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.

A Way out (Unifaun, 2008)

Same old question: should we like bands like Unifaun that explicitly revive classic prog bands' style? Well, the answer is simple to me: yes, if they know how to write good songs and to play them. This is the case with Swedish duo Unifaun, whose only album to date include some very good and very Genesis oriented songs. This Swedish duo includes singer and multi-instrumentalist Nad Sylvan of Steve Hackett live band fame and keyboardist Christian Thordin, AKA Bonamici. 

Above: the dark original 2008 cover art. Below: the Genesis-oriented 2023 reissue painting.

Their self-titled album features many musical solutions related to the ex Charterhouse pupils, but with a distinctive nordic and slightly folk taste I appreciate. The track I choose here is a prog ballad full of dreamy passages and based on really good melodies. The overall effect is mostly similar to Genesis' "Selling England by The Pound" era. Is this a good reason to despise such a song? I don't think so, but let me know your opinions.

Kontraster (Jordsjø, 2025)

Here you are another Norwegian brilliant band, progging away between pure symphonic rock, folk hints and some experimental, even dissonant moments. Jordsjø released their first album in 2015 and this track comes from a 2025 split record including this Jordsjø's title track on vinyl version side A and another side-long track by Breidablik, an electronic prog project by Morten Birkeland Nielsen on side B. "Kontraster" ("Contrasts", in English) does as its title says and offers an awesome variety of moods, arrangements, instruments and musical ideas. 

This is the second joint venture of Jordsjø and Breidablik.

It is a rather low tempo collection - maybe a suite - of inner reflections and by such a rich palette you could hardly guess that  Jordsjø is formed by just two musicians: multi-instrumentalist Håkon Oftung and percussionist Kristian Frøland. Be as it may, this duo leads the listener through a fantastic and unpredictable trip, flowing very deep inside their souls (our souls, I daresay). It is an enriching and entertaining listening, something you won't easily find nowadays.

Wake up (Coheed And Cambria, 2005)

I know, I know... Coheed and Cambria are famous for their long, hard and intricate tracks, with fast electric guitar and keyboard solos... and after all they're among the best prog metal acts out there! So I apologise for choosing one of their slow tempo and rather acoustic ballads for my blog, but some of you may know how mellow I can be and - most of all - I like this track so much. Many metal and even more-than-metal bands come up with love songs from time to time and when they do so, they're so sweet and sappy than yhey make the likes of Barry Manilow or the Carpenters sound harsh. 

As the number suggests, this album is part of a longer SF concept.

This is not the case with "Wake up" here: it surely is a lovely ballad, but it never goes maudlin and everything in it has an edgy side: the vocals, the guitar touch, even the lyrics, so that the listener swings between love and loneliness, hope and fear all along the song. That said, the main virtue of this track obviously is its melody, so lovely and nonetheless never too predictable. What else? Just enjoy.

North (John Lees' Barclay James Harvest, 2013)

 Maybe John Lees' version of BJH doesn't change the story of his original band, band he still knows how to write beautiful songs and this is the case with the title track of JL-BJH's 2013 album. The usual pastoral sound is there, along with a tense musical background and - of course - a beutiful guitar solo. Most of all, the tune flows fresh and nice, and the instrumental parts are simply perfect. 

"North" was the first studio album released with the moniker 

John Lees' Barclay James Harvest

The way Mr. Lees regales his listeners by adding new ideas and lushing interludes always amazes me. Just try this track's coda: it's like following Alice into a musical Wonderland, in my humble opinion. The apparent simplicity of those songs underlines the skills of both the composer and the performers and that's why such a song really can light up a dull day.

Lady Time (Numen, 1998)

Numen are a Spanish band whose musical consistency, so far from any commercial benefits and strongly rooted in the neo-prog soil, I surely appreciate. Since their debut album "Samsara" they displayed a nice bend for melodies and considerable instrumental skills. This song comes precisely from "Samsara" and I know many of you would have singled out other and more complex compositions from this album... but I hope you'll forgive me as you know how much I like a well done and well played pastoral song.

Didn't I say that Numen also like beautiful artworks for their releases?

This is exacly the case with "Lady Time", where a well found theme lies on a smooth sonic carpet and the listener can also find some beautiful guitar solos and a delicious flute work. Furthermore, there is a very clever and unpredictable change of mood around minute 3:25, when the Camel-esque pastoral song becomes more Marillion-esque and, believe me, this is simply perfect for my ears. 

The Bryden 2-Step (for Amphibians) Part 1 + Part 2 (National Health, 1978)

National Health is one of the most intricate and jazzy Canterbury Scene bands, strictly linked to Hatfield And The North, keyboardist Dave Stewart's band from 1973 to 1975 after his previous experiences with Egg and Khan, but also drummer Pip Pyle's and guitarist Phil Miller's ex band. For their 1978 album "Of Queues And Cures", National Health also included multi-instrumentalist John Greaves of Henry Cow fame. The two parts of The Bryden 2-Step (for Amphibians) respectively open and close this record and are two splendid specimens of Canterbury sound, mixing up melodies, jazz-rock passages and folk-rock elements in a warm, diversified and intricate structure. 

A real cabinet of curiosities...

The two sections are rather different in mood (the first one being more up-tempo and jazz oriented than the second one), but there is a strong consistency between them, reinforced by the recurring main theme and the presence of the same guest musicians: Phil Minton (trumpets), Paul Nieman (trombones) and Georgie Born (cello), whose instruments give a wider sonic landscape to this split suite. A special mention goes to the main theme, one of the most charming Canterbury-branded compositions ever and to the constant search for originality throughout these overall 13 minutes of unpredictable music.

Omni Part 2 (Karfagen, 2025)

 Antony Kalugin, the ukrainian multi-instrumentalist behind Karfagen, is a man of many talents and his 2025 album "Omni" is another good example of his stunningly prolific vein (you'll find more elsewhere in this blog)."Omni" Part 2 is a well built suite, a 22 minute one divided into 4 movements, also enjoyable as stand-alone songs, many of them in a rather slow tempo, but with some welcome accelerations and many, unpredictable changes. 

As usual, an inspiring cover art

As always, there are very good melodies and beautiful solos, and this time the vocals, provided by the kinds of Marco Glühmann, Richard Sinclair, Jean Pageau, Bartosz Kossowicz plus, of course, Olha Rostovska and Antony Kalugin himself,  play an essential role in the great picture, something we don't easily find in Karfagen's discography. All those different and sensitive voices fit perfectly in such a rich musical texture. Among other guest musicians, Michel St-Père's (of Mystery fame) guitars and John Hackett's flute need no introductions and are two more bonuses added to this musical pearl. This is Neo-Progressive rock & Symphonic Rock at their best and I'm glad to loose my mind in this flowing, lush musical river.

Moon And Cloud Dancing (Celeste, 2025)

If you read even occasionally this blog, you should know how much I appreciate Celeste and their mastermind Ciro Perrino, a gifted composer and musician that never stops his artistic evolution. When it comes to Celeste, once a quintessential Italian prog band, since the late 2010s he's trying to expand the musical boundaries of such a glorious act. Their 2025 album, titled "Anima Animus" continues this effort and offers a varied palette of sound solutions that range from jazz to melodic without even neglecting ethnic suggestions. That said, Maestro Perrino will maybe forgive me if I choose the most Celestial (in all senses) of the album's songs, the closing Moon And Cloud Dancing, a delicate but never boring 12 minute instrumental (with some vocalizations) track. 

This is the sixth Celeste album overall.

First things first, I love the main theme here, a melody that is only apparently simple, which enters the heart and brain of the listener. Then please listen to the perfect fusion of the instruments: mellotron, of course, and then winds, piano, acoustic guitars... everything is designed to immerse us in slow and unstoppable natural movements. Even if this is probably the most symphonic rock song from "Anima Animus", you'll find in it several hints to Perrino's previous experiences, and that's why this track always grows in me and never cease to surprise me.

Phase 1 (Karfagen, 2016)

Karfagen are a stunning band from Ukraine, the brainchild of  multi-instrumentalist Antony Kalugin. One of the most prolific acts I've ever known (21 studio albums during their first 19 years!), they produce mostly instrumental tracks, but this one, coming from their 2026 album "Spektra", also includes a choir section. As usual for Karfagen, this seven movement suite is simply unpredictable and deliciously varied. Classical music inspires many parts of "Phase 1" and if keyboards prevail all along the track, there is a good choice of instruments , such as violin, acoustic and electric guitars, some unusual percussions and, of course, a vocal trio, singing in latin. 

This is Karfagen's eighth studio album.

As you can imagine, tempos, moods and  arrangements are in a perpetual change, spanning from atmospheric to rock moments, including some very good guitar and keyboard solos and many lively interplays. Nonetheless, this is not a collection of sparse compositions. On the contary, there is a strong pattern all along the suite and each passage is there for a good musical reason, enriching the previous one and preparing in a way the next one. A beautiful, invigorating experience.

Never Land (IQ, 2025)

IQ's 2025 album titled "Dominion" is a very good specimen of (neo) prog rock, as usual. Even if it includes a long epic track - at once among the favourites of many hard core fans - I'll single out this slow, atmospheric and rather simple song. "Never Land" is not unusual for the band, based on a moving, delicate theme and a two part crescendo . 

A beautiful cover art, isn't it?

Needless to say, Peter Nicholls unmistakable voice takes the lion's share, while the band provides a lushing sound carpet during the track's first half and explodes in an absolutely prog wall sound from then on. Yes, sometimes the heart rules the mind and I was completely won by such an emotional whirlwind, even more meaningful coming from a more than forty years old act. Under its apparent simplicity, this song can't hide a meticulous work, a work that magnifies the underlying strong feelings and never shows up.

20.000 leghe sotto i mari (Nuova Era, 2025)

Nuova Era are among my favourite bands when it comes to vintage sounds and classic Italian prog. Walter Pini and his friends are veteran proggers and this 2025 album, retelling Jule Verne's masterpiece novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Seas, is their sixth official release, but their sound is as refreshing and creative as it used to be during the '80s. First things first: the tempo, mood and instrumentation changes are stunning. 

Nemo and friends under the prog seas!

Stately organs, dainty acoustic passages, strong vocals, breathtaking progressions, intricate rythms and of course beautiful melodies... al things Italian Prog are there! Being a 36 minutes suite, divided into 8 parts, "20.000 leghe sotto i mari" is a true musical ordeal, treating the listener with both compositional and performing skills. Each variation introduces a different world and even the marine sound effects perfectly fit into the great picture. All in all, this is IMHO one of the best pages of Nuova Era's flushing repertoire.

The Light of Ancient Mistakes (Hats off Gentlemen It's Adequate, 2023)

Sure, Hats off Gentlemen It's Adequate is a rather long name for a band, but I think they're worth our memory effort. Malcolm Galloway and Mark Gatland's brain child is an eclectic and intriguing musical creature, like this title song taken from their 2023 album will show to the few that never listened to HOGIA's music. Galloway, Gatland and their guest musicians provide a varied prog rock with a strong electronic taste, well balanced between the classic era masters and the contemporary trends. 

Galloway himself created this AI assisted evocative image.

This track - like many other ones in the band's catalogue - pays its tribute to beloved science fiction books (in this case, Ian M. Banks's Look to Windward novel) and also - musically - to space rock and to the atmospheric side of Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree. That said, this London based musicians have their own signature sound, sharp and arcane. Yes, it is adeguate and pretty more than so.

Hear My Voice Tonight (Seven Steps to The Green Door, 2019)

Seven Steps to The Green Door are an interesting band from Germany active since 2006 and producing an innovative musical mix ranging from neo-prog to hard rock and from melodic ballads to intricate long tracks. This song comes from their 2019 album titled "The ? Lie", a concept work dealing with religious fanaticism and its tragic outcomes. "Hear My Voice Tonight" is a ten minutes track with strong melodic roots and including unpredictable, strategically placed mood changes. 

There's more to this concept: "The ? Book" (2011) and "The ? Truth" (2024)

Jazzy passages, dreamy landscapes, intense progressions grace this track and made it a treat for the prog ears. I especially like the wind instruments that enrich this track providing a warm and rippled finale. The instrumental skills of the band members and their guest musicians are the final touch to this beautiful piece of music.