7 New Progressive Metal Albums That Break All the Rules of the Genre

“Progressive” is a pretty loaded term in rock and metal. The word should represent artists who push heavy music forward, expanding its conventions with new sounds and concepts. But more often we get adulation for the pioneers of the past, with many ‘experimentalists’ simply passing on their love for Dream Theater, Tesseract and other idols.

This is why the bands that actually have new shit to say deserve to be heard. Below, Metal hammer has collected seven albums from 2024 that sound truly peerless and progressive. Whether it’s immersive psychedelia or cinematic black metal, prepare to have your mind expanded.