Blue Oyster Cult-Fire Of Unknown Origin (1981)

After the mediocre album "Mirrors", Blue Oyster Cult needed to revive their career, a trajectory that had elevated them to the pantheon of rock music with superb hard rock and psychedelic albums in the first half of the 70s. To this end, they set to work and decided that their next projects would feature Martin Birch, who would take the reins of production and push them back to the level they deserved. "Cultosaurus Erectus", released in 1980, recaptured some of that essence with an impeccable sound where the instrumental passages once again became the band's main attraction. But it was with their next album, "Fire Of Unknown Origin", that they would definitively rise from the ashes with a masterful record, where keyboards take center stage to create a dark yet highly effective atmosphere. Fans received this album with great enthusiasm thanks to tracks like the melodic "Burnin' For You" or "Joan Crawford", the rhythmic "Veteran of Psychic Wars", the frenetic "After Dark", the hard rock "Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver" or the old-school "Sole Survivor", songs with which they returned to the sounds they left behind with the album "Spectre" and expressed their intentions about the path to follow.

Vangelis-Voices (1995)

In the 1990s, Vangelis finally abandoned the experimentation he had displayed in his work during the 1970s and 80s, years in which his symphonic avant-garde style permeated most of his compositions. At this point, the Greek musician based his style on ethereal music, built on more grandiose chords, with superb orchestral arrangements and lyrical choirs, which, far from being pretentious, are simply the result of his many years of continuous experimentation. With his twenty-seventh album, Vangelis takes a further step, giving the human voice a prominence never before seen. Navigating between melodic sounds and soothing new-age music, Vangelis presents a series of atmospheric and fluid pieces, with beautifully haunting lines and an omnipresent mysticism. This time, he enlists the collaboration of various voices, including Caroline Lavelle, Stina Nordenstam, the Athens Opera Chorus, and singer Paul Young. Pompous pieces like "Voices" contrast with the ethereal atmospheres of the Celtic "Come To Me", the beautiful melody of "Ask The Mountains", the evocative "Losing Sleep (Still My Heart)", the paradisiacal "Prelude", and the spacey "Dream In An Open Place".

Unicorn-Blue Pine Trees (1974)

With a harmonious blend of folk and country rock, Unicorn was an excellent band that, in 1974, gained the approval of guitarist David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), who went on to produce their second album and even play sporadically on it and their next recording. This British group had been performing for several years under different names (The Senders, The Pink Bears, and The Late Edition) before settling on Unicorn. Signed to Transatlantic Records, they released their debut album, "Uphill All the Way", showcasing their distinctive style, which drew influences from American bands like America, Poco, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. A style heavily influenced by American musical roots, blended with the pastoral sounds of British folk, and complemented by harmonious vocals and refined melodies, made "Blue Pine Trees" and its follow-up, "Too Many Crooks", two little gems of the American country/folk rock genre that sadly went unnoticed. This second album features beautiful folk melodies such as "Autumn Wine," "Just Wanna Hold You", "The Farmer", "The Ballad of John and Julie", and "Blue Pine Trees", tracks that perfectly counterpoint the rhythmic country rock songs "Holland", "Nightingale Crescent", "In The Gym", "Volcano" and "Rat Race".

Odin-Odin (1972)

Odin were another of those fantastic, short-lived bands that, with only one album released, have become cult progressive rock acts. Founded in the early seventies, these Brits created an admirable work on their sole album, focused on progressive hard rock with influences from the late sixties psychedelic movement. However, since their base of operations was in Germany, they were categorized within the krautrock movement, also due to their avant-garde style driven by heavy guitars and the prominent Hammond organ. The band consisted of keyboardist and vocalist Jeff Beer, guitarist and vocalist Rob Terstall, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Stuart Fordham. Signed to Vertigo Records, they released their only album in 1972, revealing a style closer to the progressive hard rock of British bands like Deep Purple and Quatermass. The masterful organ and guitar lines predominate in songs like "Life Is Only", while the jazzy "Tribute to Frank", an ode to Frank Zappa, becomes the most hypnotic track on the album. This vein is further enhanced by the atmospheric "Eucalyptus", which leads into a thrilling, progressive cover of Quatermass's "Gemini". The album concludes with the serene folk "Be The Man You Are" and the heavy, dark, psychedelic "Clown". Without a doubt, this album is one of the lesser-known gems of British progressive rock, mistakenly categorized within the German krautrock movement.