10 New Progressive Rock & Metal Bands You Should Be Checking Out
In a nutshell, progressive rock kicked off in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when distinctive and imaginative artists experimented with particularly complex arrangements, lengthy track lengths, fantastical storytelling, and other enjoyable eccentric attributes. In the process, bands like Yes, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and others they also peppered their rock foundations with healthy doses of folk, jazz, pop, classical, and/or other styles.
Then, in the 1980s and into the 1990s, artists like Fates Warning, Queensrÿche, Savatage, and especially Dream Theater essentially melded those prog rock attributes with the fiercer attitudes of heavy metal. Since then, scores of insanely popular bands like Opeth and Tool continue to carry the mantle those pioneers created.
Nowadays, there are so many modern prog rock and metal artists who’re in need of much more attention and love. Specifically, the groups on this list are very new to the scene, and while some of them are steadily getting the spotlight, all of them are too easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention.
So, crank up your speakers and keep reading to learn about 10 new progressive rock and metal bands you should be checking out!
Benthos
Hailing from Italy, Benthos rightly pride themselves on fusing “intricate elements of prog metal, mathcore, and post-hardcore” to yield “a sonic universe where precision collides with unpredictability, and melody crashes into madness.” Think BTBAM meets Coheed and Cambria, TesseracT, and The Contortionist and you have a pretty good idea of what they sound like.
They’ve even shared the stage with top-tier acts such as Meshuggah and Soen, and their first record – 2021’s curiously titled II – earned them considerable praise in the press. That said, this year’s follow-up (From Nothing) is an arguably more impressive display of what the quintet can do. Just listen to the brutal screams and frenetic guitar riffs of “Fossil,” as well as the melodic and atmospheric core of “Let Me Plunge,” for proof of why they’re so promising.
Sometime in February
Given how many awesome and established instrumental prog acts currently vie for our attention, it can be difficult for a newcomer to stand out and make a name for themselves. As the opening track on their recently released sophomore full-length album Where Mountains Hide, “Palantir” demonstrates that this North Carolinian trio Sometime in February are already doing precisely that.
By blending prog metal, jazz fusion, post-rock, and even blues (to an extent), the band’s music resonates and impresses so much because they masterfully offset requisite hecticness and speediness with equal doses of textured tranquility (due in part to their wide-ranging instrumentation). Plus, they moved engineering/production legend Jamie King enough to have him mix their music, so you know they’ve got the goods!
Asymmetric Universe
Founded by brothers Nicolò Vese and Federico Vese in 2018, Italian instrumental trio Asymmetric Universe—who recently signed with major prog label Inside Out Music—have released two EPs and some singles so far. They’ve also opened for Ne Obliviscaris and Persefone, thereby delighting huge audiences with their boundary-pushing ability to meld prog metal, “avant-garde jazz” and “emotional ambien[ce].”
The playful and unconventional opening moments of the relatively mellow “Kaleidoscope” alone evoke the daring timbres and intoxicating grooves of Beardfish and Frank Zappa. In contrast, “Opaco” gets increasingly erratic, with plenty of tapping, harmonics, and what sound like ascending vocables humanizing their virtuosic jamming. Regardless of which track you put on, though, Asymmetric Universe will take you on an ambitiously wild adventure.
Phase Transition
We’re now moving onto Portuguese trio Phase Transition, who began by playing Dream Theater covers while studying at university and whose lineup includes drummer Fernando Maia, guitarist Luís Dias, and violinist/vocalist Sofia Becco. Obviously, that means that they bypass traditional instrumentation by not having a keyboardist (let alone a bassist), allowing their classical/progressive metal aesthetic to be highly surprising and unique.
There’s a gothic metal edge to tracks such as “Veil of Illusions” and “Becoming” that sound like what might happen if Evanescence or the Anneke van Giersbergen era of The Gathering merged with Periphery or TesseracT. Naturally, their initial EP (2020’s Relatively Speaking) is full of such enticing hybrids, and if their first LP—In Search of Being, set to arrive this June—is anything like it, listeners will be in for quite a treat.
Nospūn
North Carolina must be a breeding ground for amazing artists, as newcomer Nospūn joins the aforementioned Sometime in February (and BTBAM) as one of the state’s supreme progressive groups. Whether it’s their 2023 full-length introduction (Opus); the 2024 instrumental version of Opus; or their 2025 EP (Ozai), they continuously deliver captivating material.
In a sense—and as showcased by gems such as “Earwyrm,” “The Effervescent Power,” “Dance With Me!,” and “Within the Realm of Possibility”—they combine the bonkers changeups of BTBAM, Eathside and Parius with the quirkiness of Devin Townsend and the far too short-lived Native Construct. Opus even implements narration to tie its concept together, and Nospūn are equally adept at crafting gentle ad moody ballads.
If they’re this accomplished right out of the gate, just imagine where they’ll go next!
Múr
As demonstrated by the superb pedigrees of Björk, Sigur Rós, Sólstafir, and Agent Fresco, Iceland has been a fruitful place for exciting prog (and prog-adjacent) artists. Last year, experimental prog metal fivesome Múr instantly added themselves to that list with their eponymous first studio record, which eventually, and correctly, earned them an Icelandic Music Award for “Newcomer of the Year”.
They describe their sound as “dark, atmospheric and boundary-shattering,” with “progressive sensibilities that harken to the Devin Townsend Project and mid-era Opeth” alongside Meshuggah and Gojira.
Tracks such as “Frelsari” and album closer “Holskefla” validate those comparisons with their razor-sharp riffs and rhythms, guttural outbursts, and underlying bleak tone. On the other hand, “Eldhaf” has a bit more of an accessible post-rock vibe, and throughout the sequence, Múr ensure that listeners discover enticing new layers with each playthrough.
OU
The synthesis of metal, pop, ambient, and electronic music has become a major talking point for metalheads in recent years, with acts such as Poppy and Babymetal drawing as much ire from traditionalists as they have admiration from those who’re more open-minded about the style (and the people making it).
With 2022’s one and (especially) 2024’s II: Frailty, burgeoning Chinese outfit OU highlighted how jaw-dropping the hybrid can be if it’s done correctly. The juxtaposition between Lynn Wu’s glossily high-pitched vocals and her bandmates’ dazzling djent backdrops and nuanced production is always fascinating. Plus, their skill at balancing that fury with peaceful soundscapes and lighter singing (“Reborn,” “Redemption”) enhances their classiness and temperamental range.
It’s little wonder why II: Frailty was included on so many “Best of” lists last year.
Royal Sorrow
Another band that’s planted firmly in the prog metal domain yet also incorporates touches of accessible alternative/electronic rock is Finland’s Royal Sorrow. Like a lot of groups, Royal Sorrow grew out of a band that some members formed as children, and although they’ve only just signed to a label (Inside Out Music) and put out a handful of tracks, they’re already gaining traction within the scene.
Lead single “Metrograve” exemplifies their formula wonderfully, with vocalist/guitarist Markus Hentunen’s affectively clean singing and purifying screams complementing smoothly flowing dynamic shifts and subtle but intriguing layers. The same goes for the comparatively catchier and sparser “Evergreen,” and with just these two tunes, Royal Sorrow have become one of the most enticing new kids on the block.
With any luck, we’ll get their first LP sometime in 2025.
Moonsoon
Over the past few decades, Norwegian drummer/vocalist Helge Nyheim has made a name for himself across the globe by working with dozens of established artists, so it’s no shock that his newest band (Moonsoon) is so fetching. In particular, their upcoming debut LP—East of Asteroid—was made alongside co-songwriter/arranger Daniel Hauge and features a variety of contributions from superb players.
Tracks such as “Virtual Avenue,” “Crack Our Codes” and “Rays of Cosmic Embers (Part II)” tap into the spacey foundations, quirky personas, and melodic sophistications of IQ, Marillion, and RPWL. Conversely, “The Nasty Man,” “Ones and Zeros,” and “East of Asteroid (Part II)” are significantly more frenzied and confrontational (in the best ways possible), evoking the gruffer sides of Ayreon and Haken. The whole thing is full of vibrant timbres, too, including horns, female backing vocals, and an array of keyboard flourishes.
Having heard the whole LP (many times), I can promise that East of Asteroid will be one of 2025’s best prog rock/metal releases, just as Moonsoon is a project that deserves as much attention as it can get.
AVKRVST
Inspired by the group’s love for King Crimson, Porcupine Tree and Anekdoten, The Approbation centers around “a bleak soul who is left solely with this thoughts [regarding death]” in a cabin, and from front to back, it’s a captivating ride of lusciously rustic textures, complexly abrasive arrangements and beautifully contemplative singing (“The Pale Moon,” “Arcane Clouds,” “Isolation”). As haunting as they are hectic, AVKRVST’s musical chops are matched only by their existential weightiness.
While it’s not an absolute obligation for every genre artist, it’s fair to say that concept albums are a trademark of progressive music. One of the best concept albums in recent years – 2023’s The Approbation – came from the fresh faces of AVKRVST, and with it, they did justice to the legacies of fellow Norwegians Wobbler, Gazpacho, Tusmorke, Borknager, and many others.
