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New review online. Link in bio.Obsidian Tide — The Grand Crescendo. 2023.This album releases this Friday (29th of Septem...
27/09/2023

New review online. Link in bio.

Obsidian Tide — The Grand Crescendo. 2023.

This album releases this Friday (29th of September) and I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to it early. And boy oh boy, did I listen to it. Curious to find out what that means, are you interested in learning more about my experience with this album? Check out the review by using the link in my bio.

New review online! Link in bio.Seyr – 27 Million. 2023.Truth be told, I was a fanboy from the first hour with the releas...
17/06/2023

New review online! Link in bio.

Seyr – 27 Million. 2023.

Truth be told, I was a fanboy from the first hour with the release of "Flux", so they had that going for them. But seriously, and what I think is objectively: with this one Seyr transcends to a different level. It looks like they took all the feedback to heart and expanded upon their sound. For the better.

27 Million releases on the 7th of July.

BE. READY.

Read the review by using the link in bio.


The Ocean - Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic. 2018.Anyone who has been following me for a while knows I'm a huge fan of The Oce...
17/05/2023

The Ocean - Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic. 2018.

Anyone who has been following me for a while knows I'm a huge fan of The Ocean...so this is just a quick post in anticipation to their new album. I'm so looking forward to that one. The singles have been astonishing so far. It sounds more esoteric than anything else they've done and I'm here for it.

The Ocean has an amazing track record as a live band too. Their live shows are MEMORABLE AS F**K. So I'm in particular looking forward to hearing the new songs live, that's gonna be good times. 🔥

So, do you like The Ocean? Favorite album? Are you as hyped as I am for the new album?

Persefone - Aathma. 2017.Finally in my collection!This is one of those albums I fell in love with upon the very first ti...
15/05/2023

Persefone - Aathma. 2017.

Finally in my collection!

This is one of those albums I fell in love with upon the very first time hearing it, back in 2017. It's also the album that made me discover Persefone and that's probably the reason why this is still my favorite of theirs. Truth be told, picking a favorite from their discography is hard. It's like picking a color from a bag of M&M's. Like, who cares? They all taste amazing.

Now, yesterday: I see them live for the first time! My god, what an epic live performance that was. I not only urge you to check out this album, I also urge you to see them live whenever you get the chance. They were a force of nature on that stage.

Persefone is just one of those bands that dare to take those risks, their music is never built around one formula. Sure, we could describe them broadly as prog death metal, but to me that just doesn't cover the full spectrum of what Persefone is. It's more. It's ever evolving, with each album they try out new things and dare to be adventurous.

This album for example I have always thought of as a bit disjointed. For most albums that would be an overly negative thing to say, but I don't mean it like that. The album is just extremely lush and goes from 0 to a 100 in seconds. It features about everything you would want in an album: beautiful melodies, gut-punching rythm sections, tons of groove, dynamic instrumentation, sci-fi atmospheres and last but not least: Paul Masvidal. All of this on one album sounds like an impossible task, but Persefone manages to pull it of again and again.

Their latest album Metanoia (2022) was also met with high praise, and rightfully so. Because again, it covered new ground. The path they're on is exciting and I just can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

What do you think of this album? What's your favorite of theirs?

O'Brother - Endless Light. 2016.I feel like this album is a perfect display of balance. O'Brother did not release the mo...
11/11/2022

O'Brother - Endless Light. 2016.

I feel like this album is a perfect display of balance. O'Brother did not release the most technically crazy album with Endless Light, but instead created an album that's so well balanced out I can't not love it. This is alt-rock backed by amazing song writing. Every track on here is a banger. There's definitely many influences from prog to post rock, but they stay so close to their vision and I think it's really commendable. No tricks or gimmicks here, just straight up O'Brother.

The melodies on this album are amazing, as is the overall dark atmosphere, especially with the drums delivering a constantly threatening cadans.

Even though this band exists in the overcrowded realm of alt-rock, their uniqueness on this album is undeniable. If comparisons have to be made, I would maybe name Thrice, Leprous, Nothing But Thiefs, Alice In Chains and Radiohead. As you can tell, those are names from different corners of the musical spectrum and O'Brother just has a bit of each of those in them. Sounds interesting? Give them a listen.

What do you think of this album? Found something you like? đź–¤



07/10/2022
Yesshh! I finally added this one to my collection:Katatonia — City Burials 🖤Found in the beautifully diverse music store...
27/09/2022

Yesshh! I finally added this one to my collection:
Katatonia — City Burials 🖤

Found in the beautifully diverse music store in the city of Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

If you've been following me for a while, you know I adore this record. In my mind this is top notch Katatonia with their ever evolving sound. On this album it all comes together so beautifully.

The coming 10 days the weather forecast is predicting rain and only rain here in Belgium, so I know what record I'll be spinning.

What record do you like to play on rainy days?

The Mars Volta — Self-Titled. 2022.Sooo, as some of you already know, I'm a huge The Mars Volta fan. Finally, they're ba...
15/09/2022

The Mars Volta — Self-Titled. 2022.

Sooo, as some of you already know, I'm a huge The Mars Volta fan. Finally, they're back with this Self-Titled album. I have just completed my first listen and I have absolutely NO clue if I like it.

Obviously, there's great instrumentation on this album, nothing close to the hectic prog punk from Deloused or Frances, but I still recognize The Mars Volta in this new direction. It's more pop, sometimes with a bit of an 80's vibe, sometimes with some Latin influences, but always short. I felt like they deliberately kept the songs short, to set the album apart from their previous work. For some songs I just wanted a little bit of a bigger climax, on first listen most of these tracks feel a bit samey.

I just started my second playthrough, maybe this will grow on me more. And if it doesn't, well, we still got their earlier work, nothing was lost.

What do you think of this new TMV album? Do you like the new direction?

Lesser Key - Self-Titled. 2014.Have you heard of a guy with the name of Paul d'Amour? You probably have. Correct, he was...
03/09/2022

Lesser Key - Self-Titled. 2014.

Have you heard of a guy with the name of Paul d'Amour? You probably have. Correct, he was the OG bass player in Tool. Well, in 2014 he joined up with some other talented people and released this stunning EP. With only 25 minutes of music, there's not too much to talk about, but I still feel like this is an underexposed album.

Then, this year, after about 8 years of silence they resurfaced with a cover of...well...White Rabbit...the famous Jefferson Airplane song. A song I feel has reached near-holy status, so to me their attempt to cover it just doesn't sit right. With all due respect, don't touch the White Rabbit, please!

That being said, I return to this first EP often. The atmospheric song structures and melodies have always captivated me. For a debut, this was surely an intriguing offering. Back then it felt like the foreboding of so much more to come and I still hope one day they'll return with a full-length.

Don't go in expecting the most aggressive metal you'll ever hear. Quite the opposite actually, what you'll discover here is more of a soothing alt metal/rock vibe. If you like bands like Wheel, Karnivool, A Perfect Circle and maybe the softer side of Deftones, then you might like what you find here. I know I love every minute of it.

Enjoy my friends!

Dan Swanö – Moontower. 1998.This man should need no introduction, but for those that aren't in the know, I'll give a sho...
10/06/2022

Dan Swanö – Moontower. 1998.

This man should need no introduction, but for those that aren't in the know, I'll give a short one anyway. Introducing: Dan Swanö. Swedish multi-instrumentalist, founder of the legendary Edge of Sanity, very likely producer of some of your favorite albums, vocalist of Nightingale, ... He's been involved with bands like Katatonia and Opeth. His resume is, well....more than impressive. Dan Swanö is one of the most pivotal figures in progressive death metal and progressive metal as a whole.
..And all of this comes together on this solo-album. It's 1998, two years after Edge of Sanity's Crimson, five years after Cynic's Focus: the genre's progression is in full swing. But progressive death metal was mostly death metal with some progressive elements sprinkled in. And this album turns that around and makes you rethink everything you know about death metal. It's basically 50% prog rock, 50% extreme metal. What that sounds like? Both brutal and light. Harsh vocals over 70's inspired key playing, dark drumming behind groovy prog rock riffs. A combination you never thought possible. Rush meets Entombed, ELP meets Death. Yes, it also sounds like an evolution of Edge of Sanity, but then when you look up the credits to this album, you find just one name: Dan Swanö. What he did on this album? It's easy, everything: vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, producer, engineering, mixing.

In my opinion, this album is a legendary piece of art and can't be overlooked in the evolution of progressive metal. Let me know what you think! If it's your first time hearing it, what's your impression of it?

New review online! https://progresque.com/reviews/anemera/fiction-and-a-dreamAnemera - Fiction and a Dream (EP). 2022.Ju...
25/05/2022

New review online! https://progresque.com/reviews/anemera/fiction-and-a-dream

Anemera - Fiction and a Dream (EP). 2022.

Just discovered this band and felt it totally hit the mark to make a little write up about. You can find my ramblings about this release through the link in bio.

More importantly; I wanted to share this band with you. It seems these guys came fresh out the gate. Looks like they don't have a huge following (yet) and those are the bands I really want to support here. Especially when their output is of such quality as this release. This 20 min EP has been on repeat all evening here and I'm loving every second of it.

Enjoy! If you found something you like, please let me know. đź–¤
official Anemera

I just supported Anemera on Bandcamp! Fell in love with the opening track of their debut EP and quickly realised the res...
25/05/2022

I just supported Anemera on Bandcamp! Fell in love with the opening track of their debut EP and quickly realised the rest of the EP is equally as good. These guys are new new new. Looks like nobody talks about them (yet). Give them a listen, it's good stuff. I hear some influences from bands like Katatonia, Gojira and The Ocean. What do you think? Quite the discovery, right? 🔥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHMzlwlNof0

AnemeraFiction and a Dream Download for free at: https://anemera.bandcamp.com/releasesFacebook : https://www.facebook.com/anemera.officialInstagram : ...

Zeal & Ardor. Self-titled. 2022.Finally got the chance to get this one on vinyl after visiting the merch booth yesterday...
24/05/2022

Zeal & Ardor. Self-titled. 2022.

Finally got the chance to get this one on vinyl after visiting the merch booth yesterday. I'm very happy to add this black version to my collection. Yes, that's right, there were two versions, one black which was labeled "white" and this one, which was labeled "black". It all depends on how you look at it, I guess.

Much like the show they played yesterday, it's the stuff made of dualities. At times I was furiously trying to break my neck to their amazing riffage and at other times I was trying out my sexiest dance moves. Trying. I'm so sorry for those that had to witness that.

That being said...what. a. show. Sure, they were there supporting Meshuggah, but I wouldn't have minded a longer set from Z&A. Their sound was crisp and clean. And heavy. The subtle voice cracks of Manuel didn't make any difference, I would even say they made it better, more unique.

Such an awesome band and what a live show. Thank you

Depicted here is my newest addition to my vinyl collection. In the background you see my bare foot as proof of Z&A blowing my socks off.

The new single by Haken is perfect, it goes back to their roots while still having the punch we found on their latest ef...
26/04/2022

The new single by Haken is perfect, it goes back to their roots while still having the punch we found on their latest effort Virus. If THIS is the first single to their upcoming album, we're in for a ride. The song clocks in over 7 minutes and takes you through surprising twists and turns. Great stuff! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh-zbJfDO40

Provided to YouTube by InsideOutMusicNightingale · HakenNightingale℗ 2022 InsideOutMusic under exclusive licence from HakenReleased on: 2022-04-26Composer, L...

🙏🙏🙏
23/03/2022

🙏🙏🙏

We are thrilled to announce the winner of the artwork competition - this brilliant entry from Rein Van Oyen (Progresque.com)

We were truly blown away by the number of entries we received, and the quality and creativity of all the artwork made it difficult to decide a single winner! We absolutely loved this piece though, and are so excited to share "Nightingale" with you soon.

Thank you again to all who took part in the contest - make sure you look at the fantastic collection at if you haven't already!

Haken is having a contest for the artwork of their upcoming single Nightingale. Putting in all effort into this one subm...
14/03/2022

Haken is having a contest for the artwork of their upcoming single Nightingale. Putting in all effort into this one submission, here it is! What do you think? Feedback is highly appreciated!

The emerging, the unknown and the underrated: part 4.We once again highlight a handful of bands and projects that are a ...
16/02/2022

The emerging, the unknown and the underrated: part 4.

We once again highlight a handful of bands and projects that are a bit lesser known, but certainly are worth your time. Let's discover some new music together! Enjoy!
https://progresque.com/articles/emerging-unknown-underrated-4

Incoherent ramblings about progressive music.

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Yes, that basically means you won't agree with everything on this list. However,...
07/12/2021

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Yes, that basically means you won't agree with everything on this list. However, what we're trying to do here, is shine a much needed light of appreciation on the visual artists that give each and every one of these albums a face. Have we seen every album cover out there? Of course not, but from those that we've seen, we thought these were remarkably well-crafted. Here's our top ten album covers of the year 2021.

https://progresque.com/lists/best-album-covers-of-2021

Incoherent ramblings about progressive music.

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