Scorpions-In Trance (1975)

With this release, the progressive and psychedelic origins that the German band Scorpions had explored with their previous album, "Fly to the Rainbow", were left behind. In this third album, they unleashed a furious hard rock sound, laying the foundations for the heavy metal that would soon follow. In 1975, Scorpions consisted of Klaus Meine (vocals), Ulrich Roth (lead guitar), Rudolf Schenker (rhythm guitar and vocals), Francis Buchholz (bass and vocals), and Rudy Lenners (drums). On this album, Roth and Schenker's powerful riffs are brutal and fiery, the vocals are potent and strident, under absolute control, and the melodies are catchy, while the drums and bass simply amplify the sound to overwhelming levels. Bands like Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Wishbone Ash are often cited as precursors to the twin-guitar attack, but Scorpions were never far behind, and songs like "Delta Lady" are a perfect example of this. The breakneck metal of "Dark Lady" and "Robot Man", the hard-rock/blues of "Top of the Bill", "Sun in My Hand", and "Longing for Fire", and a series of glorious ballads like "Evening Wind" and "In Trance" combine to create a highly technical and elaborate early heavy metal album, making it a landmark in the career of this legendary German band.