Nektar-Journey to the Centre of the Eye (1971)

The debut album from the German-based British band Nektar is a stunning krautrock masterpiece and one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time. Slightly different from the group's later releases, this first record is closer to the underground, psychedelic sounds of early Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. This concept album centers on the narrative of an astronaut's journey to a distant universe where he manages to survive after witnessing nuclear holocaust on Earth. The album's bleak and pessimistic tone is aptly conveyed through Roye Albrighton's aggressive guitar riffs and incendiary solos, while the oppressive harmonic organ chords and Alan Freeman's rich and varied mellotron cascades create a fluid and cohesive instrumental interplay. In general, the melodic lines are highly inspired and moving, allowing all the tracks to maintain a consistent level of intensity and grandeur throughout the album. The entire album is a pure anthology, beginning with the melancholic beauty of "Astronauts Nightmare", and continuing with the enormous progressive piece "Burn Out My Eyes", the symphonic epic "Countenance", the spacey "Warp Oversight", and the aggressive "Death of the Mind".