Captain Beyond-Captain Beyond (1972)

One of the most overlooked old-school supergroups was Captain Beyond, formed by former members of four iconic bands. They released three excellent albums: "Captain Beyond" (1972), "Sufficiently Breathless" (1973), and "Dawn Explosion" (1977). Formed in 1971 in Los Angeles by vocalist Rod Evans (ex-Deep Purple), guitarists Larry Rhino and Lee Dorman (ex-Iron Butterfly), and drummer Bobby Caldwell (ex-Johnny Winter Band), they drew inspiration from the styles of their parent bands, delivering hard rock and heavy sounds that permeate every groove of their three albums, albeit with a touch of avant-garde, especially on their second release. On "Raging River Of Fear", from their debut album, the heavy blues riffs stand out, as does the frenetic heavy rock track "Dancing Madly Backwards", which together form a general repertoire of high-octane rock pieces with acoustic and jazz interludes. With their next release, they began to incorporate much more stylistic variety and progressive influences, as demonstrated by the dynamic "Sufficiently Breathless", the jazz-rock with Latin tendencies "Everything A Circle", and the spacey "Starglow Energy". Finally, with their third release, "Dawn Explosion", they return to hard rock, albeit with a more organic and melodic tone, as shown by the captivating tracks "If You Please", "Fantasy", "Breath Of Fire", and "Midnight Memories".

Ralf Nowy-Lucifer´s Dream (1973)

Ralf Nowy was a talented German musician with a prolific artistic career, working as a producer, musician, composer, arranger, and musical director. In the 1960s, after graduating from the Stern Conservatory in Berlin, where he studied classical music, composition, arranging, and jazz, he formed several jazz bands, playing flute and saxophone. In 1963, he was chosen as the best soloist at the Berlin Jazz Festival. This award opened doors for him, leading him to direct the Forum Theatre in Berlin, become a production director, conduct the Saarländischer Rundfunk Orchestra of Saarbrücken, and collaborate with various German and European artists. In the early 1970s, he began collaborating with Giorgio Moroder on film soundtracks and composing numerous commercials for German television. Alongside all of this, he created his own music, releasing several albums focused on kraturock with a jazz influence. In 1973, he released his first album, "Lucifer's Dream", for which he recruited a large group of backing musicians from the German jazz and rock scene, including bassist Amon Düül II, Lothar Meid, and Missus Beastly guitarist Paul Vincent. "Lucifer's Dream" is primarily composed of a series of highly structured pieces with elaborate arrangements, recorded in spectacular quadraphonic sound, making it an exciting adventure into jazz fusion with clear cinematic undertones. A truly exquisite album, where the string arrangements, sophistication, guitars, and wind instruments combine to create a comforting musical experience.

Robin Trower-Caravan To Midnight (1978)

By 1978, Robin Trower was firmly established as one of the great guitarists of hard rock and blues, having already released a series of high-quality albums that went gold and platinum, including "Twice Removed From Yesterday", "Bridge of Sighs", "For Earth Below", and "Long Misty Days", all of which garnered favorable reviews and strong sales. Following the release of "Long Misty Days", Trower made changes to his band, bringing in bassist Rustee Allen and freeing James Dewar from that role to focus on vocals. In 1978, Robin Trower released his sixth album, "Caravan to Midnight", which featured percussionist Paulinho da Costa. While not reaching the heights of his earlier work on "Caravan to Midnight", Robin once again delivers a series of high-quality tracks showcasing his brilliant guitar skills, as demonstrated in the catchy "My Love (Burning Love)" and the hypnotic blues "Caravan to Midnight". Other cuts, such as the rhythmic "I'm Out to Get You", the addictive blues-rock "King of the Dance", and the ethereal "Sail On", confirmed his status as the phenomenal guitarist who came to be unanimously dubbed the "white Jimi Hendrix" by the press.

Dillard & Clark-The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark (1969)

Towards the end of the 1960s, the American folk and country rock scene was at its peak. Bands and artists like The Byrds, The Band, and Bob Dylan had contributed significantly to this, leaving behind moments of great splendor. It was in this context that Gene Clark (formerly of the Byrds) and Doug Dillard emerged. Dillard, a renowned bluegrass musician and banjo legend, is an icon of the most ancestral sounds of rural America. These two musicians joined forces and created an album that would redefine modern country rock, laying the foundation for all subsequent movements and subgenres that drew from American country and folk. "The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark" is not only a journey into the heart of rural America, but also a voice that championed a traditional style and way of life that endures today and will continue to do so long after we die. This album thoughtfully showcases a series of iconic country songs like "Out on The Side", bluegrass classics like "She Darkens The Sun", and laments and rural experiences such as "Train Laves Here This Morning", "The Radio Son", and "With Care From Someone". Without a doubt, this is one of the most innovative, fundamental, and essential works of American roots music, and a true masterpiece of the genre.

Metallica-Kill´Em All (1983)

In 1983, Metallica unleashed their fast, furious, and exhilarating thrash metal with one of the most stunning debuts in heavy metal history. An album of killer guitars, intense and brutal riffs, and a hyperactive and devastating rhythm section, showcasing a raw, direct, and ice-cold sound. Lyrically, they focused on death, hell, wars, victories and bloody defeats, rebelling against the political establishment, and much, much more. James Hetfield (guitar and vocals), Kirk Hammett (guitar), Cliff Burton (bass), and Lars Ulrich (drums) created an album that, unlike their subsequent releases, is composed of relatively simple pieces overall, albeit with somewhat complex instrumental structures. Influenced by the new wave of British heavy metal (Iron Maiden), the American and British heavy punk movement (Motorhead), and fusing these styles with the aggression and rawness of hardcore, this album showcases all these hallmarks, from the frenetic "Hit The Lights", "Motorbreath", "Whiplash" and "Phantom Lord", to the more complex and intricate developments of the semi-progressive "The Four Horsemen" and the superb instrumental "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth". With this debut, Metallica rebelled against all the easy-listening music of the time, breathing new life into heavy metal and hard rock in the early eighties, and simultaneously inspiring and influencing tens of millions of young people around the world.