Irish Coffee-Irish Coffee (1971)

Irish Coffee was a Belgian hard rock band formed in the early 1970s, emerging from the ashes of a cover band called The Voodoo. In their short five-year career, tragically cut short by the death of their drummer in a car accident and serious injuries to another member, they released only one album in 1971. The lineup included singer and guitarist William Souffreau, drummer Hugo Verhoye, keyboardist Paul Lambert, bassist Willy De Bisschop, and guitarist Jean Van Der Schueren. Their generic hard rock style was driven by a heavy Hammond organ, clear psychedelic influences, and a driving rhythm that drew from funk and blues. Heavy boogie-rock tracks like "Can't Take It" showcase the established hard rock formula of the era, where clever compositions become intoxicating pieces, as is the case with the captivating "The Beginning of the End". Funk invades the rhythm of "The Show (Part 1)", while blues does the same for the second part of the same track. But misfortune would prevent this first and only work from having any further release, beyond a series of singles that years later would be included on the CD reissue of this forgotten progressive hard rock album.

Bennie Maupin-The Jewel in the Lotus (1974)

Saxophonist Bennie Maupin is primarily known for his contributions to high-caliber albums such as Miles Davis's "Bitches Brew", Herbie Hancock's "Mwandishi" era (1971-1973), and for being a member of Hancock's band, with whom he recorded "Headhunters" (1973) and "Thrust" (1974). However, his career also includes stellar appearances alongside artists like Horace Silver and McCoy Tyner, in addition to a solid solo career that has produced half a dozen acclaimed albums. One of these was "The Jewel in the Lotus", his solo debut, which featured much of Herbie Hancock's backing band, including Hancock himself on electric piano, as well as Buster Williams on bass, Charles Sullivan on trumpet, and drummers Bill Summers, Billy Hart, and Frederik Waits. With a style that differs substantially from his previous work in various collaborations, Maupin leans towards avant-jazz and experimental free jazz. Featuring intricate sounds, the pieces unfold with a distinctly avant-garde and experimental bent, largely eschewing melodic interpretation, though harmonically it remains brilliant and enjoyable jazz. Eerie passages immerse us in fascinating and addictive atmospheres with rich, atmospheric textures of fluid jazz, replete with psychedelic patterns that are simultaneously abstract and diffuse.

Eric Dolphy-Out To Lunch! (1964)

This is one of the most advanced albums of its time, and even today, fifty years after its release, it remains far ahead of its time. The product of a genius like saxophonist Eric Dolphy, "Out to Lunch" paved the way for future musical experimentation in jazz, an avant-garde approach that musicians like Frank Zappa, along with the Mothers of Invention, knew how to interpret perfectly. From the late fifties to almost the mid-sixties, Eric Dolphy established himself as one of the most respected jazz musicians, as well as one of the most popular in the media. His work with Charles Mingus opened the doors to exploring and fusing jazz with classical music. Recorded in early 1964, Dolphy assembled a formidable band for this recording, composed of bassist Richard Davis, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and drummer Tony Williams. Months after the release of "Out To Lunch", just as he had finished a European tour presenting this album with Charles Mingus, Dolphy would suddenly pass away in the German city of Berlin.

Fish-Internal Exile (1991)

After leaving Marillion, Fish debuted with "Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors", a work that, in some ways, was very much a continuation of what he was doing with his former band, showcasing a brilliant, reflective, and moving neo-progressive sound. After this first album, it wasn't long before the Scottish giant made another move, releasing his second album, "Internal Exile", just a year later. On this album, he continued in that neo-progressive direction but placed more emphasis on the lyrics and vocals, at the expense of the long instrumental passages, which are shorter and more concise, while still incorporating certain folk and Celtic sounds. Songs like the energetic "Shadowplay" recall Marillion's album "Misplaced Childhood", with its dazzling and precise rhythm, while the uplifting "Credo" and "Tongues" move towards heavy and raw rock. On the other hand, "Just Good Friends" and "Dear Friend" become the most accessible and commercial tracks, contrasting with the moving and powerful "Lucky." In Fish's own words, with this album he wanted to capture "a collection of stories of young people" inspired by his home country, and indeed, his reflective and poetic lyrics are part of the album's appeal and are, without a doubt, small works of art in themselves.

Dream Theater-Systematic Chaos (2007)

It's 2007, and Dream Theater were firmly established as the spearhead of progressive metal. That year, the band, led by John Petrucci and James LaBrie, along with Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, and John Myung, released their ninth studio album, "Systematic Chaos", a work preceded by the phenomenal "Octavarium" from several years prior. While not a fully conceptual album, it explores recurring themes ranging from anti-war sentiment and science fiction to self-confessed vices. Undoubtedly, the most progressive tracks on the album are the expansive and instrumentally intricate "The Ministry of Lost Souls", a dark composition featuring an anthological performance by guitarist Petrucci, and the intriguing "In the Presence of Enemies Part 2", a progressive track divided into four sections with extraordinary work from the entire band. The rest of the album is comprised of intense, harrowing tracks like "In The Presence of Enemies Part 1", vigorous and accessible canvases like "Forsaken", powerful anti-war thrash metal like "Prophets of War", and Pink Floyd-influenced "Repentance". While not reaching the heights of works like "Images and Words", "Awake", "Metropolis Part 2 Scenes from a Memory", or "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence", with this release Dream Theater continued to explore their majestic progressive structures, sublimely fusing them with heavy metal and a magical, grandiose epic feel.