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Ed’s Letter

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LETTER

Thanks for your lovely piece on John Lodge

THE NEAL MORSE BAND ARE BACK WITH NEW CONCEPT ALBUM

Featuring the return of drummer Mike Portnoy, the 71-minute epic explores belonging, faith and renewal.

ALSO EDEN TO RELEASE THREE EPS

Spread across the year, the band’s new releases coincide with 2026 live dates.

HAWKWIND DEBUT ALBUM REMASTERED FOR BOX SET

The package includes remixes, live tracks and rarities.

BE PROG! MY FRIEND ANNOUNCES LINE-UP

Soen and The Ocean will headline the 2026 edition of the Barcelona-based festival.

NEW LP FROM GALASPHERE 347

Star-studded line up includes members of White Willow, Airbag, IQ and others.

HEN OGLEDD ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF THIRD LP

The folk-prog collective explore contemporary crises.

THE BLACKHEART ORCHESTRA NEW LP

Arctic Deep Sea Diving will explore adventurous areas this spring.

GAZPACHO CONFIRM 2026 TOUR DATES

The sextet will play their first UK show in four years in April.

NEW DEVIATIONS FROM GENRE-SMASHERS ULVER

The Norwegian collective switch from synthpop to ambient.

FAD GADGETS

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

AARON BOND

Arriving late to the party, the When Rivers Meet guitarist shares his love of latterday Genesis and Phil Collins.

PROG IN BRIEF

PRESS/ASHLEY JONES Ever-inventive choir The Mediæval Bæbes (right)

HÄLLAS

Scandi retro-proggers find musical inspiration in unexpected places.

BIFFY CLYRO

INFINITY LAND (Beggars Banquet, 2004)

JENNY SORRENTI

Italian prog singer returns with a bold new chapter of a project that began over 50 years ago.

PROG IN BRIEF

PRESS/ STEVO ROOD Tangerine Dream (right) mark the

CONFIRMATION BIAS

Former Rush tribute act embrace the slow-fermentation process of their debut.

WIN

DREAM THEATER LIVE SET

SISTER RAY DAVIES

Alabama shoegaze duo head seek inspiration in the North Sea.

LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE

Mexican pair defy categorisation with groovy, electro-infused psych rock.

MARTIN BARRE

Every month we get inside the mind of

BIG BIG TRAIN

British prog classicists honour absent friends, look to the past and forge a new future with their very first narrative concept album.

Dysphoria Live

KARISMA Oslo trio’s first official live album.

My Focus – Live Under The Rainbow

MASCOT Former Focus guitarist’s beautifully played showcase of classic work.

Ash Wing

WHITE KNIGHT RECORDS Magenta alumni’s folkier new project takes flight.

Tragic Magic INFINÉ

Stunning partnership weaves eerie beauty with haunting ambience.

Chaire & Live At Pomigliano D’Arco 1973 SONY MUSIC

Cult 1970s Italian proggers return with new and archive sets.

A Family Secret AMS RECORDS

Foreboding conceptual return from Italian prog rock troupe.

Seven Seasons

Enjoyable and varied fifth album from UK proggers’ new incarnation.

The Mirror BOUDICCA RECORDS

Scottish collective delivers impressive second album.

Sunsets In Stereo MOONPOP

Ex-Tangerine Dreamer returns with evolution of his emotional ‘guitartronica’.

Troubadour

Storied British journeywoman reminds us of her quality.

Der Brauch LONG BRANCH RECORDS

German experimentalists continue to push their own envelope on seventh album.

Sommermørket EL PARAISO RECORDS

Second album from Bergen quartet.

Chiaroscuro HOPEFUL TRAGEDY RECORDS

A powerful second outing from the Yorkshire quartet.

Everything Is Singing To Me

Mercurial solo offering from Hawkwind guitarist.

Panorama ÄVENTYR

S wedish retro renegades with a lust for adventure.

Last Comet WORST BASSIST/GRAZIL/GOLDEN ROBOT.

Fourth album from Italian/Norwegian ‘krautgaze’ exponents.

The Finest Hour MYSTIC PRODUCTION

Polish trio rise with cinematic ambition and Floydian grace.

Songs From The Nebula APOLLON

Norwegian oddballs determinedly dodge the obvious.

PROGRESSIVE METAL

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

Time Frames MODEMUSIC

Modern melodic prog flagbearer returns with classy third album.

Flare BELLA UNION

Second album from Brighton trio delivers on the promise of their debut.

FRACTAL LANDSCAPES FOREVER MONOCHROME MOTIF RECORDS

Fractal geometry-inspired music from UK composer Terry Mallory-Robinson.

QUATERMASS III PENNY FARTHING

Glam-prog veterans return with next episode of pre-modern electro-rock.

The Age Of Destruction

Eye-popping Jeff Wayne-style odyssey.

SANCTUARY SKY RIFFSTONE RECORDS UK

British prog duo take a trip through sacred spaces.

THE ILLUSION Of Choice

Welsh proggers offer rich, hard-edged series of allusions.

PSYCHEDELIC PROG

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

Reliance SILVER LINING MUSIC

Swedish prog metallers continue to adopt more metal and less prog.

Sunder

Australian keyboard wizard gets his shred on.

Tangram BURNING SHED

Atmospheric art-rock brilliance from one-man operation.

GENOTYPE KSCOPE

Dutch prog metallers’ sixth album, a decade in the making.

INDOOR ENTHUSIAST METAL BLADE

Fates Warning guitarist continues his leftward progress.

LIVE IN BRIGHTON DISCUS RECORDS

Canterbury-adjacent power trio.

Means Of Escape

T he Resonance Association main man goes above and beyond.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

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

THE STUDIO ALBUMS: 1992-2016 RHINO

Expanded encapsulation of progressive metal heavyweights’ career.

BLOOM (10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) INSIDEOUTMUSIC

Aussie prog metallers’ breakout album remains unwilted a decade on.

EARTHRISE – LIVE AT THE MARQUEE 1974 ESOTERIC

Chronicle of Camel in key transition.

LIVE FROM LONDON – CAMDEN PALACE 1985 ESOTERIC

Neo-prog prospects captured at mid-80s high point.

THE KÖLN CONCERT 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ECM RECORDS

Legendary album receives celebratory presentation.

Retracing Our Steps (2007-2014) KSCOPE

British art-rockers gather studio albums and more on weighty retrospective.

PROCOL HARUM: VINYL EDITION ESOTERIC

Weird, wonderful debut trips the light fandango again.

THE COLLECTION – DELUXE EDITION CHRYSALIS

Midge Ure and co’s imperial phase-collection, now expanded.

Halloween ’78 ZAPPA RECORDS/UME

Zappa’s spooky annual shindig gets a super-deluxe makeover.

KEVAN FURBANK SONICBOND

Never mind the bollocks… Prog’s not dead.

ARMANDO GALLO

Peak prog Genesis in words and pictures.

Radar KSCOPE

Flawed visual document of Brit prog metal heavyweights’ biggest headlining gig.

A TRICK OF MEMORY: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF JETHRO TULL’S GUITARIST

Engaging, if brief, autobiography of the former Jethro Tull guitar legend.

MOON SAFARI

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EXPLORING BIRDSONG

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JUSTIN HAYWARD

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DIM GRAY

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HACKNEY PROG FEST

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PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING

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THE ANCHORESS

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KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD

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GONG

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HAWKLORDS

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BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD

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JORDAN RUDESS DREAM THEATER

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

50 BEST ALBUMS OFTHE YEAR

What an incredible 2025 it’s been in the world of prog. This year, we’ve taken a different approach to our Critics’ Choice and instead of printing our writers’ Top 20 lists, we’ve pooled them to create a definitive Top 50 with profile pieces on some of the key players. Did your favourite make the cut? We look forward to reading your thoughts on the results.

1 STEVEN WILSON THE OVERVIEW FICTION

Steven Wilson returned to his progressive rock roots in 2025 with an epic two-track concept album and a wow-factor tour. Somehow, he even managed to find the time to remix Pink Floyd and a whole host of other rock and pop icons, too.

PROGROCK.COM’S Essentials

At a time when progressive rock labels seem to be closing faster than they are opening, this indie is going from strength to strength. Owners Mark and Rayna Monforti take a moment to draw breath and reflect on their 2025 successes.

Steve Rothery

Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery embraced his more electronic side this year with Bioscope, his soundscape project with Tangerine Dream’s Thorsten Quaeschning. But he’s not ditching the day job: work is well underway on Marillion’s next studio album, and there’s his long-awaited collaboration with a certain Mr Hackett still to come.

David Gilmour

Last year, the former Pink Floyd leader surprised us all with his first solo album in nine years. This year, he wowed us again with The Luck And Strange Concerts and Live At The Circus Maximus . Here are 10 reasons why David Gilmour was top of the progs in 2025.

THE 20 BEST REISSUES OF THE YEAR

This year has seen some huge reissue campaigns, with long-awaited cuts from Pink Floyd, Genesis, Rush, Mike Oldfield and many more all getting the deluxe treatment. We’ve collated our writers’ favourites to create a list of the Top 20 Best Reissues from 2025. Read on!

1 GENESIS THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY (50TH ANNIVERSARY SUPER-DELUXE EDITION) RHINO

After what seemed like forever, Genesis’s much-loved concept album was finally beefed up and reissued as a bumper set that won our critics’ hearts.

Steeleye Span

Steeleye Span have had a shifting line-up over

Yes

Ever-busy Yes guitarist Steve Howe discusses the band’s recent US tour and plans for 2026, as well as his own upcoming solo releases.

Solent Area Prog

Pull up a chair: The Emerald Dawn at

EBB

Since they drifted into our world a few years ago, EBB have gone from strength to strength and on their hotly anticipated second album, The Mirror , the Scotland-based collective have flexed their muscles even further.

IN MEMORIAM

We bid a sad but fond farewell to the musicians, producers, songwriters and more from the prog world who left us this year. Adieu.

Rush

The tour hasn’t even happened yet, but if 2025 is remembered for one thing, it most likely will be Rush announcing they were going back out on the road, with German drummer Anika Nilles, for their R50 shows.

Future Times: 2026 Preview

Buckle up because 2026 is shaping up to be one helluva ride. We take a look into the prog crystal ball and find out what live releases, reissues and shows are expected in the next 12 months.