Lift-Caverns Of Your Brain (1977)

Hailing from North America, Lift was a prodigious and enthusiastic old-school progressive rock band that released their only album in 1977, featuring a repertoire of songs composed and assembled several years prior. Their style was based on the influences of British bands like Yes and Nektar, with dark atmospheres reminiscent of Pink Floyd's early psychedelic era. Their ideas were more centered on classical symphonic musical dynamics, which set them apart from their contemporaries like Kansas and Journey, bands that infused progressive rock with typical American rock elements. Lift, on the other hand, delved into robust instrumental jams in a more structured way, providing ample space for each band member to shine. Formed in the early 1970s by keyboardist Chip Gremillion, bassist Cody Kelleher, and drummer Chip Grevemberg, they later recruited guitarist Chris Young and vocalist Courtenay Hilton-Green. After some time, Richard Huxen took over as guitarist following Young's departure. With this lineup, the band gained a large following thanks to their performances throughout the southern United States, especially at university concerts. In 1974, the band entered the studio and recorded a series of unreleased songs, remaining in storage. They also recorded several live performances that were never officially released. A year later, they moved to Atlanta and then to Philadelphia, where they re-recorded the previously recorded material. This material was later officially released as "Caverns of Your Brain" by Brian Records, after Lift had already disbanded. On this unique album, keyboardist Gremillion is the band's instrumental leader, thanks to his orchestral keyboard arrangements and synthesizer and organ solos, but the other musicians also demonstrate great skill on their respective instruments. Chris Squire's influences are evident in the bass playing, while the drummer's swinging touch provides very interesting sounds in each track. The opening track, "Simplicity", is a cheerful yet complex composition, while "Caverns" is more solemn, with thick layers of mellotron and synthesizers. "Buttercup Boogie", as its name suggests, is the only concession to the American sound, with a boogie-rock track built on a very bluesy organ and a frenetic rhythm. But it's the mini-suite "Trippin' Over the Rainbow" that stands out, alternating serene and atmospheric passages with more rock-oriented moments in a very balanced way. "Caverns of Your Brain", while not groundbreaking for its time (somewhat late for that progressive style), is a collector's item for purist progressive rock fans and a small, lost gem of the genre.

Iron Maiden-Iron Maiden (1980)

This is one of the gems of heavy metal, yet simultaneously undervalued by the newer Iron Maiden fans of the era when Bruce Dickinson was frontman. Considered one of the seminal works of the so-called "NWOBHM" (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), this debut album showcased all the qualities of the movement, with the added touch of punk influences seasoned with more complex and epic sounds. The band was still in the process of solidifying its most classic, successful, and enduring lineup, comprised at that time of bassist Steve Harris, guitarists Dave Murray and Dennis Stratton, drummer Clive Burr, and vocalist Paul Di'Anno. This lineup would undergo significant changes starting with their third album, including the addition of Bruce Dickinson, and a year earlier, guitarist Adrian Smith, followed later by drummer Nicko McBrain in other words, their most classic and long-lasting lineup. But focusing on this first, seminal album, these young musicians demonstrated great instrumental virtuosity and very clear preconceived ideas, all revealed in the powerful "Prowler", the epic instrumental "Transylvania", the marathon progressive "Phantom of the Opera", the visceral and punk-infused "Running Free" and "Sanctuary", and the glorious "Iron Maiden". From here began the legend of a band as iconic as it is fundamental to the history of heavy metal and rock in general.

Journey-Frontiers (1983)

Journey's eighth album, "Frontiers", marked a shift towards a harder sound compared to its predecessor, the more melodic "Escape", while still retaining the band's distinctive harmonic and melodic style. However, before this album, Journey faced the daunting challenge of at least matching the five million copies sold of "Escape" at the time (a figure that now approaches twenty million). With this in mind, the band opted for an album packed with energetic tracks, such as the opening "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)", which quickly became a classic. This is followed by the melodic and sentimental "Send Her My Love", where they once again demonstrate why Journey have been true geniuses at composing beautiful and irresistible ballads. The powerful rock of "Chain Reaction" leads into the melodic AOR track "After the Fall", while the enchanting ballad "Faithfully" adds another admirably melancholic moment. From this point on, virtually all the remaining tracks are the hardest on the album, such as the powerful “Edge Of The Blade” and “Back Talk”, or the melodic mid-tempo tracks “Ask The Lonely”, “Frontiers”, and “Troubled Child”, where they combine energy and melody simultaneously. The addictive “Only The Young”, one of the album's hits, deserves special mention. As expected, “Frontiers” didn't reach the astonishing heights of “Escape”, although it did reach number two on the US charts and achieved global sales that far exceeded 7 million copies.