Paatos ~ Sweden

Progressive rock; Post rock

Facebook

YouTube

Latest: Ligament (2025) To be released May 14.

First new album in 13 years!

10/26/18 (new entry)

Oresund Space Collective ~ Denmark ~ Sweden

Space rock; Krautrock styled

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: Alotta Hella Down in Estrela (2025). To be released May 5.

UMR review page for Oresund Space Collective

9/8/11 (new entry)

Mother Black Cap ~ England

Progressive rock

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: Caveman TV (2023)

Mother Black Cap are still playing live and promise gigs throughout this year and into 2026.

The English Way. 2009 Cyclops. To be honest I didn't get too much out of this release. Mostly I heard broad stroke Pink Floyd styled art rock. Post Animals style. Which isn't really my brand of progressive rock. For their part the band points their references to the melodic 70s classics such as Camel and Focus. And they like the "twiddly prog bits". All of which I heard very little of. The primary exception being track 4. Up for hearing more from this lot, and they're still active. This wasn't my album though.

4/20/25 (new entry)

Overworld Dreams ~ USA ~ New Jersey

Progressive rock

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: Geography (2024). Latest FB post suggests a 4th album is very much in the works.

Voyage (2018)

Overworld Dreams are a contemporary progressive rock band who self-describe as "New Jersey-based Prog rockers bringing old school sensibilities to modern Progressive Rock." Sounds like my kind of group!

Where to start? I always like to go to the beginning of the discography and work my way forward over time. Unless there's a strong reason not to do that, which is not the case here. As I hear these new bands releasing quality albums such as Voyage to a very small audience, I feel a sense of gratitude is much needed. From a listening perspective, what if I had discovered a tape from the 80s that sounded like this? I'd be over the moon. Such is the luxury of today and the sheer amount of product that is available to us. 

ProgArchives for their part has Overworld Dreams labeled as neo prog, as does RYM. At first I wasn't so sure of either the 70's reflections nor the neo prog tag. But as the music penetrates, both of these reveal themselves. The keyboard interludes suggest an interest in 70s electronic music as well. Like many modern prog bands, the music can be a bit broad stroked, and lacks the jazzy rhythms that brings the instrumental sections to life. In this way, the term art rock comes forward. It misses the retro prog train due to a lack of analog gear, though 70's sensibilities is not the same thing as 70s's emulation, which I figure Overworld Dreams is well aware of. Nice guest appearance from guitarist Scott McGill, most known for being an integral part of Finneus Gauge, a band that was relatively well known in the late 90s. His solos provide a much needed edge.

As for best tracks, an old schooler like me gravitated immediately to 'The Puzzle'. Tracks 1, 5, & 8 are others I really enjoyed along with the electronic interludes. Good stuff all around. I'll be sure to circle back at some point and capture their next album and beyond.

4/20/25 (new entry)

Vespero ~ Russia

Krautrock styled; Space rock

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: Lost Stories of Kilgore Trout (2025). To be released May 2.

UMR review page for Vespero

8/10/17 (new entry)

Great Wide Nothing ~ USA ~ Atlanta, Georgia

Progressive rock; Neo Prog

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest: A Shout Into The Void (2025). 5/2

The View From Olympus (2019)

Great Wide Nothing are from Atlanta and clearly embrace progressive rock at its early 70s UK major group peak. Classic Yes and Genesis seem to be front and center and the vocals have that distinctive Fish neo prog edge to them. I like the woody bass sound, something that should be required for any up and coming prog group. Piano, organ, and analog synthesizers are also part of the recipe. And some fake mellotron. This is one of those oxymoronic retro / neo prog type acts. The standard bearer for such a phenomena would be Cliffhanger, that most wonderful Dutch band that largely went unnoticed.

11/24/24 (review)

11/24/24 (new entry)

Helmet of Gnats ~ USA ~ Connecticut

Progressive rock; Jazz fusion

Facebook

Bandcamp

Latest single: Sunday Drive (2025)

Latest album: Travelogue (2020)

UMR review page for Helmet of Gnats

1/21/24 (new entry)