The Year 2014 In Prog (So Far) - Disappointed or Satisfied?

[The Letter M]

I don't know about anyone else on here, but 2014 is shaping up to be a pretty slow year for prog, at least to ME. Not a lot of bands are releasing, and the few popular ones that are seem to have mixed reactions, or maybe I'm just reading into the negativity too much on the internet.

I just skimmed some comments about the new Opeth album, and along with that and the latest Yes album, it seems like Prog bands are disappointing fans left and right. Anathema's latest also seems to have drawn some mixed reviews since its debut. I still have high hopes that Pink Floyd's last venture becomes a hit, although there already seems to be doubts about that. I also hope that King Crimson has some awesome music to put out this year, too.

I mean, we had Transatlantic to start the year off, but its members don't seem to be doing much else but touring. Neal has a new pop-rock album out in a month or so, then Flying Colors, but that's it. Nothing from Roine and the FloKis camp. And I'm pretty sure Marillion are still touring and writing for their next album, probably due next year.

Maybe I'm just stuck in my corner of prog that seems to be slow this year, and it's not a BAD thing per se. My lack of viable funds for high-priced music purchases has been lower this year. Granted, there's been a few I haven't gotten yet, like Anathema or IQ (which seems to be one of the few highly rated prog albums of the year so far), but I still feel like 2014 is more dead than the last two years of prog and rock music in general.

Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me? Do I need to expand my prog horizons and find something "new", "exciting" and "fresh"?!

-Marc.

[ColdFireYYZ]

Very satisfied. There's been lots of great albums this year, and limiting myself to prog, some of my favorites are:

Jack o' the Clock - Night Loops
Univers Zero - Phosphorescent Dreams
Anathema - Distant Satellites
Stars in Battledress - In Droplet Form
Kaukasus - “1”
Atomic Ape - Swarm
Dream the Electric Sleep - Heretics
Motorpsycho - Behind the Sun
Sonar - Static Motion
Many Arms - Suspended Definition
Rabbit Rabbit - Rabbit Rabbit Radio, Vol. 2 - Swallow Me Whole
Richard Pinhas & Yoshida Tatsuya - Welcome in the Void
Matt Stevens - Lucid

Didn't like the new Yes and Transatlantic albums at all, and I need to give Opeth's new album a few more listens before I can properly judge it. I was tempted to put Swans' To Be Kind on my list, but most probably wouldn't consider it "prog" (though there are several albums on my list that many wouldn't call "prog"). Right now, it's probably my album of the year.

I'm really looking forward to Knifeworld's The Unraveling (out this Tuesday), Iamthemorning's Belighted, and MoeTar's Entropy of the Century, all of which will probably be among my favorites.  Still need the new Tim Bowness, Marco Minnemann, and Syd Arthur albums.

[The Letter M]

See, I just don't know (m)any of those bands, nor have I heard of their music. I guess I'm at the point in my life where taking the time to find new bands and truly enjoy them is becoming harder and harder. Maybe I'm stubborn, or I just really love what I love, but I don't really venture out to find new bands. I've heard of Univers Zero, and Atomic Ape, and maybe a couple others from reading things in PROG magazine, but I just don't know those bands.

And I'm glad you brought up the new Tim Bowness album. I did forget to mention that one as one of the ones that I still need to get. The samples sound good, and it's almost a No-Man album, and I love No-Man.

-Marc.

[ColdFireYYZ]

See, I just don't know (m)any of those bands, nor have I heard of their music. I guess I'm at the point in my life where taking the time to find new bands and truly enjoy them is becoming harder and harder. Maybe I'm stubborn, or I just really love what I love, but I don't really venture out to find new bands. I've heard of Univers Zero, and Atomic Ape, and maybe a couple others from reading things in PROG magazine, but I just don't know those bands.

And I'm glad you brought up the new Tim Bowness album. I did forget to mention that one as one of the ones that I still need to get. The samples sound good, and it's almost a No-Man album, and I love No-Man.

-Marc.

I've been really branching out over the last year or so as I've gotten really burnt out on the Flower Kings/Transatlantic style of prog, so that's why there's so many obscure bands.

You (and anyone else reading) should definitely check out Dream the Electric Sleep! They're pretty accessible IMO, and you can download their two albums at Bandcamp for any price.
https://dtes.bandcamp.com/

[Zantera]

It's been a really strong year so far, and a lot of incredible stuff has yet to come out.

[Ben_Jamin]

I'm pretty satisfied.

[Bolsters]

It's been a pretty slow year in general for me, regardless of genre.

The albums I've been listening to the most this year are 2013 albums that I didn't get around to until this year.

[Outcrier]

It's been a really strong year so far, and a lot of incredible stuff has yet to come out.

Read the thread title again 

[Mosh]

Good year in metal. Bad year in prog. Transatlantic has been the only notable release so far. 2nd half might be better with Pink Floyd, Flying Colors(?), Haken, and Opeth all releasing new music.

It makes sense though. There were a LOT of great prog releases last year. So it's understandable that the following year would be less lucrative.

Strangely enough, I thought last year was bad for metal and good for prog. This year it's the other way around.

[?]

It's been a pretty slow year in general for me, regardless of genre.

This.

[Zantera]

It's been a really strong year so far, and a lot of incredible stuff has yet to come out.

Read the thread title again 

Ah, gotcha. I haven't actually heard that many progressive albums from this year, but it's been solid I guess.

[Skeever]

I would say the entire genre of prog has become pretty disappointing.

[senecadawg2]

I voted very satisfied. But it needs to be said that I probably have lower standards than most. I try to listen to a wide range of genres, and as a result I never listen to a lot of new progressive rock and/or metal (relatively speaking, of course). I have to get in a handful of singer-songwriter folksy type things, both more traditional metal and more extreme metal that I don't typically label as progressive, some indie rock perhaps, maybe a little classical, etc. so there's not enough time left over to check out as much prog as I would otherwise. As a result, if I can find a couple prog albums that I'm really happy with I'll consider it a success. And I have so far this year- so very satisfied.

[ariich]

Depends what you mean by prog, but I'm pretty satisfied.

Anathema - Distant Satellites
Closure in Moscow - Pink Lemonade
Dream the Electric Sleep - Heretics
Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope
John Wesley - Disconnect
RPWL - Wanted
Umphrey's McGee - Similar Skin

[King Postwhore]

Depends what you mean by prog, but I'm pretty satisfied.

Anathema - Distant Satellites
Closure in Moscow - Pink Lemonade
Dream the Electric Sleep - Heretics
Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope
John Wesley - Disconnect
RPWL - Wanted
Umphrey's McGee - Similar Skin

Rich, what do you think about the new album?  They went for a more streamlined, live feel to this album.

[ariich]

I like it. I've only heard one previous album and the new album is less quirky, but there's some really nice stuff on it.

[King Postwhore]

Can't wait to see them in a few weeks.

[hefdaddy42]

I would love to see them.  Missed my chance a month or so ago.

[Nekov]

So far Anathema, Transatlantic, Alcest and IQ have put some amazing albums out so I'm quite happy with that. Looking at the release calendar I don't see much that will interest me so this will have to suffice I guess...

[MoraWintersoul]

I kinda haven't been listening to music at all this past year. Anyone got recs for something more modern in the prog realm?

[Evermind]

I don't have high standards either, so if at least one prog album is great, I'm satisfied enough. IQ did just that, so I voted the second option. I also thought Transatlantic was alright, I've yet to listen to Anathema; I have hopes for Pink Floyd album (not high hopes, though), maybe I'll like what Opeth has put out too.

So yeah, the year's alright for me.

[King Postwhore]

I would love to see them.  Missed my chance a month or so ago.

1st time for me Hef!  Can't wait!

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I haven't really kept up with prog releases aside from Transatlantic, Animals as Leaders, and I'll definitely check out the new Pink Floyd and Opeth albums and the Haken EP when they're finally out. Been too busy back-tracking with music in general I guess.

[The King in Crimson]

This has been a pretty meh year so far regardless of genre. Just a bunch of disappointments and/or mediocre releases. For prog I'd say Transatlantic sits on the top of the heap but it's not exactly a very exciting release. Just more Transatlantic.

In general, I'd say the Swans latest is probably the best but I just can't listen to it much. It's just too long and dense musically to binge on kinda like you have to put it in your daily planner in order to listen to it.

[SoundscapeMN]

all prog in some way and all good.

Bend Sinister - Animals
Fjokra - Thoughtsteps
Brice Plays Drums - ProgTagonist

[Tom Bombadil]

I would love to see them.  Missed my chance a month or so ago.

1st time for me Hef!  Can't wait!

Hopefully I'll be able to go see them sometime in August.

[senecadawg2]

I kinda haven't been listening to music at all this past year. Anyone got recs for something more modern in the prog realm?

Animals as Leaders has a very modern sound to it, and they released a new album this year (my favorite one yet, from them). I'd recommend that if you're into instrumentals.

I'd also highly recommend the new Anathema album, if you haven't heard it yet.

[MoraWintersoul]

Thanks for the recs, but I'm looking for something that won't cross my mind instantly when I try to look for stuff I missed out on I don't recognize a lot of those names up there (in Soundscape's, ariich's, Coldfire's posts), tbh

[kirksnosehair]

I went with "meh"


There have been a few really good releases scattered in between an ocean of dreck.

[senecadawg2]

Thanks for the recs, but I'm looking for something that won't cross my mind instantly when I try to look for stuff I missed out on I don't recognize a lot of those names up there (in Soundscape's, ariich's, Coldfire's posts), tbh

Yeah I figured it was kind of silly to even recommend Anathema, as you've surely seen that one bounced around more than enough, but I thought it couldn't hurt.

Not posted up there, and with relatively little talk on DTF, is Druckfarben's 'Second Sound'. Nice modern prog, sort of in the same (or similar) vein as Yes. Also, the Greek progressive metal band Need released an album earlier this year titled 'Orvam: A Song for Home' which I've really enjoyed. A lot of people compare them to Fates Warning (and a little bit to Pain of Salvation as well, though I'm not sure I hear that one much).

[MoraWintersoul]

AAAAAAH NEED I totally forgot that album existed thank you so much

Something a little more in that vein would be great, as little 70's prog as possible.

[Mister Gold]

Thanks for the recs, but I'm looking for something that won't cross my mind instantly when I try to look for stuff I missed out on I don't recognize a lot of those names up there (in Soundscape's, ariich's, Coldfire's posts), tbh

Yeah I figured it was kind of silly to even recommend Anathema, as you've surely seen that one bounced around more than enough, but I thought it couldn't hurt.

Not posted up there, and with relatively little talk on DTF, is Druckfarben's 'Second Sound'. Nice modern prog, sort of in the same (or similar) vein as Yes. Also, the Greek progressive metal band Need released an album earlier this year titled 'Orvam: A Song for Home' which I've really enjoyed. A lot of people compare them to Fates Warning (and a little bit to Pain of Salvation as well, though I'm not sure I hear that one much).

Dude, thanks for posting about Need. I'm listening to Orvam right now. WOW. How have I not heard of these guys before?! Great stuff!

[senecadawg2]

Awesome, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it!

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I've only heard two albums from 2014 so far, and neither of them are really "prog". So I suppose I can't really weigh in on the current state of prog.

[Scorpion]

I kinda haven't been listening to music at all this past year. Anyone got recs for something more modern in the prog realm?

I quite enjoyed the new Flaming Row album, though it's not as good as their debut... dunno if you're interested in that, though.