Prepare to have a crisis, 2025’s half gone (actually it’s more than that, these posts take time to put together)! That’s right, for the calendarically challenged, the end of June marks the halfway point in the year, and as a result, we’re going to go over our favourite albums released in the first half of 2025. Our writers have picked one album each that really impressed them, and they weren’t allowed to pick the same one as anyone else (otherwise this list would’ve been a ton of—spoiler!—Changeling and Dessiderium picks, and that would’ve got boring).

That said, not every writer has contributed to this year’s post because 2025 has, unfortunately, been a rather lacklustre year for new releases, and site morale has waned. Fortunately, the albums picked herein defy the year’s overall trend towards disappointment, and show that music is still worth listening to. Indeed, we have a variety of proggy gems for you, from adventurous symphonic prog death to exploratory post rock to elder statesman prog rock to, sigh, Vince’s pick… and much more! Give our selections a spin, tell us what we missed (Parasomnia apologists will be shown to the exit), shout at us for being wrong, and keep your fingers crossed for some good new releases in the second half of 2025!

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Bruit ≤ – The Age of Ephemerality
Recommended for fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, Caspian, We Lost the Sea
Picked by: Andy

Post-rock is a genre that’s nearly impossible to get right. You’re too quick with the buildups, and you miss the entire point of “crescendo-core”; but if you’re too slow, you’re a boring waste of time. Bruit ≤ nail the delicate balance, employing a wide range of strings, horns, and choirs, an ensemble of electric guitars, spoken word snippets, and a slew of electronic techniques in their buildups. And when they reach the climaxes—often lasting minutes at a time—it feels like my heart stops beating and I forget to breathe. The Age of Ephemerality reaches a musical and emotional zenith in their massive releases of noise (heh, get it? That’s what bruit means in French) that little music can compare. Mahler said “A symphony must be like the world, it must contain everything,” and Bruit ≤ are the modern embodiment of that sentiment. Good luck to any bands releasing music in the second half of 2025—this is gonna be a tough release to top. 

Recommended tracks: Progress / Regress, Technoslavery / Vandalism, The Intoxication of Power
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

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Changeling – Changeling
Recommended for fans of: Obscura, Alkaloid, Morbid Angel, Devin Townsend, Yes
Picked by: Zach

There’s something to be said about an album that clicks with you instantly. Even some of the greats didn’t get my respect until the fourth or fifth listen, but you know an album is special when that first listen hits you like a freight train. Changeling ensnares you with batshit technicality in its first few minutes, then hits you with its first of many incredible moments about a minute-thirty into “Instant Results”. Each song has a distinct motif that guides the listener through some monumental runtimes, and while songwriting complexity takes center stage, band leader Fountainhead’s vision is never bogged down with attempting to shred everyone’s faces off all the time. Instead, these songs build and swell, cementing foundations upon which they reprise and reuse melodies not in a way that feels stale, but makes each note feel purposeful. 

Recommended tracks:  The whole album
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

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Chercán – Chercán
Recommended for fans of: Vulkan, Thank You Scientist, The Mars Volta
Picked by: Doug

Progressive jazz fusion isn’t anything new; neither is psychedelic prog. Nevertheless, Chercán’s sax-forward combination of all of the above feels fresh and novel, with a smattering of strings providing an intriguing lean towards chamber music. Beyond just pleasant aesthetics, this Chilean self-titled debut displays a rare wealth of talent. Both heavy and light sections of Chercán overflow with emotion, and the band’s upbeat, tireless energy is infectious. The extra spice of the aforementioned genre mashups adds an uplifting warmth as well, infusing the air with tropical scents of summer as the music plays on. In a year that so far hasn’t offered a terribly impressive lineup of albums, enjoy this unexpected debut from a batch of talented musicians expressing their passions.

Recommended tracks: La Culpa, Kalimba, Tiempos Paralelos, Relato De Una Obsesión (both parts), 7 Colores
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

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Dessiderium – Keys to the Palace
Recommended for fans of: Devin Townsend, Wintersun, Ne Obliviscaris
Picked by: Daniel

I can’t remember the last time an album swept me off my feet so quickly. Keys to the Palace brings yearning and unapologetic emotion into death metal without ever drifting into the familiar territory of melodeath. An operatic metal odyssey that is both lush and maximalist, dazzling and brutal. Yngwie Malmsteen once said, “How can less be more? More is more.” Depending on the time of day, I might roll my eyes—or nod in agreement. But Keys to the Palace makes a strong case for the latter. The album is a whirlwind of excess: more melody, more harmony, more orchestration, more blast beats, more speed, more feeling, more… more! Every track stretches itself toward the heavens with sumptuous guitars, sweeping keys, and drums that never stop carrying the listener forward. Even its pensive moments aren’t truly resting points; they’re coils being wound tighter, launching us toward another wave of heavy majesty. The LP doesn’t just play; it blooms—loudly, vividly, and without restraint. Each track throws open a new door, each transition winds deeper into its grandeur, until suddenly I realize: The Palace is my heart.

Recommended tracks: Dover Hendrix, A Dream That Wants Me Dead, Magenta
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

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Obscure Sphinx – Emovere
Recommended for fans of: Isis, Cult of Luna, Neurosis, Tool
Picked by: Cory

For me, the upper echelon of releases from the first half of 2025 is mostly filled with progressive death metal. Yet it’s a 30-minute post-metal EP, put out not a week into January, that I’ve found the most impactful. With eight years having passed since their last studio work, Polish quartet Obscure Sphinx return with Emovere, and they’re better than ever. Through three perfectly paced tracks, the band moves fluidly among tidal-wave riffs and shimmering melodic passages without so much as a note out of place. Emovere’s dark, velvety atmosphere is engrossing, its production is crisp, and the powerhouse vocal performance from Zofia “Wielebna” Fraś ranks among the year’s best so far. Even as an EP, Emovere feels complete and compelling, offering endless replayability. If Obscure Sphinx can deliver this much impact in 30 minutes, their next LP could be a post-metal work for the ages. 

Recommended tracks: Scarcity Hunter, Nethergrove
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

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Sleep Token – Even in Arcadia
Recommended for fans of: Bad Omens, Spiritbox, Breakk.away
Picked by: Vince

I haven’t disappointed anyone in a while, so I figured it was time to get that quota back up. Seven months into the year, two since Sleep Token dropped their fourth LP back in May, and I’ve yet to hear anything that comes close to the level of addictive power and emotional resonance than Even In Arcadia. Cinematic, soulful, drenched in downtuned chugs and trip-hop rhythms, the album maintains the band’s stirring blend of occult mythology and pop appropriation. If Take Me Back To Eden set their star on the horizon, Even In Arcadia proves Sleep Token have what it takes to keep it blazing.

Recommended tracks: Look To Windward, Emergence, Caramel, Gethsemane, Infinite Baths
Related links: Spotify | original review

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Steven Wilson – The Overview
Recommended for fans of: Pink Floyd, Yes, Rush, Tangerine Dream, Porcupine Tree
Picked by: Christopher

Modern prog rock’s most prominent artiste returned revitalised with this Thick as a Brick-esque two parter, setting the empyrean above as his theme. Comprised of two approximately twenty-minute epics, and with a talented roster including Russell and Alan Holzmann, Randy McStine and Craig Blundell in tow, it’s Wilson’s most quintessentially progressive rock release since Hand Cannot Erase, and probably his best work since then, too. The duel tracks burst with lively ideas, Rush-esque riffs and solos vie against Floydian atmospherics and Tangerine Dream electronica, but Wilson always sounds like himself, a master of homage over imitation. While fans may have been split over his recent output, The Overview demonstrates that Wilson remains one of the most stalwart talents in the scene. 

Recommended tracks: there are only two, so pick one!
Related links: Spotify | original review

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Vildhjarta – + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar +
Recommended for fans of: Meshuggah, Car Bomb, Frontierer, Humanity’s Last Breath
Picked by: Justin

Upon release, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + was an overwhelmingly dense constellation of noises, refusing to be mapped or connected in much of a meaningful way. After a few days of listening, the constellation started to take shape into something much clearer, something which was new and exciting. Now, over a month later, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + has cemented itself as my favorite Vildhjarta record, marking the furthest evolution in the sound of thall since Vildhjarta‘s debut. + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + holds within itself a veritable sea of stars to swim in, a vast expanse of uncharted sound that I have not yet tired of exploring. Even in a year with a myriad of quality releases, + Där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + continues to outshine the competition, serving as an illuminating north star of quality and inspiration for my own personal tastes.

Recommended tracks: + Två vackra svanar +, + Sargasso +, + Den spanska känslan +
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review

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Wardruna – Birna
Recommended for fans of: Eolya, Heilung, Forndom, Nytt Land
Picked by:

Birna gently invites the listener into its world by asking them to look within—a heartbeat in 6/8 establishes the rhythmic structure of opener “Hertan” along with setting the record’s ethos of reconnection with the natural world, first beginning with the self and then extending outward. A mystical and intoxicatingly primal atmosphere pervades every moment of the record, from its exultant dance pieces “Ljos til Jord” and “Himmindotter” to its lumbering, dreamlike, hazy tracks “Dvaledraumar” and “Jord til Ljos”. Birna’s central songwriting force is layers, introducing a simple idea and building on iterations until the track can barely contain itself. At their peak, pieces triumphantly burst forth like a river through a dam, all the while never letting go of a deeply chthonic sensibility. Centerpiece “Dvaledraumar” does this in a more subtle manner, utilizing field recordings of frozen lakes and traditional instrumentation in tandem with a glacial pace to lull the listener into an ethereal, hypnotic state before breaking the spell with the sound of melting ice and songs of springtime. Birna opens a powerful dialogue between myriad forces of nature, manifesting through the she-bear, our most celestial and feared of beasts.

Recommended tracks: Dvaledraumar, Jord til Ljos, Ljos til Jord, Hertan
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review