Lesser known Prog rock recommendations
 

Hi,

Could you recommend me lesser known progressive rock bands and artists? I have a playlist where I collect that kind of music.
The less known a band is the better suggestion it is for my playlist. They should also preferably have music released in or around 2020. The band should be on Spotify, because my public playlist is there.

You can also send me submissions trough soundplate.com if you find it easier.


If you want preferences or just listen to good music, here's a link to my playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0K...97643e64094989

I'm also looking for followers so if you like the list I would appreciate if you would give it a like by clicking on the heart icon.

Thank you in advance!

I don't know if they would be considered obscure, but Starcastle got some radio play in the seventies. I remember them sounding a bit like Yes if you're into them.

From their debut album in 1976

I suppose that depends on what you consider better or more well-known ones. If we assume you're talking your Yeses, your Genesises, ELPs, Camels and so on, and assuming also you know your Marillions, IQs, Pendragons and so forth, then perhaps
Arena
Spock's Beard
Willowglass
Twelfth Night
Big Big Train
This Winter Machine
Cosmograf
Edison's Children
Blackfield
Haken
IoEarth
Millennium (Poland)
Fish on Friday
Elephants of Scotland

I mean, I could go on for pages. Maybe an idea of what you've heard and are into might help narrow down a list that could, literally, be thousands of bands and artists long.

Thank you! This is not quite suitable for my playlist. I'm looking for newer and even more unknown music, but this sounds very nice so I personally am going to listen this more.

Thank you very much for your recommendations and sorry, I could have been more specific in what I was after. I didn't mean that bands should be unknown to me in particular. I meant they should be generally unknown. Your recommendations such as Willowglass, Twelfth Night, Edison's Children, IoEarth and Elephants of Scotland were pretty close to what I was looking for.
The less known a band is the better suggestion it is for my playlist. They should also preferably have music released in or around 2020. The band should be on spotify, because my public playlist is there.

Personally I like Progressive Rock like Genesis, Yes and Marillion from the 70's and 80's, but a more modern and experimental style can also surprise.

Anyway, thank you very much for your recommendations and if you have even more unknown bands to share, I would appreciate it if you could do it.

I'll plug my buddies in Panzerpappa for the occasion then :)

They're a norwegian avant-prog band from Oslo who take inspirations from various prog and RIO bands like Univers Zero, Samla Mammas Manna, Hatfield and the North and National Health (check those out too if you haven't, btw). Their music ranges from abrasive and disharmonic to beautiful and serene and their compositions range from complex to less complex, but never quite simple.

They played and recorded with Richard Sinclair back in 2006 and so have a very tenuous Canterbury scene-connection. Aside from a track featuring Richard on vocals (Vintervake) and some other more or less unintelligible shouting, all their music is instrumental.


Here's a song I quite like from their 2012 album Astromalist, Ugler i Moseboka. I especially like the continous build up just after the 2 minute mark.




Me and my daughter like to listen to music together for sleepy times and this song is in our bedtime playlist. It's a very mellow song with some interesting timing (parts that go 7/8 three times, then 6/8 and then another that goes 6/8 three times followed by 5/8 once (guess you might call them 27/8 and 23/8 respectively)).

If you take a listen, check out the gorgeous part where the acoustic guitar part comes back in after 2:30. Sublime!




And since you're interested in new music, here's a little ditty from their latest 2019-album, Summarisk Suite.




Currently, they've been working on a project where they make 99 versions of the same composition, Excercises in Style, which is producing some interesting new sounds from them.

Here's nr. 96 with a very strong country vibe:

Meh, I always say Starcastle should have been called Sugarcastle. There's just something sickly sweet about their music that turns me off. I got one of their albums - think it was that one - and the moment I heard the first track I knew it wasn't for me. They get a lot of love in prog circles, which kind of baffles me. But anyway.

Okay well in terms of bands who are generally unknown on the scene and are current, here are some links to reviews I wrote of a few last year.

Archetype Asylum by Exodus to Infinity

I Just Wanna Break Even by The Flying Caravan

You might also like The World We Used To Know by Shattered Skies

True North by Borknagar

(both prog metal)

or

Last Epic by A.C.T

These guys only had the one album but still very much worth a listen
The Hour is Upon Us by The Hour of the Shipwreck

Do you know The City Sleeps by Touchstone?

Also very good, excellent in fact is
From the Small Hours of Weakness by Verbal Delirium

I love this one to death
A Tower of Silence by Anubis

and this
A Story Two Days Wide by Iluvatar

Thank you very much Guybrush! I've already listened songs Ugler I Moseboka and Algerisk Symfo by Panzerpappa. I really liked the atmosphere of both songs and especially the saxophone parts. I actually already added both songs to my playlist. I'll also have to check those other suggestions later.

Thank you for a very comprehensive list. I browsed the list and randomly picked The Flying Caravan to listen to and it sounded promising at least for a first listen. I'll have to listen some more and listen those other suggestions too. I'll probably do it today while I'm cleaning. I'm pretty sure I'll add some of those to my playlist.