Tag: Oktopus

The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016

On By Time LordIn progressive rock2 Comments

Among the Progarchy editors, I happen to be the resident metalhead. So, on that basis, here is my list of the 10 best metal albums of the year. I have listened to them many times with the utmost enjoyment. They each have aspects that grab you right away, while other aspects must grow on you over time. In any event, they are all musical achievements of the highest quality, and I give them each my highest recommendation.

The albums below are listed in chronological order. As each month of the year went by, it was clear which album I was listening to the most and enjoying the most. So, on it went to my Top 10 Metal playlist. By November it was abundantly clear, simply from my daily listening habits, what my top 10 picks for the year are. So, here they are, but please note that I will also publish a supplementary “pure prog” Top 10 list later on this month. For now, here is the metal list.

The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016



Megadeth — Dystopia ★★★★★



Holy Grail — Times of Pride and Peril ★★★★★



Haken — Affinity ★★★★★ Continue reading “The Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016” →

Metal Mondays: Haken — “The Endless Knot” @OktopusUK @InsideOutUSA

On By Time LordIn ProgarchyLeave a comment

What to do while you’re waiting for Haken’s new album Affinity to be released?

I recommend you make good use of your time by listening to the awesome new album from Oktopus, as well as watch the online videos released in advance of the new Haken. Here’s the latest:

Album Review: Oktopus — Worlds Apart ★★★★★ @OktopusUK

On By Time LordIn Progarchy1 Comment

Not long ago I gave Oktopus a hard time over their name change, but now it’s time for me to report back on their new album after listening to it for a week solid. After enjoying tremendously the album’s stunning debut single, “Eyes Open,” I soon ordered a physical CD copy of Oktopus’ new album, World Apart, because the “Eyes Open” song was so awesome that I couldn’t stop listening to it.

Continue reading “Album Review: Oktopus — Worlds Apart ★★★★★ @OktopusUK” →

Oktopus — “Eyes Open” from Worlds Apart @OktopusUK

On By Time LordIn progressive rockLeave a comment

Oktopus is the band formerly known as “Progoctopus” who released an excellent EP in 2015 called Transcendence. It was one of my favorite pieces of music in 2015 because all four tracks worked together as an epic whole.

I was sad to hear that vocalist Jane Gillard who did that EP with them was leaving the group. Her vocals were truly outstanding on the EP. But now the band has a new album coming out at the beginning of April. The preview track, “Eyes Open,” is fantastic and now I can’t wait to hear what this trio is up to.

I actually hate the band’s new name and I much prefer “Progoctopus” because that name, apart from being lovably goofy, had a definite rationale: with Jane, the band was a quartet, and so if you do the math on four sets of hands, you arrive at the requisite eight for the titular prog action. I’ll take a prog octopus any day over just a plain octopus. It’s bad enough having a “k” in the octopus’s misspelled name, but if the creature can’t even do math, then I’m sorry but it would take Roger Dean doing the cover art to win me over to this new name.

Now on to what I love about this band. I love the guitar sounds with this group. And the jazz element that seeps in is definitely cool and sets the band apart. Keep up the amazing music, guys, and I can’t wait to hear what this full album has in store for 2016. If the preview track is any indication, the songwriting and musicianship promises to be top notch throughout.