2022 was the year of the great reunion. After more than a decade away, one of modern prog’s most important bands returned with an elegant, accomplished comeback, while another reactivated its singular chaos after a long silence. A veteran group delivered one of the finest records of its long career, a rising band broke through with a cinematic symphonic epic, and a beloved multi-instrumentalist turned warm and melodic. From long-awaited returns to bold new voices, prog thrived on both nostalgia and reinvention. These are the essential prog albums of 2022.

Closure/Continuation — Porcupine Tree

One of the most anticipated comebacks of the century, and a triumphant one. Reuniting Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri and Gavin Harrison after thirteen years, Closure/Continuation is elegant, accomplished and quietly powerful, blending the band’s trademark blend of heaviness, atmosphere and immaculate melody with a leaner, more focused edge. From the driving “Harridan” to the graceful “Of the New Day,” it proved the trio had lost none of their chemistry — a gorgeous, mature return from one of the era’s defining acts.

The Mars Volta — The Mars Volta

A bold, unexpected reinvention after a decade of silence. For their self-titled seventh album, The Mars Volta reined in the frantic chaos of old, crafting a set of tighter, more song-based tracks rich with Latin rhythms, dubby textures and hypnotic, restrained atmosphere. Led by Omar Rodríguez-López’s ever-restless vision and Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s soaring voice, and anchored by the single “Blacklight Shine,” it divided old fans yet showed a legendary band still refusing to stand still.

An Hour Before It’s Dark — Marillion

Widely hailed as one of the finest albums of Marillion’s long career. Reflective, dramatic and ultimately hopeful, An Hour Before It’s Dark meditates on the modern world and what really matters, wrapping Steve Hogarth’s heartfelt vocals and Steve Rothery’s soaring guitar in lush, cinematic arrangements and sweeping multi-part suites. Emotionally rich and beautifully crafted, it reached the upper end of the UK charts and confirmed that, four decades in, the band’s creative renaissance showed no sign of slowing.

Epigone — Wilderun

A cinematic, symphonic tour de force. The American band Wilderun fuse sweeping orchestration, folk melody and crushing extreme metal into vast, movie-score-like soundscapes on Epigone, balancing overwhelming heaviness with delicate beauty and genuine emotional depth. Ambitious, immaculately produced and richly dynamic, it drew widespread acclaim and marked the band as one of the most exciting new forces at the grand, symphonic end of progressive metal — a breathtaking statement of intent from a rising talent.

Lightwork — Devin Townsend

The prolific Canadian turned warm, melodic and uplifting. A companion to a heavier counterpart, Lightwork gathers some of Devin Townsend’s most accessible and emotionally direct songwriting, pairing his signature wall-of-sound production with bright hooks, soaring choruses and genuine tenderness. Polished, heartfelt and immediately engaging, it showcases the sunnier side of one of modern prog’s most unpredictable and beloved figures — a generous, life-affirming record that rewards repeat listens.

Reunions, sagas and surprises

The year brimmed with riches. Coheed and Cambria expanded their sci-fi universe on the ambitious Vaxis II: Window of the Waking Mind, veteran rockers King’s X returned after fourteen years with the soulful Three Sides of One, and Spock’s Beard keyboardist Ryo Okumoto delivered the lavish solo epic The Myth of the Mostrophus. Elder pushed their heavy-psych prog further on Innate Passage, while Motorpsycho and Jethro Tull kept the veterans’ flag flying. Everywhere, prog looked both back and forward.

Where 2022 leads

The decade kept delivering. Continue with the best prog albums of 2023, or look back at the locked-down inventiveness of 2021. To take the whole era at a glance, head to the best prog albums of the 2020s.

Want the full story of modern prog? The books map every turn →

Go deeper

This is one stop on a longer trail. Jump into any era from the overview at the best prog albums by decade, or rewind all the way to the start with 1969, 1970 and 1971. You can also settle a few rivalries at our prog rock band comparisons hub. In 2022, landmark reunions and bold new voices kept modern prog thriving.

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