Cynic To Headline ProgStorm Festival

(Looters) Following the enthusiastic response to ProgStorm Festival's initial 2026 announcement and headliner Car Bomb (performing Saturday August 22), Canada's premier progressive metal festival is pleased to provide a full recap of all artists revealed to date. ProgStorm Festival returns to Montreal, Quebec, from August 21 to 23, 2026 at Club Soda, marking its second year of celebrating progressive metal in all of its diverse and boundary-defying forms.

ProgStorm is honored to present legendary progressive metal innovators CYNIC as one of the 2026 headliners. As pioneers of the genre, Cynic's music has shaped generations of artists with its visionary blend of technicality, emotional depth, and philosophical exploration. Their appearance at ProgStorm promises to be a landmark moment for both the festival and fans across North America.

For more than thirty years, Cynic has stood among the most influential and visionary forces in progressive metal, to the point where very few bands can claim to have shaped the genre to such an extent. Led since the very beginning by founding member Paul Masvidal who is also known for his work with Death and Aeon Spoke, their debut Focus (1993) reshaped the boundaries between extreme music, jazz fusion and atmospheric expression. Their return with Traced in Air (2008) delivered a radiant and melodic sound that remains completely unique, a seamless blend of ethereal textures, technical precision and emotional depth that no other band has ever truly replicated. With Kindly Bent to Free Us (2014) and Ascension Codes (2021), they expanded these ideas even further, highlighting the timeless quality of their compositions.

Since announcing the return of the festival in November, ProgStorm has unveiled a dynamic roster of artists representing multiple branches of the progressive spectrum. The current 2026 lineup to date now includes: Car Bomb, An Abstract Illusion, Exist, Vulkan, Dawn of Ouroboros, Fractal Sun, Sky Passage and Hillward.

Fans eager to stay ahead of lineup announcements, ticket drops, and exclusive updates are encouraged to follow ProgStorm Festival on social media at @progstorm_festival and visit the website here.

Friday August 21
CYNIC
Vulkan
Fractal Sun
Hillward
**More bands to be announced

Saturday August 22
CAR BOMB
An Abstract Illusion
Exist
**More bands to be announced

Sunday August 23
Dawn of Ouroboros
Sky Passage
**More bands to be announced

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