Kaleidobolt |Karakuchi |Svart Records

Release Date 06.03.2026
Format CD/LP/Digital
Genre Psych/Prog Rock
Country Finland

Kaleidobolt has been kicking around Helsinki since 2014, establishing themselves as a loud power trio with a habit of making noise. They spent the last decade building a discography that includes "Bitter" and "This One Simple Trick," albums where they seemingly threw every effect pedal and studio trick into the mix. For this fifth album, "Karakuchi", they decided to strip the gear back. Instead of layering endless overdubs, they went for a raw, live-in-the-studio approach, relying entirely on their ability to play off one another in real-time.

The energy here is frantic and anxious. It sounds like a collision between the technical frustration of King Crimson’s "Red" and the filth of early speed rock. The music is hyperkinetic, twitching between tempos and threatening to spin off the tracks at any moment. The cover art, featuring the band members fused into a weird biomechanical torpedo, actually sums up the vibe well. It is organic, sweaty human performance trying to achieve the velocity of a machine. The riffs are tangled knots of distortion, and the rhythm section pushes everything forward with a sense of panic.

The title "Karakuchi" refers to a dry, pungent taste that hits fast and vanishes, and that description fits the production here perfectly. Because they removed the atmospheric gloss of previous records, the sound is incredibly dry. There is no reverb to hide behind. The songs strike quickly and end abruptly. While the technical skill is obvious, the dryness sometimes makes the tracks feel like rigorous exercises rather than cohesive anthems. It is abrasive and impressive, but the lack of sonic depth means the music doesn't stick in your head long after the needle lifts.

This is a decent listen if you want something that demands your full attention for 37 minutes. It serves up plenty of nervous energy and frantic playing, appealing to those who like their prog weird and their psych fast. However, by trading texture for raw agitation, the album loses some of the immersion found in their back catalog. It is a proficient display of chops that feels a little too clinically dry to truly love.

Score: 6.5

https://www.svartrecords.com

https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords

https://www.instagram.com/svartrecords

https://www.facebook.com/kaleidobolt

https://www.instagram.com/kaleidobolt

Nightingale | The Closing Chronicles | InsideOut (Re-Release)

Release Date: August 8, 2025

Format: LP/CD

Genre: Progressive Dark Rock

Country: Sweden

Nightingale was born in the mid nineties as the personal universe of Dan Swanö, a musician who had already carved a name in extreme metal with Edge Of Sanity & Bloodbath and later through work with Opeth and Katatonia. Nightingale moved in a different direction, rooted in dark rock with progressive touches and melodic storytelling. “The Closing Chronicles”, originally released in 1996, was the moment when Dan’s brother, Dag Swanö, stepped inside the project for good. The album expanded Nightingale’s early blueprint and soon became one of the band’s most beloved works. Almost three decades later, it returns remastered, sounding refreshed without losing its original character.

This new edition of “The Closing Chronicles” brings the album back to circulation with stronger definition and a warmer presence than the old version. The main disc holds the original songs, from “Deep Inside Of Nowhere” to the long journey of “Alive Again”. The writing still shows Dan Swanö at a point where he was combining melodic rock with dramatic storytelling, keeping things grounded while allowing emotion to run through the compositions. Dag Swanö’s guitar lines support this direction with a steady hand, giving the album a clear identity. The songs keep their theatrical tension, carried by Dan’s baritone voice and a melodic sensibility that was already well developed by 1996.

The second disc spreads across different periods. “The Childhood Chronicles” offers early sketches and ideas, giving listeners a window into the roots of the album’s concept. The 2025 versions of “Intermezzo” and “Alive Again” present updated interpretations with a more modern sound, handled carefully so the originals remain the backbone. The live tracks bring a raw and unfiltered charm, showing how Nightingale used these songs on stage with a tighter approach. The demos close everything with rough edges intact, reminding us how these ideas began before they took final shape.

This reissue doesn’t simply repackage old material. It reopens a chapter of Nightingale that many listeners have wanted to revisit for years, doing so with respect for the album’s original soul. “The Closing Chronicles” still carries that melancholic charm, a mix of rock storytelling and melodic richness that has aged gracefully. For longtime fans it is a welcome return, and for new listeners it serves as a clear introduction to a unique corner of Dan Swanö’s long career.

Score: 8.0

Jason Blake | Infinite Fade | Self-Release

Release Date: October 17, 2024

Format: Digital

Genre: Progressive Rock, Instrumental

Country: USA

Chicago-based musician Jason Blake has become a steady name in the progressive scene, known for his skill on the Warr guitar and his tireless creativity. Between his solo material and his work with Aziola Cry, Blake has built a strong identity within modern instrumental music. Over the past few years, he’s released a series of albums and collaborations that explore different shades of progressive sound, from the cinematic textures of his work with cellist Raphael Weinroth-Browne to the rhythmically intricate sessions with drummer Marco Minnemann.

With “Infinite Fade”, Blake takes another turn, crafting a futuristic and haunting concept centered around the downfall of a civilization. Using only his Warr guitar and some percussive accents, he constructs a sound world that feels distant and human at once. His approach to melody carries a strong sense of progression, with layers moving from quiet introspection to controlled chaos. The music has a certain cold beauty, like a digital landscape slowly eroding under time and decay.

There’s a continuous flow through the album’s seven tracks, each serving as a fragment of the larger vision. The guitar work is textural and intricate, giving the impression of overlapping patterns and mechanical cycles breaking apart. When Tommy Murray’s drums enter during “A Lost Beacon” and “Into Decay,” they bring a sense of finality, grounding the closing act of the story with heavier and more dramatic energy. The rhythmic drive deepens the atmosphere, turning the ending into a collapsing horizon rather than a quiet fade.

“Infinite Fade” feels like the soundtrack to an imagined world, wordless but expressive, methodical but full of emotion. Blake’s playing keeps a fine balance between technical skill and narrative flow, and his use of tone and space makes the album easy to immerse in. The production has a crisp modern sound that complements his vision, without feeling sterile or overprocessed.

For listeners who enjoy the instrumental worlds of artists such as Trey Gunn, Cynic, or Tool, this album offers a satisfying and thoughtful experience. “Infinite Fade” stands as a focused, well-realized release from an artist who continues to evolve without losing direction.

Score: 7.0

https://www.jasonblakemusic.com

https://www.instagram.com/jasonblakemusic

https://www.facebook.com/jasonblakewarr

https://twitter.com/jasonblakewarr

https://jasonblake.bandcamp.com

Flitcraft | Transmission Echo | Pitch Black Records

 

Release Date: October 17th, 2025

Format: CD, LP, Digital

Genre: Progressive Heavy Rock

Country: Australia

Flitcraft was born in Melbourne out of isolation and imagination. During the pandemic, singer and guitarist Phillip T. King (known from Galaxy and Butterfly) began crafting what would become one of the most interesting new acts in Australian progressive rock. With drummer Jack Samuels and bassist Zac Halpin joining soon after, Flitcraft turned from a solo vision into a full band with growing ambition. Two albums later, they arrive at their third release, “Transmission Echo”, through Pitch Black Records, continuing their cosmic journey through rich melodies, vintage energy and warm, human emotion.

The album opens with “Days”, a prelude that immediately builds a sense of anticipation before “Talus” bursts into view. The guitars shimmer with a classic tone, the rhythm section moves with purpose, and King’s voice brings personality and brightness. There’s a strong sense of optimism in how the band plays, music that looks to the stars but keeps its feet firmly on rock ground. “Anxiety Machine” spins its name into motion with restless drumming and guitar interplay that nods to Deep Purple’s fiery style.

The ten-minute “Years” stands as the heart of the album. It’s ambitious, emotional, and filled with shifts that recall Iron Maiden’s gallop, Pink Floyd’s atmospheric side, and the positive reach of Yes. The song unfolds with patience, revealing layers of melody and tone that invite repeated listening. Later, “Turncoat Blues” keeps things grounded, catchy, and brisk, before the closing title track “Transmission Echo” ends everything in a dreamlike state. It’s spacious, melodic, and strangely comforting, like a transmission from a faraway place you’ve somehow always known.

Flitcraft sounds connected to something genuine here. The music draws from the best of classic progressive and heavy rock but plays with a freshness that feels personal rather than nostalgic. The production is warm, detailed, and lets the instruments breathe naturally. The album’s pacing is deliberate, creating an unbroken sense of discovery across its 43 minutes.

“Transmission Echo” is the kind of album that rewards time and attention. It doesn’t chase trends, and it doesn’t rely on bombast. Instead, it unfolds like a journey, built on melody, adventure and a quiet sense of wonder. Flitcraft has created something that stands apart in its sincerity and musical depth, a record that reminds listeners why progressive rock still matters when played with heart.

Score: 8.3

https://www.facebook.com/flitcraft.aus

Vøvk | Litera | Kontrabass

 

Release Date: October 3, 2025

Format: Digital

Genre: Progressive Rock/Post-Hardcore

Country: Ukraine

Kyiv’s Vøvk returns with their second full-length album, “Litera”, a concept-driven work that binds together emotion, symbolism, and the raw pulse of Ukraine’s current era. The trio has always balanced structure with emotional chaos, and this time they sharpen that contrast through a story told in cycles, drought, fire, flood, renewal, and back to drought again. It’s less an album of separate tracks and more an emotional landscape shaped by shifting seasons and inner weather.

From the first minutes, “Litera” opens like a ritual. The atmosphere is thick, driven by earthy percussion and layers of guitar that feel organic and unforced. The production by Roman Bondar (Lizard Audio, Kyiv) gives the songs a physicality, every bassline hits with the pulse of a living organism, every drumbeat like a heartbeat echoing in the soil. The sound is neither minimal nor overblown, just dense enough to hold its weight.

Vøvk’s songwriting walks a line between accessibility and experimentation. The band draws inspiration from sources like Mastodon, The Mars Volta, and Deafheaven but never mimics them. The songs rise and fall in unpredictable waves, sometimes glowing with melody, sometimes dark and jagged. The rhythm section holds everything together with a quiet precision, even when time signatures twist in unexpected ways. The guitar lines act less as leads and more as moving textures, guiding the listener through each transformation.

The presence of guest musicians brings depth rather than decoration. Johannes Persson (Cult Of Luna) appears on “Promin”, his deep voice adding gravity to the song’s portrayal of perseverance and love for one’s homeland. “Okean”, with Anton Slepakov, closes the album in an introspective tone, tying the story back to its beginning. The use of choir and spoken word parts adds warmth and humanity, making the album’s concept feel communal, not just personal.

This is not an easy-listening album, and its rhythm is that of inner struggle, sometimes repetitive, sometimes chaotic, always honest. What keeps “Litera” engaging is its sense of movement. The awareness that destruction and rebirth are intertwined. There are no grand conclusions, only cycles that keep turning, like the seasons or history itself.

For a band coming from a country living through war, “Litera” feels like a quiet act of endurance. It’s poetic without being pretentious, heavy without being oppressive. Vøvk has crafted an album that speaks less through words and more through textures and emotions. It doesn’t reach transcendence, but it remains deeply human, a mirror to the world’s instability and a reminder that renewal always begins in silence.

Score: 7.2

https://instagram.com/vovkband

https://facebook.com/vovkband

https://www.youtube.com/@vovkband

https://twitter.com/vovkband

https://www.tiktok.com/@vovkband

https://vovk.bandcamp.com/

The Vintage Caravan | Portals | Napalm Records

 

Release Date: September 26, 2025

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl

Genre: Progressive Rock/Retro Rock

Country: Iceland

The Vintage Caravan has spent the past decade building a reputation as one of the strongest names in the new wave of retro-inspired rock. Formed in Iceland back in 2006, the trio made their mark with a combination of heavy riffs, psychedelic colors, and a strong live presence that carried them to stages like Wacken Open Air and Hellfest. Their last album, “Monuments”, proved their rising profile when it entered the German charts, and now they return with their sixth full-length, “Portals”.

This album stretches across nearly an hour, balancing short atmospheric interludes with longer rock-driven tracks. It begins with a surprise. “Philosopher”, a collaboration with Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth, which brings a brooding depth and prog weight right at the start. From there, the album splits itself between soulful songs like “Alone”, with its timeless hard rock energy, and more playful, riff-driven bursts such as “Riot” and “Electrified”. The guitar tone throughout is warm and vintage, the rhythm section locks everything together with punch, and the vocals carry just enough grit to keep the songs raw and human.

The shorter “Portal” instrumentals act like bridges, guiding the listener from one phase of the album to another, while tracks such as “Crossroads” and “Current” feel like natural anchors that keep the whole journey steady. By the time closer “This Road” arrives, the album feels like it has run its course with purpose, ending with a groovy outro that lingers in the mind.

“Portals” is a strong continuation of The Vintage Caravan’s work. It carries the spirit of classic rock into 2025 without sounding stuck in the past, full of thick riffs, soulful melodies, and a flow that makes the full listen rewarding. It’s not the kind of album that tries to overwhelm the listener, but rather one that thrives on energy, chemistry, and a steady sense of craft. For fans of retro-prog, psychedelic grooves, and hard rock that has heart, “Portals” is another reliable entry in the band’s growing catalog.

Score: 8.3

https://www.facebook.com/vintagecaravan

https://www.instagram.com/thevintagecaravan/#

https://x.com/_vintagecaravan

https://www.youtube.com/user/theVintageCaravan

https://label.napalmrecords.com/the-vintage-caravan

Syrinx | Time Out Of Place | Ocula Records

 

Formed in Vancouver, Syrinx is a progressive heavy metal/rock collective led by guitarist Graham McGee and fronted by powerhouse vocalist JP Abboud (ex-Traveler, ex-Gatekeeper, Among These Ashes etc.). The band’s roots go back over a decade, when McGee and Abboud toured Canada with their previous outfit Funeral Circle. Following that band’s dissolution, they began Syrinx as a more ambitious and theatrical project, blending the grit of traditional heavy metal with the adventurous scope of progressive rock. After early releases in 2019 and 2020, the band went quiet as McGee battled Lyme disease, only to return stronger with drummer Seth Lyon and bassist Bobby Shock joining the fold. Known for dramatic songwriting, analog recording, and a live presence driven by heavy riffs and layered synths, Syrinx has carved a distinctive path. With “Time Out Of Place”, the band returns with their second full-length album, cementing their place among the more creative voices in modern prog-infused metal.

On “Time Out Of Place”, Syrinx embraces the grand scale of a concept-driven album, presenting something that feels closer to a rock opera than a traditional metal release. The band explores a balance of heaviness and atmosphere, creating music that’s muscular and dreamlike. The analog-only production is immediately noticeable—warm, organic, and immersive—giving the songs a timeless texture that feels connected to the classic eras of prog rock and heavy metal.

McGee’s riffs and melodic phrasing drive much of the album’s direction, shifting between heavy crunch and soaring lines. His use of synths and Moog layers expands the soundscape into something larger, blending metallic weight with progressive color. Abboud’s vocals rise above with a theatrical and commanding presence, adding drama and depth to each track. Songs like “1875” and “The Master’s Host” carry an anthemic power, while “The Knowing” and “Shades Of Your Purpose” stretch into longer forms, weaving intricate passages with shifting moods and instrumental interplay.

The rhythm section is equally vital. Seth Lyon drives the album with drumming that feels precise and organic, carrying the weight of odd time signatures. Bobby Shock, despite joining under pressure before recording, makes his presence striking with bass lines that anchor and propel the songs, as well as additional synth work that thickens the sound. The supporting vocals of Lady Chanelle provide haunting harmonies that further enrich the narrative feel of the album.

Taken as a whole, “Time Out Of Place” feels cinematic. It has the weight of classic progressive albums, and its pacing keeps it accessible. Every track contributes to the bigger vision, from the brief, atmospheric opener “Mitosis (Second Light)” to the closing track “It Left”, which ends the journey on a reflective and open-ended note.

Syrinx have created an album that thrives on ambition, theatricality, and detail. It’s a work that will appeal to fans of Rush and Fates Warning as much as it will to devotees of Judas Priest’s dramatic side.

Score: 8.0

https://priestsyrinx.bandcamp.com/album/time-out-of-place

https://www.facebook.com/SyrinxAstralBand/

https://www.instagram.com/syrinxband/#