Welcome to Prog's Tracks Of The Week. Eight brand new and diverse slices of progressive music for you to enjoy.
A big well done to UK prog rockers Karnataka, whose A Night's Dance won last week's Tracks Of The Week, followed by UK synth trio Reformat and UK proggers This Winter Machine.
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple - we've collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you - makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn't it?
The idea is to watch the videos (or listen if it's a stream), enjoy (or not) and also to vote for your favourite in the voting form at the bottom of this post. Couldn't be easier could it?
We'll be bringing you Tracks Of The Week, as the title implies, each week. Next week we'll update you with this week's winner, and present a host of new prog music for you to enjoy.
If you're a band and you want to be featured in Prog's Tracks Of The Week, send your video (as a YouTube link) or track embed, band photo and biog to us here.
So get watching. And get voting at the bottom of the page.
STEVE HACKETT - A TOWER STRUCK DOWN
Originally from Steve Hackett's 1975 debut solo album The Voyage Of The Acolyte, this live version of A Tower Struck Down is taken from the upcoming Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live In Brighton which, in keeping with Hackett's recent live releases on the back of his Genesis album tours, is a double CD/Blu-ray set and also a limited edition deluxe 18g four LP set.
As the title implies, the new set was filmed and recorded live on Hackett's 2022 UK tour in the coastal city of Brighton, UK, documenting Steve and his band celebrating the 50th anniversary of the much-loved Genesis album Foxtrot, played in full. Plus a set of Hackett's own solo material from which comes A Tower Struck Down.
THE OMNIFIC - PHAT MACKEREL
The Omnific, the Australian prog rock trio with two bassists and a fantastic mullet, are back with a brand new single Phat Mackerel, which has been released to help proote the band's upcoming world tour. As with much of the band's music, while being rhythmically driven, the new single highlights just how unique and original a sound the band create.
Says bassist Matt Fackrell," Phat Mackerel signifies not only a creative milestone, showcasing a glimpse of what’s to come from this band, but it also serves as the cornerstone for our 2023 world tour, in which we eagerly await to explore new shores and reconnect with familiar territories."
JORDSJØ - SANKEREN
Norwegian prog rockers Jordsjø are back with their fourth full-length release Salighet on October 6 through Karisma Records, from which comes Sankeren (which translated means "The Harvester"). The band are duo Håkon Oftung (vocals, flute, guitar, keys) who has worked with Tusmorke ,and Kristian Frøland (drums, percussion), who meld melodic progressive rock with a folkish twist for good measure.
"The song is a tribute to living life, and all the things one gathers on one’s journey," the pair say about their new single. "Sankeren lives outside society, but is filled with knowledge and inner richness. The music builds on the story – starting and ending with the same theme, while the hectic middle part simulates the effect of the tea Sankeren serves to the visitors before they wake up in a house filled with artifacts from an unknown time."
POMEGRANATE TIGER - METASPHERE
Canadian prog metaller Pomegranate Tiger return to the fray after eight years away with the release of his latest album All Input Is Error in September. The album, and especially this new release Metasphere, takes a look at the impact on our lives of AI and other forms of online interaction, much of which we didn't have to contend with when the artist released the predecessor Boundless in 2015.
"Metasphere literally translates to "Métis" & "Sfyri" in Greek, with "Métis" referring to the goddess of Wisdom, Good Council and cunning, while "Sfyri" quite literally meaning "hammer"," explains multi-instrumentalist Martin Andres. "Hammers are rich in symbolism and are known to personify building and creating and thus in short 'Meta-Sphere', 'The wise cunning hammer' refers to the intelligent, yet sharp and potentially dangerous "modern tool" A.I. can be in our society.
"Metasphere is about the battle between humans and AI over our entire world of art - what art is and what is considered art, our place in it all, and if we can all fit in here together."
NOSPUN - EARWYRM
Nospūn are a new progressive metal quartet from North Carolina whi have just released their debut album, the grandly titled Opus, from which comes the equally boldly titled Earwyrm. The band have spent the last seven years working on Opus, and are delighted with the response the new album seems to be garnering, saying, "It's just a great feeling to wake up every day and see someone new saying they just found our album and are loving it!
"Every great concept album still needs a song that can stand on its own, even without the context of the rest of the album to support it," the add. "We wrote Earwyrm to fulfill that role on Opus. It's shorter than the more epic tracks and has lots of energy, but it still contains that grandiose vibe that the rest of the album has. Because of that, it was easily our first choice for a music video."
ENCHANTED DUO - BE THE RIVER
Enchanted Duo are, as their name implies a duo from Sweden, Anneli and Nicko, who play ambient style prog. The hypnotic Be The River forms part of the pair's Westfaria project, for which this is the ninth single released thus far! Enchanted Duo have been working with noted prog drummer Marco Minnemann
"This is also our first contact with the extremely talented drummer Marco Minnemann," the pair say. "After the Dream Theatre audition video had put him on our radar we reached out to him and got him to play TWO drum kits! on this song. We also had it co-produced to get some help with the orchestral arrangement. So indeed it was a challenge and with the risk of being over-cooked. But after two studio mixes, a lot of thinking and then Christine's (Zema's Healing/Divine Alchemy) healing frequency work like the foam on the river... Funny how some steps of the way can feel easy and others challenge you greatly.
ADVENT HORIZON - WATER
Advent Horizon are a US quintet who offer a more modern take on progressive rock. Water is taken from the band's third full length studio album A Cell To Call Home, which is due for release in October. Water features the guitar talents of Randy McStine, most recently seen on tour with Porcupine Tree, who leads a stellar guest list on the album that also includes Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Dave Meros (Spock's Beard).
“On previous records we booked studio time and were limited to tracking parts within a given time frame. I’m really happy that we recorded it ourselves, as it allowed us to take the time to really get the parts right," says synth/bass player Cason Wood of producing the new album themselves, which was then mastered by Jens Borgren.
NOVA CASCADE - SLEEPING DOGS
UK melodic proggers Nova Cascade release their latest album, The Navigator, on September 21. The album is a tribute to guitarist Eric Boulette (also of Nine Sies) who sadly passed away from cancer last year and will raise money to helop fight the disease. The Navigator, from which comes Sleeping Dogs, aslo features Ghost Of The Machine vocalist Charlie Bramald on flute.
"All proceeds are to go to pancreatic cancer UK," explains guitarist and vocalist Dave Hilborne. "Several of his bandmates from his other projects have submitted tributes for us to include. His widow Anne Claire is also contributing to the album artwork. Needless to say, this is far more than just another album for us."
