Progstorm Festival held its second edition at Club Soda in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Friday, Aug 21 – Sunday, Aug 23, 2026. I was unable to attend the inaugural edition in 2025 even though I wanted to, and all the amazing things I heard about it post facto gave me serious FOMO. It only took a handful of announcements this year to convince me to go, with An Abstract Illusion being my single most anticipated, and both Vulkan and Fractal Sun not far behind (and for all 3, it would be their first North American show ever, an additional motivator). The fest is run by Jici Lord-Gauthier and Eddy Levitsky, who both play in progressive metal band Voidchaser, a band I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing back in April during Hyperspace Metal Festival. Eddy is also the mastermind behind prog metal band The Anchoret. Both have done wonders making prog more relevant in North America, and it is incredible to see how quickly the Progstorm has grown. It is honestly hard to believe this was only Year 2 when you look at the caliber of bands and the overall professionalism of the fest itself.

The three days of the fest seemed to be somewhat themed, bringing together bands that were overlapping or adjacent in styles to provide some consistency each day. Day 1 was more of a mixed day, representative of bands across the prog spectrum while maintaining an overall heavier leaning. Day 2 was the heavy day, with the bias definitely toward the more extreme and technical. Day 3 was the lighter day, with more bands landing solidly in the rock rather than the metal side of the fence, and even those that had their heavier moments complemented with lots of softer moments. Theming the days in this way was great from a listening standpoint, making the days feel a bit more cohesive, but it also catered better to folks who could potentially only afford to do one or two days. For a weekend barricade warrior like myself, this provided the opportunity to enjoy a smorgasbord of prog flavors and appreciate just how broad the genre is. As a consumer, you had the option to buy single days or an entire weekend pass (I of course did the full weekend), and I definitely met folks throughout the weekend who fell into both camps. There was enough heavy each day to get a pit going at various times, and crowdsurfing happened each day as well, though it wasn’t as constant or crazy as I have experienced at other shows or fests.

The fest is held at Club Soda, which is a phenomenal venue. I admittedly wasn’t sure what to expect the first time I walked by, as it looks quite nondescript from the outside, but inside is a very different story. The sound was consistently great, with only a handful of technical issues that got resolved quickly, and only one band the entire fest suffering from more pervasive issues. The lighting was also quite good, great for videos and photos but also ideal for watching each performance. A lot of times lighting can actually be overdone and get in the way, and I felt like it was well balanced here. There were multiple bars on both sides of the venue with a variety of both alcoholic and non options, though beer was only in a can and not on draft. Band and fest merch was at the very front of the venue right as you got in, meaning it was out of sight once you were in the main show area, but this did maximize floor space for viewing. The venue is large enough to have a barricade and a media pit, and there is also a wraparound second floor balcony that provided incredible views with a surprising number of seats. Honestly, there didn’t seem to be a bad spot in the entire venue, though I of course camped on the rail each day. One thing the venue lacks is food, and I took the strategy of a very heavy lunch and then pushing through marathon style. With doors opening at 3 on Friday and 2 on Saturday and Sunday, it may not be feasible for everyone to push through and not have dinner at some point. There are restaurants around but nothing super fast, and they do require you to leave. There was a pretty yummy shwarma place around the corner that was open super late called Restaurant Boustan that I highly recommend, and that made for a nice midnight snack at the end of each day. 

I had to travel for the fest, and I met many others who did the same. Montreal is a pretty amazing destination city if you are traveling, with a rich arts culture, amazing food, and so many cool sights to see and experience. Montreal is known for their poutine, and I just might have done my own poutine tour during the week I was there. La Banquise was a clear favorite, and the La Fred Calliou is a carnivore’s delight with an absolutely massive portion loaded with 4 different meats. I also really enjoyed Chez Claudette and their more homey taste, and they also offered an insane number of poutine choices. Schwartz’s is Montreal’s take on a NYC jewish deli, but with smoked meat (brisket) that puts any pastrami I have had in NYC to shame. Lots of places in Montreal advertise smoked meat, but nothing was even close to Schwartz’s! Montreal has tons of bakeries featuring bread and pastries, and it was hard to go wrong. Montreal, like NYC, also makes a big deal about bagels, and they were quite good and different enough from a NYC bagel. There are a number of great French restaurants, and I personally recommend Le Molière Brasserie Française which is also relatively close to Club Soda. Further away but also great was Bouillon Albert. Belgian style beers are big, and I enjoyed having a number of local Quebec beers from various breweries.

Clearly I enjoyed the food, but Montreal is rich in sites to see and visit as well. Notre Dame Basilica is impressive, and there are myriad churches, parks, and more throughout the city. There is even a Six Flags owned amusement park (La Ronde) that had some amazing roller coasters, and other destination spots include the Biodome, Biosphere, and Botanical Gardens. Montreal offers tons to do for the incoming traveler, and I highly recommend making the most of your trip to Progstorm by also enjoying the city and its various amenities.

The fest is split into 3 days, and I will also cover a day of the Sleeping Cities Eastern Canada Tour since it felt a bit like Progstorm Lite (more on this a bit later). I saw the totality of every set, which my feet and back complained to me about each night, and I will cover each performance in detail, grouped by day.

Now let’s dive into the bands! You can use the Table of Contents below to jump to your band of choice.

Day 1 was on Friday, August 21, with 6 bands as the “mixed” prog day. Day 1 featured Hillward, Fractal Sun, Aeternam, Greylotus, Vulkan, and Cynic. I will cover each of the bands in detail next.

The fest kicked off with local band Hillward, a 5-piece from Quebec City. It was their first show in 5 years, but you wouldn’t have known it. Their music was super melodic with enough polymeter and heft to keep you on your toes while headbanging. The keyboardist in particular was a standout to me, but the entire band was so good and tight. Soundwise they came across as a melding of various influences, including Porcupine Tree, Ihlo, and a little bit of Haken in the heavier parts. Hillward set the mood for the day perfectly and was a perfect way to kick off Progstorm! They played 6 songs, including an extended keyboard intro before fourth song “Life in Serigraph.” The setlist was:

1. Intro / Quantify the Abstract 
2. Long Way Down
3. Vapor Trails
4. [Keyboard intro] / Life in Serigraph
5. Fire and Brimstone
6. Tainted Eyes

Next up was 5-piece Costa Rican progressive metal band Fractal Sun, playing their first ever North American show. I remember when they were first announced and how excited I was, particularly since no one I knew was familiar with the band. I had been following them for a bit and just assumed my only chance to see them would require a trip to Costa Rica. Getting announced for Progstorm was just the beginning, as they also got added to The Sleeping Cities Tour post Progstorm, as well as Euroblast and ProgPower Europe! I had the opportunity to interview Isa (guitar) and Santiago (bass) ahead of the fest, and it was so fun getting to know them while also diving into the lore of their albums’ story concept. They also released their new full length at the end of July, “Divergent Paradox,” and I raved about it in my review. Needless to say, I was beside myself excited to see them live.

They did not disappoint and in fact exceeded expectations. Their music is complex, and I always wonder how a band will pull off this type of material live. Fractal Sun was effortless, and seeing Isa, Johnny (guitar) and Santiago line up together and do polymetric finger tapping together was so cool, and the technical proficiency across them was impressive. Hellen is an amazing vocalist, with a gorgeous voice and incredible range, and a vicious snarl that emerges every now and then. Sunfyre, who many may recognize as the Toad drummer, was so fun to watch with her intensity and great facial expressions, and she incorporates so many things into her technique that make her standout in a good unique way, including so many great fills. The band played 6 songs, with a couple from their previous album “Turmoil”, and the rest from their latest release. Of note is that they apparently were not planning on playing “Trail of Hope,” but Hellen announced it, leading to a quick scramble to get the backing tracks ready. I literally freaked out when they closed with “Bow Before Me”, and hearing it live with all its layers was incredible! The setlist was:

1. Withering Grace
2. Dark Project II: Escape 
3. Trail of Hope
4. Blooming Regrets
5. Dark Project III: Lost
6. Bow Before Me

The third band of the day was Aeternam, a progressive symphonic folk/death quartet from Quebec City. I had listened some to their most recent album from 2022 ahead of the fest and was quite impressed with it. I loved the ancient civilization focus and the story concept built around it, bringing musical elements to match along with great orchestration, melodies, and heaviness. Live, the band had lots of energy and great stage presence, getting the crowd going while executing flawlessly through 7 songs. The symphonic elements were tracked but sounded super cool, adding a ton of atmosphere to the set and really matching the concept with their Middle Eastern themes while amplifying the heaviness of the guitars and speedy blastbeats. There were some Aeternam super fans standing next and behind me for this set, and it was so fun seeing them get into the music, hitting big moments and singing along. I don’t know what is next for Aeternam, but since it has been 4 years since their last release, I hope they have something new cooking! The 7-song setlist was great and spanned multiple albums. It was:

1. Osman’s Dream / Beneath the Nightfall
2. Irene
3. Damascus Gate
4. Where the River Bends
5. Al Qassam
6. Poena Universi
7. The Fall of Constantinople

Baltimore 5-piece progressive tech death / deathcore band Greylotus was up next. I wasn’t super familiar with them and had never seen them live, but many of my friends loved them and were excited to see them. It was their first show with new vocalist Chad Hill, and the drummer was local Montreal product Nicholas “Le Fou” Wells from First Fragment. Le Fou was an absolute beast and a marvel to watch behind the kit. I was also super impressed with the bass player and stage right guitar (he was right in front of my rail position), just oozing technical prowess as the band delivered their crushing heaviness. Unfortunately, this was the only set the entire fest that had some persistent sound issues, primarily for the vocals, making them hard to hear at times. Chad handled the tech issues with grace and powered through, and the band had tons of energy and got the crowd going despite these issues. They were easily the heaviest band of the entire fest and quite impressive with their technical wizardry. They played 8 songs, including 2 brand new songs from their upcoming album. The setlist was:

1. Rectilinear Motion
2. Shadow Archetype
3. Currents
4. Ravine
5. Shinkansen
6. The Weight of a Name (unreleased)
7. Permission To Exist (unreleased)
8. Azure Rain

Sweden’s heavy prog masters Vulkan played 5th, and they were another one of my most anticipated sets of the fest. This was their first ever North American set, adding to the excitement. I had the opportunity to interview them, and they were so much fun to talk with. What was particularly memorable about our conversation was the interesting stories and deep dives into songs, philosophy, life, and more. Both their music and lyrics are complex, and I appreciate the depth and layers that each of their songs have. Unfortunately, guitarist Christian was unable to make the trip, but Chad of Voidchaser, who also lives in Sweden but is from Montreal, was able to jump in. I also had the privilege of having dinner with the band the night they arrived, and it was so cool getting to talk with them more in person. They were so nice and down to earth, and of course this increased my excitement for their live set even more!

Vulkan’s performance was absolutely mesmerizing. Jimmy is effortless live, and his vocals are packed full of emotion as he ebbs and swells throughout each song. Olle is a marvel to watch on the keys, acting as the director keeping the band together. Johan is an incredible drummer while also contributing great backing vocals. Oscar was impressive on bass and also knew how to appeal to the home crowd, wearing a Montreal Canadiens NHL jersey during the set. And though Christian was missed greatly, Chad did a fabulous job filling in on guitar and adding his own background vocals. Vulkan played 9 songs in total with a very heavy focus on their latest album, Technatura, featuring 6 song from that album Two songs came from 2016’s Observants, and then the band surprised us (to raucous cheers and screams) with an exclusive first live performance of the song “Death Cloak,” one of the songs from the forthcoming new album. I loved the new song and cannot wait for more new material! Vulkan’s first North American show was amazing, and I already want to see them again! Their setlist was:

1. Intro / This Visual Hex
2. Redemption Simulation 
3. From Here to Where It All Ends (Terminus)
4. Cosmigrants / Consequence of Ignorance 
5. Blinding Ornaments
6. Death Cloak (new song)
7. Rekviem
8. The Madness Sees No End
9. The Royal Fallacy

The Day 1 headliner was prog metal legends Cynic, a 4-piece from Florida, with Max Phelps of Exist being the 5th for songs with harsh vocals. Cynic as a band has a long history and is quite revered in the prog metal sphere. I had never seen them before, and they aren’t a band that tours much, so their headlining appearance at Progstorm felt extra special. It was their first time in Montreal in 20 years, and the venue was packed to the brim and full of excitement. Max also was not the only Exist representation, with Exist’s drummer handling the kit for Cynic, and he was mind blowingly good. The same can be said for Cynic overall, executing a flawless set of technical complexity that was incredible. One of the coolest takeaways I had from the set was seeing how appreciative of the fans founder and guitarist Paul Masvidal is. You can see that he creates music for the fans, and seeing him fist bump and thank the audience constantly for being there was amazing. He even went off script during the set, strapped up an acoustic guitar, and played a WIP song for us that had never been previously performed, even saying that he would probably mess it up (it sounded great to me!). I love seeing musicians be vulnerable in this way, particularly when they are the headliner and the “big deal” band. I left this performance not only wowed by Cynic’s execution, but also with a ton of respect for them. They had a 13-song set planned, but Paul’s spontaneous acoustic song “3197 AD” between “I’m But a Wave To…” and “Textures” made the grand total 14. The setlist was:

1. Nunc Fluens
2. How Could I
3. Integral Birth
4. Celestial Voyage
5. The Unknown Guest
6. Sentiment
7. Veil of Maya
8. Adam’s Murmur
9. I’m But a Wave To…
10. 3197 AD (Paul on acoustic, first time ever played!)
11. Textures
12. Evolutionary Sleeper
13. Uroboic Forms
14. The Space for This

Day 2 was on Saturday, August 22, with doors opening 1 hour earlier than Day 1, and with 6 bands comprising what I would consider the “heavy” day (though my claim is that Day 1 band Greylotus was the heaviest band of the entire fest). Day 2 featured Chronochromie, Dessiderium, Exist, An Abstract Illusion, Anciients, and Car Bomb. I will cover each of the bands in detail next.

Montreal mathy progressive metal quartet Chronochromie kicked off the festivities on Day 2, setting the tone early. I was not at all familiar with them, but I do know that their main guy, Alexandre David, who I also got to meet at the fest, is quite involved in the local Montreal scene and is an incredible composer and songwriter. Musically, the songs were mostly instrumental, though there were some clean vocals performed by David, as well as some harsh vocals in a couple songs performed by an additional vocalist. Every musician was amazing, but I was particularly enthralled with the drummer, as he was absolutely ridiculous. The band came across to me as a bit of a Car Bomb lite, just more prog metal rather than core. They were an amazing warm up band, playing a wonderful 6-song set, which included a new song from their upcoming EP. The setlist was:

1. Epoch
2. Line 752
3. Two Suns (new song)
4. In the Twilight’s Embrace
5. Fracture Code
6. Mach

Arizona based progressive melodic death / black / post metal band Dessiderium was up next. The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and composer Alex Hadadd, the band has become a live entity over the years, though I had never had the opportunity to experience them in a live setting until now. The band does a great job infusing atmosphere and melody into their extreme progressive sound, with plenty of heavy blackened and death fury, juxtaposed against softer post rock sections. The band had 4 live members, and they absolutely tore it up across 5 long songs. It was an incredible set, and after 2 bands, Day 2 was on a roll! The setlist was:

1. Intro / Shadow Burn
2. Keys to the Palace – Pt. 1
3. Dover Hendrix
4. Pale
5. Mother

US progressive death metal band Exist was third for Day 2. The front man and founder is Max Phelps, who also performs harsh vocals for Cynic and had done so the previous night. The band also featured Alex Weber from Revocation, who apparently had to fly in last minute from their European tour to make this show. I had listened to a handful of songs prior to Progstorm and was super impressed with what I heard. I quite enjoyed their balance of heaviness complementing softer more melodic parts, and my lack of overall familiarity with their material did not deter my excitement to see them live. They blew me away with their stage presence and sound, delivering a multi-layered progressive metal assault. They played a 6-song set that included one song from their latest EP, “Beyond Purpose,” as well as songs from their previous albums. Just over halfway through their set, they asked the crowd if it was ok to play a 10-minute song and wanted to ensure people wouldn’t fall asleep. The crowd cheered in support, leading to an incredible performance of the song “Infinite Monkey Theorem.” The setlist was:

1. Blue Light Infinite
2. Thief of Joy
3. Take My Picture 
4. Infinite Monkey Theorem
5. The Holding of the Horses 
6. Hijacking the Zeitgeist 

Next up was my most anticipated band of the entire fest, 6-piece atmospheric progressive death / black metal band An Abstract Illusion from Sweden. It was their first ever show in North America and the first of 5 in Canada, with a follow-on tour the week after Progstorm. I had the chance to interview them a couple months ago, and it was impressive hearing about their songwriting approach and the amount of detail they dive into. The band was also a lot of fun to talk with, and I was very excited to finally get to meet them in person. And to top things off, their latest release from last year, “The Sleeping City,” was amongst my top albums of all of 2025.

Let me start by saying that this set is probably in my top 10 sets ever experienced, and I don’t say that lightly considering the number of shows I have seen. The atmosphere, intensity, moodiness, and emotion delivered throughout the entire performance was next level, utterly mesmerizing and entrancing in a way I cannot explain. Lead vocalist Christian is a beast, his entire body performing and exuding emotion and energy as he delivers his impressive vocals. There were some microphone tech issues on the first song, and he brushed them aside like they were nothing, unphased in the slightest. His performance on “Emmett” in particular was heart wrenching and powerful. The live keyboards were all encompassing, setting the tone from the outset and acting as critical connective tissue not only for each song but the entire set, ensnaring you in their lush atmosphere. The guitars and bass were so good, dark and moody with plenty of technicality and melody. The drumming was unreal, and I got lost at times just watching Isak. Lukas (bass) contributed amazing lead clean vocals on multiple songs, particularly “Frost Flower” which was chills inducing. Robert (keys) and Isak also contributed backing vocals, and the harmonies were lush and deep. They connected so well with the crowd, getting the pit circulating and the crowdsurfers flowing. For me, this was the show of the fest, and the band made the most of their first ever North American appearance. At one point Christian told the crowd that their songs were composed of 2 main things: they love death metal, and they love really long songs! As a result they only played 5 songs (6 if you count the partial instrumental “Silverfields” which served as the intro), with three from their latest “The Sleeping City” and two from previous album “Woe,” including ending with 15-minute epic “In the Heavens Above, You Will Become a Monster.” The setlist was:

1. Silverfields / Blackmurmur (some mic issues)
2. Slaves
3. Frost Flower
4. Emmett
5. In the Heavens Above, You Will Become a Monster

My boys from Anciients were up next. They are in my PNW backyard, hailing from Vancouver, BC, and this progressive death metal quartet just gets better and better every time I see them. I was a bit late to the game with them, not really discovering them until 2024’s “Beyond the Reach of the Sun,” and I had the opportunity to see them live for the first time for the album release show for this album, and the combo of both resulted in my becoming a bit of a superfan. Kenny is such a great frontman, with great cleans and powerful growls, all while playing incredible guitar riffs and leads. The entire band plays so well together, crafting a heavy wall of sound juxtaposed against more intricate post rock sections. Their on stage energy was infectious, and they really had the crowd going, with plenty of moshing and crowd surfing. Anciients played an 8-song set, with 5 from “Beyond the Reach of the Sun” and 3 from previous album “Voice of the Void,” which is celebrating its 10 year anniversary and has a special anniversary show planned for mid September. One song that the mymetaloftheday crew (both myself and Michelle) have really wanted to hear is “Worshipper,” our favorite song from that album, and it would be an understatement to say we have both dropped many hints requesting Anciients to play it live. When this song started, Michelle literally freaked out, and I was beside myself excited. It was a fabulous setlist that was very well-paced, and considering how tough an act An Abstract Illusion was to follow, Anciients was up for the task and absolutely delivered. The setlist was:

1. Forbidden Sanctuary
2. The Torch
3. Following the Voice
4. Worshipper
5. My Home, My Gallows
6. Melt the Crown
7. Despoiled
8. Is It Your God

Day 2 headliner was the mathcore / math metal insanity of New York based quartet Car Bomb. I talked to so any people who made the trip just for Car Bomb, and you could feel the excitement brimming as the crowd packed into the venue. Transparently, Car Bomb is not my typical style and hence not something I listen to much, but I was excited to see just how they could pull off all the crazy polymetric convergence they are known for. Headbanging to them is challenging even when you know a song, and watching them flawlessly play through each song live was something to witness. The crowd was super energized, the entire mass of people vibrating and moving like a giant amoeba, and even my spot on the rail outside of the pit kept absorbing lots of hits and bumps. Both the pit and the crowdsurfing was supercharged! Car Bomb played a super long set comprising 21 songs, with many songs yielding excited cheers when they started. The setlist was:

1. Blindsides
2. From the Dust of This Planet
3. Constant Sleep
4. Dissect Yourself 
5. Gratitude 
6. Scattered Sprites
7. Nonagon
8. Finish It 
9. Cielo Drive
10. The Sentinel
11. Pieces of You
12. Solid Grey
13. Spirit of Poison
14. Lower the Blade
15. Paroxysm
16. Blackened Battery
17. Antipatterns
18. Black Blood
19. This Will Do the Job
20. Lights Out
21. Secrets Within

Day 3 was on Sunday, August 23, with the same 1-hour earlier doors time as Day 2. The 6 bands comprising Day 3 are what I would consider the “light” day, with more prog rock and an overall softer feel, even for the two bands that brought more extreme elements. Day 3 featured Sky Passage, Heaven’s Cry, Nospūn, Dawn of Ouroboros, Wilderun, and Pure Reason Revolution. I will cover each of the bands in detail next.

Day 3 kicked off with Montreal-based progressive rock band Sky Passage. It was their first ever live performance, and they came ready to play with 7 folks on stage, including violin, 2 guitarists (with 1 doubling up on keys at times), another keyboardist (who occasionally busted out a keytar and also contributed some vocals), bass, drums, and a main vocalist. The band only played 3 songs, with one being an intro, but the intro plus first full song was nearly 25 minutes! You could hear the Dream Theater and Ayreon influences, and one of my PNW crew (Davi) said it reminded him of a softer, more rock version of “Odyssey” by Symphony X. The band never got super heavy, though there was a brief section featuring a breakdown and some growls. It was an impressive performance and a great way to kick off Day 3! The setlist was:

1. Scales of Justice / The Gathering
2. [new song]

4-piece Montreal progressive metal band Heaven’s Cry was next. I didn’t think I was familiar with them until they started playing, and then I realized I had listened to them before, just many years ago. This was their first show in quite some time, since 2018 if setlist.fm is accurate, making this a bit of a comeback show and extra special. They were celebrating 30 years of debut album “Food for Thought Substitute,” and they played a number of songs from it as well as their other more recent albums. The music was melodic and technical and utilized a dual vocal approach, with a prog power feel that biased more toward prog but had plenty of drive and oomph. The dual vocals were big and sounded amazing, and one of the vocalists was Sylvain Auclair from The Anchoret. My buddy Davi’s description after the set was done was “if Genesis was metal,” which resonated with me. I quite enjoyed their performance, and Day 3 was off to a great start! The setlist was:

1. Symmetry Intro / Your God’s Crime
2. Out of Me
3. The Hollow
4. 1 of 24
5. The Horde
6. The Alchemist
7. Gaia’s Judgement

The third band of the day was North Carolina progressive rock / metal quartet Nospūn. This would be my second time seeing them, with the other being a special front-to-back playthrough of “Opus” at ProgPower 2024. The crowd was fully engaged and excited for the show, and many had come for this day specifically for Nospūn. The band has a fun sense of humor, and they started their set with a Progstorm-ified version of the Pitbull song “Fireball”. They also had fest organizer Jici come out at one point to help on a song, wearing a skullcap matching their Progstorm exclusive shirt. The skullcap trend continued when Voidchaser vocalist Chad Bernatchez came out to do growls on “Life, the Universe, and Everything” from the Ozai EP, though he did eventually toss it into the crowd. The band put on a mesmerizing display of technical showmanship, playing a 7-song setlist with 6 songs from “Opus” and one from the “Ozai” EP. Watching each musician do their thing was just incredible, and the show from start to finish was utterly amazing. The setlist was:

1. Intro / The Death of Simpson
2. Dance with Me!
3. Tougher Love
4. Earwyrm
5. …And Then There Was One
6. Life, the Universe, and Everything (featuring Chad Bernatchez of Voidchaser)
7. Within the Realm of Possibility

Next up were my friends in US West Coast based 5-piece progressive black metal / blackgaze band Dawn of Ouroboros. I am a huge fan and particularly love their 2025 release “Bioluminescence,” and I had a fun interview with them ahead of their Progstorm appearance. I have seen them many times but never on a stage this big or with such a long setlist, and I was curious to see not only what they would play, but how they would use the larger setting to their advantage. Chelsea is a phenomenal vocalist and performer, literally running around like a banshee and never once staying still as she delivered a combination of blackened shrieks, death growls, pig squeals, and silky smooth cleans. She puts on quite the show and used every inch of that stage to her advantage, engaging with the crowd and her bandmates like her life depended on it. I heard an anecdote from another band who was watching from the back and just how impressed they were at her ability to project, including when the mic was a meter away from her mouth. The rest of the band is also amazing, with Tony and Bobby dueling on guitars, Ian destroying his bass, and Chris a tour de force behind the kit. Their use of dynamic contrast, with softer sections contrasting against utter brutality, is always impressive, and it worked really well in this setting. They played an 8-song set, which featured a song I had never heard them play live before, “Sorrow’s Eclipse” from their debut album, the first song the band ever wrote together. It was special hearing that, along with 2 songs from their second album and the rest from “Bioluminescence.” It was a phenomenal set, and easily the best performance I have seen from Dawn. The setlist was:

1. Nebulae
2. Bioluminescence
3. Poseidon’s Hymn
4. Slipping Burgundy
5. Cephalopodic Void
6. Sorrow’s Eclipse
7. Testudines
8. Dueling Sunsets

Boston based progressive death metal band 4-piece Wilderun was Progstorm’s penultimate band. It was long-time bassist Dan Müller’s last show, and the band, crowd, and fest sent him off in style! I had never personally seen Wilderun, always just missing them, and I was not only excited to see them for the first time, but also excited to see a longer set. Like many bands with exceptionally long songs, they don’t get to play many when they are in the earlier part of a bill, so knowing there would be 5 – 7 songs at least was exciting. We ended up getting 6 songs, with half of them coming from 2019 release “Veil of Imagination.” Wilderun thrives on contrast, juxtaposing soft, folksy, orchestral parts with heavier death metal, with the patience to build until they are ready to deliver a climax. Much like Dawn of Ouroboros, this approach worked so well in this setting, and they were absolutely mesmerizing to watch. The 6-song setlist was:

1. Passenger
2. Far from Where Dreams Unfurl
3. The Garden of Fire
4. Linger
5. The Tyranny of Imagination
6. O Resolution!

Day 3 headliner and Progstorm closer was UK progressive alternative rock band Pure Reason Revolution. If I believe setlist.fm, they have only played in North America a couple times prior, with the most recent nearly 20 years ago in the US in 2007, and I don’t believe they have ever played Canada. This made this appearance super special, and I saw a lot of folks in the audience for Pure Reason Revolution that had not attended the rest of the fest. They were probably the band I was the least familiar with at the fest, perhaps a bit surprising considering they were one of the headliners. I don’t mind going in blind, and I chose to go in mostly blind for PRR. Their sound was a cool blend of alternative rock, electronic elements, and proggy / djenty elements, creating a mesmerizing soundscape that was quite entrancing. It was the 20 year anniversary of their debut album, “The Dark Third,” and they did a front-to-back playthrough of it that was incredible. After that, they played a number of other fan favorites, and they also played brand new single “Spin Like Fire” for their first time ever live. After this song they walked off, and the crowd hooted and hollered for another song.  PRR returned to the stage, did some crowd participation practice, and closed out with the song “Avo.” It was a phenomenal set and a perfect way to end an amazing festival. The setlist was:

1. Aeropause
2. Goshens Remains 
3. Apprentice of the Universe
4. The Bright Ambassadors of Morning
5. Nimos and Tambos
6. Voices in Winter / In the Realms of the Divine
7. Bullitts Dominae
8. Arrival / The Intention Craft (6:05)
9. He Tried To Show Them Magic / Ambassadors Return 
10. Dead Butterfly
11. Ghosts & Typhoons
12. Black Mourning
13. Deus Ex Machina
14. Spin Like Fire (first time played live)
15. [encore] Avo

Chaotic Good Music, the booking agency run by the Progstorm fest organizer Jici, booked the Sleeping Cities Eastern Canada Tour, a 4-day tour starting Wednesday after Progstorm that featured 2 bands from Progstorm 2026 and 3 from Progstorm 2025. Whether it was the intent or not, it felt like a natural extension to the fest, functioning as a mini Progstorm tour, and I was so excited about it that I extended my stay and went to the first stop in Quebec City. It was a headlining tour for An Abstract Illusion, giving them a total of 5 North American shows, with support from The Anchoret, Omnivide, Fractal Sun, and Voidchaser. Seeing the second ever North American show for both An Abstract Illusion and Fractal Sun was huge motivation for me personally. I am also a big Voidchaser fan (read my review!), having only seen them once at Hyperspace back in April. Finally, I had never seen either The Anchoret or Omnivide, and the Arise EP by Omnivide had been getting considerable listening time from me lately (it is my favorite 5K running soundtrack!), so seeing a show on this tour was an absolute no brainer. 

The Quebec City show was the first stop on the tour, happening at L’Anti Bar & Spectacles on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

Montreal / Sweden progressive metal band Voidchaser opened up the night. Unfortunately, they had just had a split with their drummer, and they were unable to get a live drummer ready in time to play their songs for the first stop on the tour. Ryan Koepke of Cepheidae Variable sat behind the kit looking all serious, and the band interacted with him throughout the set, but the drums themselves were tracked. Transparently, tracked drums don’t translate the same as other tracked instruments, so the energy wasn’t quite what I was used to from Voidchaser. Despite that, Chad, Eddy, and Jici were still quite energetic, engaging with the crowd and each other. Because Michelle and I were there, they deliberately played our favorite song, “Ivory Tower,” which felt super special, especially when Chad called us out! For the last song, they had a surprise in store, bringing up Fractal Sun drummer Sunfyre to play on “Trust.” She had apparently only learned it in the past 24 hours, but you would not have guessed, as it sounded amazing! Voidchaser played 6 songs, with the setlist being:

1. The Grand Design / Welcome to Terra Corp
2. Hyperconverter 
3. Rain / Solar Winds
4. Ivory Tower
5. Trust (with Sunfyre of Fractal Sun on drums)

Next up was Fractal Sun’s second ever North American show as well as my second opportunity to see them live. Even on a smaller stage, they were impressive, playing 4 of the 6 songs they played at Progstorm, including my personal favorite “Bow Before Me.” Lead vocalist Hellen was not feeling well, but you would not have guessed based on her performance. The band was so good, and a band I already loved has quickly become an absolute favorite of mine. If you get the opportunity to see them live, do NOT hesitate and just go! The setlist was:

1. Withering Grace
2. Dark Project II: Escape 
3. Trail of Hope
4. Bow Before Me

The third band of the night was Canadian progressive / technical melodic death metal band Omnivide. I discovered them during my interview with An Abstract Illusion. The way AAI described them was super intriguing, and I quickly fell in love with their latest EP, “Arise,” literally wearing it out! They were a huge motivation for me to extend my trip as well since I had never seen them before, and I was very excited to see how they would pull off their technical wizardry in a live setting. They were utterly incredible, and it was an absolute treat to watch the fret mastery and drumming insanity of each song, along with great harsh and clean vocals. I was also quite appreciative of the live keyboards, as I always feel like that adds more life than when they are tracked. Their 6-song setlist featured a front to back playthrough of “Arise,” which made me grin ear to ear, and then they closed with one song from their previous full length “A Tale of Fire.” The setlist was:

1. Prelude / Void
2. Tyrannical Saviour
3. Omnipotent
4. Arise
5. Stoned Dragon

The fourth band of the night was Canadian progressive metal band The Anchoret, the brainchild of one of the Progstorm organizers, Eddy Levitsky. The band features complex musical arrangements with killer melodies, lots of technicality, and plenty of heavy! One unique aspect is featuring a full time saxophone, which balanced the lead playing with one of the guitarists, and it added nice character and depth to the songs. The vocalist was one of the 2 vocalists in Heaven’s Cry (who also plays bass in both bands), and Eddy plays rhythm guitar. The keyboardist was a hoot to watch, dancing around and showing all kinds of antics, while also playing some incredible keys and providing background vocals. The drummer was phenomenal and a lot of fun to watch. I admittedly wasn’t super familiar with the material, only having listened to the debut album briefly, but I thoroughly enjoyed the set, full of energy, passion, and fun. The Anchoret played a 6-song set (with a shortened version of “An Office For…” functioning as the intro), all featured from their debut album “It All Began with Loneliness.” The setlist was:

1. An Office For… / A Dead Man
2. Until the Sun Illuminates
3. Someone Listening?
4. Forsaken
5. Buried
6. All Turns to Clay

The headliner for the night was Sweden’s An Abstract Illusion, playing their second North American set ever. The stage was significantly smaller than Club Soda, but the band didn’t care, handling it as if they were on a much larger stage. There were no tech issues this night, meaning opening song “Blackmurmur” was utterly perfect, and the entire set was just as amazing as Progstorm. They did swap one song, “Slaves,” for my personal favorite song from their latest album, “Like a Geyser Ever Erupting.” I am sure they did not do this for me specifically, but since they know it is my favorite song, I will just fool myself into thinking they did it just for me! Kidding aside, that song was so great live, and I am so happy I got to hear it. I am also glad I got to experience their first 2 shows in North America, and extending my trip to Quebec City was totally worth it! The setlist was:

1. Silverfields (Intro) / Blackmurmur
2. Like a Geyser Ever Erupting
3. Frost Flower
4. Emmett
5. In the Heavens Above, You Will Become a Monster

All I can say is WOW about my first Progstorm. I still regret not being able to attend the first edition, but I felt like I got a tiny taste from the Quebec City show. Montreal is an amazing city, and it is a perfect spot for a fest like this. And as a US citizen and knowing that my country’s visa challenges are likely not improving any time soon, I am excited for the future prospects for this fest. I love the format and the caliber of the bands, and Progstorm has definitely set itself up as a challenger to be one of the best metal fests in all of North America, impressive given it just completed its second year. I do think it would be nice to have some sort of food options or a built in food break given the marathon length once the doors open, and I hope the fest considers how to make this work in future editions. I also believe the mini tour following the fest is a fabulous idea, as it felt like it extended the fest a bit longer while creating a standalone live bill that was impressive in its own right. I hope that this trend continues in future years, particularly since I also loved visiting Quebec City!

The 2027 edition is already off to a great start with the announcement of a 1-off comeback show for progressive metal favorite Native Construct, and I have my theories on a few others as well and am impatiently awaiting for the announcements to begin! Progstorm is super well run, with an incredible lineup and an amazing crowd, and it is a no brainer of a fest to attend. Avoid the FOMO and make sure you get your ticket for next year!