Metamorfosis-Papallones I Elefants (1982)

This Spanish band was founded in Tarragona in 1979, though they were originally called Companyia Oliva Negra, later changing their name to Metamorfosis (there are two other bands with the same name, one Czech and one Swiss). The lineup consisted of keyboardist and main composer Jaume Montcusi, guitarist Luis García, guitarist and percussionist Joan Ramos, bassist Jordi Papaseit, and drummer Joan Grimau. Metamorfosis released only one album in 1982, titled “Papallones i Elefants” (Butterflies and Elephants), which was entirely instrumental. Their style was an interesting hybrid of jazz-rock and jazz fusion with progressive elements, featuring competent and well-executed instrumentation, with Montcusi's keyboard work being particularly noteworthy. After this album the band broke up and Montcusi himself would dedicate himself to producing other bands throughout Catalonia, participating in albums by regional groups, while guitarist Joan Ramos would go on to join the band UCCAT.

Ry Cooder-Paris,Texas-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1985)

Ry Cooder will never be famous for the usual tally of millions of records sold, but he is nonetheless renowned as one of the great craftsmen of rock music, delving into hybrid and experimental sounds and exploring the deepest roots of American music. His discography is extensive and rich, ranging from his numerous film scores to his solo projects and his work with other artists. Winner of six Grammy Awards, as well as other prestigious accolades such as honorary doctorates from Queen's University in Canada and the California College of the Arts, Cooder has left behind a legacy of monumental works considered fundamental to the development of contemporary music. One of them is the soundtrack to Wim Wenders' film, "Paris Texas", a memorable journey through the Texan landscapes where he imprints on his guitar those arid and dusty sounds typical of the southern United States, in an album as exciting as it is brilliant and with which his popularity would skyrocket even more, demonstrating his enormous talent and genius.

Sea Level-Sea Level (1977)

Sea Level was a magnificent American band that had considerable impact in the mid-1970s. It was formed by some former members of The Allman Brothers Band, including keyboardist Chuck Leavell, drummer Jai Johanny Johanson, and bassist Lamar Williams. However, even before leaving The Allman Brothers Band, these three musicians had already formed the side project We Three, with whom they even opened for their main band during the North American tour promoting the album "Win, Lose or Draw", playing in both bands each night. Following the Allman Brothers' initial breakup in late 1976, the three musicians, along with guitarist Jimmy Neals, decided to continue as Sea Level, signing a contract with Capricorn Records, who produced their self-titled debut album, "Sea Level", in 1977. The style of this new band wasn't too far removed from their Allman Brothers sound, featuring southern rock with noticeable influences of jazz and funk. This first album comprises an irresistible collection of dazzling tracks, such as the jazz-rock instrumental "Tidal Wave", the jazzy "Shake Leg", the brilliant "Rain in Spain", the funk-infused "Country Fool", and the southern rock anthems "Just a Good Feeling", "Nothing Matters But the Fever", and "Grand Larceny". After receiving a warm reception from both the public and critics, the band continued to release a series of interesting albums, including "Cats On The Coast" (1977), "On The Edge" (1978), "Long Walk on a Short Pier" (1979), and "Ball Room" (1980). Later, Chuck Leavell joined the Rolling Stones as a session and backing musician, a position he held from 1983 until 2016, leading to the band's final breakup in mid-1982.

Triumvirat-Old Loves Die Hard (1976)

In 1976, the German band Triumvirat released their fourth album, "Old Loves Die Hard", which would ultimately be their last great work before veering towards the more predictable and commercial sounds of their subsequent releases. On this new album, the band introduced two new official members: for the first time, they had a vocalist, the Englishman Barry Palmer, and a new bassist, Werner "Dick" Frangenberg, who replaced Helmut Köllen. However, despite containing some great and brilliant moments throughout the album, "Old Loves Die Hard" falls far short of their excellent predecessors, such as "Illusion On A Double Dimple" (1974) and "Spartacus", released a year later, both considered masterpieces of 70s progressive rock. Created in the image of their contemporaries Emerson, Lake & Palmer a fact that would bring them considerable criticism throughout their career for being considered mere clones of the British trio Triumvirat's greatest asset was its leader, the virtuoso keyboardist Jürgen Fritz, thanks to his lavish arrangements and original style as a composer and instrumentalist. Composed of seven tracks, "Old Loves Die Hard" is distinguished above all by the complex mini-suites "A Day In A Life", "The History of Mystery", and "Panic on 5th Avenue", where the clear influence of EL&P is more than evident, but brilliantly crafted with grand and splendid symphonic arrangements. The rest is equally commendable, but lacks the excellence of the aforementioned tracks, such as the pompous "I Believe" or the melodic "A Cold Old Worried Lady". From this point on, Fritz's inspiration began to wane, resulting in a series of mediocre works: "Pompeii" (1977), "A La Carte" (1978), and "Russian Roulette" (1980), which failed to gain public traction, a fact that precipitated the band's definitive breakup at the end of 1980.

Osiris-Osiris (1981)

There are things that, if someone had told me 40 years ago, I would have dismissed the person telling them as fanciful or a liar. This brings me to one of the bands that emerged in the Middle East (there are quite a few more, however strange that may seem to us today) in the 1970s. Well, one of them is Osiris, formed in Bahrain in the late 70s and composed of a group of young people open to Western musical culture, mainly British and European. Their initial lineup consisted of Mohamed Al-Sadequi on guitar and vocals, Mohamed Abdul Razak-Aryan on keyboards, Nabil Alsedeqi on drums, Sabah Alsedqi as lead vocalist, Abdul Razzak Arian on keyboards, Nader Sharif on keyboards, and Ali Knonji on bass. It's striking that this band had three keyboardists in its lineup, something that, on the other hand, somehow gave their progressive style a solid sound. Their output isn't exactly top-notch, but we can't expect much more considering their origins. Musically, it's clear that Camel records were readily available in their country, given that their influences were largely from the legendary British band. Their debut album was released in 1981, and on it, the group alternates excellent guitar solos and fast, exciting keyboards with complex and striking organ and synthesizer arrangements. It's remarkable how a band from that remote part of the world at that time could create such incredible and superbly composed music.

America-Hearts (1975)

The first half of the 1970s was the most fruitful period for the Anglo-American band America. However, with three albums released and a number one hit with "A Horse With No Name" (1971), the single from their debut album, they decided to make a complete about-face in 1974. They chose the legendary George Martin, famous for his work with the Beatles, as their producer, and he would go on to produce their next seven albums. By that time, the band had positioned themselves at the forefront of folk rock alongside contemporaries like CSN&Y, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, and Simon and Garfunkel. The second album produced by Martin was "Hearts" (the first being "Hat Trick" in 1974), recorded in Sausalito, California, and released in 1975. These were times when bands released an album every year, something unthinkable today. It included the band's second number one hit, "Sister Golden Hair", which has since become one of their most iconic and famous songs of all time, and was written by Beckley. In addition to "Sister Golden Hair", the singles "Daisy Jane" and "Woman Tonight" propelled the album to number four on the Billboard charts and earned it a gold record for sales in the United States.

The Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream (1993)

Officially categorized as part of the grunge movement, The Smashing Pumpkins never quite fit in with their contemporaries in the same genre. Their style was actually more oriented towards alternative rock, both in terms of their experimentation and the diversity they showcased throughout their work. Formed in Chicago in the late 1980s, their second album, "Siamese Dream", achieved the success necessary to be considered one of the best and most influential bands of the 1990s. This album contains an interesting mix of styles while still maintaining their nascent alternative sound. Tracks like the brilliant "Cherub Rock", with its highly addictive, crushing riffs, and "Today" demonstrate their purest rock side, while the orchestrated "Disarm", with its dark and somber tone, and the punk-infused "Geek U.S.A.", along with the acoustic "Spaceboy" and the powerful "Soma", are among the most compelling tracks on an album that ranks among the best of the entire 1990s.

Megadeth-Peace Sells...But Who´s Buying? (1986)

Megadeth's "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" is considered, along with Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and Slayer's "Reign in Blood", all released in 1986, to be the pinnacle of American thrash metal. Focusing on the former, "Peace Sells...", we are faced with one of the most monstrous and fastest albums ever recorded, driven by the blistering and ferocious guitar riffs of Dave Mustaine and Chris Poland and the relentless, angry rhythm section of David Ellefson and Gar Samuelson. Songs like "Peace Sells", "Wake Up Dead", "My Last Words", "The Conjuring", "I Ain't Superstitious", and "Devil's Island" are all masterpieces of instrumental execution and speed, marking an unforgettable era in heavy metal in general and thrash metal in particular.

Grand Funk-Shinin' On (1974)

By the time Grand Funk released "Shinin' On", their creative and commercial decline was more than evident, despite continuing to produce quality albums that nevertheless lacked the musical excitement and energy they had displayed on their first seven records. With production by the iconic Todd Rundgren, the band led by Mark Farmer ended up getting lost in more commercial musical meanderings, without the risk or energy of their initial output. Even so, the instrumentation remained impeccable, as is evident in tracks like the title track, the hypnotic "Carry Me Through", the exhilarating "Please Me" and "Gettin' Over You", and the hard blues rock "Little Johnny Hooker". However, songs like the less successful "To Get Back In", the mediocre pop-rock version of the classic "The Loco Motion", and the predictable bluesy "Mr. Pretty Boy" show that, in a way, the group was beginning to rest on its laurels.

Canamii-Concept (1980)

This project was inspired by the musical "theme" of The Alan Parsons Project, where, together with session musicians, they created an album of exceptional musicianship. Canamii was founded in South Africa by British descendants Phil Nel (keyboards) and Claire Whitaker (vocals), who, along with guitarist Paul Woodley, created their first and only album. Released in 1980, while the overall concept is symphonic progressive rock, they are actually better suited to a crossover sound. The music could be categorized as a hybrid of baroque and symphonic sounds, with a strong classical influence. The power of this group lies in Whittaker's voice (with a timbre very similar to Annie Haslam's of Renaissance), featuring pleasing and excellent vocal layering, as can be heard in the track "The Jester". Other tracks like "Spiral" evoke a prog jazz feel, "Afrok" is the epitome of the group's sound, while the melancholic and hypnotic "Rain" and "Feelings" showcase the rich keyboard sound and the singer's melodious voice. Their more progressive side is evident in the tracks "And The Moon Be As Bright", "Children" and "Tri".