The music on the band’s second album is of an incredible and highly original nature that bond high vocal prowesses with a rather sombre timber and outstanding musicianship so much that both original members Noy and Bairstow play multiple instruments and apparently with great ease. The third member, drummer Conlan has his hands full accompanying his comrades and he also plays congas, although this is not mentioned on the credits. The only outside help they got are additional strings for the last 12 mins of their magnum opus “Sun Synfonia”.

And what a masterpiece this tune turns out to be… If the first six minutes develop a good mix of folk rock somewhere between the Comus and Jethro Tull (circa Brick album), the strings come in and the music plunges into a deep madness likely to sink you into insanity if the strings were not to bring you back to the surface for a breath of fresh air every so often. The melange between the 12 string guitar strums, superb drumming all underlined by a swirling cluster of wind instruments and the strings is one of the most perfect blend ever achieved far from the many catastrophes of the era. The lyrics also become intensely disturbing, they curdle the blood. The wild and sombre ambiances drive you to the outer edges of reason. Nevertheless, the superb 12 min finale is completely spine chilling, hair raising, shivers and goose bumps being also on the menu as the abrupt end leaves a empty feel.

The second side pales a bit in comparison, but by no means are those two tracks anything else than gems themselves. “Call Of The Wild” is probably the folksiest of the three tunes, starts off with a great acoustic 12-string guitar beautifully underlined by a splendid yet serene flute. Again Comus is not far away from the mind even when the track moves through a series of wild tempo changes sometimes hinting at Indian classical music.

A strange siren alerts you that the third and final track (the title track depicted by the strange artwork sleeve) just got under way, and that you are not yet through with madness as comes in a psyched guitar and great sax and insane vocals. The last part of the track is dedicated to improvisations on that theme and they come out grandiosely successful at it.

Sadly the album made little impact, and Jan Dukes de Grey disbanded after this release.

Line-up:
- Michael Bairstow / flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, percussion, keyboards
- Derek Noy / vocals, guitar, bas, keyboards, percussion
- Denis Conlan / drums

Track List:
01. Sun Symphonica – 18:56
02. Call of the Wild – 12:47
03. Mice and Rats in the Loft – 8:20

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Grateful Dead were already established as paragons of the free-form, improvisational San Francisco psychedelic sound. Much of the sound of this album comes both from Jerry Garcia’s pairing with Robert Hunter as well as the band’s friendship with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Hearing them sing, the band thought they could try that and decided to work a little.

The acoustic “Workingman’s Dead” is a lovely exploration of American roots music illuminating the group’s country, blues, and folk influences.

The lilting “Uncle John’s Band”, their first radio hit, opens the record and perfectly summarizes its subtle, spare beauty; complete with a new focus on more concise songs and tighter arrangements, the approach works brilliantly.

Despite its sharp contrast to the epic live space jams on which the group’s legend primarily rests, “Workingman’s Dead” nonetheless spotlights the Dead at their most engaging, stripped of all excess to reveal the true essence of their craft.

Line-up:
- Jerry Garcia / guitar, pedal steel, vocals, songwriter
- Bob Weir / guitar, vocals
- Ron “Pigpen” McKernan / keyboards, harmonica, vocals
- Phil Lesh / bass, vocals
- Bill Kreutzmann / drums, percussion
- Mickey Hart / percussion
with
- Robert Hunter / lyrics
- David Nelson / acoustic guitar

Track List:
01. Uncle John’s Band – 4:45
02. High Time – 5:15
03. Dire Wolf – 3:15
04. New Speedway Boogie – 4:07
05. Cumberland Blues – 3:18
06. Black Peter – 5:44
07. Easy Wind – 5:00
08. Casey Jones – 4:24

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With his new Ayreon album, Arjen Lucassen seems to be moving deeper and deeper into the rock opera world. Looking at the lyric sheet here it looks like something written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The guest list on each album is getting longer with the singers on this album being assigned roles to play.

The Human Equation follows the story of a man who falls in a coma after plowing his car into a tree. While in a coma, he unlocks some hidden region of his mind where he confronts his emotions and and memories. Meanwhile, his best friend and wife sit at his hospital bed waiting for a sign of life.

Like most rock operas, the songs work best as a unified whole, but songs like “Day Eleven: Love” and “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly do stand out for the great vocals and melodies. There is one thing that cannot be overlooked and that is the impressive roster of singers and instrumentalists Lucassen has assembled for his latest project: Martin Orford from IQ and Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep make small but invaluable contributions. Hensley’s short but raging Hammond organ solo on “Day Sixteen: Loser” certainly takes us back to Hensley’s work with Uriah Heep.

As for the singers, James LaBrie from Dream Theater plays the part of the man in the coma, simply known as Me. If you are used to Labrie’s work with Dream Theater, be prepared to be surprised here. For the most part, his singing is mellow and happily he proves that he has more depth as a singer than he is generally given credit for. Heather Findlay from Mostly Autumn is cast as Love and her singing is as impressive and moving here as it is with her own band. Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth is given ample opportunity to shine as well; the man has a great voice. Relative newcomer Marcela Bovia also deserves a mention as the wife; judging from her performance with Ayreon, she has a bright future ahead of her.

Line-up:
- Arjen Lucassen / electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, analogue synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron, additional keyboards, mandoline, vocals as ‘Best Friend’
- Devon Graves / vocals as ‘Agony’
- Devin Townsend / vocals as ‘Rage’
- Eric Clayton / vocals as ‘Reason’
- Mikael Akerfeldt / vocals as ‘Fear’
- Magnus Ekwall / vocals as ‘Pride’
- Heather Findlay / vocals as ‘Love’
- Irene Jansen / vocals as ‘Passion’
- James LaBrie / vocals as ‘Me’
- Marcela Bovio / vocals as ‘Wife’
- Mike Baker / vocals as ‘Father’
- Ken Hensley / Hammond (16)
- Oliver Wakeman / keyboards (17)
- Martin Orford / keyboards (15)
- Ed Warby / drums
- Joost van den Broek / synthesizer (2), spinet (13)
- John McManus / Low-flute (13,16,18), tin-whistle (18)
- Jeroen Goossens / flute (3,5,9,14,18), alto-flute (2), bass flute (5,14), panpipes (6), descant and treble recorder (13), didgeridoo (16), bassoon (18)
- Robert Baba / violins
- Marieke van der Heyden / cello

Track List:
CD1
01. Day One: Vigil – 1:33
02. Day Two: Isolation – 8:42
03. Day Three: Pain – 4:58
04. Day Four: Mystery – 5:37
05. Day Five: Voices – 7:09
06. Day Six: Childhood – 5:05
07. Day Seven: Hope – 2:47
08. Day Eight: School – 4:22
09. Day Nine: Playground – 2:15
10. Day Ten: Memories – 3:57
11. Day Eleven: Love – 4:18
CD2
12. Day Twelve: Trauma – 8:59
13. Day Thirteen: Sign – 4:47
14. Day Fourteen: Pride – 4:42
15. Day Fifteen: Betrayal – 5:24
16. Day Sixteen: Loser – 4:46
17. Day Seventeen: Accident? – 5:42
18. Day Eighteen: Realization – 4:31
19. Day Nineteen: Disclosure – 4:42
20. Day Twenty: Confrontation – 7:03

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Northern Kings is a Finnish symphonic metal cover supergroup. The Kings are comprised of four vocalists, who are all frontmen of successful Finnish heavy metal bands — Marco Hietala from ‘Nightwish’ and ‘Tarot’, Tony Kakko from ‘Sonata Arctica’, JP Leppaluoto from ‘Charon’ and Jarkko Ahola from ‘Terasbetoni’. Each vocalist has his own trademark sound, including deep, satanic, operatic metal rock vocals. It’s all-consuming and larger than life.

The band masterminded the idea of recording their own metal versions of an electic selection of pop staples. Unlike most bands who try to reproduce the sound and arrangements of the original songs, the Northern Kings have deconstructed the arrangements, by coming up with their own renditions, most of which is backed with metal guitars, a full symphonic orchestral backing, and electronic enhancements.

The general vibe on the album is to give the metal makeover a fully orchestrated backing (string section, the works), with some electronic noodling thrown in . The metal guitars are prevalent, but there is the northern vibe of the band’s renditions. It’s not a gimmick, but it is very dramatic, very lush and grandoise sounding.

The sonic attack of the bands’ take on each song just blows you away. Unlike most artists or bands who record a cover, the version is traditionally inferior and not a patch on the original. It’s quite an accomplishment to take a song like Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer’ or Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’ and give it a new lease of life.

Hearing songs from a variety of genres and decades turned completely on their heads is an awesome way to spend the afternoon, especially when the tracks are tackled with such passion and no thought to consequence in forcing the listener to think outside the box.

You’ve heard these songs before… just never like this.

Line-up:
- Marco Hietala / vocals (1, 2, 6, 10)
- Tony Kakko / vocals (2, 3, 5, 8)
- Jarkko Ahola / vocals (2, 9, 12)
- Juha/Pekka Leppäluoto / vocals (2, 4, 11, 13)

Track List:
01. Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey) – 5:29
02. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Tina Turner) – 4:48
03. Broken Wings (Mr. Mister) – 5:32
04. Rebel Yell (Billy Idol) – 7:29
05. Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie) – 4:39
06. Fallen On Hard Times (Jethro Tull) – 3:54
07. I Just Died In Your Arms (Cutting Crew) – 5:49
08. Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel) – 5:08
09. Don’t Bring Me Down (Electric Light Orchestra) – 4:06
10. In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins) – 4:35
11. Creep (Radiohead) – 5:38
12. Hello (Lionel Richie) – 4:31
13. Brothers In Arms (Dire Straits) – 6:59

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It was bound to happen – Nightwish’s recording budget increased, and the Finnish quintet added an entire orchestra to their new album, thus forging their second breakthrough album. Like giving a child everything he has ever wanted, the band have let loose their boundless creativity. The album is very similar to their previous release, “Century Child”, but with strings, horns and woodwinds in absolutely every nook. It is absolutely over-the-top, but in a band such as this, it is fitting and magnificent.

The opening song, “Dark Chest of Wonders” begins with a pounding metal riff unlike anything else on the album – very reminiscent of “Slaying the Dreamer”. However, it doesn’t last. Soon afterwards, trademark Nightwish power-riffs kick in, infectious and energizing, bringing along with them a parading symphony that does not go unheard. The last chorus is absolutely beyond belief, with the band almost *dueling* with the symphony in a musical power struggle.

The chart-topping single “Nemo” is a monster, building slowly from a simple piano line and molten guitar riff into an over-the-top, orchestral breakdown. Thanks to Turunen’s vocals, the song also possesses a haunted quality.

“Wish I Had an Angel” features bassist Marco Hietala’s gruff vocals on the chorus and believe it or not the song manages to marry dance music with heavy metal! “Planet Hell” is accessible and tremendously melodic; showcasing the symphonic textures in a very isolated, gothic atmosphere.

Both “Dead Gardens” and “Romanticide” are rough-and-tumble, even too much for some ears, a violent kiss-off that ends with bassist / back-up singer Hietala scowling “Spit on me, let go, get rid of me / And try to survive your stupidity” over one of the most headbanging riffs of recent years.

The eight minute “Creek Mary’s Blood” depicts the plight of Native American Indians, the song features John Two-Hawks, a Lakota musician on flute, chants and vocals. It is a brooding and evil sounding song with a folk feel behind it’s malevolence. Woeful, slow and touching, building up to becoming a horn-driven hard rocker.

“Ghost Love Score” is a near 10-minute concoction of tremendous melodic fireworks. Everything from the chorus to the symphonic bombast to the choirs is absolutely hypnotic and energetic. The song makes any other song seem pale, ordinary and thoughtless. The choirs that aid in the choral delivery are mostly female, and absolutely majestic. The song is theatrical and truly unrivaled.

The album was a huge success, it allowed them to perform the “Once World Tour”, taking Nightwish to play in many countries they had never visited before.

Line-up:
- Tuomas Holopainen / Keyboards and Piano
- Tarja Turunen / Vocals
- Marco Hietala / Bass guitar, male vocals
- Erno “Emppu” Vuorinen / Lead guitars
- Jukka Nevalainen / Drums
with
- Marc Brueland / Spoken part (11)
- Jouni Hynynen / Growling (7)
- John Two-Hawks / Vocals, Native American flute
- London Philharmonic Orchestra – Orchestra
- The Metro Voices – Choir

Track List:
01. Dark Chest of Wonders – 4:28
02. Wish I Had An Angel – 4:06
03. Nemo – 4:36
04. Planet Hell – 4:38
05. Creek Mary’s Blood – 8:29
06. The Siren – 4:45
07. Dead Gardens – 4:28
08. Romanticide – 4:58
09. Ghost Love Score – 10:02
10. Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan – 3:58
11. Higher Than Hope – 5:38
12. White Night Fantasy (Bonus) – 4:04
13. Live To Tell The Tale (Bonus) – 4:58

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The band’s first live album was recorded in Tampere, Finland on the 29th of December 2000, during the Wishmaster tour. Nightwish was becoming a international smash, but they were still with that novice’s passion and eager to show the world their power.

The songs sound fantastic and are almost studio quality. Aside from the bassist who stands in one place, the band members are energetic and get due attention from the camera, though Tarja remains the focus. Jukka Nevalainen likes to twirl his drumsticks, which adds an entertaining flare to his tight playing.

The performance is bolstered by a tasteful use of lighting and pyro. Often you see the silhouettes of crowd members clapping along to the songs, which is a nice touch. While there’s not much by way of stage banter, at least the dialogue is in English and Tarja’s accent rules: “I vant you to sing vith me”.

The atmosphere at the concert is superb and every time the camera cuts randomly to a section of the audience, there is a sea of outstretched arms and pointing index fingers of fans who are singing along word for word.

In addition to a show of Nightwish material, the band also performes a medley, “Crimson Tide, Deep Blue Sea”, which borrows melodies from many sources, including Hans Zimmer’s music in the 1995 movie Crimson Tide.

Line-up:
- Tuomas Holopainen / synthesizers
- Jukka Nevalainen / drums
- Tarja Turunen / lead vocals
- Sami Vanska / bass
- Emppu Vuorinen / guitar
with
- Tapio Wilska / male vocals (4)
- Tony Kakko / male vocals (14)

Track List:
01. The Kinslayer – 4:12
02. She Is My Sin – 4:49
03. Deep Silent Complete – 4:24
04. The Pharaoh Sails to Orion – 6:39
05. Come Cover Me – 4:44
06. Wanderlust – 4:34
07. Instrumental (Crimson Tide / Deep Blue Sea) – 3:29
08. Swanheart – 3:55
09. Elvenpath – 4:51
10. FantasMic Part 3 – 3:24
11. Dead Boy’s Poem – 6:52
12. Sacrament of Wilderness – 5:06
13. Walking in The Air – 5:10
14. Beauty & The Beast – 6:40
15. Wishmaster – 5:03

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“Live Dates” is one of those classic live albums of the 70′s that any rock fan must have. Unlike many of their peers, Wishbone Ash are really better live than in the studio, as this album shows all the time. The performances are spotless, beautiful and extremely well recorded.

This is, clearly, the place to marvel at the band’s innovative melange of blues, folk, Yes- style riffs, and endearingly cosmic lyrics, not to mention its centrepiece–the tag team dueling guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner. The album is full of great guitar solos, licks and duels, fine vocal hamonies and a very strong rhythm section.

The album’s main attraction is the epic “Phoenix”, expanded by seven minutes from its studio version and included in two different performances. It’s precisely the sort of psychedelic jam that used to really wow them at the Fillmore during the Summer Of Love. Other highlights include a heartfelt version of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Widow”, and an impressively arranged take on the Jimmy Reed blues classic “Baby What You Want Me to Do” (misidentified, for some reason, as the Everly Brothers’ “You Got Me Runnin’”).

Line-up:
- Martin Turner / Vocals, Bass
- Andy Powell / Guitars, Vocals
- Ted Turner / Guitars, Vocals
- Steve Upton / Drums

Track List:
CD1
01. The King Will Come 7:15
02. Warrior 5:41
03. Throw Down The Sword 5:57
04. Rock ‘n’ Roll Widow 5:44
05. Ballad Of The Beacon 5:16
06. Baby What You Want Me To Do 7:36
07. Phoenix (Bonus Live In Memphis) 17:05
CD2
01. The Pilgrim 9:17
02. Blowin’ Free 5:24
03. Jailbait 4:38
04. Lady Whiskey 5:40
05. Phoenix 17:20

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Haggard was founded in 1991 and started playing unoriginal and a little bit uninspired death metal. They managed to change their musicial style to something way sophisticated – then Haggard became one of the first classical/orchestral/symphonic metal bands in the world.

Black Sabbath meets Johann Sebastian Bach? This may be a very loose description of the 16-member outfit from Munich, but the fact is their roots lie as much in death metal as in classical/medieval music. Their albums combine some fine classical moments (cello, flute, oboe, harp, violin as well as dreamy female vocals) with the iron riffs, growling male vocals and raw violence of death metal bands.

The album has a very tight structure and powerful songwriting combining metal and classical music perfectly — a balance between heavy (metal) and soft (classical) music. What an excellent harmony. The band has a perfect balance between modern electrical instrument skills as well as those acoustic ones, all performed flawlessly.

Along only 41 minutes there are great operatic chores, death metal vocals, heavy guitars, but mostly about 15 traditional organs that give Haggard their own identity and sets them appart from the rest of the bands that follow this music pattern.

Line-up:
- Florian Bartl / oboe
- Karin Bodenmüller / soprano voice
- Fiffi Fuhrmann / crumhorn
- Kathrin Hertz / violoncello
- Steffi Hertz / viola
- Danny Klupp / guitars
- Kerstin Krainer / violin
- Lutz Marsen / drums, kettle drums
- Robert Müller / clarinet
- Andi Nad / bass
- Asis Nasseri / vocals, grunts, guitars
- Kathrin Pechlof / harp
- Sasema / soprano voice
- Florian Schellinger / bass voice
- Hans Wolf / piano, synths, cemballo
- Christoph von Zastrow / flute
with
- Schalleluja Kammerchor / chorus

Track List:
01. Chapter I – The Day As Heaven Wept – 5:46
02. Chapter II – Origin Of A Crystal Soul – 5:55
03. Requiem In D-Minor – 2:08
04. Chapter III – In A Pale Moon’s Shadow – 9:38
05. Cantus Firmus In A-Minor – 2:32
06. Chapter IV – De La Morte Noire – 8:02
07. Chapter V – Lost (Robin’s Song) – 4:25
08. Outro – A Midnight Gathering – 2:59

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(Review from allmusic, metal-archives.com, wikipedia)

“Painkiller” marked the debut of current drummer Scott Travis. Judas Priest dropped the 80s-style synths (except one track), returned to their classic 70s style, while borrowing contemporary speed metal techniques, resulting in their most critically acclaimed album in a decade. The album is viewed by some as the quintessential speed metal album and the style proved highly influential to European power metal bands such as Gamma Ray and Primal Fear.

The band’s performance of this album is incredible. Rob Halford’s singing is very diverse, ranging from high pitched screams (Painkiller or All Guns Blazing) to a mix of slightly high but more noticeably low pitched singing (Between the Hammer and the Anvil or Leather Rebel). K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton go crazy with their solos on the album, and often are not satisfied with just one. Ian Hill’s bass follows the guitars to create the perfect sound for the album. Scott Travis proves to be an amazing drummer on his debut here, most noticeably on the title track.

Songs like the title track, “Leather Rebel” and “Metal Meltdown” thrash like mad; Halford’s shrieking and growling is positively frightening, as he uses his incredible vocal range to an almost King Diamond-like effect. But it isn’t just the rediscovered power that makes “Painkiller” a great musical effort: the elegant “A Touch of Evil”, for example, is reminiscent of the progressive, intricately arranged pieces of their ’70s work. Seasoned keyboardist, Don Airey provided the beautiful keyboards on it, which greatly added to the atmosphere of the song.

Following the tour for this album, singer Rob Halford left the band and maintained little contact with his former bandmates throughout the 1990s. Judas Priest declared that they did not exist anymore after Halford had left.

Line-up:
- Rob Halford / Vocals
- K.K. Downing / Guitar
- Glenn Tipton / Guitar
- Ian Hill / Bass
- Scott Travis / Drums

Track List:
01. Painkiller – 6:06
02. Hell Patrol – 3:36
03. All Guns Blazing – 3:57
04. Leather Rebel – 3:35
05. Metal Meltdown – 4:48
06. Night Crawler – 5:45
07. Between The Hammer & The Anvil – 4:48
08. A Touch Of Evil – 5:45
09. Battle Hymn – 0:56
10. One Shot At Glory – 6:47

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(Review from allmusic.com, amazon.com, metal-archives.com)

Having recaptured their heavyweight status with “Screaming for Vengeance”, Judas Priest stuck with their successful formula for the follow-up, “Defenders of the Faith”.

Sporting a darker, more violent side than “Screaming for Vengeance”, it nevertheless continued the same tradition of fast, rat-a-tat-tat drumming from Dave Holland, K.K. Downing/Glenn Tipton twin-Stratocaster guitar solos that intertwined with each other at blistering speeds, and high-pitched screeching courtesy of Rob Halford. It’s a solidly constructed, unapologetically commercial metal record.

Though the album didn’t produce any massive hits; there are more highlights than many previous albums. “Freewheel Burning” starts the album on a fast up tempo pace that never relents. Jawbreaker, Rock Hard Ride Free, The Sentinel, Love Bites, Some Heads Are Gonna Roll, … it’s hard to narrow the list of highlights.

This album may not be as popular as “British Steel” or “Screaming for Vengeance” but it just as influential and powerful as the two.

Line-up:
- Rob Halford / Vocals
- K.K. Downing / Guitar
- Glenn Tipton / Guitar
- Ian Hill / Bass
- Dave Holland / Drums

Track List:
01. Freewheel Burning – 4:25
02. Jawbreaker – 3:27
03. Rock Hard Ride Free – 5:35
04. The Sentinel – 5:04
05. Love Bites – 4:47
06. Eat Me Alive – 3:35
07. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll – 4:07
08. Night Comes Down – 4:01
09. Heavy Duty – 2:25
10. Defenders Of The Faith – 1:28
11. Turn On Your Light – 5:23
12. Heavy Duty / Defenders Of The Faith (Bonus Live) – 5:26

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The historic four members of Black Sabbath went to the same Birmingham secondary school but played in two separate groups.

Tony Iommi initially played guitar left-handed. He lost two fingertips of his fretting hand in an industrial work-related accident at the age of 17. This almost convinced him to stop music but his foreman offered him a Django Reinhardt album (who also had limited use of his fretting hand) and this helped Iommi overcoming his handicap. After attempting to learn to play right-handed, Iommi strung his guitars with extra-light strings (using banjo strings, which were a lighter gauge than even the lightest guitar-strings of the time) and wore plastic covers over the two damaged fingers. He fashioned the latter himself, by melting plastic liquid-soap bottles into a ball and then using a soldering iron to make holes into this ball, putting his fingers in while the plastic was still soft enough to be shaped. He then trimmed and sanded away the excess plastic to leave himself with two thimbles, which he then covered with leather, to provide better grip on the strings.

Following the breakup of their previous band in 1968, guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward sought to form a heavy blues band. They enlisted bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. The new group also featured slide guitarist Jimmy Phillips and saxophonist Alan “Aker” Clarke but after two gigs these two were dismissed and the band continued as a four-piece with the name “Earth”.

“Earth” played club shows in England, Denmark, and Germany, with sets consisting of cover songs by Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer, and Cream; as well as lengthy improvised blues jams. In December 1968. While playing shows in England in 1969, the band discovered they were being mistaken for another English group named “Earth”, and decided to again change their name.

A movie theater across the street from the band’s rehearsal room was showing the 1963 Boris Karloff horror film Black Sabbath. While watching people line up to see the film, bassist Geezer Butler noted that it was “strange that people spend so much money to see scary movies”. Butler wrote a song titled “Black Sabbath” after reading a book by occult writer Dennis Wheatley, and seeing a black-hooded figure standing at the foot of his bed. Making use of the musical tritone, also known as “The Devil’s Interval”, the song’s ominous sound and dark lyrics pushed the band in a darker direction, a stark contrast to the popular music of the late 1960s, which was dominated by flower power, folk music, and hippie culture. Inspired by the new sound, the band changed their name to Black Sabbath in August 1969, and made the decision to focus writing similar material, in an attempt to create the musical equivalent of horror films.

It is difficult to find a more influential album in the heavy metal genre than Black Sabbath’s debut album. Graced with a gloomy old mill filtered photo with a so-called witch, the Brummie quartet went straight for the dark side of rock and their sinister looks sporting large crosses were certainly enhancing intently this image. Recorded and produced (almost inexistently by Rodger Bain) in just two days, this might seem today a real botch job in the light of modern technology, but it is precisely this rough, raw finish that gave this album its aura.

If anything must represent heavy metal, than the eponymous album opener is it: from its thunderstorm and bell intro, to the sinister slow descending riff (based on Gustav Holtz’s Mars piece from The Planets Suite) and Geezer Butler-inspired depressive lyrics, the group cannot help but launch a chain of reaction in everyone.

The following gloomy “Wizard” track is a blues-derived riff-laden song with an unusual pace and the dreamy, almost ambient by their standard, “Wall Of Sleep” with its great slower mid-section are not as much attention-grabbing, but remain quite solid tracks that make this album an all-time classic.

Closing the first side is an epic love song (NIB is not Nativity In Black), starting on a pulsating bass solo, than Iommi’s solid guitar riff takes over accompanying an average Osbourne vocal line, but for some reasons, the whole thing works quite fine and this track remains a classic to this day. Ward’s jazzy drumming throughout the album brings a bit of lightness to his three mate’s overpowering heaviness. Butler’s style is also bringing much air, as he generally shadows Iommi’s riffs (instead of countering or underlining them) and plays much like his inspiration, Cream’s Jack Bruce.

The flipside starts on a rare cover, the groovy bass-ed up Evil woman, which was originally intended as the single. “Sleeping Village” seems like a collage of three pieces, but comes off well in its second half, and might be as close as the band gets to an instrumental on this album. As this track ends in a feedback, the most impressive almost 11-min “Warning” (an Ainsley Dunbar Retaliation cover) starts exactly on that same feedback, and although it might appear as completely indulgent nowadays, it is one of the most Sabbath tune ever. Indeed the track is full of “solo” playing that seem to drag on a bit, especially Iommi’s guitar twangs in the middle section, but it got most future metalheads understanding what Iommi’s modified sound was all about. The closing “Wicked World” is another great Black Sabbath track, getting lost in the shuffle of their first two albums’ abundance of good ideas.

Line-up:
* Tony Iommi – Lead Guitar & Keyboards
* Geezer Butler – Bass
* Ozzy Osbourne – Vocals
* Bill Ward – Drums

Track List:
01. Black Sabbath – 6:21
02. The Wizard – 4:24
03. Behind The Wall Of Sleep – 3:37
04. N.I.B. – 6:08
05. Evil Woman – 3:24
06. Sleeping Village – 10:44
07. Warning – 3:31

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The year is 1983. Synth-pop and new wave have won the war against punk. The dinosaurs of the progressive rock movement are shells of their former selves. What was a self respecting progressive fan to do? There was about to be a revival, of sorts (and not for long), which thrust all things “prog” back into the limelight. The genesis, so to speak, of that revival was Marillion’s debut album “Script for a Jester’s Tear”.

Heavily influenced by classic Genesis, the album set the template for the neo-progressive movement that has stayed with us to this day (for better or worse, depending on your point of view). Longish songs, twiddliy keyboard bits (using cutting edge digital equipment) and soaring guitar solos are all in play here. Not as complex as the classics, but daunting enough to scare away the riff raff.

The greatest distinction from what came before was Fish, the band’s charismatic Scottish frontman. While he certainly sounds a bit more like Peter Gabriel in spots, Fish’s lyrics went to places that the more abstract verse of Genesis and Yes dared to tread. From lost love (“Script for a Jester’s Tear”) to drug addiction (“He Knows You Know”) and suicide (“Chelsea Monday”) to the troubles in Ireland (“Forgotten Sons”), these songs are much more personal than most of 70s progressive. Which is not to say there isn’t some clever social skewering around, too (“Garden Party”). While in the wrong hands these conceits lead to perhaps the most tired neo-progressive cliché, Fish is master, both of the words and the delivery, and isn’t in the same league as most modern melodramatic hacks.

Almost every song is imperfect in some way, but all have redeeming features to make up for it.

“Script For a Jester’s Tear” is in the true spirit of early 70s era progressive rock containing all the main ingredients, emotive and thought provoking lyrics, keyboard and guitar interplay utilizing various effects and above average musicianship.

This edition comes with a bonus CD. There are 3 tracks from Marillion’s EP prior to this debut album with a couple of alternate and demo versions.

Line-up:
- Fish (Derek Dick) / vocals
- Mark Kelly / keyboards
- Mik Pointer / drums, percussion
- Steve Rothery / acoustic & electric guitars
- Pete Trewavas / basses

Track List:
CD1
01. Script For A Jester’s Tear – 8:42
02. He Knows You Know – 5:23
03. The Web – 8:52
04. Garden Party – 7:19
05. Chelsea Monday – 8:17
06. Forgotten Sons – 8:23
CD2
01. Market Square Heroes (Battle Priest Version) – 4:18
02. Three Boats Down From The Candy – 4:31
03. Grendel (Fair Deal Studios Version) – 19:10
04. Chelsea Monday (Manchester Square Demo) – 6:54
05. He Knows You Know (Manchester Square Demo) – 4:29
06. Charting The Single – 4:51
07. Market Square Heroes (Alternative Version) – 4:48

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With David Cross’ exit from the band, King Crimson forged ahead as a trio, and produced this, the last album Crimson would make in the 70s. Red is often cited as the strongest of the three Larks’-era albums, and sometimes of King Crimson’s entire discography. Generally, here the band is consistently heavier in force and tighter in focus than ever before, with the departure of any remaining possibility for the violin line of abandon from Cross.

The first side is a juggernaut of solid musicianship and probably represents the most accessible and distilled album side for this era of the band. The title-track opens the album, and is as typical for this version of Crimson as it can get, consisting of a simple but yet powerful and heavy riff that carries the track all the way through. “Fallen Angel” is a strong vocal-track with the mellotron mixed very far back in the sound on the verse, while the chorus is a far heavier and more electric thing. “One More Red Nightmare” is another prime example of how Fripp could use a very simple riff to create a really powerful and enjoyable progressive rock track.

The masterpiece of Red, however, is doubtlessly the album’s closer “Starless”. It’s hard to find a more emotional, down-to-earth moment in Crimson’s repertoire than Wetton’s weary voice clutching for a ray of hope as it enters past the melancholic, mellotron-drenched opening: “Sundown, dazzling day…” The thunderous climax (in 13/8) and sweepingly powerful ending of the song closes the chapter on 70s Crimson like an unstoppable (and unforgettable) deluge.

Robert Fripp, increasingly disillusioned with the music business, was turning his attention to the writings of the mystic George Gurdjieff, and did not want to tour as he felt that the “world was coming to an end”. The Red line-up never toured, and two months before the album’s release Fripp announced that King Crimson had “ceased to exist” and was “completely over for ever and ever” and the group officially disbanded on late September 1974.

Line-up:
- Robert Fripp / guitars
- Bill Bruford / drums
- John Wetton / bass, vocals
with
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Mel Collins / soprano saxophone
- David Cross / violin
- Ian McDonald / alto saxophone
- Robin Miller / oboe

Track List:
01. Red – 6:17
02. Fallen Angel – 6:04
03. One More Red Nightmare – 7:07
04. Providence – 8:11
05. Starless – 12:18

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“Ezginin Gunlugu” is a Turkish band formed in 1982 in Istanbul by Nadir Gokturk, Emin Igus, Hakan Yilmaz, Sebnem Basar, Tugay Basar and Vedat Verter.

“Ezginin Gunlugu” is noted for their musical diversity and vocal harmonies. Their music is based on anatolian folk music composed with contemporary interpretation. They use a large variety of instruments. One of the strongest connections to their listeners is their use of the lyrics — using well known poems and singing songs with political allusions.

After this album, Emin Igus left the band, leaving Nadir Gokturk as the sole original member of “Ezginin Gunlugu”, marking the end of an era in the band’s musical journey.

Line-up:
* Emin Igus / vocals
* Nadir Gokturk / keyboards
* Tanju Duru / guitar, bass
* Cuneyt Duru / bass
* Serdar Gonenc / percussion
with
* Sumru Balikcioglu / vocals
* Ayse Tutuncu / piano
* Fatih Sacli / flute
* Mustafa Suder / fiddle, viola, saxophone
* Goksel Baktagir / qanun
* Levon Balikcioglu / accordion
* Halis Butunley / percussion

Track List:
01. Japon Balikcisi (Oludeniz) (Poem: Nazim Hikmet)
02. Bir Masalda Turku (Poem: Afsar Timucin)
03. Sasirti (Poem: Lorca)
04. Bilinmeyen Ulke (Poem: Alexander Pushkin)
05. Ve Cocuklar (Poem: A. Kadir)
06. Musahipzade (Instrumental)
07. Cocugun Kurgulari (Poem: Afsar Timucin)
08. Gelmiyorsun (Poem: M. Gunduz Gokturk)
09. Gece Icinde (Poem: A. Kadir)

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You mean there was also a movie?

Vangelis has created a stunning soundtrack that doesn’t need the movie to support its musical theme. If you did not know this album was a soundtrack from a movie, there is nothing from the music that would tell you.

The album is usually classified as “new age”, which is a bit of a stretch. It can be difficult to classify someone like Vangelis, who uses synthesizers in combination with cameos by several other instruments and vocal performances when required to create a work that sounds more like a full orchestra versus a guy with a bunch of keyboards and a mixing board.

With its romantic approach, where emotion is more important than technique, there are no words to describe how great and deep “Conquest of Paradise” is. Within songs like “Hispanola”, the title track and “Pinta Nina Santa Maria” are contained several different emotions and rooms that will blow the various corners of your mind away. It is impossible to not get touched by the beauty contained on each of these twelve songs.

This music is ideal for someone who likes classical music and progressive rock. If you enjoy traditional classical music such as Dvorak and Stravinsky, and you also like groups like Yes, Moody Blues and King Crimson, then this album will likely appeal to you.

An amazing and emotional album, try to forget any prejudice against Vangelis (and new age music in general) and listen to this album, you won’t regret it.

Track List:
01. Opening (1:22)
02. Conquest of Paradise (4:48)
03. Monastery of la Rabida (3:38)
04. City of Isabel (2:16)
05. Light and Shadow (3:46)
06. Deliverance (3:28)
07. West Across the Ocean Sea (2:53)
08. Eternity (1:59)
09. Hispanola (4:56)
10. Moxica and the Horse (7:06)
11. Twenty Eighth Parallel (5:14)
12. Pinta, Nina, Santa Maria (Into Eternity) (13:20)

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