Style: progressive metal, alternative metal, djent (mixed vocals, mostly clean)
Recommended for fans of: VOLA, TesseracT, Ihlo, Leprous, Sleep Token
Country: Denmark
Release date: 16 January 2026

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On Friday afternoons, idle chatter with coworkers often leads to the same question: ‘So, any weekend plans?’ Answering is always complicated when I’m heading to a show. ‘Oh, just getting a couple of runs in, and going to a concert Saturday.’ ‘Nice, who are you seeing?’ they ask, invariably. Do I really want to tell these folks I’m seeing Horrendous open for Tomb Mold? An Acid Bath reunion? And those band names aren’t even too bad, considering what else is out there; they’re just two examples of when this situation has come up. It may be hard to believe, but despite my music taste, I’m a pretty normal guy—or at least that’s the illusion I’ve maintained. ‘Ah, some little metal band,’ I answer.

Still, I’d much rather confess a love for Acid Bath to one of my coworkers than have to utter the profoundly stupid band name Cold Night For Alligators to anyone. Nevertheless, here in the safe space behind a keyboard, I present to you With All That’s Left, the latest effort from Denmark’s proggy alternative metallers. And the timing’s quite good: just a couple of months ago, Moron Police’s Pachinko reminded us that worthwhile progressive music can come from Scandinavians with cringe-worthy band names. Are Cold Night For Alligators up to the task?

If you’ve heard any of the hooky, djent-laden modern prog metal of the last decade, you’ve heard With All That’s Left in essence. Melodic, emotional vocals sit above wonky riffs and rhythms, while heavy touches of piano and synth shift between creating atmosphere in the background and driving toward the forefront. This isn’t to say the band is indistinguishable from genre staples like TesseracT, VOLA, et al., but there’s a formulaic nature to Cold Night For Alligators’ sound. Still, they execute the formula well. The tight instrumental performances and consistently strong vocals lean toward the softer side of progressive metal, at times falling into a Sleep Token brand of poppiness. All the while, speckless production makes the album’s ten short tracks shine. 

This whole sound works well when the songs are catchy enough, and nowhere is that more evident than in standout track “Dance For You.” An earworm hook burrows deep, and groovy riffs get the shoulders shaking; a piano-led bridge then builds tension that pours out in a final, cathartic chorus. The title track, meanwhile, deftly balances complexity and accessibility, featuring infectious grooves and morphing synths that are never straightforward yet always easy to latch onto. But not every track is so successful. Closing track “Melancholy Waves” follows a similar playbook and offers almost nothing to distinguish itself from the prior nine tracks. The same can be said of “I Am Only Fear,” aside from a brief, glorious passage where a rare scream drops right into some raging brass. And the album’s most reserved cuts, “In The Dark” and “.44 Lifeline,” not only over-repeat phrases that aren’t musically compelling enough to warrant it, but they’re also not long enough songs to accommodate so much repetition. 

When Cold Night For Alligators take their sound in a less generic direction, the results are almost always welcomed. Despite sounding a little too close to the Leprous track “Mirage,” the huge, drooping guitars and pulsing synth that start “Bittersweet Echoes” lay a strong foundation for the song’s uncharacteristically epic finale. And right after that, “Astonishing” steps outside the record’s soft melodic palette and hits us with a harder, almost Eastern edge. The track’s droning female backing vocals reinforce this much-needed change in the relatively homogenous atmosphere that preceded it. Even the quick incorporation of brass in “I Am Only Fear” and “Changeling” provides a memorable variation in texture. But these sorts of change-ups are a bit too rare, making With All That’s Left a pleasant but often unexciting listen. 

In the end, Cold Night For Alligators have put out a solid, clinical modern prog album—and that’s no easy feat. If you can’t get enough of the style, then With All That’s Left is almost sure to please. For me, a few weaker tracks curb the record’s momentum, and generally, there isn’t quite enough compositional heft or distinguishing elements to keep me fully engaged. Had I adored the album, I’m not sure I could have recommended a band called Cold Night For Alligators to anyone I know anyway. So at least I’ve dodged that quandary.

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Recommended tracks: With All That’s Left, Dance For You, Astonishing
You may also like: Ions, TEMIC, Inhalo, Maraton
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Prime Collective

Cold Night for Alligators is:
– Johan Pedersen (vocals)
– Kristoffer Jessen (guitars)
– Roar Jakobsen (guitars)
– Nikolaj Lauszus (drums)
With guests:
– Eskil Rask (bass)
– And others