A new editorial week at Progressive Rock Journal opens with a selection that covers extraordinary ground — from the Mayan cosmology of a Los Angeles Avant-Prog ensemble to a three-bass statement built on fragmentation and regeneration, from a Palestinian artist’s intimate musical testimony to a Colombian Progressive Metal vision realized without compromise, from a 19-minute German Rock suite to Brussels Avant-Garde improvisation, from the proto-Prog spires of 1969 England to the Baroque Chamber-Rock of West Germany, and a twelfth compilation volume that maps the broken coordinates of contemporary Progressive. A week that demands attention from beginning to end.
— REVIEWS —
Corima – Hunab Ku: A Los Angeles ensemble working at the precise convergence of Zeuhl, Rock In Opposition, and Avant-Prog, Corima deliver their fourth full-length via Soleil Zeuhl — seven tracks, thirty-seven minutes, and a record named after the Mayan concept of the supreme cosmic force. The multi-instrumental scope of the lineup — violin, saxophones, tabla, harmonium, glockenspiel alongside keys, bass and drums — is not a timbral resource but a compositional philosophy, deployed across an arc that runs from the rhythmic austerity of “Xock’ab” to the nearly eight-minute sustained expansiveness of “Ho-Huitzilopochtli-Tlaloc.” One of the most purposeful and compositionally assured ensembles currently working in this area of the Progressive spectrum. Essential. [Read here]
Alberto Rigoni, Michael Manring, Stuart Hamm – Dystopia: Three of the electric bass guitar’s most consequential voices — Italy’s Alberto Rigoni, Michael Manring, and Stuart Hamm — assembled not to compete but to converse, with drummer Tim “Herb” Alexander (of Primus) appearing as special guest across three central tracks. Released via Musea Records and Melodic Revolution Records, “Dystopia” maps the tension between collapse and regeneration through nine compositions traversing Progressive Rock, Fusion, Cinematic Experimentalism, and Ambient exploration. Not a showcase — a statement. An indispensable document of what this instrument can become when placed in the hands of artists who conceive of it as the primary language of musical thought. [Read here]
— INTERVIEWS —
[Exclusive Interview] Hisham Zreiq — Songs From the Wound: A Palestinian Artist’s Testimony in Sound: Palestinian-born, Germany-based multidisciplinary artist Hisham Zreiq — filmmaker, visual artist, and composer — speaks at length about a series of singles conceived as direct emotional testimony: songs told from the perspective of children affected by war, built on minimal arrangement and raw lyrical imagery. Collaborators include Jazz legend Gilad Atzmon and singer Enas Al-Said. A forthcoming concept album about the suffering of children in wartime is in development. One of the most important and necessary interviews PRJ has published. [Read here]
[Exclusive Interview] Miguel Donneys Project — Imago Chapter I: Time Before Memory: Seven tracks, one protagonist, a solitary creative vision realized without compromise across composition, performance, production, and visual identity. The second full-length from Colombian artist Miguel Donneys is a Progressive Metal work of genuine conceptual ambition — built around a single female character navigating the darkest corridors of her own past. One vision, one world, no compromise. Direct, detailed, and thoroughly worth the read. [Read here]
— NEWS —
Lucy Malheur — “Summer Solstice”: German singer-songwriter Lucy Malheur steps into ambitious territory with a 19-minute Rock suite released independently via Bandcamp. A single, extended compositional statement that earns every minute of its running time. The kind of move that signals an artist with a clear sense of what she’s building — and the discipline to follow through on it. [Read here]
THOT — “The Free House Session”: Brussels-based Avant-Garde Rock collective THOT unveil a full live session video — raw, spontaneous, and completely on their own terms. For anyone with a serious interest in the intersection of improvisation, Post-Rock, and Art Rock in the current European underground, this is required viewing. [Read here]
— HIDDEN RARITIES —
[Hidden Rarities #12] Titus Groan (UK): England, 1969. Named after the protagonist of Mervyn Peake’s Gothic novel, Titus Groan occupy one of the most fascinating corners of proto-Prog: a band rattling the transitional moment between Psychedelic Rock and its more complex, Jazz-infused successors. Founded by guitarist and pianist Stuart Cowell, their sole self-titled album remains one of British early Prog’s most singular documents — heavy, literate, and entirely unrepeated. [Read here]
[Hidden Rarities #54] Parzival (GER): Bremen, West Germany, 1965. In a Krautrock landscape dominated by motorik rhythms and electronic experimentation, Parzival occupy a quieter, almost pastoral corner — Baroque Chamber-Rock of sustained delicacy and singular identity. Folk-Prog and Symphonic sensibilities woven together in a body of work that is as far from the motorik highway as it is from anything else. A necessary archival discovery. [Read here]
— COMPILATION —
PRJ Compilation Vol. XII – Maps of Broken Time: The twelfth volume in the PRJ Compilation series charts a course through Art Rock, Avant-Garde, Heavy Prog, Jazz Prog, and beyond — a document of where Progressive music lives in 2026: in the fault lines, in the broken coordinates, in the spaces where time refuses to resolve cleanly. Stream the full compilation via the YouTube player below and read the full article for the complete lineup and curatorial notes. [Read here] —
Stream on YouTube:
— PRJ SPOTIFY PLAYLIST —
PRJ Playlist: Psych / Space / Krautrock Selection — March 2026: The latest PRJ Spotify playlist focuses the lens on the psychedelic and kosmische corridors — Space Rock, Krautrock, and Psych selected with curatorial precision. A companion to the week’s reading, or a standalone journey for the right set of headphones. [Read here] —
Stream on Spotify:
— PRJ YOUTUBE CHANNEL —
Secret Wisdom – What Never Was… [1995, Full Demo]
Mau Da Faça – Substancias EP [2025, Full Stream]
— NEW RELEASES —
New Releases: February 2026: https://progrockjournal.com/new-releases-february-2026/
As always, Editor’s Pick is a curatorial compass — not a list, but a guided entry point into PRJ‘s week. Read what catches you, follow the links, and come back next Monday.