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.

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.

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.