BRUCE SOORD FACES DOWN HIS GHOSTS

The Pineapple Thief’s frontman steps up with his fourth solo album.

Prog PRESENTS…

Discovering

Ed’s Letter

Hello and welcome to the latest issue of

Bloody Well Write

Send your letters to us at: Prog , Future Publishing, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6QA, or email prog@futurenet.com . Letters may be edited for length. We regret that we cannot reply to phone calls and we cannot always respond to individual messages. Find us on facebook.com under Prog .

YES SUMMON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS WITH THEIR NEW ALBUM

Guitarist Steve Howe stresses that more is yet to come with ideas already shining through for their next adventure.

ELDER COMBAT FRUSTRATIONS

The Berlin-based prog rockers tackle tough themes with experimentalism.

MUSE ANNOUNCE THEIR 10TH STUDIO ALBUM

Award-winning trio return with heavy cosmic jive.

ED O’BRIEN NEW SOLO ALBUM INCOMING

The guitarist drops his EOB banner and steps into the limelight under his own name.

INTRO extras

MICHAEL GILES OPENS HIS VAULTS Michael Giles, founder

LIMINAL SKY DEBUT LP ANNOUNCED

Ex-Messenger members team up with a range of guests for new post-rock band.

MATH ROCKERS ANGINE DE POITRINE BREAK OUT

New album precedes sold out UK tour and festival shows.

INTRO extras

KRAFTWERK REACTIVATED Kraftwerk will mark the 50th anniversary

DEVIN TOWNSEND UNVEILS THE MOTH

Prog maestro confirms a symphonic opus that’s been 10 years in the making.

JUDGE SMITH’S LONG-LOST 70S MUSICAL REVIVED

The Kibbo Kift resurfaces after a gap of 50 years.

FAD GADGETS

Rhodri Marsden on three of the latest must-have gizmos currently putting the prog in progress.

JAY BUCHANAN

The search for self-realisation led the Rival Sons frontman from psychedelics to the expansive music of The Mahavishnu Orchestra .

PROG IN BRIEF

ELAYNE BARRE Martin Barre (right) will release a

BRASS CAMEL

The Canadian band putting colour and fun back into modern music.

BIG COUNTRY STEELTOWN

(Mercury, 1984) In February 1976, as the Sex

THE FAR OUT TELESCOPE

These Swedes are on a mission to revive the long-lost art of the space opera – and some heavyweight help is at hand.

PROG IN BRIEF

Former Moody Blues singer and guitarist Justin Hayward

HAMASAARI

Heart-on-sleeve French quartet who want to put the danger back into modern prog.

HEN OGLEDD

Their name means ‘Old North’, but this collective’s music is refreshingly new.

BOVIDAE

From polyrhythms to aggressive violins, this Sheffield band pursues the unplayable.

CYRILLE VERDEAUX

The Clearlight mastermind reflects on working with members of Gong in the 70s, his memorable trip to the Manor Studio, and giving his albums some overdue attention on a new anthology.

RICHARD BARBIERI

Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it’s Richard Barbieri . Best known as the synthesist in Japan and Porcupine Tree, this self-described “non-musician” has crafted his own unique style despite no musical training. In addition to a long musical association with his former Japan bandmates, he’s also enjoying a solo career with Hauntings , his first solo record in five years, out now. We take him back to his early years in music, learn more about his key collaboratio`ns and find out how he’s scratching that Porcupine Tree itch.

EINAR SOLBERG

Leprous’s celestial-throated frontman turns up the widescreen drama and orchestration on his cinematic second solo album.

RICHARD BARBIERI

Time-warping electronica from Japan/Porcupine Tree sound design master.

ANTHONY PHILLIPS

Thank heavens for Anthony Phillips.

ARGOVIA

Polished sounds and songcraft from Colombian neo-proggers.

ASTRAL HAWK MACHINE

Strong space rock exploration debut from international trio.

AYREON

Terrific live celebration of the prog metal maestro’s catalogue.

BLINDEAD 23

An eccentric debut from moody underground mavericks.

CHRIS BRAIDE AND DEAN JOHNSON

Superior prog-pop album a quarter-century in the making.

THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM

Les and Sean shell out on a new psychedelic vision.

KING CRIMSON

Blistering live set released as a double vinyl RSD edition.

FRANCK CARDUCCI

Lyonnais fretmeister’s fifth channels post-pandemic tension.

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX

The inventive collective deliver power, precision and dark accessibility.

DANAKIL SAFARI

Where Ethiopian beats meet Norwegian improvisation.

ECHOVERSE

Second outing for US proggers doesn’t do them full justice.

ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN

The middle point of van Giersbergen’s EP splurge.

GREEN CARNATION

Norwegian veterans hit the dark centre of their prog-metal trilogy.

LAZULI

Melodic and beautifully crafted 12th album from the French maestros.

HAWKSMOOR

Prolific ambient explorer creates a new psychedelic experience.

HEAVY AXE

Former Messenger man emerges with gentle electro-prog fare.

HEKZ

British prog-metallers take a mind-blowing trip to a dystopian future.

PROGRESSIVE METAL

Dom Lawson buckles up for a delve into the darker, heavier side.

MAGENTA

A welcome return with beautifully balanced and terrific-sounding album.

HOLOSOIL

Berlin-via-Finland quartet justify their juxtaposition.

LONG DISTANCE CALLING

Sweet dreams aren’t made of this as Berliners thrive in the shadows.

MAJOR PARKINSON

Norwegian art-rock provocateurs throw an apocalypse party.

HEDVIG MOLLESTAD WEEJUNS

Progressive jazz outing from fêted Norwegian.

MY NEW BAND BELIEVE

Ex-Black Midi man’s kaleidoscopic tour de force.

OZUL

Scandinavian songwriter rewinds to the start of a tragic tale.

PSYCHEDELIC PROG

Take a trip with Rob Hughes as he seeks out the latest mind-expanding music.

NORDIC GIANTS

The enigmatic masked duo return for their first album since 2022.

PEEL, PALMER, TAUSIG & GOULD

Seventies-inspired instrumental concept album.

SYSTEM 7

Psychonaut veterans are still chasing the infinite.

VLMV

Mournful post-rock stretches the genre.

DARRYL WAY

Delightful neo-classical work from ex-Curved Air violin virtuoso.

WILDERNESSES

British newcomers mix shoegaze, post-rock and slow-burning indie rock.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Grant Moon has a rummage down the back of the Prog sofa for the ones that nearly got away…

PETER HAMMILL

Four of the Thin Man’s finest, gathered.

ASTRALASIA

Festival stalwarts’ psychedelic sprawl thrills, but indulgence sometimes dulls impact.

JACK BRUCE

Four-CD/Blu-ray box showcasing Bruce’s world music collaborations.

PETER GABRIEL

Landmark festival set gets a long-overdue vinyl and CD release.

OPETH

Swedish prog-metal masters’ breakthrough album turns 25.

THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT

Immaculate reissues of three of the APP’s albums from the early 1980s.

TONY PATTERSON & BRENDAN EYRE

Regionally inspired 2014 collaboration remastered.

STRAWBS

Complete radio recordings from folk-prog greats.

VON HERTZEN BROTHERS

First instalment of Finnish siblings’ Silver Jubilee reissue programme .

FOCUS 1969-1985 – ON TRACK SHORT

The old Dutch masters get a second perusal.

THE KEELE GIGS. THE CLASSIC UNIVERSITY CONCERTS VOLUME 2 – 1960S/1970S

Affectionate document of the thriving university music circuit.

EVERY UK HIT SINGLE 1980

Threshold keyboardist catalogues lively pop year.

LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN LUNCHTIME: AN EXPLORATION OF THE CANTERBURY SCENE

Definitive account of prog’s outsiders.

FUSION FESTIVAL

VENUE STOURPORT CIVIC CENTRE, STOURPORT-ON-SEVERN DATE 06/03/2026-08/03/2026 It’s

SPLIT ENZ

VENUE HAGLEY PARK, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND DATE 27/03/2026

BIG BIG TRAIN

Big Big Train shine brightly. VENUE THE 1865,

PLANTOID

VENUE OPORTO, LEEDS DATE 18/02/2026 P lantoid describe

PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS

VENUE O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN, LONDON DATE 04/03/2026

CARDIACS

Kavus Torabi: revving up. Bringing Cardiacs’ music to

LAZULI

VENUE POPPODIUM BOERDERIJ, ZOETERMEER, NETHERLANDS DATE 14/03/2026 T

ATOMIC ROOSTER

VENUE THE PIPER, ST LEONARDS-ON-SEA DATE 25/02/2026 N

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME

High-octane and super-tight! Between The Buried And Me:

SOLSTICE

VENUE BREWERY ARTS, KENDAL DATE 20/02/2026 SUPPORT SQUARE

LEON ALVARADO

The great and good of progressive music give us a glimpse into their prog worlds. As told to Grant Moon.

Making Memories

Eleven years after their dissolution, Rush are back on the road with a new drummer to boot. The upcoming Fifty Something tour marks the debut of German musician Anika Nilles filling some impossible boots. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson tell Prog about the unexpected reunion, the spark that led to their ‘unretirement’ and we even manage to tease out some details about this year’s shows.

The Curious Case Of ROGER KNEEBEND!

In 1984, Rush released Grace Under Pressure , the first of their studio albums not to be produced by Terry Brown. Its tracks saw the trio shift gears and, as with Signals , embrace the new technology of the era, but its creation didn’t go without hitch. To celebrate the release of a deluxe box set, featuring Brown’s new mix and updated artwork from Hugh Syme, the band revisit the story behind a record that almost didn’t get made.

Steinway Songs

Genesis founder member Anthony Phillips swaps his guitar for keys on Gemini – Pieces For Piano . His latest collection gathers recordings made between 2022 and 2025, including a piece written for Argentine concert pianist Martha Argerich. Prog catches up with him to discuss wrist injuries, his friendship with a certain Mr Hackett, and why he won’t be writing his memoirs anytime soon.

Hidden Voices

With his remarkable second solo album, Vox Occulta , Leprous’s Einar Solberg may not have found the meaning of life, but he might just have realised his dream of creating the most cinematic music in all of prog. He reveals it’s all about embracing chaos, randomness, orcs, orchestras, and the beauty of melancholy.

Blood, Prog & Tears…

Last year, Green Carnation released A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia , the first album in a planned trilogy. Its sequel, Sanguis , is out now and it sees the band pull inspiration from within, addressing an abusive childhood and loved ones in crisis. Singer Kjetil Nordhus and bassist/lyricist Stein Roger Sordal discuss the personal throes behind their new music.

The Magician

Fresh from his recent work with Chimpan A, Cyan and Sanctuary, Robert Reed has turned his attention back to Magenta . Now celebrating their 25th anniversary, the band continue their lyrical focus on the supernatural with the long-awaited new studio album, Tarot . The Welsh polymath reveals his historical and mythical inspiration, and explains why he’s returning to the group’s original 70s-inspired sound.

The Phantom Menaces

As Long Distance Calling fearlessly venture into The Phantom Void , their first new album in four years, drummer Janosch Rathmer talks to Prog about their enduring love of melancholic music, the importance of playing at 90%, being inspired by an old wizard, and bringing fans to tears in China.

The Psychedelic Path

Gong alumni Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy are back with a brand-new System 7 album. Flower Of Life offers a fresh new take on their trademark sound and includes contributions from members of The Orb and electropoppers Coldcut. Prog catches up with the duo to discuss their first studio album in 11 years and their transition from Canterbury scene artists to electronic music experimentalists.

Every Cloud…

Known for his atmospheric “post-something” creations, VLMV mastermind Pete Lambrou found inspiration in an unexpected source for his latest album, There Will Come Soft Rains . He tells Prog about the wartime poem that informed the concept, his journey into the world of Dolby Atmos, and his dream musical collaborator.

Apocalypse Now

Major Parkinson haven’t had it easy since the release of their last album in 2022. At one point, a serious health scare ground things to an unexpected halt. But the free-thinking Norwegians are back with Valesa – Chapter II: Viva The Apocalypse! , and, as Prog finds out, there’s a renewed sense of gratitude for the little joys in life. We discover the story behind their sixth studio album and more.

The Eternal Optimists

After nearly a decade away, camera-shy Californian proggers Spock’s Beard have returned with their strongest album for more than 20 years. Prog discusses The Archaeoptimist with vocalist Ted Leonard, guitarist Alan Morse and the surprise creative force behind their impressive return to form, British musician Michael Whiteman.