Written by Welcome to Prog‘s brand newTracks Of The Week! We’ve got eight new and diverse slices of progressively inclined music for you to enjoy.
Well done to NMB. Neal Morse and pals walked off with the honours last week for their latest single, the uplifting Reaching. Also great to see Blueneck guitarist Oli Duerden battling it out with worriedaboutsatan in a very tight battle for secind anc third place (which actually ran between second and fourth places).
The premise 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.
ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN – RED SKY
Our favourite Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen may be touring again with The Gathering, but she’s till making her own music! The infectious Red Sky is taken from her new EP, La Mort, the second part of her triptych La Vie, La Mort, L’Amour, which is released on March 27. A special vinyl edition will be released for Record Store Day on April 18.
“Not every song on La Mort is literally about death, writing doesn’t follow rules like that, and I’m glad it doesn’t,” says Anneke. “Sail Towards The Sun, however, is about saying goodbye to my father. He once built his own seaworthy sailboat, and we spent many family holidays on the water. That memory lives very close to my heart.”
THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM – THE GOLDEN EGG OF EMPATHY
Inventively wacky prog duo, The Claypool Lennon Delirium (Les Claypool of Primus and Sean Lennon, in case you weren’t aware), are back with their third full-length labum, The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy, on May 1 through ATO Records. It’s a 14-song concept record reflecting on morality, mortality, and the warnings of A.I., with a story-world that doubles as a cautionary tale about sustainability and the slippery slope of optimisation without empathy. First single, The Golden Egg Of Empathy, features WILLOW on vocals and is accompanied by a suitably trippy, must-watch animated video.
“The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy is a cautionary tale of what could be in store for humanity if we continue to favour machines over men,” Lennon shares. “It is a tale of a technocracy eclipsed by paperclips; a young man destined to unravel the fabric of his father’s folly, and a sacred feathered Goddess (played by WILLOW), who holds the egg-shaped key to their future.”
HEDVIG MOLLESTAD WEEJUNS – FOR A MOMENT I THOUGHT I COULD HEAR YOU
Hedvig Mollestad Weejuns, the acclaimed Norwegian guitarist’s collaboration with Elephant9 keyboardist Ståle Storløkken and drummer Ole Mofjell will release their second studio album, Bitches Blues, through Rune Grammofon on April 17. Away from the sometimes fiery approach of her town Trio, Weejuns offers some of the more exploratory and prog-friendly music associated with her, not least new single For A Moment I Thought I Could Hear You, an exploration of grief originally written for string quartet but exquisitely delivered like a twinkling, six-minute state of mind.
“This is instrumental music performed by electric guitar, organ/synth, and a drum set,” said Mollestad. “Bitches Blues consists of six tracks, or stretches of music, with an extreme range of dynamics. Some are based around hefty beats and good rhythm, while other tracks are far more lyrical and rubato.”
GAZPACHO – SKY KING
Gazpacho’s twelfth studio album, Magic 8 Ball, ranks alongside the very best the Norwegian sextet have released. Concptually it explored “short stories about people who find themselves in extraordinary situations”, and never was that more true than with latest single, Sky King, inspired by Richard Russell, an American ground service agent with no formal flight training who stole an aircraft and flew alone for over an hour. His conversations with air traffic control were broadcast live, and revealed a man speaking with unusual calm, humour, and clarity as the situation unfolded.
“This song is a tribute to human dignity and the refusal to conform to anyone or anything,” the band relate. “It is dedicated to the Sky King Richard Russell who performed the ultimate rejection of that mindset and reminds us that we still have wings. Fly high!”
HEAVY AXE – EVERYTHING STRINGS UP
Don’t worry, despite their choice of name, Heavy Axe are not some Viking metal outfit. Rather, they represent the return to making music by former Messenger singer and guitarist Khaled Lowe, who is part of the studio-based project that recently released their debut album, A Quiet Bay. Don’t go expecting Messenger though. Heavy Axe’s sound is rooted far more in electronic proggy soundscapes.
“Merging gorgeous ambient soundscapes with utterly fresh motorik pieces, it’s massively recommended to anyone into Cluster/Eno, Harmonia, Popol Vuh, Sky catalogue, with latter day heroes like Boards of Canada and some Stars of the Lid / Kranky kinda stuff,” say the band’s label, Feral Child Recordings, describing their sound. The album’s close to selling out, but you can check them out here.
EINAR SOLBERG – LIBERATIO
Leprous frontman Einar Solberg isn’t holding back when it comes to the music on his second solo release, Vox Occulta, which is out through InsideOut Music on April 24. New single, Liberatio, is a strident slice of symphonic prog that strikes at the heart – the video, with Solberg set amid striking Norwegian scenery, is as eye-catching as the song is infectious. It’s a far cry from the somewhat introspective approach of Solberg’s solo debut, 16, and testament to his creativity and diversity as an artist.
“Liberatio begins with an unconventional string melody against a heavy drum and guitar foundation,” says Solberg. “Gradually, it opens up into a freer, more expansive and catchy chorus. It’s relatively uplifting by my standards.”
ANTARIKSH – NAAQIS
India has proved a fertile ground of emerging prog bands in recent years – both Skyharbor and Coshish spring to mind – and you can add prog fusion artist Antariksh to that list. Naaqis is taken from the band’s upcoming concept album Rehguzar, and features the talent of guitarist Jakub Żytecki and rising star of the Hindustani instrument, the sarangi, Momin Khan, as the band blend progressive rock with Hindustani classical elements, exploring disillusionment, grit, and the cost of choosing one’s own path.
“Naaqis represents that uncomfortable phase where the excitement fades and reality hits hard,” says Varun Rajput, Antariksh frontman and producer. “It’s about feeling incomplete, let down, and questioning the people and choices around you, while still trying to summon the grit to push through. It exposes the cracks in the game and the vulnerability that comes with it. Collaborating with one of my favourite guitar players, Jakub Żytecki, and the incredibly talented Momin Khan has elevated the song to another level and made it truly special.”
DENNIS ATLAS – VIOLENT POWER
When Prog caught Toto at Wembley Arena last year, we were suitably impressed with keyboardist Dennis Atlas. Not just for his handling of the late Fergie Frederiksen’s vocal parts on Isolation-era material the band had reintroduced to their set, but for a keyboard solo that included plenty of blasts of ELP! Atlas releases his new solo album, Principle, through MRI on May 15, from which comes Violent Power. Needless to say, his Toto plas have helped out.
“Joe [Williams – Toto singer] and I were at my studio going over some vocals for the upcoming Toto tour,” Atlas explains. “I showed him my rough draft for a video I had for Violent Power, since he had expressed interest in helping me with this kind of stuff. He completely altered what would become the world’s introduction to this album, steering the imagery, lighting, and videography into a vision that supported the song. Then, he even helped guide me down the right path with the editing. Once he was involved, what we came up with immediately made my rough draft look like a joke! It was night and day! I couldn’t be more thankful and appreciative of his time and support. And thank you to my good friends Marco Minnemann (on drums) and Steve Bonino (co-writer of this song) for making their cameos in this video!”
![Dennis Atlas - Violent Power (Feat. Marco Minnemann) [Official Video] - YouTube](https://halloffans.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/maxresdefault-89.jpg)
