2025 Releases, Part 3: Other Highly Recommended Albums

  More progressive rock album releases from 2025. These are albums that are well worth your investment of time while not, in my opinion, belonging in the masterpiece discussion. Some of these releases were interesting enough to inspire me to write reviews, some only earned song ratings, many are included because they've been listened to, judged "worthy" of serving notice, but just couldn't get me excited or engaged enough to warrant the effort of a full review. I apologize. But, as I said, I chose to include them because I deem them interesting enough for you, my readers, to know about them and know that I recommend that you might listen to them yourselves in order to form your own opinions. Lord knows I am well aware that there are as many different musical preferences as there are humans; I do think that I know music that might interest others.

(albums earning ratings scores between 88.99 and 87.50)

LET SEE THIN Machine Called Life

A band of veteran Polish musicians return with their second prog album under the Let See Thin moniker--their first since the Pandemic.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Łukasz Woszczyński / vocals
- Przemek Kaźmierski / drums, percussion
- Michał Dziomdziora / bass
- Paweł Wężyk / keys
- Maciej Włodarczyk / guitars

1. "Story of My Life" (5:33) 1980s Roxy Music or early Simple Minds meets Steven Wilson. Great sound palette with an awesomely relentless rhythm track. (8.875/10)

2. "Divisions" (6:37) a pleasant enough start only gets better at 3:30 when the band pauses, slowly resets, and then slowly, deliberately builds a more satisfying motif--one that captures that same compelling relentlessness that the previous song benefitted from. Nice. (8.875/10)

3. "Sleeping on a Cloud" (6:46) a decent enough sound palette (which again reminds me of a 21st Century rendering of a Sparkle in the Rain-era Simple Minds song) just fails to deliver any hooks much less knock-out punches. (If the lyrics are the most important part of your offering here, I apologize for my obtuseness. (13.125/15)

4. "How" (4:50) more great modernized Simple Minds sounds, chords, and structures given enough 21st Century special effects and other tricks to make this song a rather enjoyable and even somewhat refreshing journey. Łukasz' voice is buried just perfectly within the thick walls of sound to make it palatable--the distracting effect of his accented pronunciation of the English notice hardly noticeable. Plus, they give the instrumental elements more attention (and volume) including an awesome heavily-reverbed piano beneath and in-between it all. (9/10)

5. "Would it Be?" (5:59) there's something about this song--it's heavy, modern Flock Of Seagulls sound palette, perhaps--that makes this song more engaging, interesting, and winning for me. The only weak part, in my opinion, is in the brief guitar solo in the middle of the fifth minute (the sound feels weak and ineffective in proportion to the power of the rest of the sonic field). I like the 'whisper-rap" thereafter and then the finale. I like the deep throb of the thick bass. (Is it doubled up by a synth--or MIDI-ed through a computer/synth to give it this sound?) The presence of the piano helps, as well. (9/10)

6. "Treadmill" (5:29) yet another song that feels as if it is rooted in the sounds and stylings of the 1980s techo/New Wave era of music but has been updated with heavy bass, heavy guitar semi-power chords, more broadly-amplified low-end of the drums, and a few more sound and engineering tricks and choices.  The synths, however, are derived straight from sounds that emerged with the New Wave era. Again, the piano play helps a lot. Also the "bigger than life" drums--and great melodies (softer vocal delivery). (9.125/10)

7. "Sailors" (5:13) this updated 1980s tune doesn't quite make it all the way out of the 20th Century: too much Mark Hollis-like isolated piano chords and choppy-dance-like rhythmic features and a-Ha-like vocals (in the chorus)--more than a deep thrumming bass, hard-rock drums, and searing rock guitar can disguise. It's not bad; I was just hoping for more--like the last three. (8.75/10)

8. "Strange Neighbourhood" (3:51) with a spacious sonic field like this one Łukasz accented English pronunciation becomes a distraction for me. For me, this is similar in effect to when a choice of sound for a synth or electric guitar feels totally incongruous (or incompatible) with the rest of the instrumental sound palette. The song passes by and all I've been able to focus on is Łukasz' accent. (8.6667/10)

Total Time 44:18

Very solid, compelling music that is incredibly well-produced that suffers a bit from Łukasz Woszczyński accented English vocals. No disrespect intended, Łukasz: since my brain does not process spoken/sung words or lyrics (in any language) I just would have been happier to have heard you singing in your native tongue. Also, I have to beg difference of opinion with those who would assign this album to the NeoProg sub-genre: I see/hear more heavy prog, which, as we know, is more typical of the popular music produced in this 21st Century from a number of Polish artists (many of whom have also been designated with the NeoProg label 

88.73 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent, eminently enjoyable album of interesting heavy progressive rock music. Check it out for yourselves: you may find yourself loving this. There's definitely consistently great atmosphere and mood here. 

MOGWAI The Bad Fire

The Glaswegians are back with their 11th studio album release. Despite one reviewer's claim that this was a greatest hits album, I have confirmed that it is, in fact, not. Like Steven Wilson, they just draw a lot from their past sounds and styles as well as a lot of history from the music of their childhoods growing up in the UK.  

Line-up / Musicians:
- Stuart Braithwaite / guitar, vocals
- Barry Burns / guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals
- Dominic Aitchison / bass
- Martin Bulloch / drums

1. "God Gets You Back" (6:40) quite a nice song that has a nice little cinematic opening before turning into something that takes us back to about 1990 when bands like Toad The Wet Sprocket, Trashcan Sinatras, The Pale Saints, Lush, Ride, Slowdive, and The Kitchens of Distinction were having their heyday. I can see why many listeners are extolling this as one of their favorite songs from the past year. It is definitely one of my favorites from this (quite unusual) album. (9/10)

2. "Hi Chaos" (5:24) sounds like good ole fashioned Post Rock with a rock construct (ABABCAB) instead of slow-build, cresecendo, dénouement. (8.75/10)

3. "What Kind of Mix is This?" (4:11) an interesting mix of individual instrument sounds that is squeezed into one more ABABCAB construct. (8.75/10)

4. "Fanzine Made Of Flesh" (4:34) some 1980s New Wave in this one makes it sound like late-1970s fledgling New Wave. Pre-New Order New Order (no: not Joy Division; Cure-ish New Order--or perhaps OMD, Modern English, or Echo & The Bunnymen). Kind of cool if this were 1979. (8.875/10)

5. "Pale Vegan Hip Pain" (4:24) this one sounds like classic early 2000s Post Rock from the likes of Mono or Red Sparowes. Decent but rather simple and unsophisticated. (8.75/10)

6. "If You Find this World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others" (7:22) and I thought the previous song was simple and unsophisticated--sounded like early MONO! Little did I know that this was coming next! Really great build up and brain-annihilating crescendo. (Those crashing cymbals are among the loudest I've ever heard.) The long aftermath is a little unusual: a bit like walking around the streets of Hiroshima a year after the bomb. (13.375/15)

7. "18 Volcanoes" (6:18) vocals! And they're pleasant, melodic, and even dream-poppy! Again: not what one might expect from a Post Rock band--more like something from RIDE,  SLOWDIVE, or even The Pale Saints. The weird guitar (or synth?) sounds are cool. A top three song for me. (8.875/10)

8. "Hammer Room" (5:16) interchangeable piano and guitar arpeggi are interwoven giving this the feel of something light and upbeat from NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA or a collaboration between 1970s Brian Eno and early XTC. Or DIF JUZ! Another top three song. (8.875/10)

9. "Lion Rumpus" (3:33) more New Age sounds and melodies driving this one despite the weird industrial screeches and gratings renting the sonic fabric in the second half. (8.75/10)

10. "Fact Boy" (7:02) floaty cutesie stuff meandering around the sonic field while a Crimsoninan Gamelan-like mathematical weave propels the cart along the ribbon of undulating highway. Nice but not enough to make me want to come back. (13.25/15)

Total Time 54:44

While I do love Mogwai's contributions to film and television soundtracks, I do not find the music of this album particularly compelling, innovative, cinematic, or impressive. It's just simpler, more accessible, more melodic, instrumental Post Rock music. A little too down and depressing for me and my tastes--and too diluted and simplistic.

88.41 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition of nostalgic New-Wave-oriented Post Rock but by no means a step forward for the sub-genre. 

IQ Dominion

British NeoProg band IQ is back with their 16th studio album release since they formed in the early 1980s. It is amazing to me that four of the band's original quintet of membership return/remain . . . after 43+ years! 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Peter Nicholls / lead & backing vocals
- Michael Holmes / guitars, producer
- Neil Durant / keyboards
- Tim Esau / bass, bass pedals
- Paul Cook / drums, percussion

1. "The Unknown Door" (22:33) herald-like horns open this one before static-treated television (or radio) clips from old WW II British broadcasts float across the background. Then Peter Nicholls enters using the same voice to perform another lyric using the exact same melodic formula he's used for 40 years. The heraldry horns continue with Neil Durant's typical synth strings chord washes for a bit before other computer-generated (or -enhanced) instruments start to come out of their enclaves. This feels like an opening scene to a Disney film--like Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King--where the villagers or jungle animals all start to appear and congregate while the protagonist introduces the audience to the feel and look (new innovative wonders of animation) of the film. Finally, at 4:40 we have full introduction and, by the middle of the sixth minute, full display of all of the personnel and tricks that the producers/artists have. The thick bass and bass pedals are cool, the Hammond and drums nice (though, of course, quite stereotypic in their "requisite" presence) and the bouncing synth chords are nice while a slightly different, slightly more engaged Peter Nicholls continues his storytelling (of the British bravery and tragedy in the Second World War). At 8:38 the band launches into a protracted heavy prog power section (action and passion, Lads!) intended, I think, to represent the courageous, unbridled energy and resolve of the oppressed Brits in the face of Hitler's war machine. The changes in instrumental sounds are effective--and would be moreso had they thought to change the sound effects on Paul Cook's drums, but, alas! they remain the same as they were throughout the first half of the song. At the end of the thirteenth minute the action/onslaught ends, leaving a quiet patch in which to look over the post-battle wreckage through the morning mist. There are those distant herald horns again (or fox hunt horns). At the 15-minute mark, enter a nice strumming, two-chord David Gilmour "Dogs"-duplicate acoustic guitar motif to create the next passage for the band to build around--and for Peter to continue his narrative--which leads up to a majestic church organ breakout that definitely conjures up the royal monarchy and all that represents. This only serves as a bridge to the next section of impassioned performances from all five of the quintet. And here we here Mike Holmes' lead guitar for what feels like the first time but then, one phrase "spoken" and it's gone: receded back into the maelstrom of thick sound. But this, too, soon ends as the simple keyboard synth "grass" supports Peter's introduction to his summation--before the "I think it's gonna work out fine" GENESIS "Supper's Ready"-like dénouement of the moralistic conclusion of his story in the final two and a half minutes. Of course the song ends with the Regina Britannia church organ, but the effect of nationalistic pride chest-puffing is somewhat diminished by the pastoral guitar, synth strings chord wash, and statement of the song's title in Peter's last pronunciations. (I'm quite surprised that the heraldic horns failed to make a final appearance!) (40.333/45)

      
2. "One of Us" (3:10) nice Paul McCartney-like acoustic guitar play opens this, setting down the balnket over which Peter Nicholls will sing his "Blackbird" like vocal. Too bad for the entry of the synth wash chords at the one-minute mark: the guitar and voice duet was fully sufficient. Nice work Mike and Peter! More of this! (8.875/10) 

3. "No Dominion" (6:25) bombast and the familiar instrumental sound palette we all know and, supposedly, love from 1976-77 GENESIS albums, A Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering. while Peter Nicholls sings about something in the same monotone and ploddingly-pace vocal delivery as . . . always! The ending of the song is quite odd as instead of a buildup to a long instrumental passage with its crescendo and (more) bombast--as it definitely feels as if its going--it just fades out. Mid-phrase. As if the engineer, producer, or band said, "No! No! Enough of this!" and then slid down the volume paddles on the console of the soundboard! Since I don't hear lyrics (they're just another instrument in a song's weave), I can't comment or critique the song based on message, but in terms of exciting, refreshing, or innovative music? There is none here. (8.6667/10)

4. "Far from Here" (12:44) a construct that very quickly lost my attention--receded into the background as "another one of those." The sonic landscape is too thick and murky, the drumming too proscribed and rote, the main chord progressions too homogenous, and the few solos or individual performance breakouts too mashed up within the confines of the wall of sounds' overall murk. And Peter Nicholls melody choices are too borrowed (I hear so much of Jon Anderson's Yes vocal melodies in this song). Even the plaintive piano-based finale is just . . . dull. There is nothing I can store or retrieve from this song for future recalll--nothing that even remotely draws to want to try to do so. Before I can even ruminate if I could do this better--what changes I might make--I have to back up and realize that I would never even deign to give my time such a project. (21/25)

5. "Never Land" (8:16) I like the simplicity and near-spaciousness of the opening four minutes of this. Then the shit flies: watered down post-Hackett Genesis, gnarled and scuffed by distortion, overly-thick synth walls, and unnecessary bombast. At the same time, I do find myself, for some as-yet undetermined reason, inexplicably sympathetic to this one: the overall effect of the simplistic, straightforward "pop" chord progressions has an endearing emotional effect on me--one that is quite reminiscent of the way PREFAB SPROUT's "Desire As" has always held me under its spell. Thus, despite my inclination to negate this as a standout representative of progressive rock music, I like it! It makes me feel good! (18/20)     

Total Time 53:08

Several reviewers have been commenting on the "new" sound or "reinvention" of IQ for this album, but I hear none of this; Dominion is nothing but more of the same solid, well-engineered NeoProg that the band have been turning out over the last fifteen years. I am so glad the band chose to not publish a two album release--with their now-usual "Bonus Disc" of unfinished, unpolished, second-rate cast-offs. 53 minutes of my time spent with this stuff is quite enough; in the past (and with many of today's NeoProg, RetroProg, and "Symphonic" bands [I'm referring to bands like The Flower Kings, Glass Hammer, Antony Kalugin, and Transatlantic here--not to mention all the "all-star" albums coming from Italian artists]), I've dreaded having to wade through the muck and dross of 70 to 140 minutes of music--especially when it never really presents anything new or exciting, so, thank you, IQ, for that small mercy. Despite its merciful length of 53 minutes, I had to spend some time with this album in order to accurately and record my sincere reactions and form my opinions. The problem with me reviewing any IQ release is the fact that I am disenchanted with the repetitious to the brink of monotony presentation of the same limited sound palette over the band's 43 years and, worse, the total and invariable predictability of Peter Nicholls' singing. The lyrics may change but the melodies and presentation is the same, nearly exactly the same, in every single song he's ever participated on. In the end, I do not hear any deviation from the band's formulae. (And I admit: Why should they? It has worked for a long time; the band has a very loyal and enthusiastic following. I am just not one of them.)

88.07 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; another solid and fairly consistent display of NeoProg mastery from one of the sub-genres' oldest and most consistent artists. 

STEVEN WILSON The Overview

Mr. Wilson's 2025 offering shows his return to science and space perspective themes as well as a return to the kind of music he was making in the early years of his Porcupine Tree infancy: the Pink Floyd and Beatles-inspired stuff before his collaborators became as important to the music as his own ideas and inputs.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Steven Wilson / vocals, guitars, keyboards, sampler, bass, percussion, programming
With:
- Adam Holzman / keyboards
- Randy McStine / guitars, b vox
- Craig Blundell / drums
- Willow Beggs / vocals
- Andy Partridge / lyricist (1)

1. "Objects Outlive Us" (23:17) (44.25/50):
- "No Monkey's Paw" (1:59) - opens with electronica vocal, sounding like Steven's attempt at a James Blake song. Not bad! (4.375/5)
- "The Buddha of the Modern Age" (2:26) - Paul McCartney-sounding piano, cymbal play, chant-proclamation vocals delivered at first via solo voce but then with banked full "world" choir. (4.375/5)
- "Objects: Meanwhile" (6:31) - harkening back to Steven's "current events" perspective songs with acoustic guitar strumming, piano chord hits, big synth and guitar chords and Steven's astute and poetic observational commentary over the top. Randy McStine's microtonal guitar play in the instrumental section, pedal steel guitar beneath the second verse. Macho-bass leads the way into a heavier motif in the second half of the instrumental passage. Then strumming acoustic guitars, synth and piano inputs resurface for Steven to continue his observational rant. (8.875/10)
- "The Cicerones / Ark" (3:42) - a mathematical weave of arpeggiating piano and guitar guitar chords peppered with bouncy synth and distorted electric guitar flourishes leads into this slow build motif over which Steven & Co. chant a list with repetitious urgency. (8.75/10)
- "Cosmic Sons of Toil" (3:00) - continue the bouncy (fast-oscillating volume control) synth chords only add chunky jazz bass, sophisticated syncopated drumming, complex chord progressions, and solos from rhythm guitar (Steven), lead guitar (Randy), keyboard (Adam), and some pretty awesome bass and drum play. This is pretty fresh: not unlike the genius Steven was trying to express on Grace for Drowning. (8.875/10)
- "No Ghost on the Moor / Heat Death of the Universe" (6:00) - opens with deep space synth before Steven (or some other male voice) joins in with a high falsetto voice at 0:30. Steven's normal voice (sounding a lot like Steve Hogarth) proceeds over "Sky Moves Sideways" echo snare beat and synth washes. Randy McStine microtonal infinity guitar solo in the third minute is interesting and unusual. Pink Floyd/Radiohead "Subterranean Homesick Alien" sound and chord palette rises to dominate the fifth minute as Randy's guitar goes Frippertronic. I like it. (But then, I loved "Sky" and "Homesick Alien.") (9/10)

2. "The Overview" (18:27) :
- "Perspective" - trip-hoppy instrumental space music with astronomy science facts & distances being recited over the top. Steven is using a lot of very familiar sounds, chords, and chord progressions (from his own previous works). 
- "A Beautiful Infinity I" - strumming acoustic guitars with Steven singing over the voice. Again, so much of this we've heard before in Steven's previous works; the effects, the voice styling, the guitars, the Pink Floyd chords, the Beatles/XTC sound effects and engineering techniques. 
- "Borrowed Atoms" - 
- "A Beautiful Infinity II" - Some of this even goes back as far as "The Sky Moves Sideways" and "Every Home Is Wired" and "Stars Die." 
- "Infinity Measured in Moments" - the coolest movement of the suite with its syncopated rhythm pattern, layered synths, guitars, and choral vocals. There feels some originality in this mélange. I love the presence/use of ukelele/mandolin and banjo!
- "Permanence" - space ambient synth chords that sound like the sexy love music Vangelis put in his Blade Runner soundtrack. Even the love-time sax is fitting. Just waiting for Barry White's voice to enter to narrate the foreplay.

     There is so much that I love about this song--just as there is so much that I love about everything Steven did in the 1990s and his more recent solo discography--yet there are elements of everything that rub me a little the wrong way: much of which results in my disappointing reaction of "I've heard this before" or "he's used this before." (35.5/40)

Total Time 41:44

My single most dominant "complaint" about the music on this album is how cut-and-paste patchworked it is with so much of Steven's past sounds, riffs, "tricks," and styles. Otherwise, this is another brilliant "time capsule" of art. My second much smaller "complaint" is that the perspectives offered here on The Overview are not as obvious as they were on Fear of a Blank Planet or Hand. Cannot. Erase. --two albums that I consider among the best representatives of 21st Century "first world" Homo sapiens sapiens. Perhaps Steven's perspectives are a bit more subjective and isolated than before and, thus, sometimes tough to interpret.

87.50 on the Fishscales = B-/3.5 stars; despite the rather low rating, I still greatly admire this album as a wonderful representative of the genius of the one and only Steven Wilson. I'll rate it up to four stars as it is an excellent exhibition of progressive rock music that most every prog lover will enjoy and despite the over-familiarity of a lot of its ideas and sounds for we who know Steven's discography fairly well.