Less than two years after their previous studio record, Finnish Progressive Rock band King Of Sweden return with a new and ambitious four-track album, “Interregnum,” released on May 29, 2026 via Eclipse Music. The band presents four extended compositions, including an epic suite of nearly 20 minutes, exploring the various facets of their sound — from more Experimental and exploratory passages to Symphonic and more delicate openings. The band wastes no time, and from the opening notes of “Movie Night” we are immersed in Scandinavian Progressive Rock sonorities, steeped in heavier passages and that dark, Folk touch that characterises Nordic bands. An interplay of refined organ and synth textures with electric guitar, making space for the vocals, with a rhythm section in continuous evolution, enriched by constant tempo changes. A remarkable Heavy Prog track that unites classic atmospheres without amounting to a mere exercise in pastiche, while inserting its own personal traits. Guitar and keyboards give the piece substance and develop solo passages that blend technique and power — a track that is at times pompous, in the most positive sense of the word. The bass in the instrumental section, paired with a tight drumming, builds the architecture for keyboard and guitar solos, moving between Symphonic and Heavy Prog, carrying the spirit of the ’70s into a modern and personal context. The title “Breath,” and its intro built on the sound of running water, establish the right atmosphere — more introspective than the previous track — developing the piece with dreamy acoustic guitar and bass arpeggios. The vocal is melodic, and the track, with its guitar and keyboard arpeggios, evokes the more delicate moments of Genesis, while always retaining the band’s personal and contemporary sound. “Father of Soup” shifts register completely, presenting a sound coloured by experimentation and time-signature changes in the first part — where the sonority recalls early-era King Crimson in the urgency and technical precision of the rhythm section, as well as in the guitar-keyboard-and-winds phrasing. Then, with a sudden shift, the second half offers a guitar arpeggio and a warm, expressive vocal that left me genuinely absorbed and glued to my seat: unexpected, yet highly refined, revealing in this track a more Experimental direction. The epic suite “Recursion” closes the album’s tracklist, stretching beyond 19 minutes. King Of Sweden do not waste time — there is no introduction; the piece plunges straight into the action with a technical sound enriched by metric shifts. A solid, elaborate rhythm section with dense, groovy passages and continuous tempo changes; the bass is deep and gives body to the track, anchoring itself to a drumming that is at times powerful, at others more fluid, following the thematic development of the piece. Guitar and keyboards craft excellent melodic blends and allow the intense vocal to develop the lyrics with melodic, engaging contours. The guitar solo, followed by a keyboard solo, elevates the piece further. The band exploits the full duration to express and showcase their compositional and executive technique, making this record a gem of modern prog and one of the best releases of 2026 so far. The flute in the central section adds a pastoral touch to the sound, building a choral crescendo that culminates in ’70s Progressive sonorities filtered through King Of Sweden‘s personal style, evolving the central theme of the suite with carefully crafted vocal interplay and instrumental interludes. An album that contains within itself all the ingredients a Progressive Rock listener seeks in a new release: delicate, dreamy passages interwoven with more technical ones, enriched by time-signature changes and a sharper, at times heavier sound. A very enjoyable listen from start to finish, succeeding in bringing the classic atmospheres of the genre into a modern and distinctly personal context, exploring the different facets of the band’s sound — with the closing suite undoubtedly the centrepiece of the album. The first three tracks are nonetheless lengthy, well-structured compositions that elevate the record to another level, independent of the monumental closing epic suite. The band consolidates what we already praised in their previous record (here), confirming the excellent tradition — both past and present — of Scandinavian Progressive Rock.
Tracklist
01. Movie Night (9:00)
02. Breath (4:58)
03. Father of Soup (7:12)
04. Recursion (19:35)
Lineup
Sampsa Nelimarkka / Guitar, Vocals, Saxophone
Tomi Raikaslehto / Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Joni Raikaslehto / Bass, Backing Vocals
Elias Ojutkangas / Drums, Backing Vocals