Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the book on Southern rock with their first album, so it only made sense that they followed it for their second album, aptly titled Second Helping. Sticking with producer Al Kooper (who, after all, discovered them), the group turned out a record that replicated all the strengths of the original, but was a little tighter and a little more professional. It also revealed that the band, under the direction of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, was developing a truly original voice. Of course, the band had already developed their own musical voice, but it was enhanced considerably by Van Zant's writing, which was at turns plainly poetic, surprisingly clever, and always revealing. Though Second Helping isn't as hard a rock record as Pronounced, it's the songs that make the record.

This 2011 budget-priced U.K. collection offers up a nice balance between Thin Lizzy’s radio hits ( "Boys Are Back in Town", "Whiskey in the Jar", "Killer on the Loose", "Dancin’ in the Moonlight") and overlooked gems like "Soldier of Fortune", "Opium Trail", and "King’s Vengeance". Twenty tracks strong, Waiting For An Alibi: The Collection holds its own against other single-disc overviews like 2004’s Greatest Hits and 2006’s Definitive Collection (2002’s exhaustive box set Vagabonds Kings Warriors and Angels still provides the most bang for the buck) and provides the perfect gateway for listeners looking to get their first fix of Ireland’s first heavy rockers.

Excellent progressive hard rock from Norway with that typical cold scandinavian sound. The guitars are heavy and vocals are clear and sometimes evil-inspired. The first Flax album sold poorly at the time of release in 1976 and has become something of a collector's item. It contained theatrical heavy rock (vocalist Hermod Falch was occasionally dressed in a skeleton costume when the group performed live), strongly influenced by Deep Purple (at the time of Machine Head) and, to a lesser degree, Uriah Heep and Queen. Their music also had some symphonic elements.

The melodic hard rock all-star project BARNABAS SKY, led by German guitarist and songwriter Markus Pfeffer (LAZARUS DREAM/WINTERLAND), launches its sophomore album "What Comes To Light" Stylistically, the project of the multi-instrumentalist from Kaiserslautern combines groovy guitar riffs, catchy choruses, distinctive voices of several singers with international reputation, spherical synth sounds and filigree solos to a timeless rock mélange way beyond short-lived trends. Once again on board are TYKETTO's Danny Vaughn as well as SILENT RAGE's Jesse Damon, whereby the former impresses with energetic vocals on the title track and the latter is supported with choirs by AOR legend PAUL SABU on the elegiac earworm "Grant Me A Wish From Heaven". For the first time, Doogie White (RAINBOW, ALCATRAZZ, RISING FORCE etc.)

Robin McAuley's (Michael Schenker, Black Swan) solo album, Alive sees the legendary hard rock/metal singer's voice continue to defy time, sounding as inspired and powerful as ever. The music itself is classic heavy metal/hard rock that is wonderfully melodic, infectious, and fist-in-the-air uplifting.

Hold Your Ground is the 2023 release from Khymera, a AOR/Melodic Rock project centered around Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69). Dennis handles lead vocals, bass, and keyboards and is joined by guitarist Michael Klein, keyboardist Eric Ragno, and drummer MIchael Kolar, with Pete Newdeck contributing backing vocals. As has to be expected with Khymera and Dennis, Hold Your Ground is another fine slice of high pedigree melodic rock. RIYL: Giuffria, Icon, Signal, etc.

'Undress Your Madness' is Pretty Maids' highly anticipated follow up to 2016's critically and commercially successful release 'Kingmaker', a record that continued the 'revitalized' path that the band set out upon with the now classic albums 'Pandemonium' (2010) and 'Motherland' (2013). The production is absolutely stellar thanks to Jacob Hansen (Volbeat), who has given the band a sound that not only reinvigorates them, but also incorporates the soundscapes of the past. Modern and classic at the same time.

Future World is the second album by the Danish hard rock/heavy metal band Pretty Maids. The album was released by CBS in 1987. The album charted at number 165 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Future World was produced by Eddie Kramer, who was fired during the recording sessions because he fell asleep at the mixing console, according to guitarist Ken Hammer. The band then finished the album with engineer Chris Isca, who was credited as co-producer on the album. Mixing duties were shared between Metallica, Rainbow and Morbid Angel producer Flemming Rasmussen, and Kevin Elson, known for producing multiplatinum albums by Journey, Mr. Big and Europe.

The second album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band to be released in 1972, Glorified Magnified is as solid a heavy rock album as you're likely to find from that era, and it still holds up three decades later, mostly because these guys are smarter than the music they're playing and don't mind indulging their taste as well as their dexterity. They can romp and stomp through "Meat" or "I'm Gonna Have You All," complete with a slashing guitar solo by Mick Rogers on the latter, or throw in a synthesizer interlude by Mann on "One Way Glass" that's so quietly and carefully executed as to be worthy of a classical piece – and not skip a beat doing it.