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INTRO

IF IT’S OUT THERE, IT’S IN HERE

BARON CRÂNE

The explosive French trio broaching stoner rock, jazz-fusion, and much more

PHASE TRANSITION

Portuguese prog-metallers tackle the state of the world on their debut record

The prog top 30 albums

Compiled by December 2021 1 RADIOHEAD Kid A

WIN! SIGNED TARJA BOOK

What got us all grooving this month…

SOM

Constants side-project mix shoegaze, post-rock and doom-pop to maximum effect

RHIZONE

With their three-album rock opera, these Austrian art rockers are thinking big

GRAHAM GOULDMAN

He went from writing hits for The Hollies and Yardbirds to success with ‘The Worst Band In The World’ – 10cc, the experimental rock outfit he co-founded. Now the singer-songwriter bassist-guitarist looks back on his career and hints at what the band’s upcoming Ultimate Greatest Hits Tour could hold…

The Clock Is Ticking

It’s been six years since FEAR was released during a time of political turmoil, and yet nothing could have prepared Marillion for the challenges they’d face in making its follow-up. Prog catches up with the band as they prepare to release An Hour Before It’s Dark, and finds out how they turned some of their darkest subject matter into one of their brightest and most optimistic-sounding records

Standing Out From The Crowd

Crowdfunding, copyright claims and the birth of the Marillion Weekend. In an extract from his recent autobiography, Marillion, Misadventures & Marathons: The Life & Times Of Mad Jack, keyboard player Mark Kelly recounts the story behind the band’s first fan-financed album, Anoraknophobia

THE PROG INTERVIEW

MADDY PRIOR

MARILLION

The clock is running down on us all, and Steve Hogarth and co are counting the seconds on their lushly pre-apocalyptic new album

Time And Again

The last Ayreon album may have divided his loyal audience, but Arjen Lucassen is bouncing back with a reboot of his sci-fi supergroup project, Star One. Here the prolific progger offers his candid views on why Transitus split the fans, on writer’s block and control freakery, and on the concept of new album, Revel In Time.

Rise And Shine

After a tumultuous period in their career, US trio Cynic were dealt a double blow in 2020, when two core members tragically died. The remaining co-founder Paul Masvidal re-grouped, and re-emerged with the fourth Cynic album. In his only interview for the UK and European press, Masvidal tells Prog the full, troubled story of Ascension Codes.

Blessed And Cursed

From playing high-octane “post-rock‘n’roll” to writing the soundtrack for a horror classic, Toundra are one of instrumental music’s most versatile bands. Now they’re pushing themselves again, with an album featuring a three-part suite decrying hatred and homophobia. Esteban Girón tells us more

A Glimpse Behind The Curtain

It’s been 10 years since this mysterious British duo got together, mixing cinematic post-rock with breathtaking multimedia – and not forgetting those costumes. With crowdfunding now helping to bring third album Symbiosis to light, Nordic Giants’ drummer-guitarist Rôka tells us more about the continuing theme of nature’s influences to them, and how to remain off-grid personally and musically

Meeting Of The Minds

Matt Baber and Richard Wileman never intended to make a record together, but through a combination of serendipity, fruitful raids on their respective archives, and a natural musical chemistry they found themselves with an album. They walk Prog through the creation of Baber Wileman, from accidental conception to a finished product that’s taken them both by surprise

Old Dogs, New Fangs

Since 1984’s To The Death! demo, Canada’s progressive metal veterans Voivod have built their songs out of winding improvisations and free-wheeling jam sessions. When the pandemic took those away from them, the band were forced to adapt their songwriting process. Their latest album, Synchro Anarchy, is the sound of that adaptation. A record full of darkness, dystopia and devilment, drummer Michel ‘Away’ Langevin reveals how unfamiliar territory helped the band create one of their finest albums yet

Myths

US proggers Wilderun continue their journey of creating expansively gorgeous but sometimes brutal orchestral progressive music with fourth album Epigone – and it could be their darkest, most folk-summoning yet

Aiming High

With some vital new blood bolstering their line-up, rising British prog rockers The Paradox Twin are daring to dream. Here the band’s founder Danny Sorrell and co-vocalist Nicole Johnson take us inside their latest album, Silence From Signals, and reveal the deeply personal concept behind it

Decree Nice Guy

Now the dust has settled on Transatlantic’s long-awaited comeback, Roine Stolt is back with his main band, The Flower Kings. New double album By Royal Decree reunites the founder with original band member, and brother, Michael. We discuss their new material, the upcoming reissues campaign and why Stolt’s keeping an open mind on the future

New Adventures In The North

Progressive metal masters Amorphis have trimmed the symphonic fat on their new, 14th album, Halo, and revealed something… almost poppy, but only how they can do pop. Rhythm guitarist Tomi Koivusaari talks to Prog about their streamlined anthems, sourcing inspiration from Finnish myths and how they built their unique death metal and folk music-flecked soundscape

Differences

Influenced by the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal as well as classic prog, US pioneers Watchtower were an instant sensation to a new progressive generation. But they were too ahead musically and too behind in industry knowledge, as founder/drummer Rick Colaluca, guitarist Ron Jarzombek and vocalist Alan Tecchio explain

Wonky SANCTUARY

French-Irish quartet Molybaron find no time for boredom with their second album, The Mutiny, which bagged them a label deal with InsideOut. Frontman Gary Kelly tells Prog how a move to Paris helped change his life and why he’s thinking big on the band’s third release