done here. There is an almost garage rock quality to the guitar attack rather than anything resembling Black Sabbath or Thin Lizzy which is the direction most bands head in.  This sound is more pronounced on "Bi-postal". The vocals taking on a quirky coo further distance this band from their peers."Capsize" finds the guitar getting more direct and almost as aggressive as AC/DC in the manner the riffs begin to go for the throat. Her vocals continue to offset this fact. 

They take a drastic turn into 60's lounge tinged bossa nova on "Sometime Island" . Things continue to head in a weirder direction on the dreamy jazz like shuffle of "Yellow". Her vocals float with a more subdued ambiance here. The song is more listless and wanders around rather than grooving with rock undertones. The guitars and vocals both sit in a really nice place for this one. They return to a more tense rocking motion with "Dozer". The palm mute guitar moves with a anxious twitch that clashes against the vocals. The chorus takes a more angular approach. I can here a slight post-punk influence if we are talking Gang of Four. 

"Lookout Mountain "finds them soars back off in more of a Pink Floyd direction. The heavier guitar riff, is a little more King Crimson like, but it circles the same 60s acid rock pentagram. She flexes her vocals chords in places her a little more. I appreciate hearing her belt it a bit. Then when the pace picks up at the four minute mark we are back in stoner rock territory. They allow the drugs to fully kick in on the more sublimely serpentine "Rage of the Queen" that goes full on prog. I will give this album a 9, as I like it a great deal and can get down with their unique creative vision here.