Helloween - Walls Of Jericho

Genre: Speed
Country: Germany
Year: 1985

1. Walls Of Jericho
2. Ride The Sky
3. Reptile
4. Guardians
5. Phantoms Of Death
6. Metal Invaders
7. Gorgar
8. Heavy Metal (Is The Law)
9. How Many Tears

Debut album by Helloween. Clearly inspired by Iron Maiden but willing to turn all the knobs harder, the guitar work is fast, energetic, accurate and melodic. The solo breaks, with Hansen and Michael Weikath duelling melodically at high speed, are rarely less than breathtaking and the band just gallops through the tracks with evident enthusiasm, a showcase of controlled velocity.

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Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear

Genre: Speed
Country: Germany
Year: 1988


1. Majesty
2. Guardian Of The Blind
3. Trial By The Archon
4. Wizard's Crown
5. Run For The Night
6. The Martyr
7. Battalions Of Fear
8. By The Gates Of Moria

Debut album by Blind Guardian. They took influence from the NWOBHM scene and then developing US speed metal sound to create some of the most influential metal albums to come out of Europe. The production is not as clean and polished as their later albums; it's quite raw and heavy, which suits the music and atmosphere of this album very well.

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Rage - Reign Of Fear

Genre: Speed
Country: Germany
Year: 1986


1. Scared To Death
2. Deceiver
3. Reign Of Fear
4. Hand Of Glory
5. Raw Energy
6. Echoes Of Evil
7. Chaste Flesh
8. Suicide
9. Machinery

Debut album by Rage. Similar to fellow german bands, early Helloween and Blind Guardian, it focuses more on melody than on heavy riffs while still having plenty of speed. It's pretty competent German speed metal, with a few thrash moments here and there. The songs on here are great for the most part, they have plenty of speed and most of the riffs are kick ass.

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Krampus - Shadows Of Our Time 'Ep

Genre: Death/Folk
Country: Italy
Year: 2011


1. Echoes From The Ancients
2. Shadows Of Our Time
3. Tears Of Stone
4. The Rocks Of Verden
5. Witches' Lullaby
6. Howl
7. Wooden Memories

Great 'Ep by Krampus. The band has developed something in folk metal that is both progressive and rooted in the past of the genre. The metal part comes from modern, partly gothenburg melodic death metal, sometimes with symphonic and electronic sound by keyboards. The folkish part of their music comes from Celtic music, so the folkish section consists of whistles and flutes, bagpipe, bouzouki and violin.

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Opeth - Heritage

Genre: Progr. Heavy
Country: Sweden
Year: 2011

1. Heritage
2. The Devil's Orchard
3. I Feel The Dark
4. Slither
5. Nepenthe
6. Haxprocess
7. Famine
8. The Lines In My Hand
9. Folklore
10. Marrow Of The Earth

10th album by Opeth. This is the album where the band completely abandons their past and transforms into a completely different creature. The songs are still complex, multi-layered and are still filled with nifty progressive twists and turns. The vintage and analogue sounding production underscores the '70s prog influences and it’s jazzy character.

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Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

Genre: Progr. Heavy
Country: U.S.A.
Year: 2011

1. On The Backs Of Angels
2. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
3. Lost Not Forgotten
4. This Is The Life
5. Bridges In The Sky
6. Outcry
7. Far From Heaven
8. Breaking All Illusions
9. Beneath The Surface

11th album by Dream Theater. I am not very keen on Dream Theater but once in a while i'm listening some of their records. This one is the first without Mike Portnoy in drums since 1986. Many virtuous long songs with inspired Jordan Rudess and Petrucci. Top notch musicianship, that help the band retain the title of prog masters.

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