What are some of your favorite progressive metal or rock albums released in 2012? So far, it's been a great year to be a fan of prog, as more and more people are becoming aware of it, which personally makes me very happy. Here are some of my favorites from this year:


Astra - The Black Chord (nice throwback to the classic 70s prog era)

Meshuggah - Koloss (crushing album with all of the awesome Meshuggah typicalities)

Circus Maximus - Nine (the last song is a little cheesy and sappy, but still good)

In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad (very unexpected album for me personally, it's very atmospheric and ethereal, but can be really heavy too)

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I (made a review for this album here on Metal Storm, really good stuff)

Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion (maybe perhaps a tad too mellow, but it's got some beautiful atmosphere that engulfs the listener)

Sylvan - Sceneries (At 90+ minutes, it's the longest album I've heard this year, but it definitely doesn't feel that way, amazing music)

Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit (really engaging concept album, RIP Simon )

Wintersun - Time I (best album I've heard all year, really looking forward to Part II!)



Yep, feels like a damn good year to me.

Other than The Black Cord, I've listened to all those that you've listed ^ there. Only agreeing with you on two of those (and marginally, Beyond The Bridge)

According to my taste so far in this year...
Excellent:
In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad
Motorpsycho & Ståle Storløkken - The Death Defying Unicorn (youtube)
The Deadstation. - Episode 01 - Like Peering Into The Deepest Ocean Abyss. (bandcamp)
To-Mera - Exile (bandcamp)

Really good:
Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
Devin Townsend - Epicloud
Dissona - Dissona
Distorted Harmony - Utopia (bandcamp)
Enochian Theory - Life...And All It Entails
Galahad - Battle Scars
Hypno5e - Acid Mist Tomorrow
Ihsahn - Eremita
Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I
OSI - Fire Make Thunder
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Suspyre - Suspyre
Tempus Fusion - To End It All (bandcamp)
The Levitation Hex - The Levitation Hex (soundcloud)
Threshold - March Of Progress

links to bandcamp / youtube / soundcloud have been included for some lesser known ones =P

I wouldn't call Wintersun's Time progressive, but it is a good album I definitely agree with you and Marshall on BtB, Ne Obliviscaris, In The Silence, Dissona, Enochian Theory and OSI, and I'd like to add stuff such as Headspace, Vertigo Steps, Ørkenkjøtt and Threshold, as well as some underground bands such as Burning Circle (which absolutely thrilled me because a) it's only the second modern prog band in Serbia b) they kick a lot of ass) and Unwritten Pages (the nicest surprise for me as a reviewer this year).

On my radar there's Frequency Drift, Distorted Harmony, Enslaved and Beardfish, I plan to listen to those, and then the bunch of bands Marshall dug up it's a kickass year for prog.

Frequency drift and Distorted Harmony have released great albums; another album i loved was the last one from Big Big Train (English Electric).
I'll be back with a full list, I have a couple of more albums to listen to.

What Ag Fox said eheh

Wouldn't consider Meshuggah prog though.

Vertigo Steps is probably the biggest surprise of the year for me in terms of progressive metal. People should definitely check out their latest album Surface/Light, or should I call it masterpiece?

Written by BloodTears on 01.11.2012 at 12:41


Vertigo Steps is probably the biggest surprise of the year for me in terms of progressive metal. People shouldn't definitely check out their latest album Surface/Light, or should I call it masterpiece?

so people should or shouldn't check the album out?

Written by [user id=17278] on 01.11.2012 at 12:43

Written by BloodTears on 01.11.2012 at 12:41


Vertigo Steps is probably the biggest surprise of the year for me in terms of progressive metal. People shouldn't definitely check out their latest album Surface/Light, or should I call it masterpiece?

so people should or shouldn't check the album out?

ahah They obviously should That was confusing, but my intention was to write "should"!

Written by BloodTears on 01.11.2012 at 13:41

Written by [user id=17278] on 01.11.2012 at 12:43

Written by BloodTears on 01.11.2012 at 12:41


Vertigo Steps is probably the biggest surprise of the year for me in terms of progressive metal. People shouldn't definitely check out their latest album Surface/Light, or should I call it masterpiece?

so people should or shouldn't check the album out?

ahah They obviously should That was confusing, but my intention was to write "should"!

I'll give the album a chance and see what the fuss it's all about.

Written by Milena on 01.11.2012 at 11:04

Ørkenkjøtt
Burning Circle
Frequency Drift

on my radar too (= (and a bunch of other albums... too much haha)
Unwritten pages are really onto something, I think. But they really need to get the production sorted out. The vocals are too upfront in the mix and the rest of the band gets buried imo, and it really detracts me from enjoying the nice quirky keyboard leads / effects that they use.

either way... great year for prog!

No mention of Haken's latest? Terrific sophomore release.

Written by tea[m]ster on 02.11.2012 at 00:55

No mention of Haken's latest? Terrific sophomore release.

a new one already, they released an album last year (Visions).

Written by [user id=17278] on 02.11.2012 at 01:17

a new one already, they released an album last year.

Ahhh shit, that was 2011? Dayum, I thought that was this year, my bad.

Ok, I'll try another rec. How about...HeadSpace - I am Anonymous

A really good album!

Ihsahn's Eremita is my favorite so far. To-Mera's latest is the most progressive thing I've heard this year and it's also kickass.
Then, a lot of other bands that were already mentioned... I can add Hail Spirit Noir with their prog/black/70's weirdness, the well-known Between The Buried And Me, The Faceless, Crippled Black Phoenix and I think that's it. A very good year indeed.

I will re-mention Hypno5e's Acid Mist Tomorrow though, more people have to check that album ¬¬

These are some good suggestions! i should check them all out.

Interesting, I didn't like the Ihsahn record at all, it seemed to roam nowhere for the most part and get lost never to be found.

Written by BloodTears on 02.11.2012 at 20:35

Interesting, I didn't like the Ihsahn record at all, it seemed to roam nowhere for the most part and get lost never to be found.

I thought it was pretty good, nothing spectacular, but still good for the most part. I thought After was better. That's just my opinion anyway.

Written by BloodTears on 02.11.2012 at 20:35

Interesting, I didn't like the Ihsahn record at all, it seemed to roam nowhere for the most part and get lost never to be found.

His album is much better how nothers who ever have been mentioned in this tread, ok Rush is OK, but others .... Ishan is way on TOP and non of those bands can reach it ..... its not perfect album but cvomparing to others briliant

Clockwork Angels by Rush and Weather Systems by Anathema (even if they are not truly prog i feel the last two albums are moving into that direction)

Clockwork Angels and Vittjar (why everyone forgot Kaipa )

Not to mention new Focus just released...

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I. Such a fantastic album, listened to it several times, looks like I'm never going to get tired of it!

Also, I haven't listened through Dordeduh - Dar De Duh yet, probably I should. The song Jind De Tronuri is a killer, really

Written by qlacs on 06.11.2012 at 19:53

Clockwork Angels and Vittjar (why everyone forgot Kaipa )

Not to mention new Focus just released...

The new albums by Rush and Kaipa are great but i was not impressed with the new Focus album at all, it's predictable and rather uninspired. I enjoyed their so called worst album - "Focus con Proby" (which i don't find as bad ) more than Focus "X".