Back in the late 70s, The Police were a very promising young punk/pop band. They were the first to really adopt and incorporate a consistent "white reggae" style, and thus "Reggatta" is a true winner, especially with songs like "Message In A Bottle". This was before the days of “Every Breath You Take”, so the sound here is much more raw and experimental. “Zenyatta Mondatta” is also excellent.

Definitely the best coming from this ultra-heavy-beat delux industrial act. They blend a slew of industrial metal/techno styles with a catchiness and sense of humor that are unmatched. Some may find them corny, but hey music doesn't get a lot more fun than this! Any of their work has songs that are top notch, although Nihil is perhaps their most consistent. Plus it’s got “Juke Joint Jezebel”.

Ahhh such a great band! Plus, you can't go wrong with a sweet voice like Asa Eklund taking the lead with her innocent style. It makes for the perfect happy chill music. This here is alternative pop of the highest caliber. "Panamarenko" is their best because it combines the catchiness of "Make Believe" with the epic sound of "Shangri-la", but really, all three of them are amazing must owns.

Devin is the man, and his music has a unique sound and songwriting talent that few will ever hope to achieve. Still, after enjoying nearly all his stuff, I find his first solo outing to be my absolute favorite. It's just full of depth, variety, atmospherics, heaviness, and the last couple tracks are by far the best ending to an album ever. Do also check out his other stuff.

SCREAMING IN DIGITAL!! That phrase and song title pretty much sums up their sophomore effort. 80s metal combined with a robotic, almost industrial sheen, and matched with epic songwriting. Of course, Mindcrime is their most well-received and perhaps best album, but RFO has that special something that keeps me coming back for more.

Ahhh yes. Over the top power metal that's actually done right. Despite their Manowar-like image, these guys unleash powerful songs that never fall into the trap of harpsi-chord keyboards/Yngwie Malmsteen-noodling that most other power metal bands do. The opener song "Heart of Storm" alone revived my general interest in exploring metal. And the rest of the disc is just fantastic.

Here's another real prog-metal gem. One of the few bands to take DT's sound and make it their own into something truly amazing. They vary it up plenty in style between songs, from the haunting melodies of "Crescendo of thoughts" to the sheer power of "Starshooter Supreme". Perhaps this could be the best debut album by a band ever made. Short but memorable. Too bad the followups weren't as good.

While OK Computer is the most well-liked and perhaps their best overall, Kid A is my personal favorite, desipite its "love it/hate it" status the bigger RH fans give it. They take the sound of OK Computer and bring some electronics more into the forefront. The songwriting here is just astounding, to say the least.

Another power metal release that stays true to its name. This time we have a band that although they mimick the Stratovarius-like school of thought that most other power metal bands do, these guys manage to not only play that style well, but pull it off much better than their influence! At least on WG, they show us a band that has a promising future with their goosebump-inducing melodies.

If Devin Townsend's “Ocean Machine” is the perfect heavy album about the ocean, then this TD outing makes for the perfect tranquil ocean soundtrack. TD has always been top notch in instrumental electronic score music, and US is no exception. The epic “Song of the Whale” varies between a swirling array of synthesizers, piano solo, and excellent textural guitar parts.

Coming from my all-time favorite metal band, DotF is the single album that got me into metal in the first place. From the ear-shattering screams of Rob Halford, to the blazing dual-axe assault of Glenn & KK and thunderous hammer-god drumming, this album can release an aura of nostalgia in me that few albums can compare to. Their other albums are almost as good. ROCK HARD, RIDE FREE!!

And this one is my favorite 90s soundtrack. It's mid-90s techno with soul. Prodigy, Leftfield, Carl Cox, and Orbital give us some amazing pulse-pounding, yet moody tracks that manage to give me goosebumps whenever I hear them.

Like KMFDM, Rammstein is catchy as hell, and they have a humorous side to them too. Sure it's hard to understand anything they're saying unless you speak German, but this album moves them into more of the orchestral/metal side of industrial, and believe me, it works. “Amerika” is THE catchiest song I’ve heard in a long time. Not for those who only think “Du Hast” is the only song they ever did.

"Close to the Edge" and "Going For The One" were probably Yes's overall best albums, but I have a personal liking towards this one particular 70s album without Rick Wakeman. The album cover itself describes the mood of this progressive mountain perfectly. 3 songs that take you on a journey through time and interstellar space.

With Rush being my favorite band, it's very difficult to pick an absolute favorite album. But while Moving Pictures & Permanent Waves sit as masterpiece classics, I come back to Windows the most for its stellar songwriting, confident musicianship, and bold 80s sound. And hey, ya gotta love "The Big Money"! Hearing this album always puts me in a good mood.

Perhaps the most consistent classic rock album I've heard, sporting one classic after another after another... until you reach the end and ask "where are the fillers?" I mean, you've got "Sharp Dressed Man", "Give Me All Your Lovin'", "Legs", "I've Got The Six", and "TV Dinners" on one album. What's not to like there? It makes for a perfect nighttime driving album to put on.

My favorite soundtrack from this amazing horror series of games. At first I was scared to put on this disc, based on how creepy the games are, but what I got was a surprisingly excellent and chilling indie/electronic score, sounding often like The Gathering on their "Souvenirs" album if they only wrote instrumentals. VERY ambient and certain parts sound musically claustrophobic.

Aldo had an awesome guitar sound early on in his brief career, but Subject is where his songwriting excels in spades. Despite the fact that this tries to be a concept album and fails, musically it succeeds and carries a sound all its own. He may be a one hit wonder with the song "Fantasy", but if you bother to check out his albums, they're a fine example of punchy pop rock.

Yeah, I know it's Bon Jovi. He sucks for the most part. Still, before the booming popular days of "Slippery When Wet" and "It's My Life", he actually knew how to rock, and with 7800, the band wrote some really hard-hitting melodic stuff. This is one of the very first cds I bought, proving to me that music doesn't have to be popular to be good. Hell, the band now even hates this one, go figure!

And lastly... yep. It's a metal classic for good reason. It seems like all favorite lists have this one somewhere, but I'm adding it since it is indeed a favorite of mine. 'Nuff said.