Ring van Möbius – Past the Evening Sun

The Music

The Words

Ring van Möbius released their debut album Past the Evening Sun back in May, containing three very proggy tracks, including an epic twenty-one-minute title track, the full video of which is featured above. The Norwegian trio provide a hefty dose of Hammond organ, mellotron synths, and strong instrumental grooves, right out of 1971. There are lots of prog bands that take influence from that era, but few that make it sound new and original. Ring van Möbius are one of those few.

The lineup consists of Thor Erik Helgesen on lead vocals and keyboards, Håvard Rasmussen … Read more

高円寺百景 – ドリンビスカ

The Music

The Words

It’s been thirteen years since the Tōkyō-based avant-prog ensemble released Angherr shisspa, which was widely praised as the culmination of progressive rock. In the current year, 高円寺百景 (Kōenji Hyakkei) started a crowdfunding campaign for the release of their fifth album, ドリンビスカ (Dorimbisuka), mostly seen written as Dhorimviskha, and they not only met, but surpassed their goal! As such, the complete album was released on July 11 via bandcamp, and physical orders are being completed as of now.

The music on this new spawn of madness is in line with what we know Kōenji … Read more

Toehider – “Good”

Releasing tomorrow on October 19th, the aptly named new album from Mike Mills’ Toehider is not just “Good” it’s great! But that’s to be expected of Mike as he’s continued to push the envelope in the prog genre in weird and interesting ways.

Mike’s early work under the name Toehider consisted of twelve EPs that he completed in twelve months. Quite a demanding schedule that only someone as crazy and driven as Mike could accomplish. I first really started following Toehider around when he crowdfunded his last album, What Kind of Creature Am I?, on the … Read more

The Tangent – The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery


Out this Friday is The Tangent‘s new album The Slow Rust of Forgotten Machinery, or “Where Do We Draw the Line Now?”. This politically charged prog album is very dense but enjoyable once you fully dig into it. It has some nice jazz sprinkled throughout and some great melodies and solos. There’s an electronic breakdown in the track ‘Slow Rust’; apparently the band brought in a DJ for those sections. They even got Chumbawamba founder Boff Whalley on as a guest vocalist. The slogan of this album is “The World Changed. Not the Band.” But, with this genre, … Read more

Michael Avery – Michael Avery

Michael Avery‘s back, baby! Following his 2015 album, The Scientist, which we liked a lot, the eponymous full-length is even more impressive! Although I’m admittedly not a fan of the, uhh… Abstract 90s-inspired, tribal tattoo artwork, the music is on par with the contemporaries of instrumental progressive metal, and by that I mean that it’s better than most of what’s being done in the genre nowadays. The jazz-infused prog of Mr. Avery is intelligent and executed selon les règles de l’art. Some songs are very moody, while others are energetic and have lots of drive to them. … Read more