Lets face it honestly, 2015 will go down as another pivotal year for the growth of Progressive Rock, Metal, AOR, Post Metal , Psychedelic Rock and Djent. There so many bands doing music on such a original level that the music did not seem to be recycled, imitated or sound like the same thing over and over again with the same chord progressions and passages polluting the various compositions and constructs.
This was the toughest list I have ever pondered on. Normally I would take a online poll somewhere, however I did not want the typical snob drama or pissing contests that are sometimes associated with the said polls. I reviewed 30 albums this year over at my new writing home Power Of Prog. Many of those will be included in this list and some I did not get the chance or time have made this list.
Before I get going on my list I would like to acknowledge some people in the prog and rock world in general. I would like to thank Nick Katona “The Mad Platter” owner of Power Of Prog and the host of 33 and 1/3, Vinyl Confessions and The Mad Platter show over at House Of Prog, The Prog Doctor himself Marty Dorfman at House Of Prog and The Waiting Room with The Prog Doctor at House Of Prog, Ian Beabout host of Prog Rock Deep Cuts at House Of Prog. I would also like to thank Rick Henry at House Of Prog, Rob Pociluk at Progressive Music Planet, Nem Nol and RJ Dunn and Matt Vicente at Lady Obscure Magazine for their continual radar. Without the Lady Obscure staff I would not of discovered Native Construct. IO Earth manager Wendy Vissers-Hagenbeek and Abstrakt Agnieska Cz for their support and continual cooperation. Without anymore delay here is my Top 15 of 2015 !!
1) IO Earth – New World
Label: IO Earth Shop/Independent
Release Year: 2015
Country: Birmingham UK
Genre: Art Rock / Symphonic / Progressive Rock Band
Other Genres IO Earth Use:
Rock, Ambient, Jazz, Classical, World, Progressive Rock, Dance, Celtic, Contemporary, Folk, Metal, Symphonic Rock, Crossover Prog and many many more! Basically,
IO Earth is GENRE DEFYING!
Band Members
Linda Odinsen: Lead & Backing Vocals
Dave Cureton: Lead, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitar, Lead & Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Programming
Luke Shingler: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute & EWI
Adam Gough: Keyboards, Theremin, Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Lead & Backing Vocals, Programming
Jez King: Violin & Rhythm Guitar
Christian Jerromes: Drums & Percussion
Christian Nokes: Bass Guitar & Double Bass
2a) Forgotten Suns | When Worlds Collide
Label: Premiere Music
Release Year : 2015
Country : Lisbon, Portugal
Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock
Band Members
Ricardo Falcão – Guitar
J.C Samora – Drums
Nuno Correia – Bass
Nio Nunes – Vocals
Ernesto Rodrigues – Keyboards
2b) Arcane Known|Learned
Label : Independent through
Bird’s Robe New Zealand/Australia
Sensory Records Worldwide
Release : 2015
Country: Brisbane Australia
Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock
Band Members:
Jim Grey: Vocals
Michael Gagen: Guitars
Matt Martin: Keyboards
Adrian Goleby: Bass
Blake Coulson: Drums
Guest Bass Players
CD 1/Known: Brendan Brown
CD 2/Learned: Mick Millard
3) Unified Past | Shifting The Equilibrium
Label: Melodic Revolution Records
Release Year: 2015
Country: United States
Genre: Progressive Rock
Band Members
Phil Naro – Vocals
Stephen Speelman – Guitars, Synths, MIDI Sequencing
Victor Tassone – Drums, Percussion
Dave Mickelson – Bass Guitar
4) Amadaus Awad’s | Death Is Just A Feeling
Label: Melodic Revolutions Records
Release Year: 2015
Country: Beruit, Lebanon
Genre: Progressive Rock, Metal, Post Rock
Band Members
Amadeus Awad – Acoustic, Electric & Bass Guitars, Keyboards and Orchestration
Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering, Ayreon, The Gentle Storm) – Vocals
Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Guilt Machine, Stream of Passion, The Gentle Storm) – Vocals
Elia Monsef – Vocals
Marco Minneman (Joe Satriani, Steven Wilson, The Aristocrats) – Drums ( 2, 3, 5 & 6)
James Keegan (Spocks Beard, John Waite, Santana) – Drums (4)
Nareg Nashanikian – Cello
Rafi Nashanikian – Clarinet
Dan Harper – Narration
5) Abstrakt | Limbosis
Label: Niezależna
Release Year: 2015
Country: Poland
Genre: Post Progressive Metal/Rock
Band Members
Krzysztof Podsiadło – Vocals
Michał Fiałka – Guitar
Maciej Dados – Keyboard
Jakub Puszyński – Bass
Łukasz Simiński – Drums
6) Steven Wilson | Hand Cannot Erase
Label : Kscope
Release Year: 2015
Country: UK
Genre: Progressive Rock
Steven Wilson – Guitars & Vocals
Guthrie Govan – Guitar
Adam Holzman – Keyboards
Theo Travism – Flute / Saxophone
Nick Beggs – Bass / Chapman Stick
Marco Minnemann – Drums
7) Lonely Robot | Please Come Home
Label : InsideOut Music
Release Year: 2015
Country: UK
Genre: Progressive Rock
John Mitchell (Kino, It Bites, Arena) – production, guitars, vocals
Nick Beggs – bass
Craig Blundell – drums
Guest Musicians:
Peter Cox (Go West)
Nik Kershaw,
Steve Hogarth (Marillion)
Heather Findlay,
Kim Seviour (Touchstone)
Jem Godfrey (Frost*)
Lee Ingleby (Master & Commander, Harry Potter)
Rebecca Neew-Menear
Kim Seviour
8) Karnataka |Secrets Of Angels
Label : Immrama Records
Release Year : 2015
Country : United Kingdom
Genre : Progressive/Symphonic/Celtic /Metal
Band Members
Haley Griffiths – Lead Vocals
Enrico Pinna– Lead Guitar/Vocals
Jimmy Pallagrosi -Drums
Ian Jones -Bass/Keyboards/Guitars
Cagri Tozluoglu – Keyboards
9) ‘The V’ ‘Veronica Freeman’ |Now Or Never
Label: Frontiers
Release Year: 2015
Country: USA
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Band Members
Veronica Freeman – Lead Vocals
Leather Leone – Duet Vocals “Kiss My Lips”
Tony Martin – Duet Vocals “King For A Day”
Melissa McDonell – Additional Vocals “Starshine” & Acoustic Guitars
Derek Kerswill – Drums
Jeff Pilson, Mel Brown, Garry Bordonaro, Aric Avina, John O’Boyle & Mike Lepond – Bass
Pete Wells, Michael Sweet ,Peter Tentindo, Jimmy Durkin, Mick Tucker, Jordan Ziff, Michael Harris – Guitars
Produced by John Herrera
except for:
“King for a Day” (produced by Kenny Lewis)
“Love Should be to Blame” & “Again” (produced by Michael Sweet)
10) Edge Of Paradise| Immortal Waltz
Label: Pure Steel Records -World /Twin Peak Records -AU, NZ, parts of S.E.A.
Release Year: 2015
Country: USA
Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Band Members
Magarita Monet -Vocals/ Piano
Dave Bates – Guitars
Nick Ericson – Bass
John Cominsky – Drums
11) The Murder Of My Sweet| Beth Out Of Hell
Label: Frontiers
Release Year: 2015
Country: Sweden
Genre: Cinematic Melodic Rock
Band Members
Angelica Rylin – Vocals
Christopher Vetter – Guitar
Patrik Janson – Bass
Daniel Flores – Drums and Keyboards
12) Kore| Evolve
Label: Independent
Release Year: 2015
Country: Poland
Genre: Progressive Post Metal, Extreme Metal
Band Members
Karol Piwowarski – Vocals, Guitar
Darek Adamczyk- Guitar
Łukasz Usydus – Bass
Kuba Mikulski – Drums
13) Abnormal Thought Patterns | Altered State Of Consciousness
Label: Lifeforce Records
Release Year: 2015
Country: California USA
Genre: Progressive, Technical, Shred, Metal instrumental,Djent
Band Members
Jasun Tipton – Guitars and Keys
Troy Tipton – Bass
Jason Montero – Guitars
Mike Guy – Drums
Guest Musicians
Tommy Rogers -Vocals – Between The Buried And Me
Jeff Loomis – Guitars- ex- Nevermore
Michael Manring – Bass
John Onder – Bass
Tim Toth – Into Eternity – Guitars
14) | All Is Not For All
Label :Melodic Revolutions Records
Release Year: 2015
Country: United Arab Emerites
Genre: Progressive Power Thrash Metal
Band Members
John Bakhos – Guitars
Nadeem Bibby – Vocals
Imad Dahleh – Drums
Jay Jahed – Synth
Rany Battikh – Bass
15) Kinetic Element | Travelog
Label: Melodic Revolution Records
Release Year: 2015
Country: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Genre: Progressive Rock
Band Members
Mike Visaggio: Keyboards
Michael Murray: Drums
Todd Russell: Guitars
Mark Tupko: Bass
Guest Vocalists
Dimetrius LaFavors (tracks 1, 2 & 5) War Song, Travelog, Vision Of A New Dawn
Michelle Schrotz (track 3) Into The Lair
Mike Florio (track 4) Her
