This year in progressive rock and metal found genre mainstays continuing to impress while relative underdogs and newcomers finally seized some of the spotlight.
The nostalgia circuit will have to wait a while. Hawkwind have just released an album that borrows from the 1970s, but still sounds relevant in 2019.
Boston's Wilderun construct an epic combination of folk, classical, metal, and progressive rock on their third LP, Veil of Imagination. Hear it in full before it's release tomorrow.
Boston art rockers, Bent Knee turn a corner with perhaps their most accomplished album yet in You Know What They Mean.
In Cauda Venenum is Opeth's most wicked record of the decade, signifying that their earlier evilness is still wonderfully intact.
Tool's Fear Inoculum meets nearly every expectation admirers could have and ranks as a worthwhile extension of the band's legacy.
Jazz, art-rock, punk, and synthpop are just a few of the styles Alexander Noice and his exceptionally talented band explore on an album where the energy level never flags.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard go full metal to craft a brutal warning against ecological destruction on their 15th studio album, Infest the Rats' Nest.
If/When is stunning, proving yet again why the Tea Club should be celebrated by admirers of any—if not all—of their sundry genre classifications.
Colorado trio Ghosts of Glaciers combine the primitive pounding of thrash metal with the intellectual nuances of progressive rock on a new track, culled from the upcoming album, The Greatest Burden.
Golden Dawn Arkestra make their earthly home in Texas. Founder Zapot Mgwai says, "I wanted to talk about how this could be the end for human beings if we don't get our shit together."
Kentucky's eclectic Dirt Poor Robins follow their ingenious Raven Locks trilogy with a wonderful lyric video for "Scarecrows".
New Jersey progressive rock/jazz fusion septet, Thank You Scientist are as lovably technical, zany, and catchy as ever on this latest single from their upcoming third LP, Terraformer.
Fans CHON's previous work—as well as instrumental rock in a broader sense—will surely find plenty to enjoy about Chon. Just don't expect anything especially diverse or daring along the way.
Fans of Katatonia, Opeth, A Perfect Circle, and Porcupine Tree will enjoy this new video from the upcoming sophomore release by the Swedish progressive metal collective, TheNightTimeProject.
The Universe Also Collapses is another singular victory for psychedelic rock masters Gong, chiefly due to its adventurous scope and cohesive ambition.
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