Progressive Rock Reviews
Since I generally tend to prefer progressive rock over progressive metal – seventies-style progressive rock in particular – the style is represented relatively well on Kevy Metal. Since I tend to lean towards the more riffy, guitar-driven side of the progressive rock spectrum rather than the folky or keyboard-laden side of it, those who enjoy the bands reviewed in my progressive metal reviews and my hard rock reviews might find something to enjoy here as well. These are all my Album of the Week reviews about progressive rock releases.
Using tags effecitvely is something I didn’t do until a couple of years in. As a result, some progressive rock revies may show up here. If you are looking for something specific, I recommend using the search bar at the bottom of the page.
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Album of the Week 21-2021: Silver Lake By Esa Holopainen – Silver Lake
Solo projects by metal guitarists are often self-indulgent affairs. But then again, Amorphis’ Esa Holopainen never was your typical lead guitarist for a metal band. He tends to build his guitar solos around recognizable melodies and a handful of impactful notes with a great sound, while his compositions for Amorphis…
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Album of the Week 15-2021: Gentle Giant – The Power And The Glory
Gentle Giant has got to be the least accessible band that I actually enjoy listening to. They are generally a favorite among connoisseurs of progressive rock, but they never had the crossover appeal that the likes of Genesis, Yes and even King Crimson did have. In a way, this is…
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Album of the Week 14-2021: Marillion – Sounds That Can’t Be Made
When ‘Sounds That Can’t Be Made’ was released, Marillion was in a bit of a rut for me. ‘Somewhere Else’ and the double album ‘Happiness Is The Road’ were good for what they were, but the alternative rock and progressive pop on those albums were not how I personally prefer…
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Album of the Week 13-2021: Genesis – Duke
After Steve Hackett left Genesis, the band changed significantly. This change ultimately proved to be quite lucrative, as progressive pop Genesis outsold progressive rock Genesis by a wide margin. However, save for a few excellent tracks, they never fully recovered from Hackett’s departure musically in my opinion. Having said that,…
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Album of the Week 46-2020: Kinniku Shojo Tai – Omake No Ichinichi (Tatakai No Hibi)
After crazy eclectics Kinniku Shojo Tai reunited about a decade and a half ago, they decided to focus on what they did best. Melodic power metal, muscular funk rock, Queen-ish layered bombast and proggy weirdness. If that already sounds quite eclectic to you, you would not be wrong. Post-reunion Kinniku…
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Album of the Week 39-2020: Fleetburner – Fleetburner
It isn’t often that debut albums manage to blow me away these days, but Fleetburner’s self-titled first album managed to do just that. Certainly, it helps that the musicians involved are no unexperienced amateurs, but ‘Fleetburner’ is simply an adventurous album that surprises its listeners more than once. The album…
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Album of the Week 30-2020: Jehtro Tull – Minstrel In The Gallery
Unlike most bands whose heyday was in the seventies, there doesn’t seem to be any consensus on what the classic Jethro Tull album is. If anything, this is a testament to the band’s versatility. ‘Aqualung’ appears to be the most popular one, but fans of the band’s progressive side tend…
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Album of the Week 28-2020: Hedvig Mollestad – Ekhidna
What Hedvig Mollestad does with her own trio – blending Sabbathian stoner rock grooves with jazzy improvisations – is already impressive, but I was not prepared for the genius of ‘Ekhidna’. While the seventies rock riffs are still everywhere, Mollestad and her five companions dial the jazz factor way up,…
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Album of the Week 22-2020: Othyrworld – Beyond Into The Night Of Day
Othyrworld was the continuation of Canadian sci-fi heavy metal band Sacred Blade. Don’t believe me? Their first – and unfortunately only – album ‘Beyond Into The Night Of Day’ contains nine tracks that could also be found on Sacred Blade’s 1986 debut album ‘Of The Sun + Moon’. While that…