ProgStorm Festival is back for its second rodeo, and they’ve somehow convinced 18 bands to play Montreal’s Club Soda from August 21-23. Mark your calendars or prepare elaborate excuses about “sudden food poisoning” if prog isn’t your thing.
This year’s lineup is stacked enough to make any metal nerd weep into their vintage band tee. The headliners? Oh, just CYNC (the vegan space-jazz pioneers who somehow survived being Death’s backing band), CAR BOMB (the human equivalent of a calculator having a nervous breakdown), and PURE REASON REVOLUTION (returning to North America after 20 years – apparently Canada finally offered enough maple syrup bribes). Local heroes ANCIENTS, VULKAN, and FRACTAL SUN will also grace the stage, probably apologizing for noise complaints in both English and French.
Friday, August 21
CYNIC (Ask them about that time they opened for Cat Stevens’ nephew!)
VULKAN
GREYLOTUS
AETERNAM
FRACTAL SUN
HILLWARD
Saturday, August 22
CAR BOMB (Mathcore legends who probably calculate grocery bills in 17/8 time)
ANCIIENTS
AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION
EXIST
DESSIDERIUM
CHRONOCHROMIE
Sunday, August 23
PURE REASON REVOLUTION (Playing their 2006 album in full before anyone remembers the synth obsession)
WILDERUN
DAWN OF OUROBOROS
NOSPŪN
HEAVENS CRY
SKY PASSAGE
Festival organizers Jici and Eddy described this whole operation with suspicious optimism:
“We are excited and proud to finally reveal the full lineup for the second edition of ProgStorm Festival in 2026!
“It has been an incredible adventure so far, and the excitement you have shown with every band reveal has been truly contagious. This ambitious edition will be something special, and we cannot wait to bring this amazing community together in Montreal for this progressive metal festival. We can’t wait to see you there.”
Translation: “Plz buy tickets before we have to sell our vintage Porcupine Tree vinyl collection.” If you want to voluntarily experience hearing loss while standing next to someone doing air-drumming, grab tickets at progstorm.com/tickets. Adult diapers sold separately.
