The 11 Best Prog Metal Songs of 2025

Release Date: Jan. 22

Like Parasomnia as a whole, “Midnight Messiah” does a great job of merging the Mike Portnoy and Mike Mangini eras of Dream Theater into a formula that’s modern and nostalgic. Therefore, it’s a satisfying encapsulation of the quintet’s past, present and future.

Specifically, it has the squeaky-clean production and easily accessible hooks and riffs of the band’s 2010s catalog but with the playfulness and strangeness of their 2000s run. In fact, there are even overt callbacks 1999’s Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory and 2003’s Train of Thought that further cement “Midnight Messiah” as a statement of rejuvenation and nostalgia from the classic lineup.

Release Date: Feb. 5

Despite arriving this year, Tómarúm's Beyond Obsidian Euphoria deserves to be considered one of the best progressive black metal albums of all time. Why? Because of its mesmerizing hybrids of crushing brutality, folky acoustic guitars, spacey keyboards, epic scope (including an overture) and resourceful conceptual continuity. If you could hear only one song from it, though, it would have to be “Shed This Erroneous Skin.”

In a sense, “Shed This Erroneous Skin” is what would happen if an Immortal track borrowed its production, arrangements and textures from Mastodon’s Crack the Skye. Put another way, it’s a 9-minute odyssey of blood-curdling screams, thrashing rhythms and soothingly cosmic breathers that’ll keep you enthralled from minute one to minute done.

Release Date: Feb. 21

Hailing from North Carolina, Nospūn have released one LP (2023’s Opus) and one EP (2025’s Ozai) so far. Nevertheless, they’re frequently mentioned in discussions about up-and-coming prog metal artists that genre fans need to know about and there’s no better proof of why than “The Effervesecent Power.”

Paradoxically, “The Effervescent Power” is simultaneously the shortest and most impactful part of Ozai, with its flamboyant djent ferocity recalling Haken, Periphery and Animals as Leaders at their angriest. At the same time, singer Phillip Rich’s soaring power is fun and inviting, evoking Devin Townsend at the peak of his, well, operatic effervescence.

It’s a captivating combination that allows “The Effervescent Power” to feel both traditional and unique.

Release Date: April 4

Fractal Universe might be the best modern French progressive death metal band – sorry, Gojira – due to how neatly they incorporate symphonic grandeur, moody atmospheres and absorbing clean singing into their demonic foundations. Numerous tracks on The Great Filters showcase that, and none do it better than “The Equation of Abundance.”

A simple but haunting motif is perpetually retooled throughout the song that inherently gives it a tense and fascinating backbone. Around it, Fractal Universe masterfully interweave calming vocals and sparse tapestries with complex aggression, resulting in a multifaceted lullaby from Hell that’s comforting and chaotic in equal measure.

It’s a haunting composition whose emotional depth matches its musical intensity, and it’ll stay with you long after it’s over.

Release Date: June 13

Avkrvst had quite the task in trying to improve upon their phenomenal debut record (2023’s The Approbation), yet plenty of people would argue that they did with 2025’s narratively connected Waving at the Sky. More varied and savage than its predecessor, the album is a greater embodiment of the band’s unsettlingly rustic prowess, and “Conflating Memories” is easily its standout inclusion.

In general, it blends the relaxing mellowness of Dredg and the chilling guitar arpeggios and surreal synths of Anekdoten with extra doses of pastoral timbres (including flute), lovely harmonies and addictive modulations. It’s an exquisite and intoxicating mix of songwriting and instrumentation that becomes increasingly impressive and nuanced with repeated listens.

Release Date: June 15

From front to back, Rivers of Nihil’s self-titled fifth collection is virtually immaculate, so choosing one song to honor above the rest was extremely hard. Nevertheless, opener “The Sub-Orbital Blues” is the most instantly appealing and comprehensive demonstration of everything the quartet do so well throughout the LP.

After all, Rivers of Nihil essentially distills the group’s irresistible progressive death metal expertise into a marginally less strange – and marginally more welcoming– stew. “The Sub-Orbital Blues” represents that flawlessly, delivering every ounce of intricate viciousness fans could want but with extra doses of pleasant harmonies and hooks. (Seriously, the chorus is so infectious.)

In other words, it’s now the quintessential Rivers of Nihil tune.

Release Date: June 27

English multi-instrumentalist Grace Hayhurst is still an underground artist, but she’s also undeniably a force to be reckoned with when it comes to delivering aspiring and daring progressive metal. Her latest outing – The World Is Dying – exemplifies that fantastically, exploring autobiographical and sociological strife via a wide array of styles.

Case in point: “Revolution,” a 13-minute whirlwind of muted vocals, hostile guitarwork, playful percussion and miscellaneous classical textures (such as piano, double bass, cello, harp, violin and viola). If that weren’t enough, there are multiple jazz fusion breakdowns that feature handclaps and clap sticks!

It’s an extremely adventurous concoction whose spunky plasticity brings to life the tumultuous nihilism and rebelliousness of its lyrics (“Revolution awaits / And we shall prevail / We will cause destruction / To their avail”).

Release Date: Aug. 29

Ihlo describe their music as a hodgepodge of “progressive metal, electronic and pop influences” that takes listeners on “a journey of heavy, melodic and emotional passages.” We couldn’t put it any better ourselves and it’s precisely that winning formula (in addition to the trio’s observant commentaries on the shallowness of “near-future . . . technological advancements”) that makes their latest collection – Legacy – so involving.

It begins with its greatest piece, ���Wraith,” a gripping hodgepodge of TesseracT-esque shimmering angst and Muse-esque anthemic digital sounds. True, it’s fairly straightforward and familiar, lacking the bombastic eccentricity that’s typically associated with “prog,” but its impassioned weightiness and sing-along verses and choruses are more than enough to make it one of 2025’s sturdiest prog metal earworms.

Release Date: Sept. 4

You could argue that the zany ferocity of “Things We Tell Ourselves in the Dark” or “Slow Paranoia” would fit better on a progressive metal list; however, there’s simply no topping the songwriting of The Blue Nowhere’s title track. It’s one of the best songs of the year in any genre and it perfectly embodies Between the Buried and Me’s ability to retain their magic as a foursome (sans ex-guitarist Dustie Waring).

From its transcendental guitarwork and encouraging rhythms to its overwhelmingly catchy melodies and wonderfully poetic lyrics, “The Blue Nowhere” captures BTBAM at their most melodic, colorful and inspirational (but with just enough hecticness to recall their roots).

Honestly, it’s a masterpiece onto itself.

Release Date: Sept. 5

Alongside Opeth and  Katatonia, Green Carnation do the best job of infusing progressive metal with evocative melancholia. In particular, 2001's Light of Day, Day of Darkness solidified their spot on that list, and newcomer A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia isn’t far behind thanks to the sublime sadness of “As Silence Took You.”

Frontman Kjetil Nordhus’ grief-stricken empowerment works as well as ever as he compellingly sings poignant sentiments such as “Your watch has ended but I feel that you are still here with me / I never got to say goodbye / As silence took you.” Meanwhile, his bandmates barrel ahead with suspense and tenderness, juxtaposing crunchy guitar riffs and agitated rhythms with purifying backdrops to yield another characteristically biting and bittersweet gem.

Release Date: Sept. 26

Amorphis’15th studio LP – Borderland – doesn’t stray far from the formula they’ve been using for years; however, that really just means that it’s another elegant display of their folk/progressive death metal supremacy. Look no further than approximate centerpiece “Tempest” for proof, as it’s a pristine fusion of the group’s robust chaos and luscious decorations.

Everything you’d expect from an Amorphis track is here (wicked grows, roaring instrumentation, richly compassionate singing and stylishly affective accentuations). What elevates it, though, is just how skillfully it evolves and melds to sustain as much feeling and dynamic spectacle as possible. Specifically, downtrodden piano notes and acoustic guitar strums seamlessly entwine with the heavier elements, imbuing “Tempest” with Amorphis’ typically tasteful aggression and sophisticated longing.