Prog-metal fans have been treated to some smashing early Christmas presents of late. In July, HAKEN released a killer EP, “In A Fever Dream,” and now, on October 2nd, 2026, Belgian proggers HIPPOTRAKTOR are set to release their third studio album, “Annihilist,” on Pelagic Records. The thing is, these two bands have a lot more in common than merely an affinity for weird, mathy grooves and a weird band name. Yes, both bands excel in writing riffs in meters you simply cannot figure out without the help of an engineering-level pocket calculator, but instead of sounding like math homework, these quantum riffages groove like hell. Each of these acts can also tug at your heartstrings with quite a force when they really put their soul into it. That new HAKEN release is among their best work to date, no doubt, and the same holds for the new album by these Belgian prog-metal rogues. In a way, HIPPOTRAKTOR is almost like the Belgian version of HAKEN, with the harsh vocals brought more prominently to the forefront. It must have been some random Spotify recommendation that initially lured me into lending some ear to their music back in the day, because, quite frankly, a band with a tongue-in-cheek name like that can only be either pure unadulterated garbage or something so good that it risks altering your perception of reality. Either way, it’s always worth checking out (sometimes even the garbage is so thoroughly garbage that it’s actually highly entertaining). Lucky for me, HIPPOTRAKTOR turned out to be a fine specimen of the latter school, and reality has not seemed quite the same since. Sure, djenty staccato riffs are not exactly the most novel thing to do in the prog-metal context in this day and age, nor have they been for quite a while, but when a band drops them with such post-metal-esque sophistication and style as these rogues here, it’s nigh impossible to mind. The thing is, these rogues wear the sigil of djent not like any self-styled prog-metal hierophants but like someone with a conviction to move mountains. In other words, in the dog-eat-dog world of djent, HIPPOTRAKTOR is a cat. Someone once described their signature sound as something of the sort that video-game composer Mick Gordon might come up with for some state-of-the-art sci-fi action franchise, and the guy did have a point; even though the riffs hit just as hard as, say, GOJIRA and the like, there’s a subtle veneer of cinematic depth about the songs. It sure helps that Stefan de Graef, who also sings for the band’s labelmates PSYCHONAUT, is such a phenomenal vocalist with an impressive range.
Speaking of which, the game is set afoot with an ominous, atmospheric intro that would fit onto a PSYCHONAUT album just as well. The opener, “I Breathe. I Am,” could indeed have been on the latest PSYCHONAUT endeavor, “World Maker,” from last year, with its delicate mixture of atmospherics and beefy prog riffs. While the band’s signature djent-stutter riffs may have been toned down a bit on this introductory track, the follow-up song, “Courageous Apathy,” gears up on this trait a little. Maybe my memory is not to be trusted in these matters (the Mandela effect, y’know…), but I think the band’s earlier bangers were delivered with a tad more hearty dose of djenty riffs, still. Not that I mind, though. This seemingly softer approach works in the songs’ favor quite nicely. As much as I like djenty polyrhythms, there’s no denying that the distorted, uptempo arpeggios create a somewhat blackgazey guitar texture, and it works wonders in tandem with the band’s off-kilter riffing.
One of the absolute highlights of this album is the next track, “Builder of Even.” The song reaches into the sublime post-metal spheres of THE OCEAN, and upon the first spin with this beast, I thought their vocalist (former) Loïc Rossetti featured on guest vocals, because it certainly sounded an awful lot like it – a quick fact check: he actually does! These Belgian proggers have cited THE OCEAN as one of their biggest inspirations, and on this track, they most certainly demonstrate a similar knack for balancing crushing heaviness with emotional nuance. The immense weight of the riffs hits you over the head like a bag of proverbial bricks, while the atmospheric textures in the song’s verses add further layers of narrative and emotional resonance. This song is easily one of the best post-metal bangers released this year. Just a few tracks into the new album, it’s beginning to look a lot like the band has fully tapped into their magnificent potential hinted at by those earlier outings.
Then, if you’re not stunned speechless yet, “Oblivion Walker” should finish the job. The song unfolds like a haunting spectacle of steamrolling post-metal riffs and cinematic atmospherics. The song tiptoes the fine line between PSYCHONAUT and THE OCEAN, and that’s not a bad place for a band to be! By now, it seems as though the band’s affinity for those somewhat HAKEN-esque and djenty riffers has given way to a more post-metal-leaning approach altogether. It’s not like the new album does not feature a hefty amount of off-kilter riffs, but it feels a tad less stuttery overall, compared to some of those old bangers. Post-metal has not exactly been in vogue in this neck of the woods for quite a while, but with albums like this coming out more and more of late (just check out the new album by THE OCEAN, for one!), I sure hope that there will be a post-metal renaissance of sorts, because – let’s face it! – it’s one of the most beautifully soul-crushing metal sub-genres there is. I mean, there is no supply of emotional highs quite like the post-metal sector in my record collection, and HIPPOTRAKTOR‘s new endeavor is certainly going to be one of the most cherished items there; that’s for sure!
Amongst the beefy post-metal punch-ups (among which the closer is yet another gut-punching highlight, by the way!), the title track feels almost like a ballad, but only because its tempo is substantially slower than the rest. It begins with a mellow Rhodes motif, which gets layered with all sorts of atmospheric textures along the way. Still, even though the song features no harsh vocals to speak of, it has way too much bite for a ballad. Its overall feel is not far from the softer moments on the new KARNIVOOL album that came out earlier this year. So, while these new songs may not resonate with the overly progressive air of differential math, they still offer a tad more subtly progressive twists and turns. My grand summation is that “Annihilist” certainly solidifies HIPPOTRAKTOR as one of the finest progressive post-metal acts on the market. There’s only one thing that still puzzles me: is the band’s goofy name supposed to mean a traktor designed for a hippo or a hippo-shaped traktor? Either way, the mental image is quite an apt metaphor for the band’s music.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- I Breathe. I Am.
- Courageous Apathy
- Builder of Eden
- Oblivion Walker
- Annihilist
- Everything Is Permissible
- A Different Now
Lineup
Stefan De Graef – vocals
Chiaran Verheyden – guitars
Jakob Fiszer – bass
Lander De Nyn – drums
Kristof Du Jardin – guitars, vocals
Label
Pelagic Records
