The Best Progressive Metal Album - Metal Storm Awards 2025

AVKRVST - Waving At The Sky

Named after author Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian quintet AVKRVST have authored their own dark tale of gruesome tragedy as the narrative for their albums, but while Waving At The Sky has glimpses of extremity, it mostly renders this tragic story through dark melody. Some of the album's subtle macabre brings to mind the dark majesty of Scandinavian brethren Opeth, while there's also clear similarities with the British prog of Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson and Haken (whose vocalist Ross Jennings guests on the record), not to mention some retro-prog flourishes including a striking flute cameo. Flowing with each track making a continuous journey, Waving At The Sky is a record that richly rewards full listens with a wealth of intricate musicianship and deeply detailed songwriting.

Calyces - Fleshy Waves Of Probability

Calyces founder Manthos Stergiou reunited with former Tardive Dyskinesia bandmate Stavros Rigos following the release of the new band's debut record, and the creative synergy is on full display on sophomore release Fleshy Waves Of Probability. The blatant similarities to the likes of Intronaut and Baroness evident on Impulse To Soar are still present here, but Calyces are already finding their own voice in implementing this rhythmically complex, flashy lead guitar-dominated sludgy prog sound. The melodic/bright aspects of their sound are taken further by bringing in 90s alt rock influences from the likes of Jane's Addiction, while Calyces also continue with the debut's flirtations with post-metal. The package as a whole is vibrant, rowdy, technically stunning while still offering plenty in the way of accessible hookiness.

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Danefae - Trøst

It feels rather like a prerequisite that to be called "progressive" one should offer something not immediately reducible to cliche; Danefae may certainly elicit comparison here and there, but Trøst gave us one of the freshest sounds of the year with its almost free-form approach to prog metal.  Anne Olesen's voice and piano wander with an inquisitive freedom, building some unusual melodic structures matched by an accommodating instrumental trio that sounds equally happy throwing a punch of bruising djent or glowing with soft, folky light.  Guitars, bass, and drums sweep in quickly to make metal of curious arty tangents, and just as soon they cut back so as not to overpower the delicate textural power of that vocal/key combo.  On the way through each song, Olesen will hop to whatever note or harmony presents an interesting quirk, and that is how Trøst proceeds: with no predictable plan, and thus nothing ever to offend the ear with tedium.

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Dawnwalker - The Between

Identifying as a collective rather than a band, Mark Norgate's Dawnwalker have never gone about things conventionally, and The Between is perhaps their most inspired and unique release yet. Assembling a 12-person line-up for a single-song album that serves as a guided meditation through the process of dying, Norgate has created something that truly justifies being described as 'an experience'. Former full-time member and Sacred Son bandleader Dane Cross returns to provide occasional but impactful harsh vocals that contrast Norgate's rich Anathema-esque cleans, Sofia Sourianou's dulcet tones and Amber Marie's tantric narration, while the music itself takes the vibes of British prog rock icons such as Anathema, Pure Reason Revolution and Steven Wilson, adds a splash of occasional extremity or esotericism, and creates a half-hour spiritual journey that needs to be heard to be believed.

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Dissona - Receptor

Dissona marked their 20-year anniversary and broke a 9-year gap between albums by unleashing the extraordinary Receptor, a near-hour of the most resplendent, unpredictable and maximalist prog metal you'll encounter this year. They have a propensity for stirring theatrics (bolstered by effectively integrated symphonics) comparable to the likes of Disillusion and Arcturus, and in some moments can inject an extreme metallic intensity to dial things up that much further, but amidst the grandeur and chaos, there is also room for understated nuance. The gravitas of David Dubenic's vocals and the strength of the vocal melodies, and the virtuosity and ingenuity of the instrumentation as it effortlessly navigates progressive, neoclassical and avant-garde approaches, results in a spellbinding sound that remains accessible in spite of its exuberance.

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Dream Theater - Parasomnia

Many Dream Theater fans had shown signs of listening fatigue with the last few albums by the prog metal legends, so it was not surprising that the return of Mike Portnoy was met with excitement. Parasomnia is a darker album, as its black and white cover art suggests (also being a nod to Images And Words), with a concept focusing on sleep disorders. It’s also a heavier album and one that displays a distinct improvement on songwriting, while at the same time providing segments that will surely become future classics, such as the guitar solo on “Bend The Clock” or the keyboard solo on “The Shadow Man Incident”. Dream Theater are back on the right track.

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Grayceon - Then The Darkness

Think Gojira, but instead of whales it's Giant Squid: you've got the high-friction chugs and pummeling grooves (enacted via electric cello in combination with guitar, minus bass) and the prominent percussion to nail down every distorted riff, although the other elements of Grayceon's style will drag you in other directions.  That cello imparts a weird, warped, and watery quality to their music, and together with the vocals, which are often harmonized in a haunting Alice In Chains sort of way, the melodies unfold in a droning and hypnotic fashion; the drums bring a strange balance, with a weirdly heavy beat that makes the album feel like a constant lurch.  Grayceon have a sound that might make you want to contemplate the sea, possibly contemplate learning the cello, but certainly stop whatever it was you were doing to contemplate Then The Darkness.

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Green Carnation - A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia

More than a decade of anticipation made Leaves Of Yesteryear's shorter runtime padded with a re-recording and a cover feel like more of a teaser for future stuff than anything. A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia might also tease for more with its "Part I" marking, but it finally delivers a sizeable chunk of new Green Carnation music, with all of the range they have covered (well, not all of it) on display, from melancholic prog rock to morose doom metal to black metal touches courtesy of harsh vocals from Enslaved's Grutle Kjellson.

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Irreversible Mechanism - Graviant

Irreversible Mechanism have changed enormously in the 7 years since Immersion (itself already something of a departure from the debut); what was previously a technical/progressive death metal band is now playing a very different spin on prog. Featuring a mostly new line-up with Baard Kolstad (Leprous) standing in behind the drumkit this time around, Graviant has eschewed most signs of extremity in favour of an alternative/progressive metal sound somewhat akin to the likes of Klone and Tool. However, even with such a big jump, they nail the landing; the mesh of complex rhythms and grooves with atmospheric soundscapes and evocative clean-sung vocals comes together really nicely, providing both cerebral and emotional satisfaction.

Moron Police - Pachinko

On the surface, an eclectic progressive rock/metal album with a concept about a man being turned into a sentient gambling machine seems like it should be a whimsical affair, but there's more than meets the eye to Moron Police. After dealing with anti-war themes on A Boat On The Sea, the band lost founding drummer Thore Pettersen in 2022 to a car accident; recruiting Billy Rymer (The Dillinger Escape Plan) as a stand-in, they've gone on to produce the mesmerizing Pachinko, a genre-hopping odyssey featuring an array of orchestral instruments performed by various session musicians, and one that has real heart to go with the grandeur, zaniness and catchiness. The heavier parts of Pachinko, including its remarkable two-part title track, bear similarities to the likes of Haken, Devin Townsend and Thank You Scientist, as Moron Police's prog rock regularly turns metallic, but on top of this, disparate sounds from the worlds of jazz fusion, synthpop, and anime/video game soundtracks turn the album into something truly kaleidoscopic and mesmerizing.