9 Awesome Progressive Metal Tracks for Your 2022 Playlist!
2021 was the year I truly delved into progressive metal. I’ve always enjoyed cool, djenty bass elements and offbeat drums, not to mention the sheer amount of crazy guitar solos! It’s mind-blowing to me that artists can create offbeat music as the body naturally falls into a rhythm!
I found some gems that I’ll definitely be taking forward in my 2022 playlist, and I’m sharing them with you now! There will be many instrumentals! I’m probably going to heavily focus on bass as that’s what I’m learning to play at the moment, so forgive me 🤣
Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
1. Arch Echo — Leonessa
Leonessa inspired me to open up the Medium app and write this list. It’s such a magical song! Super chilled instrumental, and all the elements come together beautifully.
I love the bass on this (I’ve watched Arch Echo’s bass tutorial, and I will dive into it at some point!), and there’s really great guitar and keyboard too. It’s just really bloody good.
Stella is another track that I absolutely love, and it was a fight between these two for the feature!
2. Animals As Leaders — Weightless
Weightless was the first song I ever heard from Animals As Leaders a few years ago. I still absolutely love it! It’s a chilled track rammed full of catchy riffs, and it’s so listenable.
They’re very talented, especially the guitarist, Tosin Abasi; watching his shredding hurts my head! They’re an awesome band to listen to if you’re looking to get into prog metal.
3. Paralydium — The Source
I discovered Paralydium this year, and they’ve become a staple on my playlists since. The hardest part of putting them here on my playlist was choosing just one track! I love the vocalist, and the guitarist and bassist are magicians. Such a cool band! This live performance is awesome.
They’re relatively unheard-of going by only having 6,666 monthly listeners on Spotify, but I’m hoping they’ll tour the UK at some point!
Crystal of Infinity, Within the Sphere, and Astral Liberation are also bangers, but most of their songs are!
4. Xang — Misgivings
Speaking of unheard-of bands, here’s a track from the late ’90s with only 14 monthly listeners on Spotify!
This song gives me Genesis vibes, with proggy bass thrown in. Great instrumental track and so enjoyable to listen to! It’s relaxing and engaging all at the same time.
5. Vola — Ruby Pool
Another band I discovered this year! I find a lot of my prog metal bands through the prog metal subreddit, and Vola is pretty popular over there.
Vola is another band where it’s almost impossible to choose one track to feature! They manage to work with a range of genres, poppy electronic, heavy metal, so it’s a tricky one.
My favourite is Ruby Pool because it’s the perfect chill-out song. The contrast between the soft vocals, melodic keys, and thrumming bass is gorgeous. It’s a song that always makes me smile, and it gets my eyes going with the second verse!
Honorary mentions go to 24 Light Years, Alien Shivers, and Napalm.
6. Intervals — Libra
I popped Intervals on shuffle when I couldn’t sleep. I woke up to this song a few hours later, and I fell in love! It’s an incredible piece of art.
The bass on this is in-your-face prog, and Plini features on this track; his soaring solo completes it. Stunning instrumental!
7. Soen — Illusion
Illusion is another emotive track! The vocalist has a beautiful voice; it’s so relaxing yet heart-wrenching. The lyrics are outstanding, as is the whole construction of the song. There’s a stunning guitar solo which I love.
8. David Maxim Micic — Living Room
Living Room is such a cool instrumental! Really memorable riffs, stupidly good solo, and bass to knock your socks off. Good stuff!
9. I Built The Sky — Up Into The Ether
Up Into The Ether is a gorgeous instrumental track with stunning guitar work. Really enjoyable to listen to; relaxing but still manages to draw you in.
2 Bonus Tracks:
There are some proggy elements in these tracks, which is great if you prefer to listen to symphonic or speed metal!
1. Ad Infinitum — Lullaby
Typically a symphonic metal band, Ad Infinitum touches progressive metal very nicely with the drums and bass in Lullaby. It’s not the track you’d expect from looking at the name!
Hopefully, it’ll inspire you to listen to more of their music, too; they’re incredible musicians! Melissa has a shockingly good voice with elements you wouldn’t expect.
You can read my review for Chapter II — Legacy here.
2. Tremonti — Marching In Time
The longest track yet from the band, this incorporates the best of their typical sound with some additional prog elements. The drums are outstanding here! And as always, Tremonti’s vocals and guitar are stellar.
You can read my review for the whole Marching in Time album here.
I hope you’ve managed to find some cool new songs for your playlist! Let me know your favourite prog tracks that you’ve discovered recently ☺
