(67:04; M&O Music) Track list: 1. Let It Shine 5:19 2. Over and Over 5:08 3. Beat of a Heart 4:37 4. Love 2:37 5. Faces 5:51 6. Cicatrix 6:27 7. Look Inside 2:24 8. Awaken 5:36 9. Beauty in the Pain 5:43 10. Colors 5:49 11. Immortal Soldier 5:57 12. Everafter 5:24 13. Dreamer 6:12 Line-up: Ernesto Bojorquez - vocals, guitars Juan Quinonez - guitars, vocals Arturo Galvan - guitars, vocals Ronie Gastélum - keyboards, guitars, vocals Sergio Raso - keyboards, guitars, vocals Carlos Jiménez - bass, vocals Jorge Haros - drums, vocals Prolusion. Mexican band Element was formed back in 2010, and made their debut as recording artists in 2015 with the album "Timeless". A handful of single and EP releases would follow in the years after this, and then in 2026 the band signed to French label M&O Music for the release of their sophomore production "Dreamer". Analysis. The style of music explored by this Mexican band is inside of the progressive metal tradition, and in th...

(27:17; newspaperflyhunting) Track list: 1. A Moment 8:47 2. Distant Shores Apart 5:44 3. No Real Feelings 7:07 4. Go Back 5:39 Line-up: Michal Pawlowski - vocals, guitars, bouzouki, samples Gosia Sutula-Grabowska - vocals, bass, keyboards Beata Grzegorczyk-Andrejczuk - keyboards Krzysztof Sarna - drums Prolusion. Polish band newspaperflyhunting has been a feature in the Polish progressive rock scene for the past 20 years, exploring their particular take on the progressive rock tradition on six full length studio albums so far, as well as on several EPs. "Timeless" is the most recent of their studio productions, and was self released at the very end of 2025. Analysis. Newspaperflyhunting are generally regarded as a post-rock band, and I suspect that fans of this subset of the progressive rock universe will find the landscapes explored on this production rather familiar sounding too when regarded in that light. Especially in terms of the structure and development of these comp...

(48:35; M&O Music) Track list: 1. Gaslighted 3:49 2. Eyed Wide Shut 7:29 3. Mind Blowing Signs 3:15 4. Until 3:41 5. Weird Boy 4:47 6. We All Shall Fall 4:47 7. Happiness Injunction 4:23 8. To My Old Man 4:40 9. Hello Stranger 5:30 10. Visions 6:14 Line-up: Aurelien Boileau - guitars Alexandre Pouzioux - guitars Yoann Roy - bass Frederic Lagorce - drums Jerome Kloeckner - vocals with: Mathieu Pascal - guitars Denis Cornardeau - guitars Christophe Ithurritze - keyboards Prolusion. French band Seven Eyed Crow was formed back in 2013, and emerged with their debut album "Dark Ways To The Sun" two years later. Since then the band have issued a further two albums as well as an EP. The album "Emerge" is their most recent studio production, and was released through French label M&O Music at the start of 2026. Analysis. It is a more broadly appealing and contemporary take on the progressive metal tradition we get on this latest album by Seven Eyed Crow. The majority ...

(43:21; NOS Records) Track list: 1. Introductio ad Hortum 1:41 2. Azadirachta Excelsa 4:06 3. Mandragora Caulescens 2:54 4. Aceranthus Sagittatus 1:02 5. 094 3:40 6. Michelia Aenea 3:56 7. The Garden 1:54 8. Flower no. 1 2:44 9. Flower no. 2 2:41 10. Flower no. 3 3:41 11. Clara Lunaris 4:22 12. Daphne Mezereum 2:32 13. Celtis Australis 2:39 14. Mellow 3:06 15. Pieris Japonica 2:23 Line-up: Andrea Rizzi  - drums, percussion, bass, guitars, keyboards, vocals, mandolin, viola Giuseppe Bitonte - guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, piano, saxophone with: Wladimiro Rizzi - piano, keyboards, guitars Bruno Vergani - voice Stefano Piancastelli  - guitars Elio Di Menza - guitars Lorenzo Marcoleoni - clarinet Piergiorgio Mingolla - clarinet Luca Filpi - flute Andrea De Carlo - flute Francesco Lomagistro - timpani, glockenspiel Giacomo Campa - timpani Gabriele Briganti - cello Vincenzo Vitti - cello Irene Urgesi - violin Matteo Franze - saxophone Eryk Nowacki - sitar Prolusion. Italian twos...

(34:09; Jay Matharu) Track list: 1. Atrophy 3:25 2. Bare 4:37 3. Cog 3:50 4. Deluge 4:14 5. Shruti 1:35 6. Chalo 3:55 7. Butterflies 5:14 8. Bittersweet 7:18 Line-up: Jay Matharu - guitars, keyboards Erik Brandell - saxophone Christine Lanusse - bass Jacob Johnson - drums  Prolusion. Sweden based artist Jay Matharu has a background as a band member in a number of different bands as a recording artist as well as a live musician, covering several types of music in his various roles in those settings. But he has also released two solo albums that explore music of a different character, where elements from jazz and progressive rock are notable elements. "Disillusion" is the second of those solo albums, and was self released in the summer of 2026. Analysis. As with many fine musicians releasing solo material, this latest solo creation by Jay Matharu is an instrumental affair. The dominant instruments are Matharu's guitar solo runs and the saxophone solo passages of Erik Brande...

(43:24; Luminol Records) Track list: 1. Oort Cloud 6:23 2. Vogon 4:53 3. Cinq Teintes, Quatre Cadres 8:44 4. La Melancolie Du Petit Prince 4:39 5. Panta Rei 8:02 6. Swerve 10:43 Line-up: Andrea Ferrari – guitars, keyboards Andrea Grumelli – bass Andrea Serino – keyboards Matteo Ravelli – drums, electronics  with: Claudio Milano - vocals Rosarita Crisafi - flute Prolusion. Italian band Aether started out back in 2023 from what I can tell, and have been a rather consistent band unit as far as creating material is concerned. They have released three studio productions as of 2026, with the album "III" released on Luminol Records in the spring of this year being the most recent of these. Analysis. It is the jazzrock variety of progressive rock that is the speciality of this band, and with a strong focus on the instrumental aspects of this tradition being the main focus at that. Rather than exploring a more clear cut variety of the form the band have opted for a more inclusive and ...