This year has been full of ups and downs, but we’ve certainly had some great music along the way. The Proglodytes assembled for a cave council and shared some of our favorite recommendations from 2024. We at Proglodytes sincerely hope you check out these album recommendations and support these artists. Click on the album name to listen to and buy these amazing records.
Iris
Frost* decided to create a double album, and I can confidentially say that they definitely delivered an epic 1 hour musical journey with this one. I personally do not agree with the message they’re trying to send out with their lyrics, but I do think they’ve created a wonderful mix of emotional ballads and versatile prog rock songs filled with keyboard and guitar solos. I’m also delighted to hear that Craig Blundell has returned behind the drum kit since he’s been such an amazing force for the band since Falling Satellites. This album is definitely my number one pick of the year!
I’ve became a fan of Klone since their 2019 album Le Grand Voyage because of their perfect blend of heavy sounding guitars and mellow, almost ambient like soundscapes. They know how to mix several genres into songs while keeping a consistent flow and staying true to their core. The Unseen definitely digs into more tribal, exotic like sounds, which is a pleasant surprise! Fans of the earlier music of Klone will probably think that the album isn’t heavy enough, but I embrace the more versatile music Klone has been creating over the years.
Vola definitely decided to stay close to their progressive metal roots with Friend Of A Phantom, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. This albums comes close to their debut album in loudness and heavy guitar riffs, but it is obvious to hear that the band has grown and has become more seasoned in their versatile but firm melodies. This has been my number one prog metal release and I’m sure other people will think the same! If you haven’t heard anything by Vola yet this album is definitely a good start.
Thomas
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – of the Last Human Being
I can remember the first time I heard Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, over 20 years ago. They had just released their debut album, Grand Opening and Closing, and I can distinctly remember the confusion and terror that I felt as I listened to the bizarre and beautiful “Sleep is Wrong”. They released a handful of incredible, boundary-pushing albums before going on indefinite hiatus. In 2023, they announced via their socials that they would be reuniting and releasing an album, a short film, and embarking on a massive tour, which was funded completely on Kickstarter in only 2 days. My wife and I saw them perform on this tour, and it was without a doubt one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.
Their latest record, of the Last Human Being, was released in February of 2024 and was everything I had hoped it would be. Songs like the devastatingly gorgeous “Salamander in Two Worlds” and the mesmerizing “Burn Into Light” made this one of my most listed-to records of 2024.
I was a fan of Kyros before ProgStock, and had listened to Celexa Dreams quite a bit prior to seeing them live. But, as my music listening and reviewing has been in a slump over the last year or so, I hadn’t gotten around to listening to the full 2024 follow up, Mannequin, outside watching the single videos. But, after seeing them live and spending some time with them, I felt compelled to check out this record in full. As a fan of extremely catchy synth-laden pop, I was really glad to hear the band had leaned into this sound, but I was also surprised to hear the incorporation of a lot of other elements, too. This is a powerful and personal record, and the musicianship is top notch. Mannequin will surprise and delight you, and will only get better the more you listen to it.
Joey Frevola – Art Supplies and Pain
Speaking of Kyros- I had some lovely chats with the band members in between sets. I had spoken some with the other band members in various contexts, but didn’t know the guitarist Joey that well. He shared with me that he had been working on a solo record for a while and was preparing to release it. I, of course, agreed to check it out. From the very first couple seconds (Joey kicks off the record with a meme-ified audio clip from a widely shared James Labrie Cameo video), I fell in love. This album is completely unhinged, to a level I haven’t seen since Sir Millard Mulch’s triple album How To Sell The Whole Fucking Universe To Everybody…Once And For All! (though it is considerably shorter and the production is much more modern). And much like Sir Millard Mulch’s freakshow festival, this album has several excellent guest artists (such as Ryo Okumoto from Spock’s Beard and Charlie Cawood from Kyros/countless other musical projects) that really elevate the tracks they guest on.
Every song is completely different- one moment you feel like you’re stuck in a glitched-out Mario Kart level, and the next moment you hear operatic singers fighting about assembling IKEA furniture. The album closes with the absolutely bonkers but also completely transparent “My Dilemma” (featuring Max Mobarry from Flummox/Others by No One/friend and sometimes contributor here at Proglodytes), which serves as a thesis statement of sorts for the album, and explores the struggle of every musician; whether to appeal to the masses or do what feels most authentic to yourself. I’m glad Joey followed his muse and made this very silly, very impressive album.
Meer had floored me already with 2021’s Playing House, but this year’s Wheels Within Wheels demonstrates incredible progress for Meer as a band. With lush, gorgeous arrangements, emotional delivery, and strong melodic sensibility that can sometimes be absent in progressive and prog-adjacent spheres, Meer delivers one of the best albums of the year. Just listen to the deceptively complex single “Golden Circle” and see if you don’t find yourself smiling.
When you follow an artist for as long as I’ve been following Devin Townsend, each new album feels like a letter from an old friend. For me, getting to see Devin’s transformation from someone who was obviously struggling with how he emotionally responds to different aspects of his life, to someone who seems to have found a path through the pain, has been really beautiful and satisfying. PowerNerd is an album that doesn’t shy away from Devin’s struggles, but the perspective he has is the major change. Despite the trademark silly moments (“Ruby Quaker” comes to mind) there is a through-line of gratitude (hell, even a song *called* “Gratitude”) and acceptance, and I felt uplifted and inspired as I listened to the record, making it feel almost religious in a universalist sort of way. I’m grateful to be along for Devin’s ride towards self actualization.
Wyatt
Replace the guitar with a keyboard, and Dirty Loops would probably be one of the most insane
power trios in the world. I was first introduced to them shortly after they released their EP
Phoenix in the fall of 2020, and I was blown away at first listen. Pop melodies driving each song,
with jazz and gospel arrangements riddled throughout – the three guys made it seamless. I got
to see them live for the first time this past spring, and they backed it up on stage as well. Beagle
was released on October 20th of this year, and it’s the band’s third EP. While they still
incorporate a ton of jazz fusion and funk elements, this EP has a few songs that see the band
diving into new realms. The lead single, “Runaway,” has a very lush, synth-heavy chorus that’s
broken up by jagged bass-soloing as verses – only the bass tone is a conglomeration of several
effects, including a wicked pitch-shift at the forefront. The second track (and second single),
“When the Time Is Right,” has elements of electronic dance music (EDM), whereas the fourth
track, “Going On a Date,” is like a more upbeat sister-track to the former. The two other songs,
one of them being a Stevie Wonder cover, are more of the classic Dirty Loops sound, making
the album not something completely foreign to fans of their previous works. I always
appreciated Dirty Loops going the EP route and releasing five songs at a time. Each EP is
always something new, but it’s bite-sized and easy to throw on. Do check these guys out;
they’re masters at their respective instruments.
Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
I really couldn’t ignore the hype surrounding this album. I have a student who is into these guys,
and knowing what other bands this student listens to, I wasn’t sure if this album would be my
cup of tea. Between the Buried and Me is one of my favorite bands, and that’s pretty much the
furthest I go when it comes to death metal. But I think my love for BTBAM is what made loving
the new Blood Incantation album so easy. For starters, the 45-minute album is just two songs
(“The Stargate” and “The Message”), each split into three tracks known as “Tablets.” Instantly,
my mind goes back to 1972/1973 with classic British progressive rock albums like Jethro Tull’s
Thick As a Brick and A Passion Play, and Yes’ Tales from Topographic Oceans. Of course, this
is a much heavier album, using the ‘90s death metal template laid out by bands like Morbid
Angel and Death. What’s great about this album is I would classify it as a “more progressive”
death metal album at face-value; meaning, I consider it a death metal album first and foremost,
but with traditional progressive rock styles reminiscent of Pink Floyd and Genesis sprinkled in.
The guys even got current Tangerine Dream bandleader Thorsten Qaueschning to contribute
synthesizers and mellotron on the album’s second track, “The Stargate [Tablet II].” Absolutely
gnarly riffs, layered harsh vocals, and dense production makes this exactly what I feel the band
set out to accomplish, which was an epic “cosmic-metal” album that could break through to the
mainstream rock and metal world
Xerxes
Leprous- Melodies of Atonement
Leprous has been one of progressive rock’s best bands for several years now, essentially since The Congregation was released in 2015. Since that time, they have released three albums of creative, technical and emotional music. With Melodies of Atonement, they have continued this trend of excellent albums. They have turned to the guitars a little more and utilized fewer synths and strings giving the overall impression of a little more spontaneity and edge. But the songs still build up to explosive moments that make the experience on that comes from the gut as much as from the intellect. Check out the build up to the screams on Like a Sunken Ship. If that one doesn’t get your head banging, nothing will.
What are some of your favorites from 2023? Leave a comment below.
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