Now it’s about progressive rock with the band Postures, hailing from Göteborg. They started out in 2009 and after a few years of forging their sound, they released the debut album “Postures” in summer. They write that the songs have taken their shape during their live shows and that they wanted to capture the energy from these shows on the album. Two of the songs, “Solipse” and “Quakes” are also recorded in live sessions and large parts of them are improvised. It’s an album which demands attention from the listener, but as such you are richly rewarded with their experimental rock excursions and large dynamics, shifting from the soft to the hard, which is further emphasized by the female vocals. I think they are at their best in these live recorded tracks, mentioned above, which may say something about their skills on stage. Here are a couple of songs.

Postures’ site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Bandcamp

John ola is the former guitarist in the punk band C. Aarmé. In Spring he released his solo album debut, which shortly is called “LP”. It’s a strong instrumental album where he paints harsh, dark landscapes, where the dust still whirls around after the battle, but where beautiful melodies makes it through the haze from afar. It feels filmic and the analogue synth sounds reminds us of old glorious days in this newly created rough environment. Here are two songs:

John ola’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp

Joachim Dahlbergs Vindkraft has grown rapidly from a one man project to a duo to a five-membered band with a traditional setup. They get their influences from Swedish progressive tradition, jazz, rock, folk, which can be heard on this first single, the dramatic, lively, progressive rock-vibing “Tankekraft”.

Joachim Dahlbergs Vindkraft’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp

The experiment-happy Cyan Marble, which I wrote about in the Autumn, is back with a new EP, “Maya”. And also this time they bring their sense for the theatrical and their unchecked progressive rock. Try the starting track here below.

Cyan Marble on Facebook – on Bandcamp

Misth, hailing from Stockholm, released a sparkling debut rock album during Spring, which is definitely worth checking out if you like the combination of metal, melodic hard rock and progressive rock. In front of a gang of brilliant musicians and scarred veterans, who come from the predecessor Mercury Fang, we find singer Maria Rådsten. Mostly known from before as a member of the group One More Time, it sounds like she’s really found her hunting grounds as she’s impressing with her register, dynamics and strength.

There’s a lot of candy here for one whose choosy with rock; everything from tight, progressive excursions, to ominous metal riffs to melodic choruses that explodes in a kind of hard rock party. Nostalgic as I am I get quite a few vibes from both the seventies and the eighties with Dio, Black Sabbath, Yngwie Malmsteen and the likes. Sometimes I just get a flashback from one of the many guitar sounds thats strewn across the record. An album where they don’t hesitate to squeeze out the very last from the songs where five of the ten songs run over 6 minutes, with the epic finishing track “Day of Retribution” as the grande finale. Listen for yourself here below in a couple of songs.

Misth’s site – on Facebook – on Spotify – on Wimp – on Rara

I Call Your Name
Rise of a New Day