Search Results: progressive

• Streaming Now! Kelowna's CEPHEIDAE VARIABLE Unveils Debut Prog Album "Primordial Reverie" - A Sonic Journey Through Emotion, Evolution, and Imagination

  Nov 6, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Cepheidae Variable, the solo project of Canadian musician Ryan Koepke, will unleash its debut full-length album, "Primordial Reverie," on November 7th, a sweeping instrumental work that blends progressive metal, symphonic textures, and sci-fi soundscapes into a deeply personal and cinematic listening experience.
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  Originally conceived as a casual creative outlet, Cepheidae Variable took on new meaning following Koepke’s father’s cancer diagnosis. The emotional weight of that moment, combined with the joy of becoming an expecting father himself, transformed the project into a passionate pursuit of musical storytelling.
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  ​“I stopped waiting around and decided to create something I’d be proud of. This album mirrors the turbulence and hope I was experiencing in my life,” says Koepke.

  Described in five words: spacey, weird, melodic, melancholic, happy, "Primordial Reverie" is a genre-defying instrumental concept album built around three distinct acts. It opens with orchestral fantasy-inspired compositions and gradually shifts toward complex, synth-driven sci-fi arrangements. The album’s structure reflects Koepke’s evolving musical tastes and life experiences, with each track supporting the next like chapters in a book.
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  ​“I wanted to release an album that felt like a journey. Each song has its own identity, but recurring motifs and tonal shifts tie everything together,” explains Koepke.
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  From the uplifting energy of the single “Carving a Dragon” to the darker, more orchestrated depths of “Singularity,” the album invites listeners to craft their own narrative through sound. Koepke’s writing process is highly visual, often sparked by imagery or abstract themes, and guided by a desire to build immersive sonic environments.

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  ​"Primordial Reverie" is designed to be experienced as a complete piece, though its singles offer standalone energy and accessibility. Koepke anticipates fans will gravitate toward different halves of the album, some drawn to the melodic, symphonic opening tracks, others to the chaotic, experimental second act.
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  ​“I think fans of progressive metal will find something to enjoy, even if not every song fits neatly into genre definitions,” adds Koepke.

  
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  The album cover, created by renowned collage artist Alex Eckman-Lawn, evokes themes of loneliness, wonder, and cosmic mystery. Its abstract beauty heavily influenced the album’s tonal evolution.
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  Musically, Cepheidae Variable draws inspiration from bands like Dream Theater, Haken, Intervals, Wintersun, and Caligula’s Horse, while maintaining a distinct voice shaped by Koepke’s improvisational roots and cinematic ambitions.
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  Koepke plans to continue developing Cepheidae Variable, potentially expanding beyond instrumental work and solo production, and reach a goal of releasing a new album every 2–4 years. Fans can expect future full-length projects that build on the emotional and thematic depth of "Primordial Reverie."​
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  ​“This album means a lot to me. The ups and downs in the music reflect what I was going through, and it brings me joy to share it with others.”​
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  ​"Primordial Reverie" will be available on all major streaming platforms and CD on November 7th, 2025, and before it officially releases, it can be heard via its full stream premiere on Bravewords HERE.

  Digital Album pre-save (out Nov 7th) "Primordial Reverie" - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/cepheidaevariable/primordial-reverie

  CD Album pre-order - https://cepheidaevariable.bandcamp.com/album/primordial-reverie

  Track Listing:​
  1. Overture (3:11)
  2. Carving a Dragon (4:04)
  3. The Waiting Storm (3:13)
  4. Zephyr of Ouroboros (9:15)
  5. Encounter (5:53)
  6. The Conduit (6:03)
  7. Chromatic Haven (5:11)
  8. Entropic Harvester (10:27)
  9. Singularity (11:32)
  Album Length: 58:53

  For more info: https://cepheidaevariable.com/

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• Avant-Garde Prog Doom LIMINAL SPIRIT's Haunting Album "Unwell"

  Oct 31, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Milwaukee-based solo project Liminal Spirit, helmed by multi-instrumentalist Jerry Hauppa (also of Deorbit), has released its third EP, "Unwell," today, October 31st, ushering in a chilling new chapter of doom-laced, cinematic storytelling just in time for Halloween.
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  Described as “grandiose, cinematic, epic, heavy, unique,” "Unwell" deepens Liminal Spirit’s signature style of immersive “seance music,” conjuring a soundscape that channels spiritual unrest and psychological collapse. This latest release invites listeners into the unraveling consciousness of Phillip, an elderly man suffering from dementia and haunted by the ghosts of two children who accuse him of a long-forgotten crime. As Phillip’s reality fractures, the music mirrors his descent, growing more distorted, chaotic, and emotionally volatile with each track, culminating in a violent confrontation and a final plunge into damnation.

  The EP opens with “Admittance,” a deceptively serene, jazz-tinged piece that captures Phillip’s arrival at a nursing home, comforted by his son’s performance of “Welcome to My World.” The mood shifts in “Unwell,” where microtonal guitars and fragmented rhythms evoke Phillip’s disorientation and fading identity. “Visiting Day” introduces a sinister presence as ghostly figures confront him with accusations, setting a countdown to judgment. The chaos peaks in “EOLC,” a brutal and frenzied track where Phillip is tormented and killed by the spirits. The closing piece, “A Better Place,” drags the listener into a bleak purgatory, with chromatic descents and oppressive textures that echo Phillip’s fall into hell. Together, these tracks form a tightly woven narrative of psychological horror and spiritual reckoning.
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  Three of the five tracks feature microtonal guitar work, lending an alien, foreboding atmosphere that enhances the EP’s psychological horror. Hauppa’s writing process begins with a thematic concept and unfolds as a unified narrative, with lyrics drawn from the characters’ spoken words. The music and story are inseparable, each amplifying the other’s emotional weight.
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  ​“My goal with this record is to explore ideas that represent some of my greatest fears. Having worked in nursing homes, I know how miserable they can be. The thought of losing my faculties and facing spiritual judgment terrifies me, and that’s what Unwell is about,” says Hauppa.
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  ​Liminal Spirit is a progressive doom/avant-garde metal project known for its ritualistic, story-driven compositions. Influenced by artists like Skepticism, Anata, My Bloody Valentine, Jesu, and Confessor, Hauppa’s sound defies easy categorization, blending old-school death metal with psychedelic electronic textures.
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  ​"Unwell" is available now on all major streaming platforms.

  Add to your Spotify Playlist - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/liminalspirit2/unwell

  Digital Download - https://liminalspirit.bandcamp.com/

  More Info:​
  ​https://www.facebook.com/people/Liminal-Spirit/61575618106702/​
  ​https://www.instagram.com/liminal_spirit_mke

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• THE RETICENT Confronts Mental Health with New Video "The Scorn" Off Upcoming Album "please" Out Nov 2025

  Oct 23, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Progressive metal act The Reticent has unveiled the lyric video for “The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand),” the latest single from their upcoming album "please," due out on Generation Prog Records on November 13th. Known for their emotionally intense concept albums, The Reticent continues their tradition of soul-baring storytelling with "please," a harrowing journey through the many battlefields of mental illness.
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  ​“The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand)” takes on the voice of those who dismiss mental health struggles, echoing phrases like “just get over it” and “it’s all in your head.” Musically, the track leans into groove-oriented rhythms and major chords to reflect the detached worldview of those who don’t understand. The addition of exotic instrumentation like the oud and hand percussion further separates the song from the rest of the album’s sonic palette.
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  But "please" is more than just an album; it’s a survival mechanism. Written in just six months, the album was recorded under extreme conditions. Drums for "please" and its follow-up were tracked in a single day, while guitars, bass, and keys were completed in two. The vocals, however, took two grueling weeks, during which founder Chris Hathcock injured his larynx so severely that doctors feared permanent damage. Hathcock was forced into six weeks of total silence, even teaching his classes entirely nonverbally. Thankfully, he recovered, mostly.
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  The pain didn’t stop there. While filming the video for “The Concealment,” Hathcock broke two toes, sprained three others, and partially tore his rotator cuff during a scene that required him to violently destroy a room. Just six days later, he performed at ProgStorm Festival in Montreal with those injuries, doubled over in pain by the end of the set. Fans, immersed in the emotional intensity of the performance, had no idea.
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  "please" is the first album by The Reticent to be almost entirely engineered by Chris Hathcock himself. While drums were tracked at The Basement Studios with longtime producer Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, The Contortionist), all other elements were recorded at Hathcock’s Silent Muse Studio. The album was also mixed and mastered by King, adding his signature polish to the final product. The isolation of self-recording introduced an additional layer of emotional strain, especially during the vocal sessions.
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  Lyrically, the album is rich with references to the work of clinical psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison. Lines like “Night falls fast…” in “The Concealment” and “an unquiet mind” in “The Night River” nod to Jamison’s seminal works on suicide and bipolar disorder. Her voice even appears in samples throughout “Discharge.”
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  Musically, "please" marks a return to 6-string guitars, a first since 2016’s "On The Eve Of A Goodbye," except for “The Bed of Wasps.” The five-year gap between "please" and 2020’s "The Oubliette" is the longest in the band’s history, a reflection of the emotional toll and life events that shaped its creation.
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  ​The Reticent, led by Grammy-nominated music educator Chris Hathcock, has built a reputation for devastatingly autobiographical concept albums. Joined by James Nelson (Nospūn) and Paul McBride (Voraath), the band delivers performances that blur the line between metal show and performance art. Their appearance at ProgPower USA was hailed by Metal Injection as “one of the most heart-wrenching performances in ProgPower history.”​
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  In addition to their recent performance at ProgStorm Festival in Montreal this past summer, The Reticent is slated to appear at the 2026 editions of ProgPower USA in September and ProgPower Europe in October, marking another major milestone for the band’s growing international presence.
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  The lyric video for “The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand)” is now available on YouTube and streaming platforms.

  Fans of Opeth, Cynic, The Contortionist, Wilderun, and Devin Townsend will find much to resonate with in "please," which arrives November 13, 2025, via Generation Prog Records. A follow-up album is already underway, shaped by the profound loss of Chris Hathcock’s father during the creation of "please."

  CD pre-order (North America) - https://thereticent.net/please-pre-order

  CD pre-order (EU) - http://www.generation-prog.com/shop/

  Digital Album pre-save - https://show.co/MoPdl8W

  Track Listing:​
  1. Intake – 1:45
  2. The Concealment (Those Who Don’t Want To Wake) – 6:06
  3. The Night River (Those Who Can’t Rest) – 6:55
  4. Diagnosis 1 – 2:18
  5. The Bed of Wasps (Those Consumed With Panic) – 5:47
  6. The Scorn (Those Who Don’t Understand) – 8:12
  7. Diagnosis 2 – 2:39
  8. The Riptide (Those Without Hope) – 6:09
  9. The Chance (Those Who Let Go) – 6:52
  10. Discharge – 2:56
  Album Length: 49:45

  For more info: Thereticent.net | Facebook.com/thereticentmusic | Instagram.com/The.reticent.band

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• THE RETICENT's Fifth Studio Album "please" Explores The Struggles of Mental Illness; Unveil Music Video For Single "The Concealment”

  Oct 3, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

   

  Generation Prog Records is proud to announce the release of “please,” the emotionally searing new album from progressive metal act The Reticent. Led by Grammy-nominated music educator and multi-instrumentalist Chris Hathcock, “please” is a concept album that plunges listeners into the harrowing realities of mental illness, suicide, and survival. The album will be available on November 13th, 2025.
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  The first single, “The Concealment (Those Who Don’t Want To Wake),” is accompanied by a haunting music video that captures the anguish of hiding one’s suffering in plain sight.

  “The Concealment could be thought of as the thesis statement of the new album. It tries to capture what it is to attempt to carry on with your life while struggling with the crushing weight of mental illness. At work, with family, at school, wherever, we have to don masks and pretend we are ‘just fine’ when inside we may wish to go to sleep and never wake up again. 1 in 4 adults will have a mental health crisis this year, and there are 1.5 million suicide attempts per year in this country. It’s all around us, yet most will not talk about it, most will not get help, and most will suffer in silence. We are not alone, yet we feel intensely lonely because of that disconnection. For me, I have to pretend to be someone else every day as a teacher - confident, smart, strong - whilst inside I often wish fervently for oblivion to end my near constant pain. When the despair and the grief and the hopelessness come, the isolation and hollowness of all things can rob life of any color. For those who know what it is like to live with these disorders, it is indeed lonely here,” says Hathcock.

  Featuring ten emotionally driven tracks, the album was written in just six months. Drums were recorded in a single day, all other instruments in two, but vocals took two weeks, leaving Hathcock with a laryngeal injury so severe he couldn’t speak for six weeks. During the filming of “The Concealment” video, Hathcock broke two toes, sprained three others, and tore his rotator cuff. He performed at ProgStorm Festival in Montreal, Canada, just six days later, concealing his injuries behind the band’s emotionally intense stagecraft.
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  ​“please” is also The Reticent's first album, engineered almost entirely by Hathcock at his Silent Muse Studio. Only the drums were tracked at The Basement Studios with longtime producer Jamie King (BTBAM, The Contortionist), who also took care of mixing and mastering for the record.
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  This fifth studio album includes subtle nods to clinical psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison, with lyrical references to her books “Night Falls Fast” and “An Unquiet Mind,” and samples of her voice appearing in “Discharge.”
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  Hailed as “prog’s most emotionally gut-wrenching” band, The Reticent began as Hathcock’s solo outlet for personal trauma. Over time, it evolved into a full-fledged progressive metal force, known for concept albums like “On The Eve Of A Goodbye” and “The Oubliette.” Joined by guitarist James Nelson (Nospūn) and bassist Paul McBride (Voraath), The Reticent delivers live performances that are more performance art than concert, intensely immersive and emotionally devastating.
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  The band has performed at prestigious festivals, including ProgPower USA, where Metal Injection called their set “one of the most heart-wrenching performances in ProgPower history.”
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  For those who seek truth in music, The Reticent offers a mirror to the soul and a plea for understanding.

  Recommended for fans of Opeth, Cynic, The Contortionist, Wilderun, and Devin Townsend.

  “please” will be available via Generation Prog Records on November 13, 2025. A sixth album is also complete, as it was recorded simultaneously with "please" and will follow for release in 2026.

  CD pre-order (North America) - https://thereticent.net/please-pre-order​

  CD pre-order (EU) - http://www.generation-prog.com/shop/​

  Digital Album pre-save - https://show.co/MoPdl8W​

  For more info: Thereticent.net | Facebook.com/thereticentmusic | Instagram.com/The.reticent.band

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• Fantasy Meets Prog - CEPHEIDAE VARIABLE “Carving a Dragon” Opens The Gates To Debut "Primordial Reverie" Out Nov 2025

  Sep 30, 2025 Fistoffreedom 0 Comments

   

  Cepheidae Variable, the one-man progressive metal project helmed by Kelowna, Canada, guitarist and composer Ryan Koepke, has officially unveiled its debut single, “Carving a Dragon,” accompanied by a playthrough video. The track serves as the first glimpse into Cepheidae Variable’s upcoming debut full-length instrumental album, "Primordial Reverie," set for release on November 7th, 2025.

  Originally conceived as a personal exploration of musical growth, Cepheidae Variable evolved into a deeply emotional and ambitious endeavour following Koepke’s father’s cancer diagnosis and the news of his own impending fatherhood.

  “I stopped waiting around and created something I’d be proud of. This album became a reflection of emotional turbulence, hope, and transformation,” shares Koepke.

  “Carving a Dragon” was the first track written for the album, and one of the most challenging. Inspired by Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Quest, the song symbolizes pouring one’s soul into creation and marks the beginning of Koepke’s journey as a solo recording artist. With its energetic, uplifting fantasy feel, it stands in contrast to the moodier, sci-fi-themed tracks that follow.

  “There were many times during the writing process I considered scrapping this song. The result is something that has stuck with me and has a lot of meaning to not only myself, but also friends and family who supported me,” says Koepke.

  The album itself is a genre-defying instrumental narrative, weaving through symphonic fantasy, sci-fi textures, and progressive complexity. Koepke describes the sound as “spacey, weird, melodic, melancholic, happy,” and cites influences ranging from Dream Theater and Haken to Wintersun and Caligula’s Horse. Divided into three distinct acts, "Primordial Reverie" challenges listeners to experience the full arc of its story, with recurring motifs and evolving themes that reward repeat listens.

  The album artwork, created by renowned collage artist Alex Eckman-Lawn, evokes feelings of loneliness, wonder, and cosmic mystery, mirroring the tonal shift that occurs midway through the album.

  "I especially enjoyed this artwork because of the amount of interpretation it allows from the viewer. It was a heavy influence on the tonal shift this album undergoes." Koepke notes.

  With "Primordial Reverie," Koepke aims to release a new album every 2–4 years, continuing to push the boundaries of solo composition and progressive storytelling. Though currently instrumental, Cepheidae Variable may evolve into a collaborative or vocal project in the future.

  Recommended for listeners of Dream Theater, Haken, Intervals, Wintersun, and Caligula’s Horse, “Carving a Dragon” can be heard and watched via its playthrough premiere on TheProgSpace HERE.

  Add to your Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/track/50cqqMHKWKJl9ahcdXY5xD​

  Digital Album pre-save (out Nov 7th) "Primordial Reverie" - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/cepheidaevariable/primordial-reverie​

  CD Album pre-order - https://cepheidaevariable.bandcamp.com/album/primordial-reverie​​

  Track Listing:​
  1. Overture (3:11)
  2. Carving a Dragon (4:04)
  3. The Waiting Storm (3:13)
  4. Zephyr of Ouroboros (9:15)
  5. Encounter (5:53)
  6. The Conduit (6:03)
  7. Chromatic Haven (5:11)
  8. Entropic Harvester (10:27)
  9. Singularity (11:32)
  Album Length: 58:53

  For more info: https://cepheidaevariable.com/

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