#43 - Twisted Into Form

At number 43 comes our fifth Norwegian band, the incredibly adventurous Twisted Into Form.  I don't think this was ever anything more than a one-off, but wow what a one-off it is.  According to the band, they started working on writing the album around the year 2000 and six years later produced an album that clearly required every minute of the interim to prepare.

"Instinct Solitaire", the song I've chosen to share with you, comes charging right out of the gate; up-tempo and twisty as all get out.  The introduction foreshadows some of the song's thematic material, but is mostly all over the place rhythmically and melodically, setting the listener up for the kind of relentless technical playing and shifting time that's in store.  The vocals enter at 0:31 over an only slightly more consistent feel.  The chorus at 0:57 is a bit more melodic still, but don't expect "Rainbow Connection".  There's a brief guitar at 1:26, which leads into an instrumental section which builds quickly from a quiet jazzy arpeggiated lead at 1:37 to a recap of the head at 2:05 followed by a coda from 3:03 to the end.  Prepare to have your mind blown.

#44 - Dio

One of the most influential vocalists in the history of metal, Ronnie James Dio set out on his own in 1982 after three successful albums with Rainbow and two more with Black Sabbath to lead his own band, Dio.  Known for their theatrical, high fantasy lyrical content, stage sets, costuming and album art, as well as the grandiose stage presence and vocal performance of their diminutive leader, Dio released 10 studio albums and numerous live albums over about 20 years.  Sadly, Ronnie died of stomach cancer in 2010.  His legacy can be heard in countless bands, both his vocal influence and his writing which championed the weak and the suffering, promising hope of redemption, and he's been covered by a host of top notch metal bands: Metallica, Anthrax, Yngwie Malmsteen, Motörhead, Fates Warning, Tenacious D, Scorpions, Blind Guardian, Stryper, Doro, Jag Panzer, Stratovarius, Killswitch Engage, Gamma Ray, Dan Swanö, Adrenaline Mob, Halestorm, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Rob Halford of Judas Priest to name a few.

Dio (both the band and the man) had a number of terrific albums, but the solo debut Holy Diver stands apart as a classic and is widely regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time.  Featuring a rhythm section from his past (drummer Vinny Appice of Black Sabbath and bassist Jimmy Bain from Rainbow) and up-and-coming Irish guitar shredder Vivian Campbell, the playing is as strong as the writing from beginning to end.  While "Rainbow in the Dark" was the album's biggest hit, I was always partial to the head-bob-inducing title track, included below.  Enjoy, especially Ronnie's captivating vocal performance.

#45 - Derek Sherinian

Fellow Burbank resident, Derek Sherinian joins Jens Johansson as one of two great solo metal keyboardists on my top 100.  "Metal keyboardists?" you ask.  "Is that a real thing?"  Listen below, friend, and you will hear that it is very real indeed.  I first encountered Derek's playing as the keyboardist for Dream Theater, which he was for one and a half studio albums in the mid-nineties, the half being one of my two favorite of their releases.  Prior to his stint in Dream Theater, he had attended Berklee College of Music and served as keyboardist for Alice Cooper.  After Dream Theater, he essentially became a solo and session artist, performing with a veritable who's who of brilliant musicians over the last 15-20 years.

Derek's first solo effort became a multi album collaboration called Planet X, and featured virtuosi Tony MacAlpine on guitar and Virgil Donati on drums.  Their music strikes me as jazz metal fusion... like Chick Corea meets Metallica.  They're a terrific listen in their own right and highly recommended.  His next six albums feature an amazing array of guitarists: Steve Lukather, Zakk Wylde, Ynwie Malmsteen, Al Di Meola, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Stevens, John Sykes, John Petrucci, Brad Gillis, Slash, Rusty Cooley, Tony MacAlpine, Doug Aldrich and Joe Bonamassa.  They also boast a rhythm section mainly consisting of Tony Franklin on bass and Simon Phillips on drums.

Derek's entire body of work (at least the third or so of it with which I'm familiar) is impressive and well worth multiple listens.  He favors distorted sounds, aggressive technique, a lot of pitch bending and generally phrases a lot like a shredding guitarist but on keys.  I'm including "Axis of Evil" from the 2003 release Black Utopia because I find the concept (and execution) of dueling guitars done by Zakk Wylde and Yngwie Malmsteen completely irresistible.  Derek pitches in with some soloing too, and you can get a bit of a taste of his unique and enjoyable style.