Number 44: "Unstoppable Momentum" by Joe Satriani
The songs showcase a marriage of melody, harmony, tone and phrasing with the understanding that a piece of music requires a viable rhythm/bed track before notes are sprayed in all directions. Some of the album’s best tracks, like "Can’t Go Back" and "Three Sheets to the Wind," include such infectious melody and harmony lines that they could turn into genuine pop songs with a little nudging. And "A Door Into Summer" and "Shine" on "American Dreamer" feature such strong riff. If you think all instrumental rock just amounts to meaningless noodling, you probably won’t get much out of "Unstoppable Momentum." Still, Satriani delivers on almost every track, showcasing a compositional depth that reveals something new with each listen.
Highlights: Unstoppable Momentum, Can't Go Back, Three Sheets to the Wind, American Dreamer
Number 43: "Silverthorn" by Kamelot
Kamelot was pretty much regressing toward the musical mean after they released "Poetry for the Poisoned," which, although passable, was peaks and valleys away from the insane standard set by past efforts like "Karma," "Ghost Opera," and the divine "The Black Halo." Then, they lost Roy Khan. His departure seemed irreplaceable; his voice was a key ingredient to Kamelot's formula, and they would've doubtfully reached that creative and poetic peak without his vocals and songwriting contributions. "Silverthorn" is simply amazing. Every facet both major and minor is utterly excellent. Its best feature happens to be the general structure of its songs, which manage to be creative, catchy, intelligent, and elegant. This is a magnificent album, kicking off fireworks from its bombastic introduction until the dire, melancholic epilogue makes its round. A slab of raw emotion tied to joy, love, hate and death, told by Kamelot. Enjoy.
Highlights: Prodigal Son, Sacrimony, Silverthorn, My Confession
Number 42: "Hydra" by Within Temptation
In an interview, I heard Sharon den Adel say that the multiple heads of the Hydra represent the many sides of Within Temptation, and that their sixth album Hydra is a manifestation of all their "heads". The band has gone through many changes through out their eighteen year career and have never released the same album twice, and now they've created something that perfectly blends aspects of all their past music: metal, symphonic bombast, pop, rock, and even the return of death growls in two or three songs. While still continuing to move forward, modernizing and evolving as a band, incorporating new influences like rap and electronic music in a few songs. The end result? A big alternative metal masterpiece! In fact, Hydra is some of the heaviest material that Within Temptation has ever written, with epic guitar riffs and hard hitting drums driving the majority of songs forward as the previously prevalent orchestrations are pushed farther back than they were on the previous release, "The Unforgiving" (example is "Tell Me Why") . And Sharon continues to use her lower, much stronger belt that she had in the previous release as well, just now her voice is much more rehearsed and her singing is much clearer. In conclusion, this album is a great release that pulls everything from the band's past into it's present, further defining the band's style as they experiment with their styles. It's heavy, it's fun, it's beautiful, and it's just fantastic!
Highlights: Whole World is Watching, Paradise, And We Run, Dangerous, Let Us Burn