#9 - John Arch

Okay, so I'm kind of cheating because I already covered Fates Warning and all of John Arch's material since his days in that illustrious band have been in collaboration with Fates' guitarist Jim Matheos.  But please indulge me, as I think his two albums since 1986's Awaken the Guardian, 2003's A Twist of Fate and 2011's Sympathetic Resonance (as Arch/Matheos, and featuring the rest of Fates Warning as well, minus current lead singer Ray Alder), are substantially better than the already terrific three on which he appeared with the band (if maybe not as influential).

A Twist of Fate is one of my favorite albums, even though it's a short one with just two songs clocking in at a total of just about 28 minutes.  As they say, always leave 'em wanting more.  John had been out of music (professional music anyway) for about 17 years when he decided to put together his solo EP.  The first song, "Relentless" is the heavier of the two songs, and the first cowritten by John and Jim since the Fates days.  It's an awesome song and deserves a listen, but I prefer the closer on the EP, "Cheyenne", which features violin along with the standard prog-metal instrumentation of guitar, keys, bass and drums.  In addition to Jim, prodigious chops are on display by Fates' bassist Joey Vera and drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater fame.

And here's a live clip of Fates Warning from 2016, playing a one-gig reunion at Atlanta's Progpower festival, where I believe they played Awaken the Guardian in its entirety in celebration of that album's 30th anniversary.  Would have loved to have gone to that one.  As you can hear, especially if you compare to early Fates Warning live recordings, John's voice and mastery of it are like a fine wine.

#10 - Amorphis

Finnish stalwarts and one of the most accessible bands on the mega-mixed-tape, Amorphis kick off the top 10.  Way back in the early 90s, Amorphis started off as a member of the Finnish arm of the raw and early Swedish Melodic death metal scene.  It didn't take long for them to start tacking on other influences, starting with doom metal, then folk music, then progressive and even pop rock.  I first discovered them thanks to BNR Metal around 1998 or 99.  The recommendation was their third album, Elegy, which was released in 1996, and what a recommendation it was.  The songs are based on Finnish folk poems from the 1840 collection Kanteletar, and the music is clearly composed to suit the subject material, making heavy use of folk melody and cadence.  Elegy offsets the growled vocals of their previous two albums with the cleans of then new vocalist Pasi Koskinen to great effect, complimenting the folky compound meters, pronounced keyboards, occasional traditional instruments and driving rock on one solid offering after another.  Honestly, Elegy is a truly an excellent album, and if you've not given it a spin, I highly encourage it.  Even those who don't like metal can find a lot to like in it.

As great an album as Elegy is (and it IS great), I think I'm one of a small minority of fans who even prefers 2001's Am Universum, which eschews the growled vocals entirely for a uniquely layered progressive rock approach.  The album is wholly listenable, seamlessly merging and blending genres without ever coming across as pretentious, forced or overblown. I'm including the opening track, "Alone", here, whose layered opening and pop rock groove just work fantastically well together.

Koskinen left the band a couple years and one album after Am Universum and was replaced by Tomi Joutsen in 2005.  Losing their distinct vocal sound could have been catastrophic for the band, but they didn't miss a step while returning to their contrasting use of growled and sung vocals, for which Joutsen proved to be the perfect deliverer.  Since then, the band has released a string of seven solid albums featuring their unique blend of melodic death, folk and progressive metal, including Magic & Mayhem, a rearranging and recording of a dozen of their early hits from the first three albums.  Below is a 2010 performance of one of those great songs from Elegy, "My Kantele", performed in Oulu, Finland in support of that release.  It gives a taste of their more recent (as in the last 10 years) sound and live performance, and I hope you enjoy it.

#11 - Cynic

In 1993, tech metal pioneers Cynic released their groundbreaking debut Focus, but it wasn't until five years later that I first heard them.  As with a lot of great music, my friend Chris first introduced me, and as with a lot of forward-thinking music, it took me a while to catch on.  But over the years, I've come to appreciate the album as one of the most important, innovative and influential offerings in the now long and (to me) illustrious history of the metal genre.

Cynic grew out of the burgeoning Florida death metal scene in the late 80's/early 90's which, thanks to them along with fellow bands Death and Atheist, was beginning to be enriched with progressive and jazz elements.  In fact, guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert appeared on Death's seminal album Human in 1991.  The band also features my favorite rhythm section of all time in drummer Reinert and bassist Sean Malone who, during Cynic's decade-long hiatus after the release of Focus, also appeared on Aghora's 2000 debut.

A lot of jazz influence can be heard in Cynic's music, with smoothly-phrased, unusually non-modal soloing over chord changes more directional and varied than is typical in metal, syncopated drumming and the warm fretless bass sound.  Also out of character for the Florida scene at the time, Focus featured vocorder-transposed vocals and clean soprano alongside and juxtaposed against the traditional death growls.

Here are two of my favorites from Focus, starting with the closer taken from the album: "How Could I".  It might be the most "metal" song on the album, but it contains plenty of interest.  The intro starts with synthesizer (I don't think it's actually a keyboard, but instead some kind of drum synth) playing a rhythmic pattern, adds a fretless bass counterpoint after a few bars, and then another guitar arpeggiated layer another handful of bars later, growing to the more aggressive and twisty verse at 0:53, which repeats at 1:39 before the chorus at 2:17.  After the chorus, a very jazzy solo break based on the intro opens up at 2:37 before a restatement of the back half of the verse at 2:58 and another chorus at 3:17 before the super cool solo/outro from 3:51 to the fade out.  That outro, to me, feels like an arrival, as though not only the song but the entire album has been building to that final moment of clarity.

And here is a live recording of the band in 2015, playing the opener, entitled "Veil of Maya", from that same album.  It's a terrific performance, but you'll notice that a lot of the backing tracks are piped in, now that the band has reduced in size to the three core members: Paul and the Seans.

#12 - Unexpect

So many weird and wonderful bands come from French-speaking eastern Canada, including prog-thrashers Voivod, avant-death pioneers Gorguts, tech-death speedsters Cryptopsy, all of the above characteristics in the great Martyr, and my favorite of them all from Montreal, avante-garde grab bag Unexpect.  Along with Japan's Sigh, Sweden's Pan-Thy-Monium and California's Mr. Bungle, Unexpect rounds out the four "experimental" metal bands in the top 100, and of the four, they're probably musically the weirdest.  True to their name, their music is characterized by sudden and disorienting changes of direction, both in style and rhythm.  There's a lot of black metal in their sound, and also a lot of Kurt Weill-esque dark cabaret, but one can also hear classical/art nusic, electronica, tech/prog, opera and jazz abruptly and at any time.  The schizophrenic compositions are counterbalanced by incredibly precise execution and, when taken in combination, make for one of (if not the) most impressive bands I've ever heard.

2006's In A Flesh Aquarium is a special album, with one mind-blowing song after another.  As such, it's tough to pick one to share with you.  "Desert Urbania", the first clip included below, is as good a one as any, as it displays their characteristic dichotomy of chaotic composition and pristine performance.  The song opens with solo piano in a slow 4, sparsely accompanied by underwater-sounding guitar squiggles, and slowly built on by the addition of bass and cymbals, followed by drums, and finally the whole rhythm section on some prog whole-note chords at 1:04 for a few seconds.  Then a brief piano interlude at 1:12, during which you get the sense that something terrifying is about to happen.  Six seconds later all hell breaks loose, with the entrance of the entire band, including three vocalists and violin over a suddenly faster tempo and uneven phrases, punctuated by breaks that are somewhere between beatnik jazz and circus music.  It's hard to describe all the wild changes that occur over the following three and a half minutes or so but somehow, they manage to feature everybody in the well-populated band.  There's an awesome hemiola right at 5:00 and then another one at 5:24, which begin the slow wind down to the end as instruments start to drop out until we're left with just the piano again, which sags and slows to the end, like an animatronic creepy clown running out of juice.

Up next is "Summoning Scenes", from the same album, but here performed impressively live in studio for Fearless Music in New York.

#13 - Silent Stream of Godless Elegy

Hailing from Ostrava, Moravia in eastern Czech Republic, Silent Stream of Godless Elegy is the most multifarious act on the top 100, from their wordy name to the large band population.  They're also the only real folk metal band, featuring traditional instruments, folk-inspired melodies and the beautiful and gypsy-like vocals of one of my favorite vocalists, Hanka Hajdová (née Nogolová) from whom you heard earlier in Forgotten Silence.  They've been around for over 20 years already, having formed in 1995.  I first heard them in 2004, initially on "I Would Dance" a terrific example of Slavic folk metal from their album Relic Dances of that year, and immediately delved into their back catalog.

Musically, I'm going to introduce SSOGE as I was introduced to them, with "I Would Dance" from 2004's Relic Dances.  The opening drum setup and characteristic slow, heavy riff featuring the violin and cello, first playing in octaves, and then weaving between one another and together lead into a deeply growled first verse at 0:32 backed by ethereal wordless cleans.  Hanka takes over the spotlight at the chorus at 1:01 with the first, and most simply arranged, chorus.  After an abbreviated recap of the intro, the second verse at 1:41 is like the first with the addition of string embellishment.  The second chorus at 2:09 includes additional vocal parts in harmony with and as accents to the chorus's melody.  Another recap of the intro leads into the string-dominated bridge at 3:07 during which a double time feel accompanies more wordless backing vocals at 3:38.  The final chorus at 3:55 continues over the double-time feel and now includes the string section, the growled vocals and the multiple layered cleans, capping a steady build throughout the song.

Like when I first found them, I'm looking back now at an earlier offering.  This is "Old Women's Dance" from 1998's Behind the Shadows.  It's rawer and lacks Hanka's enchanting vocals, but the use of the strings is still interesting and unique, and the male vocals are varied, enthusiastic and enjoyable.  Plus the song just rocks.

And for fun, a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir"...

#14 - sHeavy

One generally doesn't think of St. John's, Newfoundland as a hotbed of rock.  That is, until one hears Canada's kings of stoner rock, the mighty sHeavy.  Founded in the mid 90's, sHeavy has steadily released a remarkably consistent string of 10 albums over the past 20 years, each a slab of groovy, sludgy, riff-oriented rock, one great tune after another.  The consistency is even more remarkable given the parade of players who have rolled through the band, as evidenced by this photo:

SHeavy wears their influences on their collective sleeve.  Singer Steve Hennessey bears a clear and uncanny vocal resemblance to early Sabbath-era Ozzy Osbourne, and guitarist Dan Moore's impression of Tony Iommi isn't far behind.  Add to that the fact that the band began life as Green Machine, named for the Kyuss rocker, and you get a pretty good idea of what sHeavy is about musically: lots of driving stoner rock, with a down-tuned, 70's lean.  There's also some psych-rock in there and of course some Sabbath-inspired doom-y metal.  They really are just one great song after another, and adeptly and enthusiastically performed.  Here's the first song I ever heard by them, "Firebird 350", up there with Deep Purple's "Highway Star" and Kyuss's "Green Machine" as one of the three best open road driving songs I know, followed by a complete (and bizarre) live performance from 2005 at the Masonic Temple in St John's, where they set up on the floor in the middle of the "crowd" of 80 or so and knock it out of the park.

#15 - Puya

I first heard Puerto Rica's Puya in 1999 as the very, very first band in that summer's long Ozzfest lineup.  I think the poor guys played at something like 11 in the morning to a small and disinterested audience at the Atlanta show I attended, before an impressive roster of artists including Open Mike favorites System of a Down, Primus and Black Sabbath.  The first thing I noticed when they took the stage: a horn section!  Being a trombonist as well as a long time fan of both metal and 70's horn bands like Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears and Earth Wind & Fire, I was intrigued.  Unfortunately, as is often the case at rock festivals, the sound was a disaster and I came away unimpressed.  But luckily for me, my friend Jeff, who was at the show with me, picked up their debut album called Fundamental and I got a second chance to hear them.

If one was to stick them in a sub-genre box, it would probably have to be Nu metal, but to leave it at that isn't fair to them or to anyone considering giving them a listen.  Sure they've got some of the hardcore and hip hop elements that are the hallmarks of the genre, but there's also some jazz guitar work, occasional prog chord progressions and phrasing surprises.  And especially a ton of salsa, complete with congas, timbales, horn section and a deeply pocketed groove.  Honestly, I've never heard anyone sound remotely like them, which is surprising because the sound works so well.  Their first full-length album Fundamental is a joy to listen to, and I'm including here the title track, my favorite of a slew of strong offerings.  If you like it, scroll a little further down to hear a live performance of a song from their 2001 follow-up album Union called "Sí Ajá" which, while missing the horn section, has a really enjoyable latin jazz break sandwiched between a crushing metal opening and recap to finish.  And finally, because it's unexpected, a 1998 cover of The Police's "Spirits in the Material World"... in Spanish.

#16 - Children of Bodom

Perhaps even more so than fellow countrymen Nightwish, Children of Bodom are a shining example of the vast difference between what qualifies as pop music in Finland and what does here in the United States.  Sure they're behind Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson, but CoB is one of the best selling musical acts all-time in Finland.  You'll see how impossible that is to believe as an American (if you're an American) when we get into the music below.  Children of Bodom takes their name from an unsolved multiple murder case from the 60's in their hometown of Espoo, which gives a little insight into their image.  Lead vocalist/guitarist Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho's persona is truly a caricature, taking cues from 80's Los Angeles hair bands like Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, and perhaps most directly, their Finish doppelgangers Hanoi Rocks.  He's skinny with long straight hair, frequently sports a leather jacket or t-shirt with the sleeves ripped out and blue jeans, and while on stage, drinks beer between tunes, spits prolifically and spews a steady stream of profanity whenever addressing his audience.  But the look and the show are just the beginning.

There's a lot to say about Children of Bodom from a musical perspective.  First of all, they are a true melting pot of metal.  Alexi's vocals sound straight out of classic black metal and I've seen them repeatedly misclassified as an example of that genre.  It's true that there are occasional blast beats and tremolo picking, but I think it's a major stretch to call them a black metal band.  I think the best categorization for them is Euro power metal, but you'll hear glam, rock and even baroque classical music too.  Back to Alexi, his facile neo-classical riffing and soloing link him clearly to the Yngwie Malmsteen school of guitar playing, but his approach is lighter and more energetic... reckless even, but in a good way.  Drummer Jaska Raatikainen is one of my favorites.  He somehow manages to sound metronomic, while still grooving with good feel and energy.  He switches seamlessly between duple and triple patterns, and between machine gun double kick feels and standard rock beats reminiscent of the afore-mentioned Boss.  And then there's keyboardist Janne Wirman, who somehow gets away with baroque organ and harpsichord sounds one second and C&C Music Factory keyboard hits the next.  It's just such a weird amalgamation of sources and yet they pull it off convincingly and very, very enjoyably.  I'm going to share my favorite of theirs, "Children of Bodom" from 1999's fantastic album Hatebreeder, followed by a live video of "Downfall" from the same album (warning: extensive profanity).  Note the live introduction which quotes Motley Crue, Judas Priest and Dio before launching into the song.

#17 - Van Halen

I was only five when these L.A. rockers exploded onto the scene with their hugely (for a hard rock band) successful eponymous debut, so I was pretty oblivious to it and the string of four excellent successive albums.  It wasn't until sixth grade and the release of their number one single "Jump" that I (and anyone else who had been living under a rock) finally got a listen to the infectious and unique amalgamation of pop, soul, punk and metal that was Van Halen.  By the time singles "Panama" and "Hot for Teacher" popped up on MTV, I had already acquired and fallen in love with their sixth album, 1984... I remember my aunt being somewhat scandalized by the album cover, which depicted a greaser-looking cherub smoking a cigarette from what might be a pilfered pack against the backdrop of a pale blue sky.  It turned out I had already unknowingly heard guitarist Eddie Van Halen's virtuosity and unique melodic approach on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" several months earlier in what still stands out as one of the best radio pop guitar solos of all time.

It's easy to point to Eddie as the key to the band's success, and you could certainly make that argument convincingly.  He was far and away the most virtuosic rock guitarist of the mid-to-late-70s, and while countless proteges have copped his pioneering techniques, I've never heard, in all the years since, anyone who combined the same chops and unorthodox approach to rhythm and melody.  But to me Eddie's fantastic guitar prowess was just part of the equation.  His brother Alex contributed a similarly unique feel on the drums, simultaneously drawing from disparate influences like surf rock, jazz, pop and of course heavy metal.  Gregarious frontman David Lee Roth, an unrivaled showman, drew from rock and R&B roots, and delivered an infectious combination of swagger and silliness with his rangy vocals and falsetto shrieks.  And one of the most enjoyable and unique aspects of Van Halen was the crystal clear backing vocals of Eddie and bassist Michael Anthony.  Here are one of my favorites of theirs, "Hot For Teacher" from 1984 and a pretty good quality live recording of them from 1979 playing "You're No Good".

10 Best Progressive Metal Albums of 2015

Okay so it's been over a year since I've posted, but I promise I've been thinking about you.  And as a token of apology for my neglect, I'm making this offering of the 10 best progressive metal albums of 2015.  These bands may not fit the conventional (and increasingly old-fashioned) boundaries around the genre, in that they don't all feature stratospheric vocals, heavy keyboards or 20 minute epics (although there is some of all of that here).  Rather, they're all bands who play progressive music in that they challenge conventions, themselves and their listeners with either compositional inventiveness, virtuosic performance, a unique approach, complexity or some or all of the above with music that impresses, surprises and delights.

In preparation for this post, I listened to several hundred albums released in 2015 and narrowed down first to about 80 that I really liked and finally to the 10 best which, without further ado, I now present to you.

10. Between the Buried and Me - Coma Ecliptic

I've written about this Raleigh, North Carolina band before.  Their latest album tones it down a bit, but it's still quite heavy, quirky and loaded with tight playing.  They do a great job of balancing twists and turns with catchy hooks on this album and it may be a bit more accessible than its predecessors but that's not to say that it's not a blast to listen to.

9. Khariot - Esoteric
This band from Perth, Australia is a new one to me.  I'm sure glad to have been introduced.  They clearly take a cue from brilliant Canadian metallers Gorguts with the brutal heaviness, atonal riffing and soloing, and the blazing drumming, but it does somehow sound fresh and a bit more modern.  And it's only two people!

8. Leprous - The Congregation
These guys have been favorites of mine for a while now, and this, their fourth full-length studio offering, doesn't disappoint.  It's a step back toward the heavy after 2013's Coal, which was a bit more somber and prog-rock than previous albums.  This polished work sits somewhere in the middle of that and their earlier, more buoyant rockers.

7. Piah Mater - Memories of Inexistence
Another new band, this time from Rio de Janeiro, this progressive death metal band plays an eclectic blend of heavy riffing and acoustic interludes, clean and growling vocals, reminiscent of Still Life era Opeth with perhaps a bit of more avant-tinged moments that remind me of Forgotten Silence.

6. Symphony X - Underworld

Another pristine effort from neo-classical prog-power stalwarts Symphony X, Underworld is similar in style and quality to their last couple of albums.  With the usual orchestral and choral sections, super tight ensemble work, odd and mixed meters, precise technical execution and blistering chops on all instruments, it's just one more in a long catalog of impressive albums.

5. Intronaut - The Direction of Last Things
Unbelievably, this Los Angeles based quartet just keeps getting better and better.  I've seen their unique sound described as post-prog metal, and I think that's about as good a box as any you could put around them.  It's loaded with twisty ensemble playing, unusual vocal harmonies and stunning rhythm section work.  As good as this album is, they're even better live and a highly recommended concert outing.

4. Orakle - Eclats
Orakle, from Paris, has apparently been around for at least 12 years, but this is the first I've ever heard of them, and am I glad I finally did!  Eclats is a pretty zany, but polished release, featuring a wide variety of vocal and compositional styles.  It's all very well put together and, while there are plenty of surprises, nothing seems out of place... a mature and enjoyable listen.

3. Alkaloid - The Malkuth Grimoire

The top three this (last) year are all incredibly impressive bands, starting with German supergoup Alkaloid, featuring members with impressive credits in Obscura, Necrophagist, Aborted, Noneuclid and Blotted Science (among others).  This album borrows some from the afore-mentioned bands, but is perhaps less solidly in the death metal camp than its predecessors.  Really great playing and interesting and enjoyable songs!

2. Gorod - A Maze of Recycled Creeds
Another French band, this time from Bordeaux in the southwest, Gorod's grown over the past 15 or so years into one of the most impressive and inventive technical death metal bands around.  Generally up-tempo and super-tight, this album walks the line between prog and death metal nimbly.

1. Panzerballett - Breaking Brain

This fantastic album by Bavarian jazz/metal hybrid instrumental band is a treat to listen to, but be prepared for twisty metal-infused jazz as opposed to the other way around.  Leads are handled alternately or together by guitar and tenor sax, soloing abounds as does humor, and the rhythmic complexity is never understated.  Make sure you make it to the cheeky "Mahna Mahna" (track 4) for a fun and unique cover, but the whole album is equally amazing.

#18 - Ozzy Osbourne

Maybe the most iconic character in heavy metal music, Ozzy's solo career started way back in 1979, after having been unceremoniously fired by his band of over 10 years, the legendary Black Sabbath.  A lot of his notoriety comes from the dozens of stories of legendary, Spinal Tap-like rock-madness: the dove, the bat, the Alamo...  and of course a lot of it comes from his family's pioneering and highly successful reality television show.  His goofiness, age (he's 66 as of this writing) and devil-may-care attitude make him easy to overlook as an artist, but I, for one, don't believe his 45+ year career, his legions of fans and his enormous influence on just about every heavy metal band in history can fairly be disregarded as dumb luck.

Probably the main ingredient in Ozzy's illustrious career has been his charisma, both as a personality and as a singer.  He's extremely likable and very down-to-earth, and it comes through in his vocal performance, not to mention his on-stage persona.  One of his trademarks, dating back to the late 60's, is his double-tracking of his vocal lines, often in unison, which, when coupled with his helium-infused voice, achieves a haunting affect: desperate, paranoid and especially human.

Nearly an equal source of his success has been the in the selection of supporting musicians; especially guitarists.  Burbank's own Randy Rhoads, who had already developed a local following with his band Quiet Riot, joined Ozzy in 1979 and went on to influence countless guitarists with his neo-classical soloing, heavy use of extended techniques and under-appreciated and inventive rhythm playing.  Randy helped define Ozzy's sound as a solo artist and their chemistry was undeniable.  Following Randy's death in 1982, Ozzy was accompanied by very competent shredders Brad Gillis and Jake E. Lee, before settling on the great Zakk Wylde in 1987, who still seems to serve as Ozzy's on-call guitarist when needed.

If you haven't heard Ozzy's first two albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, shame on you.  You should correct that as soon as possible.  Beside being terrific works start to finish, they're foundational pieces of the art and history of metal music.  It's hard to choose one song from that era to play for you, but I want to give you a taste of the later stuff too.  The title track from the second album is probably my favorite Ozzy Osbourne song, but I'm going to forego it in favor of one of my favorite guitar studio performances of all time, "Mr. Crowley" from Blizzard of Ozz.  Randy's soloing on this track is inspired.

And a live recording of "Bark at the Moon" from the 1983 album of the same name, recorded much later (1997 I think) with Zakk on guitar and Mike Bordin of Faith No More on Drums.

#19 - Aghora

Aghora is the unique brainchild of Miami-based Venezuelan composer, guitarist, Berklee alum and martial artist Santiago Dobles.  I mention the martial arts because Dobles' music is heavily informed by his immersion in yoga and qigong, and the spiritual philosophy surrounding them.  Aside from the eastern musical and lyrical influences, Aghora's sound is an assortment of heavy, peaceful, shredding, jazzy, technical and beautiful all at once, and somehow manages to sound cohesive and clear of purpose through it all.

The first, eponymous album featured the legendary rhythm section of the Seans (bassist Malone and drummer Reinert), and is worth the listen on that merit alone.  But Dobles' guitar work is almost equally impressive (and that's saying a lot), and unknown vocalist Danishta Rivero's Indian-influenced singing is arresting, if a bit unpolished.  I highly recommend this album as well as the follow-up, Formless, which featured new members in impressive bassist Alan Goldstein and the more refined (but less unusual) Diana Serra on vocals and improved production by the great Neil Kernon.  Both are unconventional and interesting works, expertly performed, with the common thread being Santiago Dobles' unique blend of ethereal world music, modal jazz fusion and technical progressive metal and his impressive soloing.  Here's one song from each of the releases for you to compare and enjoy.

#20 - Pantera

The third band in the last seven from the Texas Triangle (along with tech-prog wizards Blotted Science and Power of Omens), post-thrashers Pantera hailed from Arlington, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.  Scraping by for the duration of the 80's, they started out emulating the popular sound of the decade, glam metal.  While not completely terrible, and despite some proficient and interesting guitar playing by then-Diamond (later Dimebag) Darrell Abbott, their first four albums didn't really stand out from the crowded field.  It wasn't until 1990 that they broke out (in a big way) with what's commonly regarded as their real debut, Cowboys From Hell, having evolved their sound into something far heavier, thrash-influenced and really unique for the time.  As it turned out, that sound was also highly influential, as it seems every American metal band of the subsequent two and a half decades claims them as an influence.

I remember first hearing "Cemetary Gates" from that album, which was getting heavy rotation on So Cal's metal station, KNAC, and not knowing what to make of it.  It was both melodic and percussive, kind of funky and super heavy.  Because of the later armies of emulators, it sounds more commonplace now, but at the time it was striking music.  The next album, Vulgar Display of Power, is my favorite of theirs, and takes their trademark "groove metal" sound a step further with Darrell's crushing riffs and lightning solos, rock-solid rhythm section playing by Darrell's brother Vinnie Paul Abbott on drums and bassist Rex Brown, and the versatile half sung, half shouted vocals of Phil Anselmo.  Below is the opener, "Mouth For War", which is an exemplar of the band at its height.  The riffs are as good as any in rock, and the pocket is palpable.  Following that is a live performance of one of my favorites from the "debut" entitled "Domination", which was the heaviest thing I had ever heard in 1990.

#21 - Crisis

Grindcore is definitely not one of my favorite metal genres.  The shorter, less complex compositions, the screamed vocals, the loose ensemble playing and the lack of showoff-y instrumental work and solos are all characteristics diametrically opposed to some of the qualities I generally value most in metal.  That said, New York's Crisis is such a fantastic specimen that they're not only the lone example of the genre in my top 100 bands - they're near the top at number 21.

There's no denying a distinct hardcore punk influence, nor the Anthrax-ian thrash that belies their geographic origins.  But Crisis weaves in abrupt tempo changes, from syncopated, hard-charging thrash to bone-crushing doom and back again, as well as an arty experimental approach akin to Mr. Bungle.  There are also occasional progressive hints, with some longer than typical songs and odd meters cropping up from time to time.  The musicianship in general is pretty strong, and the energy is breathtaking.  But what really pushes this band into the conversation as a topnotch metal act are the astonishing capabilities and expressiveness of vocalist Karyn Crisis.

I first came across Karyn and the band during a phase when I was looking for bands with female vocalists, trying to disprove the inclination I had at the time that metal could only be convincingly performed by men.  What can I say?  I was young.  And female-fronted metal wasn't easy to come by.  You've already heard a few of my discoveries from that time, but Karyn (along with Anneke van Giersbergen and somebody else you'll be hearing from later) remains one of my absolute favorites.  Her vocal approach attacks gender stereotypes viciously, slipping between an almost childlike-sounding clean tone, hardcore screams (sometimes pitched and sometimes completely chaotic), death growls and grunts and ear-piercing shrieks with jaw-dropping effortlessness and frightening earnestness.

Here's a favorite of mine, "Prisoner Scavenger", from their breakthrough sophomore release, Deathshead Extermination, the whole of which is as consistently enjoyable as it is astounding.  Make sure you listen to the fast middle section starting at 1:30 to witness some mindblowing vocal schizophrenia.  Following is a early live performance from just before that album's release which, while not of pristine A/V quality, demonstrates that Crisis wasn't just studio magic which is pretty hard to believe when you hear them.

#22 - Power of Omens

There are so many things to like about this terrific Prog Metal band from San Antonio, Texas.  1. Their chops are as formidable as just about any band of their genre, which is saying a lot when it comes to the ambitions of progressive metal.  2. There's a decent amount of flamenco-style guitar in the mix, which, while not completely unique, is pretty unusual, and, although I'm a layperson when it comes to flamenco music, band leader/guitarist David Gallegos sounds pretty legit to me.  3. Vocalist Chris Salinas is pretty much a dead ringer for one of the greatest metal vocalists of all time, Queensrÿche's brilliant Geoff Tate.  4. The drumming is so note-y and varied, both of their two albums (especially the first) sound like a percussion solo work with band accompaniment.  I mean it's completely unique, impressive and bizarre drumming.  5. Everyone likes the underdog right?  How many other predominantly Latino progressive metal bands do you know?  None, right?  Plus, they released on tiny labels Elevate and Metal Ages, and they hail from the musical Mecca of San Antone.

I came across Power of Omens just after the release of their second album, Rooms of Anguish, in 2003 thanks, I think, to the late great website mp3.com.  At that time, I think they had about six or seven songs available for download between the two albums, and I remember being blown away by progressive masterpieces "Word on a Line", "My Best to Be", "A Toast to Mankind", "With These Words" and the on of my favorite metal epics of all time, "Test of Wills".  I immediately bought the album and scoured the internet trying to find a copy of the debut, Eyes of the Oracle.  It was tough to find; I even sent an email to David who basically told me "good luck".  I eventually found a copy on Ebay for less than $40 and snatched it up.  Unfortunately, they split up a couple years later, but at least they left behind two classics of the genre and some of the most complex, densely orchestrated melodic metal I've ever heard.  Here's the studio version of "A Toast to Mankind" which illustrates some of the unique characteristics I mentioned above, followed by some terrific footage of the band playing that terrific epic, "Test of Wills" live at a bar in San Antonio, which is almost comical due to the juxtaposition of the proficiency of the musicians, the complexity of the music and the dramatic presentation against the ordinary, everyday setting.

#23 - Rage Against the Machine

I don't listen to them all that often, but whenever this Los Angeles quartet gets into my rotation, I always come away impressed and glad I gave them yet another listen.  Like with Mr. Bungle, I was introduced to Rage Against the Machine by a trumpet playing college friend who had great taste in music that was then woefully under-appreciated by me.  He came from more of an alt-rock background and... let's just say that I hope I'm more open-minded to different musical perspectives now than I was in the early 90's.  As a result, it took me a few years before I really gave their 1992 self-titled debut a chance.  Better late than never.

RAtM is often referenced as the pinnacle of rap-metal and the chief influence of the nu-metal genre that took off in the late 90's, and while those plaudits are true, I think they sell the band a bit short.  You can definitely hear the influences of earlier rap-punk bands Beastie Boys and Urban Dance Squad, as well as those of metal acts Anthrax and Faith No More, but you can also hear a distinct beatnik jazz influence in the vocal and instrumental rhythmic approach, and of course in the exaggerated, idealized poetry of the lyrics.  Add to that Tom Morello's unique approach to guitar solos, a super-stanky funk groove, and an extremely enthusiastic, energetic and earnest performance style, and you've got a wholly unique and convincing metal act.  Early on, I had a tough time with what I saw as outrageously over-the-top lyrical content, but over time I've come to appreciate it as, like a lot that I love about metal, an output of expressionist art that's simultaneously embarrassing and essential to the success of the music, and now they are to me a landmark band, as impressive and listenable today as they were over 20 years ago.  You probably remember the following songs, as they certainly weren't "underground", but they're a couple of favorites of mine, so here you go.  "Wake Up" was featured in transition to the closing credits of the great action/sci-fi film The Matrix, and besides a great groove and some interesting rhythmic shifts, features a spine-tingling crescendo to the coda where vocalist Zack de la Rocha screams desperately at the listener to "WAKE UP!".  And probably their most famous song, largely thanks to the shock value, "Killing in the Name" follows a similar formula - I'll close with a compelling live performance of it.  Just in case you somehow arrived here unawares and are sensitive to strong language, be warned: there is no hesitation on the part of this band to gleefully deploy f-bombs with frequency and heartfelt emotion.

#24 - Martyr

We're getting into the crème de la crème now, and at number 24 sits my favorite pure death metal band on this list.  We'll be coming to a few other bands in the coming posts who I've seen described as death metal, and who certainly exhibit some of the characteristics of the genre, but I can't think of anybody who would disagree with the assertion that Québec's brilliant technical death metal band Martyr fits firmly within its bounds (if any musical style truly has such things).  The extreme metal movement in that part of Canada is legendary, having produced, in addition to these guys, amazing technical death metal bands Cryptopsy and Gorguts (who would probably be on this list now if I had it to do over again) as well as legendary progressive thrashers Voivod.  Oddly enough, Martyr's mastermind and virtuoso guitarist Dan Mongrain has played in all three of those other bands.

I remember first hearing Martyr sometime around 2000, thanks (I think) to mp3.com, which was a gem back then for seekers of new music and bands eager to get their work heard.  Their album Warp Zone had just been released, and one or two of the tracks were available for download.  I can't remember what lead to me to giving them in particular a listen - probably that great online compendium, The BNR Metal Pages - but I know that I was blown away by what I heard.  The band's melodic approach is really unusual, especially for that time: angular and atonal, with frequent wide melodic intervals.  Rhythmically, like a lot of the genre, they're frenetic, complex and relentlessly aggressive.  Every one of the players is a master of his craft, especially Dan, who, when you hear him, makes perfectly obvious why he's been so in-demand as a guitarist.  As has become the custom, I'm including two clips here: a studio recording of the opener from their last (and best) album, 2006's Feeding the Abscess, and a live video from 2008 of a song from the same album called "Nameless, Faceless, Neverborn".  Both take some wildly unexpected turns; I hope you enjoy them.

#25 - Alice Cooper

One of the enduring enigmas of heavy rock: Is Alice Cooper a band or is Alice Cooper a person.  The answer, for any readers who aren't that well-versed in lore or music, is both.  But that never really seems quite right, because Alice (the man once known as Vincent Furnier) is such a large personality that he makes it hard to acknowledge anyone else sharing the stage with him, because Alice Cooper, the solo artist, released his first album only a year or so after the breakup of Alice Cooper, the band, and because the theatrical stage show and creepy storytelling are at least as defining as either of them.

Alice Cooper started as a group of high schoolers who could barely play their instruments in Phoenix, Arizona in the mid-60's, and managed to get signed by Frank Zappa to his indie label in 1968.  Their first two albums on his label, 1969's Pretties for You and 1970's Easy Action are loose and unpolished, but the somewhat avant-garde compositions and quirky arrangements give a hint about the creativity that would become clearer later when they developed the chops, funding and focus to more clearly showcase it.

1971's Love It to Death is a landmark album, Alice Cooper's last with Zappa's "Straight" label, and first with producer Bob Ezrin (who I consider to be an integral part of the band).  It was the band's first commercial success, and demonstrates enormous musical progress, particularly as instrumentalists.  The band went on to release four more albums in less than three years, a break-neck writing, recording and touring pace that, remarkably, resulted in a large catalog of consistently terrific music.  All of Killer, School's Out, Billion Dollar Babies and Muscle of Love are highly recommended.  Alice even managed one excellent album without his bandmates in 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare (still produced by Ezrin) before the quality of the output started to fade.

In the early 70's, Alice Cooper was an integral part of heavy metal's and glam rock's roots, but, perhaps even more importantly, they founded modern shock rock, and their influence can be seen decades later in the likes of Mercyful Fate, Gwar, White Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot and Ghost B.C., to name a few.  Despite their status as innovators, the music itself still holds up over 40 years later as progressive and powerful.  Here are a pair of clips, both from the Love It to Death album: the studio version of my favorite, "Black Juju" and a live for television performance of the eerie "Ballad of Dwight Fry".

#26 - Blotted Science

Kinda cheating, since you've already heard twice from mad metal scientist Ron Jarzombek with 80's tech-thrash pioneers WatchTower and his own project Spastic Ink, but I'm afraid I can't help but share this latest impressive band of his.  Like Ron's previous projects, they're progressive, and display breathtaking technical proficiency, but this instrumental offering is steeped in death metal, where his earlier forays were much thrashier.  Blotted Science also features bassist Alex Webster (of Cannibal Corpse and recently Conquering Dystopia) and have gone through a number of drummers, with Charlie Zeleny and Hannes Grossmann (of Obscura) appearing on their two recordings respectively.

Aside the obvious chops, Blotted Science also shows off an advanced understanding of music composition.  I'm going to show you both in the videos I was lucky enough to find at YouTube below, all from their most recent release, 2011's EP, The Animation of Entomology.  The first is an explanation and demonstration of the 12-tone row and its treatments in the song "Cretaceous Chasm".

If you enjoyed that music theory lesson, there's a similar one of one of the shorter songs from their first release, The Machinations of Dementia, entitled "Oscillation Cycles".  Next up is a mind-blowing video of drummer Hannes Grossmann recording his part for "Ingesting Blatteria" for the EP.

Finally, all of these songs (and indeed all 7 on the EP) are actually musical renditions of insect horror scenes from film - mostly B movies, which track exactly with the films, a la Pink Floyd's famous Dark Side of the Rainbow, but more complete and obviously intentional.  Here's the track "Vermicular Asphyxiation" synched up with some particularly grotesque video from B-movie homage, horror-comedy film Slither.  If you can stomach it, it's pretty impressive.