New England Art (Progressive) Rock Society - New England's Ear on Progressive (Prog) Rock Music
What is NewEARS? A not-for-profit organization of progressive music lovers. The primary goal of NewEARS is to create a community of music enthusiasts dedicated to sharing and promoting progressive rock in the New England area.

Please see the About page for more information about our goals and history, as well as contact information.

NewEARS Album Of The Month

Einar Solberg - Vox Occulta

"It's already clear that Solberg has established a rich musical pedigree and a towering reputation across the progressive music scene. Now, "Vox Occulta", his second solo album, aims to enhance this further. Unashamedly proclaimed as "bold, heavy and symphonic", Solberg makes no secret of his passion for making thrilling music. "I want to be seen as the cinematic person in prog," he declares. "I want to completely own that. This is a very cinematic album, and that's what I was aiming at: to make it bigger, but also more fragile and emotional at other moments.

In "Vox Occulta", Einar Solberg cements his well-earned reputation as one of the most important talents in modern progressive music. He has a vision and he's executed it in majestic fashion. And as terrific as the scope, instrumentation, sonic quality and performances undoubtedly are, ultimately it's the sheer quality of the tunes that shine through. This is classical music for the modern era, and I shall be amazed if I hear anything better than this in 2026." SJ-TPR

"Vox Occulta by Einar Solberg is a fantastic display of talent, not just from Solberg's impressive voice and songwriting, but from the guest musicians found throughout. Very epic arrangements, with contributions from the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, it sees him verve away from what he usually does with Leprous, but also not too overly foreign to what the band is known for. Mixing complex rhythms and harmonies throughout, it shows off all range of vocals he is able to perform, from beautiful multilayered cleans to harsh emotional screams. But the albums real highlights come in the songs Serenitas & Anima Lucis, where with a softer pallet it really shows off the absolute beauty of Solberg's songwriting. The guitar solos throughout are fantastic, with Ben Levin's melodic shredding being a great contrast to Solberg's vocals throughout." a-b l-PA



Essential Track: "The album's longest song, "Grex" is in true epic territory at nearly twelve minutes long. Like most tracks here, there are multiple movements to enjoy. In the first half of the song, Danel contributes the best guitar solo on the album. His playing is marvellous and manages to fuse the sublime tone of Rothery with the dextrous virtuosity of Petrucci. It's a standout achievement. The second half of the song is another slow build masterclass bookended by an eight-note earworm. I guarantee you'll be humming this in idle moments! Soaring into a full band and orchestra spectacular outro, powerful bursts of Solberg's vocals hammer home a widescreen experience. Almost simultaneously, he roars with a devastating fury and sings with a choirboy's innocence - it's quite exceptional." SJ-TPR
 


Read the full reviews on The Prog Report , and Prog Archives.

Listen and watch the videos on the band's YouTube Channel.

Buy the Album from Inside Out Music , or wherever great Prog music is sold.
 
NewEARS Art Rock Series

There are no NewEARS show announcements at this time


Click on the following link for a complete list of bands that have played for the NewEARS Art Rock Series
 

New England Events

5/15/26Paris Monster - fuzzed out bass and modular synth groove-driven progressive funk duo City Winery - Boston, MA
5/15/26A Farewell To Kings (AF2K) - Rush Tribute - Performing "2112" in its entirety The Vault - New Bedford, MA
5/16/26Queensryche Bally's Twin Rivers Casino - Lincoln, RI
5/16/26Lotus Land - American RUSH Tribute City Winery - Boston, MA
5/17/26Queensryche Lynn Memorial Auditorium - Lynn, MA
5/17/26Between The Buried And Me - The Blue Nowhere The Palladium - Worcester, MA
5/17/26Floydian Trip - New England's #1 Pink Floyd Experience! Small Batch Cellars - North Haven, CT
5/20/26SatchVai Band (Joe Satriani & Steve Vai) -Surfing With The Hydra Tour with Special Guests: Animals As Leaders Leader Bank Pavilion - Boston, MA
5/21/26BOSTYX - The Ultimate Boston Styx Tribute Rex Theatre - Manchester, NH
5/22/26SatchVai Band (Joe Satriani & Steve Vai) -Surfing With The Hydra Tour with Special Guests: Animals As Leaders Palace Theater - Waterbury, CT
5/22/26Seconds Out - A Tribute to the Music of Genesis Little Theatre of Manchester at Cheney Hall - Manchester, CT
5/29/26Slambovian Circus of Dreams Spire Center - Plymouth, MA

NewEARS Featured Show:

5/17 - Palladium, Worcester MA



BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME will kick off their 31-date U.S. tour on May 15, 2026, in Richmond, Virginia, and conclude on June 20, 2026, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The tour supports their latest album, The Blue Nowhere, released in September 2025 via InsideOut Music.

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME's Tommy Rogers on the upcoming run: "I'm pumped to get back out on the road, especially with such phenomenal bands. Intensity in its full spectrum. It's going to be a great night of music, and what better time than now to celebrate it with your friends? Friends rule. Shows rule. This tour rules. See you out there."




Latest New England Prog News:


Coming to TLCPA, Henniker NH in June:






Initial ProgStock 2026 tickets go on sale April 19:





















Season 12 of the NewEARS Prog
Show is back on Delicious
Agony Progressive Rock Radio.
And now also on House of Prog - Saturdays 3-5 PM






Click here for Season 4-12 and the latest podcast from Delicious Agony - Progressive Rock Radio

Click here for a complete list of artists that have appeared on the NewEARS Prog Show Season 1-3


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