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

Vanishing Kids : "Miracle of Death"

Here is the 6th album from this progressive collective that is pushing the bong in 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 on "Only You" it is marching head with a more metallic drive to it thanks to the guitarist and there sense of adventure. This is given more of a blues swagger similar to older Royal Thunder on "Demon Glove" . Here Niki is really allowed to let her pipes shine in the steamy gloom. The guitar gives the song plenty of room to breathe. You know they have the power to shred, but the restraint to serve the song, speaks volumes about the band's mission statement. 

At under four and a half minutes "Midnight Child' owes more to 70's rock aside from the atmosphere haunting the shadows the vocals are crooned from. The haze of reverb the vocals lurk within allows them to be used more like an instrument rather than the typical verse chorus formula. This also creates a more obtuse quality that is not as jealous for your attention. The guitar wanders around this song more, as the arrangement becomes restless, but some how all still manages to work. They return to a doomier sound when lurching into "Feral Angel". This continues to be counter balanced by the ambiance accompanying the space the vocals occupies. 

"LKN" is almost more like an interlude with the synth wave wall of ambiance it lingers on. The vocals only add to this feeling by becoming another sparse layer to this . "Dust" closes the album. It threatens to pick up where the previous song left off until the creepy guitar riff comes in. The vocals not just on this song but the album as a whole tend to hover over the songs like Chelsea Wolfe. Halfway into this nine and a half minute song, I am already unsure where else they plan to drag things out to. They simmer on the organ sounds, basking a bit in the ambiance, while they try to figure the direction out. The end up decided just to jam things out into a guitar solo. I will give this album a 9, the mood, makes up for the less defined vocals hooks, and the turn into a more witchy direction. This comes out October 13th. 

Old Spirit : 's/t"

This might be this project's debut album, bt it is helmed by Jason Hartman' and from the first song it seems like it is going to be his tribute to Mercyful Fate. Hartman who has played in both Jex Thoth and Vanishing Kids is a very capable musician. King Diamond is one of my favorite singers so if I hear you aspiring to follow in his shoes and seem to be doing it even half as well, then I am going to be impressed. This is more impressive than the other album called Nit Eyez that I was reviewing until I stumbled across this. Not as tightly written as Mercyful Fate, but really for the time they came from who was aside from Iron Maiden and Preist. It sounds like there is more of a Celtic Frost thing going on with the second song as the falsetto vocals are tradeoff for something perhaps less grunting than Tom Warrior but phrased in a similar manner.

The dark and trippy sounds of "Feel the Stars" are more like Psychic TV, but yet again those are some impressive footsteps to follow if you have made an album that draws comparisons to both Psychic TV and Mercyful Fate.  There is more of a jammy feel to this song, but i works for what is going down here and has some more aggressive punches in places. "Catastrophe" brings back the harder rocking though it is less focused and structured as a song, the one 70s style riff is pretty head banging, but some of the solos are over the top and not needed. "Seasons" pretty much keeps the mood going that was established in the previous song but gives the vocals room to be creepier. Not the best produced album you are going to hear all year as it is rather lofi and sounds at times like it could have been recorded at band practice. 

Then lean back in more of a Mercyful Fate direction for the last song. The falsetto vocals are not as polished here, though they are mixed different and less shrouded in reverb. There is more weird ambiance to is and thiungs are more experimental. The solos continue to be haphazrd and random, and drums fall way back in the mix.  I will however round this up to a 9, as I like all the sound and can hear what a diamond in the rough this is.   

the Top 10 Prog Albums of 2018

It is that time again. If you showed up for wanking and frilly pirate shirts then look elsewhere, so no Dream Theater clones or really anything close.It has to go somewhere not the same noodling album after album. The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

This year it leans more heavily on the side of between new blood being spilled and  more well established acts .  Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 Prog albums of 2018.

10- Arabrot- "Who Do You Love"

 This album finds the project taking on more more conventional rock slant, even their tendency to drone and the odd touch of quirk to the vocals on the first song, you can also hear traces of Led Zeppelin. The sonic oddities and genre jerking that have been reigned in for the sake of songwriting and are not missed as long as they are keeping this heading in a darker direction. I think this album is such it's own thing that it becomes most endearing over time.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/arabrot-who-do-you-love.html

9-Megaton Leviathan - "Mage"

 Another band that has changed this year. When I heard the first track off this album, I thought "Oh My God , they have turned into Jesu" . I am fine with this as I miss Jesu . In other words there is more of a dreamy  shoe gaze haze over this album and it barely touches upon metal, yet it does have rock in it's veins to the point that I am not putting this on an indie rock or post-punk list. It gets a lot of props for the surreal adventure it takes you on.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/11/megaton-leviathan-mage.html

8- Crippled Black Phoenix - "Great Escape"

 This project of Justin Greaves the drummer for Iron Monkey and Electric Wizard, typically embarks on a more psychedelic rock vein. This is still the case with ample doses of progressive rock which is still in the 70s rock zip code. Melodic vocals and a bong laden mood, allow the opening song to coast with the relaxed Pink Floyd like vibe. When it comes to prog rock these guys do it smoother than most.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/crippled-black-phoenix-great-escape.html






7-Ihsahn -"Amr"

 The ex Emperor master mind's last few album's drifted further into progressive rock. There are plenty of moments that are not only metal but closer to even black metal,with his choked croak almost picking up where his first solo album left off. Synths are more to the forefront. Not just any synths , but very retro synths that sound like they are from an 80s horror movie. Its a shade better than what most other artists in progressive metal are doing, though the progressive side is what breaks up the dark aggression that we came to know and love him by. The bar is set pretty high and my threshold for darkness is at the level of soul sucking so if you like darker progressive metal it might be your album so far year. I am a step away from being vampiric in my lust for darkness never be quenched by the metal of mere mortals, so take that into consideration

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/ihsahn-amr.html


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6-Sigh- "Heir to Despair"

    This band really defines progressive rock. There shit is not a bunch of notes it goes somewhere and actually makes progress. While I was surprised that it sounded like a space age take on Jethro Tull as a metal band, it makes perfect sense. Yes , I know they used to be a black metal band. They are still heavy,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/11/sigh-heir-to-despair.html

5- Lychgate" The Contagion in Nine Steps" 

 Fans of the band who showed up for black metal might have found this to be jarring. It's also really dark and interesting so if you don't recognize that and want just blast beats so eat more glue and chase it with a bullet. This is not to say I approve of every movement in this shifting landscape of angular chaos. I do approve of the sense of adventure and rebellion against the black metal status quo even at risk of not being black metal anymore.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/05/lychgate-contagion-in-nine-steps.html

4-Vanishing Kids " Heavy Dreamer" 


This band features former members of Jex Thoth and draws influences from a wider web. The over driven guitar waking sluggishly from the hazy murk of occult rock while bathing with lusher atmosphere. Despite the occasional rock god guitar solo that puts it's foot upon on the monitor to remind you where they came from, both the title track and "Without a Sun" both sound like they could have come from 4AD's catalog in the late 80s.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/vanishing-kids-heavy-dreamer.html

3- Manes - "Slow Motion Death Sequence" 


 This album finds the band going further in a direction that is more electronic than metal. I like the vocals right from the jump. They are moody and the female vocals remind me of Bjork. While this might not be metal, there are rock elements t with distorted power chords creating a driving pulse. The male vocals continue to get weirder reminding me of Peter Gabriel.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/06/manes-slow-motion-death-sequence.html

2-Voivod- "the Wake" 

 The 14th album from these legends finds them embracing all of their sides. The album takes you through a wide array of dark and melodic places, with more of a proggy "Nothing Face" like drive rather than the thrash aggression of their earlier work.In terms of heavy it's more like "Dimension Hatross" than "War& Pain". Snake's voice sounds great on this album, where many of his peers feel the effects of time. I think while it only comes close to the very peak of the Piggy years , you are talking about the best albums by one of the very best metal bands, so that is a high fucking bat. It does however holds ground against their body of work as a whole and is clear they are not content to fall back into rehashing the past , but continuing to progress.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/voivod-wake.html

1-Voices- "Frightened" 


 Former members of Akercocke formed this progressive metal band. The dark sense of melody further into this album with each listen . It has a wide array of vocal colors. The metal core of what these musicians creates from doesn't hamper it from bringing other elements ranging from post-punk to post- hardcore, though I guess these post-men aren't just ringing twice as any other post-sub genre can also be found. This album is very impressive, when I got it back in April it was what I thought to be one of the first contenders for album of the year as I could not imagine someone bringing it in the dark and aggressive fashion these guys do.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/voices-frightened.html