Song of The Rainforest (The Emerald Dawn, 2026)

The Emerald Dawn were born in Edinburgh and are now based in St Ives, Cornwall. Lead by multi-instrumentalist musicians Ally Carter and Katrina "Tree" Stewart, they released "The Land, The Sea, The Air (Volume 2)" in 2026 as their seventh studio album since 2010 and a sequel to their previous 2015 work.

This album consists of three long tracks.

This is the opening suite of the record and you'll be surprised by the perfect fusion of neo-prog, jazz, folk and symphonic elements in this track, divided in four movents (i. Balance, ii. Incursions, iii. Loss, iv. Regret). Some features really are peculiar: Ally Carter's beautiful sax, Tree Stewart's atmospheric and bombastic keyboards and, of course, the underlying ecological meaning. Last but not least, the final electric guitar solo is simply beautiful.

A tres quadras del mar (Arenal, 2007)

 Arenal are a Chilean band from Valparaiso who released two interesting albums between 2007 and 2011. They were able to combine many different elements to build up a fascinating sound, full of electric and acoustic passages, melodic atmospheres, neo-prog sounds, fusion passages and even a light touch of metal prog. This song is the title track from their debut album and you'll find in it almost everything I listed above. 

This debut album is an instrumental prog hidden gem, IMHO.

Such a diverse palette never prevents the track's coherence, fluidity and enjoyability, allowing on the contrary a deeper and richer texture. The way jazzy and classical themes merge in this instrumental piece of music is surprising and very, very welcome to me. The whole band is technically gifted, but a special mention goes to guitarist Sandro Fernández and keyboardist Daniel Nanjari, providing the core sound of Arenal.

Countermovement (Yes, 2026)

 "Aurora" ist the 24th studio abum by Yes and, IMHO, their best 2020s album so far. The main reason for such an achievement is the shared composition work they adopted here more than ever in their recent efforts. Take this 14-minute suite: all the members of the band are credited as authors and this is why the track is so fresh and varied. It is divided into four movements: Taro, Anytime Soon, Blink of An Eye and Freedom's Edge, each of them well written and perfectly arranged (useless to say, wonderfully performed). 

Guess who painted this cover art?

The sung themes all all rather catchy and leave the right space to sharp and unpredictable instrumental passages, including keyboard and guitar solos. Different moods and sonic solutions are there and the sleeve notes of the album inform us that those movements were originally standalone songs, then all the band's member worked together to enrich and link them into the flushing suite that made the album. This is exactly how good bands work and it's great to see how Yes can still be a real group after so many years.

Summer Lies Beyond (Comedy of Errors, 2023)

This is the long track (15 '27") opening the 2023 album "Threnody for A Dead Queen" by Comedy of Errors, a very good (IMHO) band from Glasgow, Scotland, you'll also find elsewhere in this blog. It's a well written, performed and arranged song, with a constant tension all along its phases and such a beautiful, elegant atmosphere. 

This "Threnody" was the sixth studio album by COE.

The electronic elements are never rigid and perfectly melt into the melodic texture of the track, guiding the listener through a fascinating musical tour. I also like the vocal harmonies, the keyboard sounds, the rhythmic section's work and, of course the guitar parts. The final crescendo adds a grandiose side to the big picture, so that any prog heart will be fulfilled. Take this trip and be happy!

Rapsodia nocturna (Julián Martínez, 2026)

Julián Martínez is an Argentinian musician whose interests span from classical music to the golden era progressive rock. His prog compositions are beautiful instrumental tracks, where piano and assorted keyboards create a deep and relaxed atmosphere, just like in this "Rapsodia nocturna", taken from his 2026 album titled "Ecos del horizonte". 

So romantic, isn't it?

Martínez likes pensive and even painful melodies and the one we appreciate here is one of his best themes, IMHO. As I coldn't find any additional credits, I presume all instruments are played by Julián himself and he surely does it very well: the guitar sound is simply striking and goes deep into the listener's soul, while the keys provide a smooth and rich background. I'm sure this musician will regale us even more in the forthcoming years and I'll be here to inform you.

Heart of The Woods (Sykofant, 2026)

Norwegian prog rock band Sykofant released their "Leaves" project in two virtual EPs: "Red Sun" (2025) and "Leaves" (2026) and a single final physical release. Let me say that both installments are beautiful, full of well found melodies, unpredictable changes and skillful solos. This is my favourite track from their second EP, the final song. It's simply perfect in its own, fascinating way. Acoustic and electric instruments, perfect vocal harmonies (a foursome choir is credited), rhytmic shifts and robust guitar solos are just a few of this 16-minute track's highlights. 

                                                                A Fairy cover, isn't it?

I like the way they merge their own ideas with many '70s and '80s influences spanning from Yes to Pink Floyd and from neo-prog to prog metal. Such a diversified palette brings to a refreshing, personal, lively interpretation of the deepest progressive rock roots. They have a stunning way to create sonic worlds and to exploit all instruments' tones to enrich each and every mood shift. Highly recommended, IMHO.

The River I & II (This Winter Machine, 2023)

English vocalist and song-writer Al Winter started this West Yorkshire-based quintet in 2016 and even if you could label it as a neo progressive act, I'm happy to say that those musicians had their own signature sound since their debut album. A mildly distorted electric guitar marks their rock moments, full of energy and beautiful changes, but I admit that their atmospheric songs and passages are my favourites by far. 

This is the band's fourth studio album.

This 11 minutes song is the opening mini-suite of their 2023 album, titled "The Clockwork Man", a concept around a future society where human clones are enslaved to perform hard and dangerous jobs. "The River" includes both sides of their production: after an electronic crescendo, the first part is a tough mid-tempo  prog rock, while part II is an awful, poignant piano driven ballad, something really, really well written and well sung with a perfect guitar solo. This Winter Machine seem to like a  thorough but also essential prog rock and they skip any useless ornament. That's not so common, after all, and certainly is a refreshing approach.