I'm coming back quite late to the year 2024 in progressive music because this year was still very rich in this style of music with many albums. Here are several retrospectives of the past year:
= The progressive music releases of the most listened to artists in 2024.
= The progressive music releases of lesser-known artists in 2024.
= The great discoveries of myprogmusic in progressive music for 2024.
This second retrospective is dedicated to the lesser-known artists but who, as I often write, deserve to be listened to much more because most of them have all the ingredients of the essential projects of this style.
= Antony Kalugin – Karfagen – Messages from Afar: Second Nature
= Antony Kalugin – Karfagen – Land of Chameleons
= Antony Kalugin – Karfagen – Mysterious Forest: The Working Tapes / Constellations
'Antony Kalagin' has spoiled us again in this year 2024 since he released no less than six albums with, first of all, 'Messages from Afar: Second Nature' in January, then, followed the 'Working Tapes' of 'Messages from Afar' in March and 'Land of Chameleons' was released in May completed by the bonus disc in July. The end of the year saw the release of two more albums: the 'Working Tapes' of 'Mysterious Forest' and the album 'Constellations' in an atmospheric style, which I grouped together in a single review. In short, another way to put a few hours of good progressive music between your ears with the distinguished composer that is 'Antony Kalagin'.
Link Qobuz Messages from Afar: Second Nature
Link Spotify Messages from Afar: Second Nature
Link Qobuz Messages from Afar: The Working Tapes
Spotify link Messages from Afar: The Working Tapes
Qobuz Land of Chameleons link
Land of Chameleons Spotify link
Link Qobuz Land of Chameleons (Bonus Disk)
Spotify Link Land of Chameleons (Bonus Disk)
Link Qobuz Mysterious Forest: The Working Tapes
Spotify link Mysterious Forest: The Working Tapes
Qobuz Constellations link
Spotify Constellations link
= TumbleTown – On The Highwire
The Dutch band 'TumbleTown' has been around for about fifteen years but has only released three albums. Their latest album 'On The Highwire' shows that they are in the same vein as the major progressive rock bands and they alternate between immediate accessibility thanks to catchy melodies and also offer us more complex and sophisticated atmospheres. For fans of 'Jethro Tull', some compositions are similar, their singer 'On The Highwire' can recall some of the intonations of 'Ian Anderson'. Qobuz link
Spotify link
= Kristoffer Gildenlöw – Empty
Although he was known in the 90s for creating 'Pain Of Salvation' with his brother, I added 'Kristoffer Gildenlöw' in this retrospective because his solo career, which began in 2012, is not necessarily very well known and he does not yet benefit from many listens on streaming platforms. In my review of his magnificent album 'Empty' with its atmospheric ambiances, I had underlined that he sounded like the best between 'Roger Waters' and 'David Gilmour' as if these two strong minds had reconciled, the refined singing of the Swede approaching that of 'Roger Waters' and the three guest guitarists offering us sumptuous 'Gilmourian' guitar solos. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Lucifer Was – En Fix Ferdig Mann
The Norwegians of 'Lucifer Was' who began their career in the 70s are not particularly known in the world of progressive, certainly because of their reduced discography of 8 albums in more than fifty years of activity. In addition, their latest album is sung in their native language with titles to sleep outside, but, however, it is very varied and of great quality, highlighting progressive filled with a beautiful theatricality with a fairly immediate accessibility thanks to catchy melodic lines and, cherry on the cake, with magnificent vocal harmonies. Qobuz link
Spotify link
= Marcin Pajak – In the Space
His first album 'Who Am I' (Qobuz Link and Spotify Link) is already about ten years old and the Polish 'Marcin Pajak' released in 2024 his sixth studio recording which is only available in its entirety on Qobuz. As the name of the album indicates, it takes us into a space saga and offers us progressive influenced by all the great groups of the 70s and notably 'Pink Floyd', but also influenced by all styles of progressive up to the present day by mixing styles ranging from atmospheric to rock through jazz and contemporary sounds that lend themselves very well to the theme of the album. Qobuz Link
= Proage – Purgatorium
The Polish band 'Proage' has been around for almost 40 years now, but it was only in 2017 that their first LP 'Different State of Reality' was released in English and Polish. Written in Latin, their latest baby 'Purgatorium' is built around the album's eponymous title with a three-part suite totaling 37 minutes of listening. Combining accessibility and complexity, given the long developments, this opus requires lingering to draw out all its richness and it is after several listens that it takes on its full dimension to become an album to add to your ideal progressive music collection.
Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Poor Material Genetic – 'Possibilities'
Fans of experimental instrumental music, you certainly know 'Poor Material Genetic' which is a German band that began its career in the late 90s and released its 11th studio recording in 2024. Having evolved towards more accessible progressive rock, it remains that the whole must be tamed by multiple listenings because they alternate, within the compositions themselves, numerous rhythmic and intensity changes, while maintaining a fairly immediate melodic accessibility. In the end, 'Possibilities' turns out to be of great quality, mixing different currents of progressive to make it a sort of timeless album in this style. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= For All We Know – By Design Or By Disaster
'Ruud Jolie' is one of the guitarists of the symphonic metal band 'Within Temptation' but he also has another musical career in parallel with the project 'For All We Know' which sees many artists participate and which is a kind of melting pot of styles and atmospheres and that is why I added it to the progressive releases 2024. His latest album 'By Design Or By Disaster' is no exception to the rule and mixes rock and metal in atmospheres with resolutely modern sounds which differentiates it from other albums and makes it incomparable to become something unique in the end. Certainly the best album of 2024 outside of the classical trends. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Drifting Sun – Veil
With a partially renewed line up again but with the same singer 'John Kosmidis', aka 'Jargon', who lights up all by his wonderful vocal performances, 'Pat Senders' released a new album from his project 'Drifting Sun' in March 2024. Eight compositions for 47 minutes of listening, this is the menu of this new opus 'Veil' which takes us into imaginative progressive alternating different musical landscapes and the first long development 'Fraitly' is the typical example of what awaits you, the vocal arrangements being remarkable. In short, a very beautiful progressive project that deserves to be a little better known because it has all the assets that certain artists can have that I had put in my first retrospective of progressive 2024 for the best known. Qobuz link
Spotify link
= CEN-ProjekT – Arcane Sonic
= CEN-ProjekT – The Story of Enja
= CEN-ProjekT – Dawnbreak
Those who follow myprogmusic know that I regularly write reviews on the frequent releases of the multi-instrumentalist 'Chris Engels' whom I discovered in 2022 and the year 2024 was another busy year for the German who offered us 3 new studio recordings from his project 'CEN-ProjekT'. The year started with 'Arcane Sonic' which saw the appearance of a female register, Chris giving no information about this celestial apparition. The second album, 'The Story of Enja', released in July 2024, suggested that these new vocal registers had been created by artificial intelligence, because at the same time, 2 other albums from a project were released ' Sophie Brown and Friends' in which we learned that this 'Sophie Brown' was an avatar created from scratch (see link above to the review of 'The Story of Enja'). Note that a third album from this project, 'Emerald Isle' was released at the end of the year in acoustic atmospheres, very pleasant to listen to (Qobuz Link and Spotify Link). The last album 'Dawnbreak' returned to more classic progressive rock and more in line with what 'Chris Engels' used to offer us in the past. In short, another busy year for 'Chris Engels' who continues with numerous releases and who still has two new projects in his bag, this time much more muscular, with first of all 'Cymet' (Qobuz Link and Spotify Link) and 'Byte Rage' (Qobuz Link and Spotify link), the latter being described as 'Nu metal'.
Qobuz Arcane Sonic link
Arcane Sonic Spotify Link
Qobuz The Story of Enja link
Spotify link The Story of Enja
Qobuz Dawnbreak link
Spotify Dawnbreak link
= The Dame – II
'The Dame' was a great discovery for me in 2018, and the Dutch band 'The Dame' returned in 2024 with their 2nd album, soberly named 'II'. Last album for the singer 'Marian van Charante' who has since left the place to replace 'Elianne Ernst', we find this subtle alternation between atmospheres led by saturated guitars and others much more tranquil flirting with jazz club atmospheres, the whole thing being sprinkled with a good dose of theatricality. The whole thing therefore requires being open to different styles, and if you are in this case, you should definitely adopt this second baby from the Dutch guys from 'The Dame'.
Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= SiX By SiX – Beyond Shadowland
It was also a great discovery for me in 2022 with their eponymous debut album and the supergroup 'SiX By SiX', composed of the trio 'Robert Berry', 'Ian Crichton' and 'Nigel Glockler', returns with a second studio recording 'Beyond Shadoland' which combines immediate accessibility and more sought-after sections bringing this progressive side, in atmospheres ranging from moderate rock to muscular hard rock. In short, these three talented artists who each bring their stone to the building, have offered us a very beautiful album that improves over the course of listening and which ultimately turns out to be one of the beautiful 2024 releases in progressive. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= PreHistoric Animals – Finding Love In Strange Places
Our prehistoric animals, science fiction enthusiasts, that I discovered in 2023 with their live 'Livefires' are back in 2024 with a new studio recording 'Finding Love In Strange Places' which this time takes us into a dystopian version of the film 'Love Actually', released in 2003, by taking up the different stories of the British 'Richard Curtis'. If you navigate between rock and progressive metal, you are in the right place because this latest baby of the Swedes is a subtle mix of different styles, bringing a good dose of progressive while maintaining a fairly immediate accessibility. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Lunear – From Above
This is a band that, in my opinion, doesn't get all the recognition it deserves, namely the French 'Lunear' who have released their 3rd studio recording of original compositions, after their very successful covers album 'Gostraks' from 2022. Starting with the 25-minute centerpiece 'In Their Eyes', we are immersed in a progressive reminiscent of the great names of progressive from the early 70s, with the name of 'Pink Floyd' which often came back to me in this sumptuous musical fresco that I took real pleasure in taming, little by little, over the course of listening. But we must not ignore the rest of the album which is also very enjoyable and which continues in this imaginative progressive. In short, lovers of progressive rock taking you back a few decades, you should be won over by this 'From Above' which deserves many more listens on streaming platforms because it has nothing to envy the best releases of the essential artists of 2024.
Qobuz link
Spotify link
= Barock Project – Time Voyager
Let's go to Italy with 'Barock Project' who have been offering us very good albums for almost twenty years and 'Time Voyager' is no exception to the rule and is, I quote, "a journey through the folds of time in which we open doors to unknown dimensions". And these open doors are, for my part, on references of bands from the beginning of progressive, with famous names that came to mind while listening to this magnificent album, such as 'Jethro Tull', 'Kansas', 'Emerson, Lake & Palmer', 'Queen', 'Yes' or even 'Genesis'. Of course, all these influences are mixed to make a unique work of which I had great pleasure to go through the 70 minutes and which would deserve, like many other albums of this retrospective, a larger audience among a progressive audience who knew the beginnings of progressive in the 70s.
Qobuz link
Spotify link
= Hasse Froberg Musical Companion – Eternal Snapshots
This is yet another extraordinary album that the Swedes of 'Hasse Froberg Musical Companion' (HFMC for short) have offered us, who do not yet have the fame they deserve, even though their leader 'Hasse Froberg' is the singer of the very well-known band 'The Flower Kings'. The compositions are still as melodic and catchy at first listen, while displaying progressive parts that are always very refined, with many changes in intensity and rhythm within a single track. In the end, an album without any downtime that can be enjoyed from the first note to the last with happiness and that should join the ideal record collection of any progressive rock fan. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Returned To The Earth – Stalagmite Steeple
If you like atmospheric progressive vibes that are conducive to escape, this latest album from the British band 'Returned To The Earth' should please you because 'Stalagmite Steeple' has all the assets to take you on a beautiful journey filled with sweetness and serenity. Like artists like 'Rick Miller', 'Blackfield', but also recalling the airy atmospheres of 'Floyds', the whole is bathed in a beautiful melancholy that we quietly savor with headphones on our ears to relax and unwind after a hard day's work. In short, to take up the invitation to travel by 'Charles Beaudelaire', 'Stalagmite Steeple' takes us on a journey, where "all is order and beauty, luxury, calm and voluptuousness". Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Mindgames – Spirals in the Wider Space
Not very prolific since they have only released 4 albums in 25 years, the Belgians of 'Mindgames' returned after a ten-year absence with a very beautiful progressive rock album in refined atmospheres, the guitars leading the dance, the keyboardist 'Tom Truyers' from the previous albums no longer being part of the line up. Still led by the singer, guitarist and flautist 'Bart Schram' who offers us very beautiful vocal performances as well as very pleasant acoustic guitar accompaniments, the whole is relatively accessible at first listen thanks to catchy melodic lines and this 'Spirals in the Wider Space' is an album to add to the long list of very good progressive rock albums of the year 2024.
Qobuz link
Spotify link
= Seventh Dimension – Of Hope & Ordeals
Sweden is a great provider of melodic rock or hard rock bands, but the Swedes of 'Seventh Dimension' are a progressive metal band that has all the assets to become one of the spearheads of this style like 'Dream Theater' or 'Threshold'. Moreover, the last project I mentioned is not insignificant because, in some places, they remind me of them, but it would be reductive to limit them to a pale copy of the British, because they bring their own personality into sought-after compositions that keep a very catchy melodic aspect. After 5 albums in about ten years, the Swedes of 'Seventh Dimension' do not have, for my part, the recognition they deserve because this latest album 'Of Hope & Ordeals' is a total success and should largely compete with the albums of the essential artists of this style released in 2024, especially since the last title is a magnificent 25-minute progressive saga. In short, very good progressive metal! Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= The Windmill – Mindscapes
Also containing a long development of more than 20 minutes, the Norwegians of 'The Windmill' returned in 2024 with a very good symphonic progressive rock album which is the 4th in about fifteen years. Of course, the centerpiece 'Fear' alone is worth buying this album and we find different influences from the major bands of the 70s/80s, the parallels with 'Jethro Tull' being quite obvious in some places thanks to the flute of 'Morten Clason'. The vocal arrangements are also remarkable and, the cherry on the cake, the mixing and mastering were entrusted to 'Karl Groom' ('Threshold') which offers impeccable quality for listening with a good hifi system. In the end, a very nice 2024 release in symphonic progressive rock which should make the Norwegians of 'The Windmill' known to a much wider progressive audience because they fully deserve it. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Anubis – The Unforgivable
I wonder why some bands have never managed to be listened to by a larger audience. This is the case of Anubis' who already have a lot of flight hours since their first album '230503' dates from 2009 and they released their 7th studio recording in 2024. Indeed, this latest baby of the Australians would have all the qualities to make it a reference album in progressive rock in 2024. 'The The Unforgivable' is a concept album that takes us into the story of the fall of a young man into a religious sect and his escape from it. Musically, they offer us very pleasant melodic progressive rock that can be enjoyed in one go, all the compositions following one another without any downtime, which makes it a great progressive fresco very varied and bringing all the ingredients of this style. In the end, 'Anubis' delivered to us in 2024 a reference album to add to its ideal progressive record collection. Qobuz link
Spotify link
= Dilemma – The Purpose Paradox
'Dilemma' is a project that was founded in the 90s with, at the time, only one album, 'Imbroccata' (Qobuz Link and Link Spotify) and which returned in 2018 under the leadership of one of its founders 'Robin Zuiderveld' who surrounded himself with talented artists and released the very good 'Random Acts of Liberation'. 2024 saw the release of a new studio recording, 'The Purpose Paradox', a concept album taking us into the story of 'Neon', performed by singer 'Jermain Van Der Bogt' (aka 'Wudstik') and which also sees the participation of bassist 'Kristoffer Gildenlöw'. Musically, 'Dilemma' alternates melodic parts with unifying choruses and much more sought-after sections that require lingering with numerous changes in rhythm and intensity, which makes this 'The Purpose Paradox' an album that represents modern progressive rock well and which should please a fairly wide audience of this style. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Circuline – C.O.R.E.
Created in 2014, the Americans of 'Circuline', who already had two albums to their credit in 2016, came back last year, after a long period of 8 years without studio recording, with their latest baby 'C.O.R.E.'. Merging many progressive influences through the ages (some compositions reminded me of 'Renaissance' and 'Yes'), they distill very good progressive with very beautiful vocal harmonies, thanks to a remarkable mixed vocal duo and we are embarked on a very beautiful musical journey in which the instrumental parts are well provided, bringing very beautiful rhythmic contrasts and intensity. In the end, 'C.O.R.E.' is still a beautiful 2024 release of refined and imaginative progressive rock that we take a great pleasure to listen to. Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Fleesh – Dreamension
They are known for their multiple covers of different artists (see the different reviews on myprogmusic here), but they also release original albums and 2024 saw the release of a new studio recording. Based on the observation that our world is about to collapse but that each man can make another one of his own, allowing him to escape, this latest baby from the Brazilian duo takes us on a short hour of very good progressive during which we let ourselves be carried away by the angelic singing of 'Gabby Vessoni', 'Celo Oliveira' being the one-man band providing all the instruments, in generally calm and sensitive atmospheres. If you don't know them yet, 'Fleesh' is a very endearing duo that deserves to have a bigger reputation on streaming platforms.
Qobuz Link
Spotify Link
= Riven Earth – We Got To Get Out
You can very well be of retirement age and continue a musical career and that's exactly what our three Germans from 'Riven Earth' are doing who released their 4th studio recording in 2024. With the participation of the singer 'Christina Wouters' who is also a flautist, 'We Got To Get Out' continues the adventure of 'Riven Earth' which continues to offer us very good progressive rock in soft and refined atmospheres that take us back to the 70s/80s. Still very accessible thanks to harmonious melodic lines, the 12 compositions display 70 minutes of listening with the highlight, 'Dreams', a long development of 11 minutes that takes us into a progressive saga with multiple twists and turns. In short, another band that does not have the media impact it should, because the Germans have once again put in this latest album all the ingredients of a refined and melodic progressive. Qobuz link
Spotify link
= Millenium – Souvenir from Holland
= Millennium – Hope Dies Last
Like every year, 'Ryszard Kramarski', with these 3 different projects (see the reviews in myprogmusic here), releases at least one album and the year 2024 saw the release of two opuses of 'Millenium', the first being the live 'Souvenir from Holland' recorded at the 'Progdreams X Boerder' festival in 'Zoetermeer' in 2023 and the second, a new studio recording of 'Millenium', 'Hope Dies Last'. If you don't know the Polish artist's projects, the live is a good way to go through a sort of best of 'Millenium' which celebrated its 25th anniversary for the occasion. Otherwise, the last album released in 2024 continues in this refined progressive that takes you each time on a beautiful journey filled with sweetness and serenity. In short, 'Ryszard Kramarski' comes back every year with little musical gems and, even if, for my part, they don't have the audience they deserve, the Polish artist has been on my list of essential progressive artists for quite a few years. Qobuz Souvenir from Holland link
Spotify Souvenir from Holland link
Link Qobuz Hope Dies Last
Spotify Link Hope Dies Last
= Kingfisher Sky – Feeding The Wolves
Definitely, 2024 has seen members or ex-members of 'Within Temptation' release some very good progressive rock albums, because after 'Ruud Jolie' with his project 'For All We Know', the former drummer 'Ivar de Graaf' of 'Within Temptation', who formed the project 'Kingfisher Sky' with singer 'Judith Rijnveld' in the early 2000s, released their 5th LP in 2024, 'Feeding The Wolves', but have also given us numerous EPs since 2020 (see review above). Influenced by different progressive currents, I find in this latest album sounds of projects like 'Karnataka' but also sounds of some albums of 'Arjen Lucassen' like 'The Gentle Storm', the whole being embellished by the masterful vocal performances of 'Judith Rijnveld'. In the end, it is yet another very nice progressive rock release in 2024 that the Dutch band 'Kingfisher Sky' are offering us, who are yet another band that has all the assets to be among the essential artists of this style.
Qobuz Link
Spotify Link | |
