Steamhammer-Speech (1972)

The fourth and final album from the legendary Steamhammer, a band that emerged in late 1969 within the fertile British blues-rock movement. While their debut was a clear example of the best blues of that era, their subsequent releases leaned towards a more jazz-oriented sound with elements of progressive rock. In 1972, this lineup, comprised of guitarist and vocalist Martin Pugh, bassist Louis Cennamo, and drummer Mickey Bradley, along with guest appearances from Renaissance members Keith and Jane Relf and vocalist Garth Watt-Roy, recorded Steamhammer's fourth and final album. On this fourth release, titled "Speech", the band embraced a style closer to dark hard rock, as demonstrated in the terrifying suite "Penumbra", a track that puts all the black metal bands of the eighties and nineties to shame. In a similar vein come the frenetic blues-rock of "Telegram" and the extravagant "For Against", which includes a long and somewhat tedious drum solo. Despite the heavy, angry hard rock sound, this album became their most progressive offering, featuring intricate songs and complex, challenging instrumentation.

Iron Maiden-Killers (1981)

Iron Maiden's second album confirmed the band's growing popularity among heavy metal fans worldwide. While more elaborately produced than its predecessor, it sacrificed the spontaneity and freshness of their debut, opting instead for more restrained and accomplished compositions and greater instrumental complexity a trend that would be further reinforced in subsequent releases. This complexity is evident in the frenetic tracks "Purgatory", "Wrathchild", and "Twilight Zone", the reflective "Murders in the Rue Morgue", the intense and emotional "Innocent Exile" and "Genghis Khan", and the melodic "Prodigal Son". "Killers" became a classic for Iron Maiden and heavy metal in general, achieving overwhelming commercial success with numerous gold and platinum records worldwide for its multi-million sales.

IQ-Are You Sitting Comfortably ? (1989)

Following two of the neo-progressive masterpieces, "Tales from the Lush Attic" (1983) and "The Wake" (1985), the British band IQ explored the more accessible sounds of sophisticated pop with their third album, "Nomzamo" (1989), and the stylistically consistent "Are You Sitting Comfortably" several years later. However, despite its more pop-oriented sound, progressive elements remain present in the album's final musical structure. The album showcases the sensational voice of Paul Menel, whose dark and somber vocal style is immeasurable, in a setlist of dynamic, balanced, and incredibly catchy songs. Likewise, guitarist Mike Holmes's work once again displays his acoustic delicacy with its brilliant arpeggios. On the other hand, Martin Orford's keyboards continue to be the driving force with their futuristic and progressive notes, particularly in the instrumental "Nostalgia", the dark "Falling Apart at the Seams", the hypnotic "Nothing at all", and the sinister "Drive On" and "Sold on You". After this fourth release, singer Paul Menel left the band, leaving behind a brilliant work that was nevertheless highly debated by their more orthodox fans. Four years later, IQ returned to their avant-garde path with the excellent "Ever", which, to the delight of their large fanbase, put them back on track in their discography.

Blackwater Park-Dirt Box (1972)

Another German band that succumbed early in the rock world was Blackwater Park. Despite releasing a remarkable progressive hard rock album, they unfortunately failed to achieve commercial or media success in their time. Founded in Berlin near the end of 1971, their original lineup consisted of guitarists and vocalist Richard Routledge and Michael Fechner, drummer Norbert Kagelmann, and bassist Andreas Scholz. Thanks to the German label BASF, they recorded their only album in 1972, "Dirt Box", which showcases their musical preferences for hard rock. Raw, incisive guitar riffs, the occasional Hammond organ, and a progressive undercurrent with psychedelic touches propel a series of commendable songs within a melodic and catchy framework. That progressive and psychedelic avant-garde is present in "Rock Song", while the heavy "Roundabout", the psychedelic "One's Life", the bluesy "Indian Summer" or the melodic rock "Mental Block", make up a very good work that would go totally unnoticed until many years later, when the Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, would rescue them from oblivion by titling their fifth album in their honor "Blackwater Park" (2001).

The Box Tops-The Best Of (1976)

Hailing from Memphis, The Box Tops were one of the biggest acts of the 1960s with worldwide hits like "The Letter" and "Cry Like a Baby". Formed in the first half of the 1960s by Alex Chilton, Gary Talley, John Evans, Bill Cunningham, and Danny Smythe, their debut single, "The Letter" (1967), was a massive hit in both the US and the UK. It topped the charts, remaining there for four weeks and selling over four million copies, earning them two Grammy nominations. Following this monumental success, the producer began using studio musicians to back Chilton, the band's most talented member. This decision led the other guitarists to leave the group. They were replaced by two new guitarists, and after recording the tracks "Neon Rainbow" and "Everything I Am", the album was largely unsuccessful. A year later, in 1968, they returned to the charts with "Cry Like a Baby" and "The Door You Closed to Me", which reached number two on the pop charts and sold over a million copies. After a couple of less successful tracks like "Choo Choo Train", "Fields of Clover", "I Met Her in Church", and "People Gonna Talk", Chilton was dissatisfied with the results and decided to record his own compositions. Some time later, after a fourth LP and several other unremarkable tracks, the group disbanded in 1970. However, in 1971, the record company released songs that had been recorded but never officially released. After the band's breakup, Alex Chilton joined Big Star, one of the most prominent bands in the 1970s underground power-pop rock scene.