Mystique rockers Blue Öyster Cult's 4th album which was a lighter and poppier album than the previous ones. It seems like they wanted do reach chart success and they did! The song "Dont fear the reaper" reached nr. 12 on the singles chart and nr. 29 on the album chart. It's not a bad album (except for "True confessions" and "Debbie Denise"); they still had the typical BÖC mystique progressive style that dominated but with much more commercial elements it their unique rock-hardrock. Wishbone Ash comes to mind here and there.

1)This ain't the summer of love (7,0)

2)True confessions (3,5)

3)(Don't fear) the reaper (7,5)

4)E.T.I. (Extra terrestrial intelligence) (7,0)

5)The revenge of Vera Gemini (6,5) (featuring Patti Smith on vocals)

6)Sinful love (6,5)

7)Tattoo vampire (8,0)

8)Morning final (6,5)

9)Tenderloin (7,0)

10)Debbie Denise (4,0)

Score: 6,35

Eric Bloom-vocals, guitars and percussion (b.1944)

Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser-vocals, guitars, percusson and synthesizer (b.1947)

Joe Bouchard-bass and piano (b.1948)

Albert Bouchard-drums, acoustic guitars and harmonica (b.1948)

Allen Lanier-keyboards, bass and guitars (1946-2013)

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David Lucas-vocals, keyboards and percusson (b.1937)

The 3rd album from heavy riffers and "devil-worshipers" Black Sabbath. It was their big breakthrough as the album reached nr. 5 in the UK-charts and 8 in the US charts. Many critics did not like the bands heaviness, darkness and Sabbath were accused of being satanists, hence my comment above... Since this album was released the very year I was born I have come to like it many many years later and I see it as one of the best hardrock albums ever to be released since I like pure heavy metal, melody and progressive music. Music that moves my soul. All is here but I want to hear more after the short 34 minutes delivered.

1)Sweet leaf (8,5) One of the best riffs ever! Begins with Tony Iommi coughing after taking a joint.

2)After forver (9,0) Superb driving riff and rhythm and nice changes of those.

3)Embryo (-) 30 second intro.

4)Children of the grave (8,0) Good strutting riff but some stupid bongo-drum destroys half of the song.

5)Orchid (-) 1.30 long acoustic guitarpicking.

6)Lord of this world (9,5) Incredible riff and heaviness! Quiet slow song.

7)Solitude (7,0) Mystic slow song with a bassline and flute together with spacy vocals.

8)Into the void (10,0) Not many songs get full points! An absolutely fantastic song. First a 1-minute slow "intro" and the the most evil riff there ever was and the vocals makes it even more powerful before a fast part sets in and then back to the heavy slow basspumping and riff. Wow!

Score: 8,67

Ozzy Osburne-vocals (b.1948)

Tony Iommi-guitars, synthesizer on 3, piano and flute on 7. (b.1948)

Geezer Butler (Terence Michael Joseph Butler)-bass (b.1949)

Bill Ward-drums (b.1948)

This was the 5th album from and the 3rd and last to feature singer Mike Murphy. It peaked at nr. 74 on the Billboard-list. At this time this american band sounded like many others in the melodic rock/hardrock-vein that was popular at the time; it's simple riffs and good melodic songs. They did not have anything that separated them from other bands but this album is good enough but also includes some weaker moments. There would be better times to come for this band!

1)Reelin' (8,0) Heavy southern-rock shuffle. It rocks!

2)Headed for a fall (7,5) Melodic rock in Outlaws-style.

3)River of life (7,0) A good calmer rocksong. Sounds a bit like 70's band Dragonfly.

4)Out of control (8,0) Rock'n'roll!

5)You better realize (4,5) Boring slow rock-shuffle.

6)Gambler (7,0)

7)Candalera (7,0)

8)Lies (7,0)

9)Dance (6,5)

10)Dream weaver (7,0)

Score: 6,95

Mike Murphy-vocals, guitars and piano

Gary Richrath-guitars (lead vocals on 9) (b.1949)

Gregg Philbin-bass

Alan Gratzer-drums

Neal Doughty-keyboards (b.1946)

One of the most known hardrockalbums of all time. Both when it comes to the songs Child In Time, Speed King and Black Night and the classic albumcover. It was the 4th album from the band and the 1th to include Roger Glover on bass and Ian Gillan on vocals, replacing Nick Simper and Rod Evans who were both fired in 1969. Reaching some succuess in America with their previous albums, this was their breakthrough in Europe, reaching nr. 4 on the British charts but also nr. 1 on the Australian and German charts. A 15-month tour followed the album. Prior to the albums release a single with the song "Black Night" was released. It reached nr.2 in the UK charts and Deep Purple's successful career had started! This MK II lineup had also released the livealbum "Concerto For Group And Orchestra" before In Rock.

New singer Gillan had once been in the same class in school with The Who's Pete Townshend. He played in some bands in his early musical career and sang in The Javelins for a while. Gordon Fairminer from that band later played in Sweet. Also in the band Wainwright's Gentlemen where Gillan was a member included a later Sweet-member; drummer Mick Tucker. In the band Episode Six Gillan played with Roger Glover and they started writing songs together. After Blackmoore, Paice and Lord had seen a show with Episode Six they offered Gillan to be their new singer, having decided that they should play hardrock rather than psychadelic rock. They asked if Gillan knew about a good bassplayer and so after a while Glover was also recruited.

This album is absolutely essential in every rockers recordcollection. It represents an superb document from the early 1970's; what was new then and what was to come. The songs are absolutely "top notch" and contains among the greatest musiclisteningpleasures of all time! The heaviness, the organsolos, the heavy riffing and the screamvocals and the wild rhytmsection is all among the best there has ever been.

1)Speed king (9,5) Great chaotic intro followed by a sole organ-sound and then -bang! An intense and powerful song including a guitar-organ jam. Hardrock at it's best!

2)Bloodsucker (9,0) ...and straight in to a heavy riffing hardrocker with phrasing vocals and those superb Gillan-screams!

3)Child in time (9,0) A fantastic pompous 10-minute song variated between very toned down and harder parts and it also builds up in a great way.

4)Flight of the rat (9,0) Monotone, fast and noisy 7-minute song.

5)Into the fire (8,5) Heavy and slow short rocker.

6)Living wreck (9,0) Great drumming and guitarplaying and crazy organ! Fantastic track.

7)Hard loving man (8,0) Chaotic and noisy 7-minute song with a crazy driving rhythm! Total madness the last minute.

8)Black night (8,0) Great boogierocker.

Ian Gillan-vocals (b.1945)

Richie Blackmoore-guitars (b.1945)

Roger Glover-bass (b.1945)

Ian Paice-drums (b.1948)

Jon Lord-keyboards (1941-2012)

Beeing the 3rd album from the british organbased hardrockband Uriah Heep and the 2nd of the year of 1971, they made a breakthrough with this album and it is still concidered by many of the best of the band's career. The drummer on the last album Keith Baker had left the band and was replaced by Ian Clarke from the band Cressida. With him they went on their 1st tour in the USA supporting Three Dog Night and Steppenwolf. The album peaked at nr. 36 on the UK charts.

The songs on this album are complex ones; progressive and blended with a lot of energy and melody, just the way I like heavy music!

1)Look at yourself (8,0) 3 minutes of superb boogie-hardrock and then 2 minutes of good chaos.

2)I wanna be free (8,5) Heavy, melodic and progressive. Very very good by a band that had found it's sound.

3)July morning (8,0) 10-minute ballad-like song with great melody and typical chaotic last 3 minutes but they do it with style.

4)Tears in my eyes (9,0) A great main-riff that developes into different phases. Great song!

5)Shadow of grief (8,5) 8-minute song with calm parts that explodes into powerful bridges and great tempochanges.

6)What should be done (6,0) 60's style ballad.

7)Love machine (8,5) Boogierocker!

Score: 8,07

David Byron (David Garrick)-vocals (1947-1985)

Mick Box-guitars (b.1947)

Paul Newton-bass (b.1945)

Ken Hensley-keyboards, guitars and piano (b.1945)

Ian Clarke-drums (b.1946)

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Manfred Mann-moog synthesizer on 3. (b.1940)

Great drawn cover on this 1977 album from now-to-have-bacome rockstars. All their former albums had been quite good; last years "Rocks" though showing some decline in quality and on this album it's obvious that something's not like it's been. The bands drug abuse led to Steven Tyler and Joe Perry being known as the "Toxic Twins". Even though this album has some memorable moments it's not an album I would listen to very often. Anyway, it sold 2 million copies worldwide.

1)Draw the line (6,5) Driving rhythm but a bit odd.

2)I wanna know why (8,0) A good rock'n'roller.

3)Critical mass (5,0) A boogierocker that is partly very strange and chaotic and partly very good but way too messy.

4)Get it up (7,0) Good driving heavy rhythm but a bit strange and noisy.

5)Bright light fright (7,0) Punky 2 minute chaos sang by Perry.

6)Kings and queens (6,5) Very chaotic midtempo to ballad strange song.

7)The hand that feeds (7,5) High-energy hardrock'n'roll but somewhat odd and strange.

8)Sight for sore eyes (6,5) Disco-bluesy heavy rocker.

9)Milk cow blues (8,0) A cover of bluesartist Kokomo Arnold. A good boogierocker!

Score: 6,89

Steven Tyler (Steven Victor Tallarico) -vocals (b.1948)

Joe Perry-guitars and vocals on 5. (b.1950)

Brad Whitford-guitars (b.1952)

Tom Hamilton-bass (b.1951)

Joey Kramer-drums (b.1950)

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Stan Bronstein-saxophone on 2. and 5.

Scott Cushnie-piano on 2. and 3.

Jack Douglas-mandoline on 6.

Paul Prestopino-banjo on 6.

Karen Lawrence-background vocals on 4.

Event though Aersmith is mostly known for beeing successful in the era of 1980's hairbands and reaching the toplists with ballads, this it where it all started, in 1973! The band was formed in 1971 and early albums by the band, such as this debut, is full of hardriffing, kickass rock'n'roll but also on this album there is an great ballad, so it was no 80's fashion for Aerosmith to record ballads, they did it a decade earlier! For a rockfan this is an must-have album, there ain't no fillers only high quality and melodic hard rock and hardrock.

When the album was re-released in 1976 the ballad "Dream on" reached the american chart at nr. 6 and the album reached nr. 21 in the same year. Long time coming for this album! It sounds like it was recorded on take 1, charming! There's no gimmicks, it's only rough and raw and so damn good.

1)Make it (8,5) Aerosmith's career starts out with a superb heavy rocker!

2)Somebody (8,0) Good!

3)Dream on (8,0) Even on their 1st album they managed a killer ballad!

4)One way street (8,5) A 7 minute boogie-blues that's full of life and energy. Very good indeed!

5)Mama kin (8,0) A straight and rough rocker including horns.

6)Write me (8,0) Boogiebluesrocker. Great tempochange!

7)Movin' out (8,0) Messy good rocker.

8)Walkin' the dog (9,5) Cover of a song performed originally by Rufus Thomas. One of the highlights of 1970's! Heavy and energic and probably full of drugs.

Score: 8,31

Steven Tyler (Steven Victor Tallarico) -vocals and keyboards (b.1948)

Joe Perry-guitars (b.1950)

Brad Whitford-guitars (b.1952)

Tom Hamilton-bass (b.1951)

Joey Kramer-drums (b.1950)

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David Woodford-saxophone on 5. and 6.

This is the much sought after debut LP from english noisy hardrockers Leaf Hound. It consisted of noisy, slow, bluesbased hardrock with intense vocals and was clearly influenced by The Who and Led Zeppelin, even if they had their own wild and progressive style of hardrock, very heavy for the time. These kids were wild! This is a really good album that every hardrockfan should own.

They were formed in 1969 under the name of Black Cat Bones and featured guitarrist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke who had left the famous band Free. They released the album "Barbed Wire Sandwich". Singer Peter French replaced the singer and guitarrist Rod Price left to join Foghat instead. French added his cousin Mick Halls on guitar and the band changed their name to Leaf Hound. Soon after the release the Brooks brothers Derek and Stuart on (bass and guitar) left and Leaf Hound toured Europe as a four-piece. French departed to join Atomic Rooster instead and later joined american band Cactus.

1)Freelance fiend (7,5)

2)Sad road to the sea (7,0)

3)Drowned my life in fear (7,5)

4)Work my body (8,5)

5)Stray (7,5)

6)With a minute to go (7,0)

7)Growers of mushroom (6,0)

8)Stagnant pool (7,5)

9)Sawdust Caesar (6,5)

Score: 7,22

Pete French-vocals

Michael "Mick" Halls-guitars

Derek Brooks-guitars

Stuart Brooks-bass

Keith Young-drums