Hard as a rök

Stockholm instrumentalists Gösta Berlings Saga are back and celebrating 25 years of heady musical adventures with their seventh album, Forever Now . Driven by a thrill-seeking wanderlust to explore new sounds and the desire to remain recognisable, the band tell Prog they’re always searching for something new, even if they’re not actually sure what that is.

With the release of III – Candles & Beginnings , Auri are finally taking their show on the road. The unconventional Finnish/Yorkshire power trio of Tuomas Holopainen, Johanna Kurkela and Troy Donockley tell Prog about the lure of intimate shows, mysterious song lyrics, and the magic of music. Just don’t expect any Holopainen headbanging.

III – Candles & Beginnings NUCLEAR BLAST ...

Bringing a hard-rock swagger and the majesty of metal to their own brand of prog rock, Magic Pie break a six-year studio silence with Maestro . Frontman Eiríkur Hauksson tells Prog about being a metalhead in a prog world, writing songs at bus stops, and feeling the heat on Cruise To The Edge.

What began as a vague idea for two musicians from very different parts of the prog world to jam together has turned into an exciting electro-instrumental project. Bioscope combines the talents of Marillion’s Steve Rothery and Tangerine Dream’s Thorsten Quaeschning. The pair talk to Prog about the mutual respect they have for each other, and how they turned that into their long-gestating debut album Gentō .

The great and good of progressive music give us a glimpse into their prog worlds. As told to Grant Moon.