(61:15; Visions of Morpheus) Canadian band Visions of Morpheus are out with the album "Lost Within", and progressive metal is the style explored on this production. Initially you will perceive this as more of a traditional heavy metal album however, alternating between the infectious riff patterns that define good, old fashioned heavy metal and the more energetic and driving bass, guitar and drum patterns that is such a feature in power metal. But with the keyboard arrangements and the use of organ and keyboards drawing in a progressive metal element. As the album moves onward the songs themselves start to become more intricate as well however, and while the heavy metal and power metal aspects are retained somewhat it is the more expressive progressive metal elements that gradually takes over the spirit of this album, so to speak. This is accessible and classic era progressive metal though, so expect a focus on mood, atmosphere and melody over boundary breaking ...

(31:29; Flower Power Records) UK artist Black Market Karma released the album "Friends in Noise" at the start of 2023, and this is an album that might be of interest also for fans of progressive rock. As with the previous album by this artist it is 60s inspired psychedelic rock that is the foundation for this album, and in this case probably closer than the previous one in terms of the connections and associations with power pop too. The tone may be a bit darker, the arrangements a bit weightier and the psychedelic elements more prominent, but there are similarities here for sure. Again we get a fair degree of variation here, from the more gentle and innocent sounds of 'The Sky Was All Diseased' to the hazier landscapes of 'Heady Ideas', while a song like the concluding 'Ageing Boy' would have been a perfect fit on most album by US artist Jeremy Morris. An album that merits the attention of fans of retro-oriented psychedelic rock. Olav ...

(53:12; Flower Power Records) UK artist Black Market Karma released the album "Aped Flair and Hijacked Ideas" back in 2022, and this is a production that might be of interest also for fans of progressive rock. In this case we have an album with 60s psychedelic rock used as the foundation, more often than not the poppier and more joyful variety of this venerable tradition, with relaxed and borderline sleepy vocals and songs that at times probably approach the power pop territories too. While light toned and elegant guitar displays and romantic plucked guitar solo runs is the norm, with feedback seasoned and reverberating guitar effects in liberal use, some of the songs also gains a darker and more haunting undercurrent by way of guitar riff that have more of a garage rock feel to them. In addition some rhythm details and the overall mood in some of the songs adds a little bit of a 90s indie pop flair to some of the songs. But first and foremost this is an album t...

(35:15; Magic Door Record Label) US band Elk City are out with the album "Undertow", and I suspect that progressive rock is the best manner in which to define this production, albeit art rock strikes me as perhaps a better general description. This due to the song structures as such being more straight forward affairs, and the progressive elements tend to revolve around details in the arrangements themselves. The band play around with a number of different styles and traditions here, with Americana and dream pop being just as prominent as indie pop. Most songs will feature various degrees of psychedelic rock impulses, at times seguing over to or replaced with post-rock style textured instrument layers, and with a little bit of a noise rock influx here and there too. We also get a few songs that makes good use of orchestral details, and various kinds of sounds and unusual instrument details is an important part of the landscapes explored. With clean, controlled a...

(40:14; Abandoned Humanity) German band Abandoned Humanity are out with the album "Against All Odds", and progressive metal is the style explored on this production. It is an extreme variety of the form we get here, with distorted gruff vocals sharing the singer role alongside clean and controlled as well as clean and more powerful and emotional vocals, and with high paced and high intensity passages being a recurring element in most songs. We also get a number of parts with a more challenging and technical display being in focus, several side steps into more of a classic era progressive metal expression and also quite a few more atmospheric laden interludes of a more powerful as well as mild and gentle nature and orientation. With a little bit of a groove metal and power metal seasoning applied when natural and logical. An album to seek out by those who tend to enjoy a more accessible and dynamic variety of extreme progressive metal. Olav "Progmessor"...

(48:33; NRT-Records) German band R.T.P. are out with the album "Cycle of Twentythree. Psychotropic", and progressive rock is probably how I would define the landscapes explored on this production. To be more precise I'd say that at least in terms of structure, there is a distinct art pop feel to this creation, with the songs typically ebbing and flowing between a small handful of different orientations that feature changes and alterations in pace, drive and intensity. Various instances of electronic pop as well as a bit of soul and funk tends to cover the calmer passages of a song, and they will typically be offset by sections with a more defined electronic or electronic vibe as well as passages sporting more of a classic or contemporary hard rock expression. With the majority of the songs also to a lesser or greater extent also featuring a liberal array of futuristic sounds and effects. With forays into more atmospheric laden progressive rock territories on...

(48:59; Ex'Cess Records) Track list: 1. Your New World Order 5:13 2. When You Go for the Rich 4:54 3. I Can Do It 5:09 4. Love Your Life 7:34 5. A Space in Time 6:20 6. Wonderful Time 4:17 7. I Leave It All Behind 6:07 8. A Light Song 4:23 9. Big Cigars 5:02 Line-up: Lars Boutrup - vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass Michael Miller - drums, percussion, keyboards with: Kasper Damgaard - guitars Juruda Bendtsen - backing vocals Prolusion. Danish band Sonic Tool Box revolves around the talents of Lars Boutrup and Michael Miller, musicians that have a history of working together that started out back in the 1980s. This is their current project, one that was instigated back in 2013 and with two studio albums out so far. "A Space in Time" is the most recent of these, and was released through Danish label Ex'Cess Records back in 2017. Analysis. While this is an album where at least a part of the marketing have been done towards the progressive rock environment, presumably due t...