9. 2019 – Devin Townsend – Singularity (23:33) – This six-part, 23-minute suite concluding Empath is Devin’s maximalist vision in full bloom—equal parts chaos, beauty, metal, and ambient—culminating in a transcendent statement about unity and consciousness. In one song, it showcases everything Devin is, and is a crowning achievement in his incredible and diverse career. Adding to the track are outstanding performances by Steve Vai, Mike Keneally, and Anneke Van Giersbergen. The ending is massive with what sounds like a thousand voices and guitars over an insane drum beat, all building to a glorious and fitting conclusion to an incredible album.
10. 2021 – Lifesigns – Altitude (15:17) – The band’s 3rd album is a gorgeous collection that begins with the exquisite title track, a glorious 15-minute journey into the ether. Describing with emotion the sorrow, pain and perils of wartime aviation, the track soars like a proverbial winged spirit. The song rises and dives, soars and dips, and it never loses its sense of anticipation. After the choral section one of its finest moments comes in the refrain ‘And I could hear you in another world…’ At around the 9-minute mark, this refrain releases a torrent of gratification, and there it is – The Glow. It arrives in a huge, flooding cascade of warmth that leads effortlessly into a wonderful Bainbridge solo. This moment alone is worth the full price of admission – a masterpiece.
11. 2022 – Marillion – Care (15:20) – From the band’s 20th studio album, this 4-part suite blends personal and political themes—especially the pandemic and healthcare—into a poignant, musically dynamic finale with a strong emotional punch. The final section of the suite, ‘Angels on Earth’, is a dedication to those bravest of heroes, the world’s medical care-givers. It is a celestial march that features the lyric ‘The angels of this world are not in the walls of churches’, repeating as a mounting refrain. At one point, Hogarth observes with no small amount of irony and sarcasm that ‘the heroes of this world are not in the Hall of Fame’. Only Marillion could pull this off with such aplomb, or, to quote from Hogarth’s lyric, ‘pure class’.
12. 2023 – Moon Safari – Teen Angel Meets the Apocalypse (21:04) – Bringing in a wide range of influences from The Beatles and The Beach Boys to Styx and Yes, this 21-minute prog extravaganza is a wildly entertaining affair with sweeping choruses and writhing solos to jagged, staccato rhythms and mood swings from the most contemplative to the most frantic and heavy. The middle “London Bridge” section is playful, yet brilliant. Despite being away for 10 years, ‘Teen Angel’ is a magnificent performance by an exceptional band that is declaring its return with nothing short of Prog thunder.
13. 2024 – Frost – Life in the Wires, Pt.2 (15:52) – The penultimate track from the band’s brilliant 2024 concept album brings is a crash course in everything Frost* does well, referencing the group’s beloved debut album Milliontown, while adding new elements. The arrangement is dizzying in the best way, showing the band at their powerful, focused peak, while still finding room for groove, punch, and some seriously catchy moments. True to Frost* form, it doesn’t fade out with a slow, drawn-out ending like so many others—instead, it ramps up into a wild, high-speed keyboard finale that feels perfect. Jem Godfrey knows exactly how to craft an epic, and Frost* knows exactly how to bring it to life.
14. 2025 – Dream Theater – The Shadow Man Incident (19:32) – With Portnoy back in the studio with Dream Theater, it seemed Only A Matter Of Time before the reformed lineup would write another epic. At just under 20 minutes, the closing track is Parasomnia’s crowning achievement. As many Dream Theater epics do, this one weaves through various sections, never staying in one place for long. But it is the middle instrumental section that is simply stunning. Just when you think the track has shown all its cards, a brilliant Latin-inspired piano section appears, injecting a surprising yet fitting twist that underscores the band’s versatility. For a band celebrating its 40th year, it is no small feat to produce a track of this magnitude.
15. 2025 – Steven Wilson – Objects Outlive Us (23:13) – A Steven Wilson album with only 2 tracks, both over 18 minutes, is likely to have a song featured in this list. At 23 minutes, the first of the 2 songs on The Overview, “Objects Outlive Us,” is one of Wilson’s strongest efforts in some time and an encapsulation of his compositional strengths. It opens with his delicate falsetto, suspended in an almost weightless atmosphere, before a haunting piano refrain emerges, layering harmonies that steadily build in intensity. The track is structured into eight subsections, seamlessly weaving between ethereal melodies, dynamic rock passages, and grand climactic moments. The piece unfolds with a sense of purpose and inevitability, culminating in one of Wilson’s most breathtaking finales. A true masterpiece.
