June 2026 "The Infinite" Playlist - Progressive Metal Constellations

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Wtb5QsNObO9w62f7ThQNF?si=540091ae735341f4

1. Artificial Language – Skinwalker (2024)

2. Caligula’s Horse – Into the White (2013)

3. The Contortionist – Primal Directive (2010)

4. Green Carnation – My Dark Reflections of Life and Death (2020)

5. Growth – Gird Your Loved in Armour While Yet You Wither (2020)

6. Haken – In a Fever Dream (2026)

7. Mandroid Echostar – Citadels (2013)

8. Nine Orders – The Vast Forgotten (2026)

9. The Ocean – Hadopelagic II: Let Them Believe (2013)

10. The Odious – Vesica Piscis (2019)

11. Parius – The Signal (2022)

12. Persefone – Prison Skin (2017)

13. Michael Romeo – Alien Deathray (2022)

14. Sermon – Senescence (2023)

15. Teramaze – The Silent Architect (2026)

16. Tool – The Patient (2001)

17. Valis Ablaze – Hex (2018)

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

The Contortionist – Primal Directive (2010)

4.5/5. The Contortionist started off as a progressive deathcore band in Exoplanet that would then gradually become softer in subsequent albums. Even then, this song has some sweet ethereal melody. Bands like this have helped this record label Good Fight win the good fight. At least Periphery still have their djenty sound from their own debut.

Green Carnation – My Dark Reflections of Life and Death (2020)

5/5. Now we get to the re-recording of a 15-minute epic from Green Carnation's debut Journey to the End of the Night. The melody fades in before the drumming starts to build up, going from doomy to mid-paced. And finally, the distorted guitar enters and we get some cool doomy riffing. Vocals don't start until just under the 4-minute mark, and it has to be said, Kjetil Nordhus is a much better male vocalist than Rx Draumtanzer, the latter's singing being too stretched out in the original. It would still be nice if we could get some death growls in place of that. Never mind that, he's great with his deep drama. Soon the heavy distortion drops, having more of that acoustic clean guitar. It used to fade to practically silence, but the music can still be heard as everything rises back up, including more of Kjetil's drama. By the way, there's also none of the female chanting that occurs in the original. Still, different melodies in the music and vocals make that epic the true highlight of the album, like the original is for the debut.

Growth – Gird Your Loved in Armour While Yet You Wither (2020)

4.5/5. An 11-minute gauntlet in which they're not gonna leave peacefully. The technical fury is here to stay until the very end.

Haken – In a Fever Dream (2026)

4/5. First Karnivool made their comeback, then Plini, then Periphery... And now, Haken has reawakened after the departure of two of their longtime members Charles Griffiths and Connor Green. And HOLY SH*T, is that Ross Jennings screaming?!? He sounds as monstrous as the last time he was doing screamed vocals! That last time being in their debut Aquarius. And if you're wondering who the bassist is for this song, it's the prolific Bryan Beller.

Mandroid Echostar – Citadels (2013)

4.5/5. The sound here is quite excellent, basically melodic progressive metal with some small hints of folk/power metal. You definitely wanna stick around for the final third of the song with its beautiful electric soloing and acoustic outro.

Nine Orders – The Vast Forgotten (2026)

4/5. That was a lot of orders, you sure the restaurant staff can handle all that? OK, but seriously, this modernized melodic prog-metal ride is still going.

The Ocean – Hadopelagic II: Let Them Believe (2013)

4.5/5. "Let them believe in themselves..." And also let them believe in marine biology. The beauty of this music touches my heart. Besides having that post-sludge sound similar to Cult of Luna, they can also go as progressive as Katatonia and TOOL, the latter particularly midway through. I really need to listen to this album Pelagial, I remember how much I considered that album a masterpiece.

Persefone – Prison Skin (2017)

4/5. You find yourself confined in a state of unawareness within the dark "Prison Skin" that you refuse to be held captive in. You start to struggle to find your way through without any distracting assaults holding you back, before getting to positive power... To be continued in the next Infinite playlist, I guess.