“In the Passing Light of Day” by Pain of Salvation
Prog outfit Pain of Salvation paints the story of band leader Daniel Gildenlöw’s brush with death as a result of a flesh-eating bacteria. The results are existential, exacting, and excellent.
“Asheran” by DVNE
With complex structures, provocative themes, and adroit execution, DVNE provides excellent contemporary progressive metal, with elements of doom, stoner rock, and more.
“Conduit” by King Goat
A descent into a chthonic realm of ambition and death, Conduit arrests us in its warped sense of time and color. King Goat brings agility to doom.
“Mechanically Consumed” by Apotheon
In less than a month, Denver’s Apotheon will give us two versions of “Mechanically Consumed,” in a talented mix of prog and death metal. Read about how they resist standardization and embrace variance here.
“Aathma” by Persefone
Persefone’s complex attempt to push the boundaries of progressive, death, and melodic metal, Aathma goes to great lenghts to circumscribe the borders of each genre – and break through to something greater that itself. Ambitious and conceptual, this album demands attention.
“The Fall of Hearts” by Katatonia
Katatonia’s The Fall of Hearts is true progressive metal. Lots of metal bands try to evoke a perspective of the dead, and it usually comes across as aspirational posturing, but Katatonia succeeds by taking a slower, more thoughtful approach.
“Dead Revolution” by Hammers of Misfortune
Dead Revolution is Hammers’s commentary on the state of socioeconomic stratification and the resulting depression and degradation that affects the masses. This is the product of a band that has something important to say, and it’s worth our while to listen.
“Affinity” by Haken
In the span of two minutes, Haken takes you from a 60s sci-fi serial to modern conceptions of space and time, and these elements and more are woven throughout the subsequent hour of progressive metal. Intentional and concentrated listening pays off to reveal a fun and self-confident album.
“Theories of Flight” by Fates Warning
Theories of Flight is highly controlled, even restricted, but within these self-imposed boundaries Fates Warning makes its own kind of complex fun. The end result is a kind of symphony – something very carefully crafted and not released until the band was 100% satisfied with their performance.
“Magma” by Gojira
With Magma, Gojira hits what they aimed for: tone-setting with a low fuzz that paints their sound as dark, depressing, dry, and very tight. Minimal and efficient, Magma is an earnest dark progressive metal album, which rewards the patient listener.
Laws Listens 