55. VARDIS: While VENOM are probably accurately tagged as NWOBHM's foremost trio, effectively creating their own genre, look a little further down the pecking order and you'll find the STEVE ZODIAC fronted Yorkshire outfit creating their hugely enjoyable noise whilst living pretty much in the past in terms of style. Delivering a no-nonsense brand of boogie-rock and sounding like an amalgam of STATUS QUO, SWEET and SLADE despite ZODIAC's unashamed love of T.REX they amassed no less than five albums between 1980 and 1986. Mostly cleverly they overcame the classic problem of capturing their live sound in the studio by simply releasing a live set as their debut album. "100 MPH" remains their greatest achievement and a nwobhm essential yet despite reasonably strong follow-ups in the shape of "The World's Insane" and "Quo Vardis" their breakthrough failed to materialize. Enjoyable as they were the continued success of STATUS QUO themselves in the same period arguably left no room for another big British boogie-rock outfit and a 1983 rarities compilation and a 1986 comeback attempt entitled "Vigilante" failed to sell in sufficient quantities, ultimately leaving the band as another of the era's nearly-but-not-quite stories.

54. WEST, BRUCE, AND LAING: LED ZEPPELIN, CACTUS, FACES and THE JEFF BECK GROUP aside, it could be argued that the real definitive era of the “power trio” was from the late 60’s to early 70’s. CREAM, JIMI HENDRIX’s EXPERIENCE/BAND OF GYPSIES, TEN YEARS AFTER, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD, DUST, THE JAMES GANG and the early THIN LIZZY lineup are just only a few that come to mind. This three man super group of the early seventies featured Leslie West and Corky Lang of MOUNTAIN jamming with Jack Bruce of CREAM. Considering that the bassist of the former (Felix Pappalardi) produced the latter’s “Disraeli Gears” this may not have come to be that much of a surprise to savvy music fans of the era. Musically the idea holds up well as three kick out the friggin’ jams. Bruce is an absolute monster on bass, West’s guitar abilities give Clapton’s a run for their money and Lang throws it all downtown, brother. They each take their turn singing and there is a couple of shitty ballads between both of their long players. This is hardly worrisome as they had the rawk in spades.

53. PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH: These guys were like a bizarre cross between SONIC YOUTH and “Red” era KING CRIMSON. Though their tenure was brief, their impact was quite colossal to all eight of us who shelled out our hard-earned greenbacks to bask in their brutal genius. From 1986 to 1988 the self titled Homestead Records debut, “One Way Conversation” and the masterpiece known as “Power Toy” (to which I’ve periodically thought of naming a band after – trite though it may sound) were released and have never left my musical arsenal no matter how streamlined it has dwindled down to in these hard economic times. On a side note they were the first group to cover a DINOSAUR (before the JR was added) song on vinyl when Homestead released “The Wailing Ultimate” compilation in 1986.

52. SIR LORD BALTIMORE: Truth be told, there are a vast number of overrated proto-metal and heavy psych discs sitting on collector shelves around the world; 1970's "Kingdom Come" is not one of them. In terms of blazing, over-the-top performances, the record is so heavy, it's practically capsizing on top of itself. Garner's crash-and-burn vocal performance wrestles with the tear-your-guitar-to-pieces aggressiveness of Lou Dambra in showstoppers like "Master Heartache", "Hell Hound", and the ridiculously heavy "Pumped Up". In case you don't have this one, I'd highly recommend picking it up as this is really what it's all about. Messy, unkempt everything-in-the-red rock aggression like a seventies version of VENOM in some ways. Of course, there was no earthly way to top the debut, and the s/t follow up from 1971 doesn't at all. It's proggier and considerably less ballsy, although "Caesar LXXI" is a highlight.

51. AGITPOP: By the time these guys broke up in 1990, mainstream success was right around the corner. Their fourth album “Stick It” managed to get the band noticed with a video on MTV’s 120 Minutes for “Stop, Drop and Roll”. Apparently it was a little too little too late. The group had been on and off the road since the mid 1980s when it’s first full length record “Feast Of The Sunfish” was released on the Community 3 label. What set them apart from other guitar, bass & drum 3-guy deals on a musically aesthetic level from the getgo was their occasional switching of instruments. On “Feast’s” first tune “Problems Respond”, guitarist/lead vocalist John DeVries switches to clarinet instead. Bassist Rick Crescent also had his own little arsenal of percussion to mix things up. This is epitomized to its ever-charming extent on the band’s third (and first for popular indie label Twin/Tone) record “Open Seasons” with songs like “Three Boys In Space” and “Inventor”. On a strange side note AGITPOP’s version of “Funky Town” (their only cover on LP) came out at the same time as the cheesy PSUEDO ECHO version did in 1987. Despite their somewhat novelty approach, AGITPOP’s songwriting abilities were always top notch. Tunage like “Straight Through To Nashville”, “Forget Me Not” and “On The Hudson” transcended the aforesaid musical gimmickry.

50. fIREHOSE: After the untimely death of the MINUTEMEN's D.Boon, it would have been easy for Mike Watt and George Hurley to pull the plug on their musical careers. However a phone call from a fan, who later became known as EdfROMOHIO spurred the other musicians on and resulted on the formation of fIREHOSE. The band's debut "Ragin', Full On" is aptly titled whilst belying the band's name, the trio scorches on this album. Although Mike Watt's thumping bass is the backbone of the band; the other two members are definitely not minor players. The mellow vocals and guitar of EdfROMOHIO and the steady timekeeping of drummer, George Hurley interfused jazz and folk-influenced post-punk sounds; each musician interlocks to complete the jigsaw puzzle. "Brave Captain" instantly drags the listener in with its melody and driving bass. "Chemical Wire" blasts your face off with its funkish playing. The ninety seconds of "Relatin' Dudes to Jazz" is blissed out punk energy, catchiness and bounciness with its rapid fretwork. Success through musical chemistry cannot be denied on "Ragin' Full On". The album is a treasure to be cherished by all discoverers.

49. THE SHAGGS: Ahh, yes. Listen to the tortured cries of the readers. For the love of God why? Why must you profane this page, laden as it is with edgy, heavy bands for the likes of the Wiggins sisters? True, THE SHAGGS make Alice's "Pretties For You" sound like a MESHUGGAH album. True, to say these ladies were a little lacking in technical skill is like saying the atom bomb was a little hard on the Japanese. But the purity of this music is just fascinating, especially to those of us clobbered day in and day out with bands regurgitating a specific style, from power metal to noise punk to drone or whatever. Listening to these giddyup drums, la-la-la vocals, and carefree guitar strums conjures images of music created without an agenda in mind, without attempting to tap into a scene of some kind. Sure, you may never get into it but such is life. The short people want what the tall people got, the tall people want what the short people got, etc.

48. CABARET VOLTAIRE: One of the forerunners of “industrial” music Cabaret Voltaire released its most vital vinyl material between 1979 and 1981. At this point the core of the unit comprised of Stephen Mallinder – lead vocals, bass, electronic percussion; Richard H. Kirk – guitar, wind instruments and Christopher R. Watson – electronics, tape. The early Rough Trade records from this time period, “Mix Up”, “Voice Of America”, “Three Mantras” and “” are absolutely obligatory. Although these recordings are vastly experimental, they are structured and coherent enough to possibly hook those music fans who can’t get into music that’s too “out there” – not exactly the case with the “75 to ’78 CD box as where almost all the sound is experimental. While there are similarities to THROBBING GRISTLE, CV had a more rock base. While there were also similarities to CHROME, CV had less of a rock base. Once Watson left, Cabaret Voltaire’s nucleus was down to Mallinder and Kirk (even when subsequent “live” lineups featured four onstage). From 1983 onwards Cabaret Voltaire went into mostly less challenging dance music.

47. TRAPEZE: A trio of such ability yet despite producing a couple of excellent early 70s albums each member would only earn their notoriety through later works. Slimming down to a trio after a self titled debut album, TRAPEZE featured Glenn Hughes (b/v), Mel Galley (g) and Dave Holland (d) and hailed from the same Industrial Midlands hotbed that produced the likes of SABBATH, PRIEST and SLADE amongst others. Making there mark with 1970's magnificent "Medusa", a seven track pearl of an album only partly done justice by describing it as "like FREE with added funk" the line-up would only manage the also strong "You Are The Music, We're Just The Band" before Hughes would be poached by the promise of riches in the reconfigured DEEP PURPLE. Holland would be next to leave, after 1978's "Hold On", joining the aforementioned JUDAS PRIEST in time for their "British Steel" album whilst Galley would soldier on to decreasing returns until finally succumbing to COVERDALE's overtures joining the "Saints & Sinners" line-up of WHITESNAKE. "Medusa" though arguably remains the highlight of all three's output and should be in any classic rock collection.

46. BIG BLACK / SHELLAC : Two very noisy effects laden guitars, some burly bass, a drum machine and Steve Albini’s abrasive monotone of a voice were the weapons of mass deconstruction back in the day. Initially Steve on his own to start out with, former NAKEN RAYGUNner Santiago Durango and Dave Riley rounded out what was to be the classic Big Black lineup. This is what mid 80’s industrial mutant rock was meant to sound like. If you did not have “Atomizer” or “Racer X” on constant rotation with your turntable in the first half of 1986, you were absolutely nowhere daddy-o. SHELLAC are probably one of the tightest bands out there today, not that you'd notice, since most of their songs are buried under the obscene amount of scratchy noise that emanates from Steve Albini's ridiculous guitar setup. Somehow managing a more refined sound than BIG BLACK but still remaining as aggravated, SHELLACs first few releases, especially "The Rude Gesture - A Pictorial History", feature some of the most incredible musical interplay, a testament to the talent of this noisy trio. If you like drummers who just hit things loudly rather than caring about stupid stuff like triggers and double-pedals, then Todd Trainer is the guy for you! "1000 Hurts", which features the superb "Prayer To God", is probably the best representation of SHELLAC's 'typical' sound, although trying to pin them down to a specific style would be a task in itself. Best to just say that they're not just only one of the best power trios around today, but one of the greatest overall.

45. BIG BLACK: This group was at the height of its visibility in late 1985 with the single “51st State Of America” and in mid 1987 with another semi-hit known as “White Coats”. SEPULTURA fans might take note that BIG BLACK recorded “The Hunt” around this time as the song was redone later in 1993 on the “Chaos A.D.” album. Like THE STRANGLERS before them in the late 1970’s NMA’s sonic agenda hovers around somewhat spartanesque guitar parts, extremely fast technical pick-style basslines and deadpan lyrics that are mostly of the social political bent. Beholding Slade The Levellar deliver these words of wisdom with that gap in his teeth definitely added to the proceedings I must say. “Lights Go Out”, To this day, BIG BLACK still records and gigs mainly in England as they tour very little these days.

44. BIG BLACK: While the Cambridge UK psychedelic/progressive music scene spawned a myriad of talent that produced first-rate records throughout the late 60’s to mid 70’s. It could be argued that BIG BLACK was the definitive band that got that scene started. What originally had began as a quartet in 1966 pared itself down to a trio. Robert Wyatt on drums and lead vocals, Mike Ratledge on organ and Kevin Ayers on bass and vocals decided not to replace departed guitarist Dave Allen (eventual leader of GONG) when it came time to record their classic 1968 self titled debut. Blissed out guitarless psychedelia on “Hope For Happiness”, “Why Am I So Short”, “Save Yourself”, “We Did It Again” and “Why Are We Sleeping” (which features Ayers on lead vocals, re-recorded again on a later solo record – BONGWATER covered it as well). When Ayers departed his Carol Kay/Paul McCartney-esque pick style boom was replaced by Hugh Hopper’s less rock 'n rollish approach. Hopper’s fluid finger style jelled quite well with Wyatt’s jazzy drumming and 1969’s “BIG BLACK II” proved the trio to be no fluke. “Hibou Anemone And Bear”, “Dada Was Here”, “As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still”, “Dedicated To You But You Weren’t Listening” and “Pig” all drive this point home. “Live At The Paradiso”, which was also recorded in ‘69 showcases this material in more minimal musical motifs. Later larger lineups included legendary musicians such as guitarist ALAN HOLDSWORTH and bassist PERCY JONES performing in what eventually became an all instrumental jazz fusion affair.

43. PRIMUS:: From the ashes of POSSESSED and SF hippie thrashers BLIND ILLUSION came these purveyors of chemically imbalanced odes to fishing and food. The original live document, "Suck On This" is still the one to own, a ten-car-pileup of Bay Area thrash distorta-riffage, funhouse basslines straight from KING CRIMSON's "Discipline", and Herb Alexander's otherworldy drum chops. A tremendous live band, PRIMUS was largely responsible for revitalizing the power trio concept throughout the 90s (along with KING's X). Albums like "Pork Soda" and "Sailing the Seas of Cheese" sparked the interest of legions of Claypool-worshippers, many of whom still follow his dizzying number of projects with the undying fervor and fanaticism of PHISH and GRATEFUL DEAD fans (honestly, they're one of the few bands of the dreaded late 80s "funk metal" movement to survive without permanent damnation, along with FAITH NO MORE and RHCP). While some of us lost interest around 1997 upon realizing they were making the same album over and over again, the band still deserves prominent status on this page.

42. MASTER: One of the genius bands of early death/thrash metal, but less widely known than POSSESSED and the like because of bad luck with lineups and releases (the whole history involving DEATH STRIKE, MASTER, SPECKMANN PROJECT and ABOMINATION is a pain in the ass to follow as proven by the several pages worth of biography floating somewhere online), Paul Speckmann's flagship band has irritated and inspired generations of headbangers and death freaks with the hardcore-ish, grinding and confrontational mutations of "Master", "On the Seventh Day God Created… Master" and other seminal albums whose bludgeoning power has yet to meet an equal. The essential piece of the discography is the self-titled album where Speckmann rages like a blood thirsty caveman or a beast from the forest on bass and vocals, Bill Schmidt is an ultimate raw thrash drummer in the vein of El Duce or Witchhunter and Chris Mittlebrun, the first guitarist accepted for MASTER after auditioning 26 of them, flips effortlessly from Hanneman-esque solos to morbid three chord riffing that makes most hardcore sound progressive. However, MASTER continues to show its capacity for warlike, intense metal with gems such as "Slaves to Society" from 2007, now relocated to the Czech Republic and, as usual, in the form of a power trio!

41. MINUTEMEN: This San Pedro, CA trio formed from the ashes of D. Boon / Mike Watt's hyper-jazzy experiment THE REACTIONARIES. Adding George Hurley, the band built a reputation for twisting left-wing politics, punk and jazz into warped balloon animals like 1983's "What Makes A Man Start Fires?" and one of the true gems of the SST catalog, 1984's "Double Nickels On The Dime". Hardcore punk and art-damaged jazz have never sounded better. The band delivered their final studio outing in 1986 in the form of "3 Way Tie For Last" and the superb posthumous "Ballot Result" live compilation before metamorphosing into another quality trio, fIREHOSE in 1987.

40. THERAPY?: The term "alternative metal" may induce vomiting for some, but back in the early 90s it was a tag that followed Belfast, Northern Ireland's THERAPY? everywhere they went. Taking the high octane of MOTÖRHEAD, the discordance of KILLING JOKE and the hooks of punk rock, they've had many a rock fan stammering for some sort of appropriate description for their sound. Since the band's inception in 1989, they've been led by the heavy guitar and even heavier vocals of Andy Cairns and backed by the rock-solid bass work of Michael McKeegan. Their first full-length, "Nurse," was a heavily dissonant rock album that many mistakenly labeled as grunge. Their next album, 1994's"Troublegum," is where everything came together. Easily one of the catchiest albums ever recorded, it was also the band's biggest commercial success, featuring some of their most famous songs such as "Screamager" and "Nowhere." The subject matter of the songs may not have been exactly cheery, but "Troublegum" is still a great time, and the polished-to-a-gleaming-shine production sounds far ahead of its time. The band's next album, "Infernal Love," has been declared a bold artistic statement by some and career suicide by others. The hooks were traded in for gloominess and experimentation, as the band's sound was further fleshed out by the brief addition of a second guitarist/cellist (and as a token of friendly advice, keep sharp things away from arm's reach while listening to the uber-morose HÜSKER DÜ cover "Diane"). Following the release of the bitterly aggressive "Suicide Pact: You First," THERAPY? disappeared from view on this side of the pond… that is, until 2009 and the release of "Crooked Timber," which has already received quite a bit of love from the rock press. Sounds good to us… after all, we've got nothing to do but hang around and get screwed up on these guys.

39. THE JAM: Due to their timing of arrival, it's all too easy to group THE JAM in with the punk movement. Separating the band was their rejection of safety pins, studs and dyed hair, in favor of tailored suits. Both fashion and music-wise THE JAM was at the forefront of a mod revival. A number of songs on THE JAM's first album "In The City" sound like sped up variations of tunes from the likes of THE KINKS, YARDBIRDS or SMALL FACES as the trio incorporated mainstream sixties rock in their sound. The band's fifth album "Sound Affects" is a pinnacle album that can hardly be defined as punk although it first punches with the fast rocker "Pretty Green". Throughout the album Bruce Foxton's melodic bass is at the forefront of the band's soundscape. The mellow "Monday" has a very sixties sound and it's incredibly clear throughout the entire album that guitarist/singer Paul Weller had been investing time listening to "Revolver". "That's Entertainment" is an amazingly brilliant song that is mostly Weller's vocals and an acoustic guitar. It's very English in lyrical sentiment and not entirely obvious whether the intent is celebratory or cynical. "Set the House" ablaze rushes and rumbles along with Rick Buckler's steady drumming. "Dreamtime" has heavy pop hooks that place a listener into a hypnotic trance. THE JAM was never a band afraid to experiment with horns and trumpets blow in the chirpy upbeat "Boy About Time". The reason that this album is now out of print in the US is a mystery.

38. THIN LIZZY: So you call yourself a LIZZY fan? Well, any fair-weather schlum can sing the praises of "Jailbreak" or "Live and Dangerous". But can you appreciate the forked rhythms and crazed leads of "Ray-Gun" or "Old Moon Madness"? The bizarre rockabilly strut of "I Don't Want To Forget How To Jive"? Sure, it's a bit of an acquired taste, but for adventurous psych fans, the Eric Bell trio-era of TL glimmers with gems, like the warm bass and gorgeous, sustain-drenched leads of "Little Girl in Bloom" and the wacky charms of "The Hero and the Madman". If a head-on collision of Irish folk and Hendrixy blues rock sounds like your cup of tea, seek out these treasures from 71-73.

37. SUN CITY GIRLS: Maintaining a sort of rampant insanity came quite easily to the Bishop brothers and their mysterious pal, Charles Gocher, collectively known to most people know as the SUN CITY GIRLS. Raining jazz, noise, and confusion unto any potential listener, they may not have been the easiest band to like, but from their early ersatz-punk noise-festivals to rantings about aliens over the top of javanese gamelan under the UNCLE JIM moniker, the girls have always produced compelling ideas along with their music. Sir Richard Bishop , one of the world's most talented and underappreciated guitarists, is a driving factor behind their continuity. Not to discredit the the bass-playing Morriconephile, Alan, or the late insane drummer slash beat-poet-born-too-late, Charles Gocher. "Dante's Disneyland Inferno" probably stands up as their most accomplished work, despite what is actually contained on it being rather difficult to categorize: one minute there are childish nursery rhymes about cannibalism and the next it's a collective jazz improvisation in the vein of ORNETTE COLEMAN. And it never woulda worked if not for the three of them balancing each other, you know? It's got to be hard work releasing over fifty albums and still remaining relatively unknown. The least we can do is acknowledge 'em here.

36. KILLDOZER: From 1983 to 1990 Michael Gerald (lead vocals and bass) along with brothers Bill and Dan Hobson (guitar and drums respectively) put out records and toured. From the early Butch Vig production on 1983’s “Intellectuals Are The Shoeshine Boys Of The Ruling Elite” to 1990’s “For Ladies Only” the mad men from Wisconsin released some truly frightening music. To state that Gerald’s creeped out vocals are beyond what’s acceptable to most of the listening public at large would be stating the obvious. (But then again, most of the listening public are jackasses and we at Peacedogman care little for their concerns.) Whether telling us about “Ed Gein”, “Farmer Johnson”, “The King Of Sex”, “Going To The Beach” or “Hamburger Martyr” (“You call this a hamburger. I can make a better hamburger with my asshole. Who told you that you knew how to cook anyway? And do you call this cup of shit coffee? Well I’d rather drink from the dick of a goat”), Gerald puts the listener right into the middle of a intriguing story. Their cover tunage such as “American Pie”, which sees the group doing all nine verses, “Run Through The Jungle”, “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” and “cinnamon Girl” are equally entertaining as well. In 1994 Killdozer reformed with Paul Zagores replacing Bill on guitar. This short-lived reunion gave us classics like “Knuckles The Dog (Who Helps People)” and “Turkey Shoot” and “The Pig Was Cool”.

35. THE HARD-ONS: These Aussie punks veered towards the bubblegum pop punk of THE RAMONES, strengthened with added slabs of hard rock and metal. Just as you'd expect, they've been a throbbing pulse to be reckoned with in Australia's punk movement for years. From the band moniker and their 1986 album entitled "Smell My Finger", it was apparent that this was a band that would garner attention and get up the noses of various authority figures. Major record company RCA released their debut but was less than impressed with the album's name and dropped them and the band stayed with smaller independent record labels. Up until leaving in 2000, the trio's drummer, Keish de Silva also undertook the challenging feat of lead vocals. The distorted yet melodic guitar of Blackie is another cornerstone of the band's sound. With 12 albums under their belts the band have an extensive discography. 1988's "Dickcheese" is a fine example of the band's mashing different sounds together. "Figaro" and "Yuppies Suck" are frantic thrashy punk. "Something About You" is super-tight pop punk. The two latest HARD ONS albums differ in style with "Most People Are A Waste of Time" consisting of LEMONHEADS style pop and "Most People Are Nicer than Us" is likely to confuse fans of the band's pop approach with its heavier and hardcore oriented listeners. Regardless, THE HARD ONS are still a band making and releasing music strictly on their own terms.

34. ANGEL WITCH: While there were plenty of NWOBHM bands exploring topics of mysticism and horror (WITCHFINDER GENERAL, VENOM...), none of them arguably could combine evil atmosphere and pure musical enchantment as well as the mighty ANGEL WITCH! Deservedly one of the original top candidates for major success in the British scene, the luck of ANGEL WITCH sadly ran out as if cursed by the sorcery of their early work, and the power trio split soon after the hallowed debut album, only remaining in existence as the template for occult metal heroes from MERCYFUL FATE to influencing early SLAYER - the band itself of course did resurrect several times, but suffice to say that their most memorable material was recorded by the Heybourne/Riddles/Hogg trio, including the infamous "Baphomet" from "Metal For Muthas" compilation, their self-titled album and the follow-up EP "Loser". This was the rare band that could jump from the terror of "Angel of Death" into pure hard rock in the vein of "Loser" without sounding as awkward doing it as, say, WITCHFYNDE did. The star of the band was guitarist/vocalist Kevin Heybourne, whose feverish vocal delivery manifests extreme angles such as the silken poison of "Sorceress" and the devastating screams of "Angel of Death" and whose fast licks and solos are a technical match for the two guitarists of early MAIDEN. Free from the tightly harmonized big band spirit of MAIDEN and SAXON, Heybourne's riffs possessed a more experimental spirit - that there is a common song title on "Reign in Blood" and "Angel Witch" does not seem like an accident, since there is just something about the doom and persistence of Heybourne's composition, not to mention technical details, that simply seems years ahead of its time.

33. PRONG: Even after a few radical metamorphoses and enough ex-band members to populate a small country, NYC's PRONG is still a band not to be underestimated. The focal point of the band is, was and always will be Tommy Victor, whose command on both guitar and vocals leaves little need for anything else. While the rest of the band's line-up has been a perpetually revolving door, key ex-members include drummer Ted Parsons (ex-SWANS and GODFLESH, currently in JESU), bassist/co-vocalist Troy Gregory (ex-FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) and the late Paul Raven (who also served in KILLING JOKE and MINISTRY). The story of PRONG begins with Tommy Victor serving as a sound tech at CBGB's, which led to the band's first incarnation as a noisy hardcore/crossover band and the fittingly-named debut album "Primitive Origins." By the time "Beg to Differ" and "Prove You Wrong" were released, the band had refined its sound to include late-80s thrash metal and even a touch of funk. However, it wasn't until they C-tuned and dabbled in the industrial genre that things really took off for Tommy and company. 1994's "Cleansing" captures the bottom-heavy groove of PANTERA and douses it in electronic experimentation to create something that's unique and, to this day, cutting-edge. This creative high point would more or less continue with '96's "Rude Awakening," after which Victor retired PRONG in order to work with both DANZIG and, appropriately enough, MINISTRY (the latter of which experienced a triumphant career revival, largely thanks to Victor's guitar work). 2007 saw the release of "Power of the Damager," an album that continues the brilliance of "Cleansing" but with a more organic approach that hearkens back to the band's earlier days.

32. GOVT MULE: For visceral, guitar-charged rock 'n roll with a southern vibe, it doesn't get much tighter or more fluid than the original GOVT MULE combo of Matt Abts, ex-ALLMANS axeman Warren Haynes, and the late bassist Allen Woody. The chemistry between these three blurred the traditional lines between drummer, bassist, and guitarist as they traded off in fantastic fare like the hard-panned bass licks of "Blind Man" and the frenzied drumming of "Thorazine Shuffle". Fortunately, the band (currently a four-piece) continued on following the untimely death of Woody in August of 2000.

31. JAMES GANG: Long before surrendering to the retirement home country-rock sounds of THE EAGLES, Joe Walsh was key perpetrator driving the blistering rock attack of this Cleveland power trio, along with drummer Jim Fox and bassist Tom Kriss. I'm sure more virulent highway speeding rock songs exist than "Funk #49" and "The Bomber", but honestly, I can't think of any offhand. Plus that motorcycle picture is totally badass, don't you think?

30. MEAT PUPPETS: The band formed in the late 70’s with Kurt Kirkwood on guitar and vocals, brother Chris Kirkwood on bass and vocals and dickweed Derek Bostrom on drums. While their first EP and LP have them sounding like autistic hippy hardcores, improvement was just around the corner. By the time “Meat Puppets II” from 1983 and “Up On The Sun” from 1985 presented themselves on the SST label the band came into their own. Kurt and Chris’s virtuosity on their instruments was undeniable even if their voices were somewhat lazy sounding and their limp wristed drummer’s technique was about as exciting as a dry fart. “Forbidden Places” saw the group on major label London records in 1991. Their “Too High To Die” release from 1993 exposed the Meat Puppets to some long overdue commercial success as they were awarded a gold album. From the mid to late 90’s onward it has been a bumpy ride for the band. Chris, who also does most of the band’s artwork and is the nicest musical influence I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet (next to MIKE WATT that is), had to quit for about 7 or 8 years because of drug problems – he just rejoined his brother in Austin TX in ’07. Derek lameness, who was a complete shithead when I had the misfortune of meeting him, left the band at some point in the late 90’s. His boring as fuck all drumming, rudeness to fans, half-wit tour diaries and horrendous tastes in comics could not be much a great loss to anyone by any stretch of the imagination.

29. BLUE CHEER: Named for a type of acid, SF's BLUE CHEER may just earn the title for 'heaviest pre-SABBATH records', largely due to the quivering, crackling riff frenzy of the legendary 1968 psych monster "Vincebus Eruptum" and the powerhouse follow-up "Outsideinside" the same year. It's hazy, fuzzy, amp-blowing LSD-rock that would kick up dust and spawn legions of imitators. Like many bands of their ilk, BLUE CHEER's jets cooled considerably after the first two records, and a ridiculous number of lineup changes ensued. But classics like "Doctor Please" and "Feathers From Your Tree" still sound fantastic at high volume. The obscure 1970 solo disc from guitarist RANDY HOLDEN, "Population II is also highly recommended for acidheads that can't get enough deafening retro tube amp blasts.

28. GODFLESH: One of the many interesting ambitious and original projects to arise from NAPALM DEATH's members, Birmingham's GODFLESH proved that you don't need blastbeats or hysterical vocals to create the apocalyptic mood of authentic grindcore. The band was born when Justin Broadrick joined the duo of Ben Green and Paul Neville of the early SWANS-inspired industrial band FALL OF BECAUSE. Like an abomination of hardcore or grindcore gone mechanical, the heavy, sludgy percussion of the drum machine moves like an approaching tank while the two guitarists operate with scientific precision on the verge of noisy feedback and crushingly heavy riffing, painting the landscape of fallen towers and desolate industries of 22nd century Britain, with crawling mechanical assassins, deadly radiation fields and hate in the heart of man. Broadrick's guttural angst prophecies of the coming dark ages, while Green's relentless rhythm sides with the machine-like drumming, vicious and merciless. The early trilogy of "Streetcleaner", "Slavestate" and "Pure" is still some of the most painfully hard, cold, hammering metal ever released, the ultimate template for industrial metal, drone doom and even heavier groove metal.

27. OGRE: Despite being a very young band, Portland Maine's doom stalwarts OGRE already have three colossal records under their belts. Even if we tried, it's doubtful we could keep the savage Sabbathy rumble of Ross Markonish, beefy stickwork and artwork of Will Broadbent, or Bon Scott-cum-Vitus vocals of Ed Cunningham off our collective year-end lists. Topping a thousand-pound metal barbell like 2008's "Plague of the Planet" seems a daunting task at best, so we're anxious to see what this trio has up their sleeves for next year. In the meantime, how about a steel cage match between OGRE and Finland's REVEREND BIZARRE for the doom trio heavyweight belt? Lets get the Reverend back together and make it happen!

26. CORONER: From their humble origins as roadies for fellow countrymen CELTIC FROST, the Swiss trio collectively known as CORONER would, in their brief 10-year life span, go on to push the technical boundaries of thrash metal to their absolute limit. Where CELTIC FROST used minimalism and thick layers of metaphor, CORONER delivered virtuosic musicianship with all the subtlety of the front of a Greyhound bus. Blasting onto the scene with three blisteringly fast thrash albums ("R.I.P.," "Punishment for Decadence" and "No More Color"), the band reached what many consider their crowning achievement in composition with 1991's "Mental Vortex," after which they dabbled in prog for their highly experimental final album "Grin" in 1993. They were dubbed the RUSH of thrash metal back in their heyday, and for good reason, as each member was a key player. The gruffness of bassist/vocalist Ron Royce was every bit as effective as that of Tom G. Warrior himself, while the 6-string wizardry of Tommy T. Baron to this day leaves just about every other guitarist out there in the dust. And as was the case with that other famous trio, drummer Marquis Marky penned the band's extraordinary lyrics, which ranged from internal struggles to global concerns. After the band broke up in 1995, there was sporadic activity from its members (Tommy made a few albums with KREATOR and Marky performed on the Tom G. project APOLLYON SUN) before becoming quiet for good, and while talks of a reunion over the past few years have yet to come to fruition, thrash fans worldwide still have their fingers crossed.

25. THE OBSESSED: Ah, so many stoner bands have come and gone offering the promise of genuine biker doom, but few actually deliver. One of the crown jewels of the German Hellhound label in the early 1990s, the Scott Weinrich-led Maryland band delivered three extraordinary platters glowing with symbiotic songcraft, and rich, exciting left-turn riffs around every corner. The shuffling lineup changes from disc to disc are a testament to Weinrich's Lemmy-like perseverance and consistency, which carried on into other quality trio projects like the psychedelic doom of SPIRIT CARAVAN and the experimental, politically charged thunder of THE HIDDEN HAND.

24. DINOSAUR JR: From 1985 to 1989 J. Mascis on vocals/guitar, Lou Barlow on vocals/bass and Murph on drums changed the face of the indie/underground rock to a degree. J’s guitar solos were a breath of fresh air to underground rock fans that could not help looking back to the classic rock of the 70’s for aesthetics that were deemed “passé” by the majority of the punk/indie elite at the time. Along with Barlow’s overdriven bass, Murph’s punkish drums and vocals that were sung with a minimum of regard for technique (a la MEAT PUPPETS, NEIL YOUNG) the Dinosaur mantra caught on. Onstage Mascis would often change a solo and extend it to the point where you wonder if he was ever going to stop. In 2005 this original line up had resurfaced and appears to still be going on strong.

23. BORIS: Quite possibly the most perplexing act of this generation, Tokyo's BORIS have taken the stoner rock and doom metal genres (and every subgenre associated with them) and have created an art form all their own. The trio of Wata (guitars), Takeshi (bass) and Atsuo (drums) have, in only 15 or so years, amassed a ginormous catalog of work that keeps about as safe as a kid running with scissors through a mine field. Their work ranges from punk-fueled aggression ("Akuma No Uta") to 60+ minute drone ("Absolutego") to somewhere in between ("Pink"). What these albums have in common, though, is the wall-demolishing combination of grumbling bass and guitar fuzz (not to mention Takeshi's seamless switching between the two instruments), giving the band one of the fullest sounds of any rock trio in history. This, of course, doesn't stop BORIS from joining forces with several others acts, including Japan's own noise legend MERZBOW. However, it was their collaboration with SUNN O))), 2006's "Altar," that really put the band on the map. This mind-blowing sonic landscape takes the concept of slow and heavy far beyond what was once thought humanly possible, earning both acts a generous amount of mainstream attention. Their most recent full-length, "Smile," further emphasizes the band's partiality for schizophrenia, as the rapid-fire rock 'n roll rebellion of tracks like "Laser Beam" and "Statement" coincide well with the carefully-laid ambience of "Flower Sun Rain" and the 15+ minute untitled bonus track. A band brimming with ambition that refuses to rest comfortably, it's fairly safe to say that we have yet to hear the best of what BORIS has to offer.

22. YO LA TENGO: After almost twenty-five years of putting out records YO LA TENGO are still at it. Ira Kaplan on vocals/guitar/keys, Georgia Hubly on vocals/drums/keys and James McNew (who joined in 1991) on bass/keys/vocals. If there is the preposterous idea that there was a band that invented the “indie” sound, it might have been YLT. From the mid to late 90’s came what some consider being the band’s best work on discs that dominate our "Essential Albums" pages, such as “Painful”, “Electr-O-Pura, and “I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One”.

21. DESTRUCTION: What the trio Schmier/Mike/Tommy trio of DESTRUCTION achieve in their first three releases is best described as the boot of a mythical titan landing upon the sorry ass of the hapless beer drinking headbanger! While lighter in tone than the absolute mayhem of SODOM or the occult broodings of CELTIC FROST, DESTRUCTION is hyperactive, fast and loud - even cheerful. No other band really is so authentically the alcoholic and sweaty rehearsal room filled with primitive German long hairs possessed by MAIDEN and VENOM into creating anthems of celebration for the horned one. The rhythmic aggression of melody contained by the tight, rhythmic, destructive and compact guitarwork of Mike, plus his unique, simple and even romantic solos manage to remind all at once of classic PRIEST and early death metal. Besides SLAYER, its DESTRUCTION riffs you are most likely to hear in "original" songs by a band you see reviewed as old-school black-thrash or death-thrash. Schmier's vocals were the stereotype of German thrash accent but it adds so much flavor and personality to the band's early discography that one can hardly criticize him for not taking more lessons at school.

20. RAVEN: In terms of fast, loud, explosive punkish heavy metal pretty much nothing compares to Newcastle's RAVEN's debut "Rock Until You Drop". As you can see from the cover picture which shows the band covered by a trashed heap of instruments, the 5 or 6 member line-up of MAIDEN would have been very much out of place here, as the two Gallaghers and one Hunter already sounded like too much for the world to handle, tearing the rooftop with uncontrolled high-pitched screams, galloping riffs played almost a bit too fast, edgy egoistic attitude and thrashing drums tearing down walls. Did I mention the hard rockin' choruses that belong to a small tight street unit, not a "metal orchestra"? While the real classics were the early albums in the vein of "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One", in this band's long discography that still continues to grow, the hits outnumber the misses and that's more that can be said about most NWOBHM bands. RAVEN wasn't the most epic, heavy or influential of the NWOBHM bands, but it just might have been the purest fun - if there was one band who truly epitomized the spirit of NWOBHM it might have been RAVEN.

19. TANGERINE DREAM: One of the most prolific bands from the krautrock era of German progressive music, TANGERINE DREAM defies classification as a rock band as genres from ambient to black metal and from progressive rock to stoner have been influenced by its cosmic concoction of sounds and fusion of ideas from classical, rock and avantgarde music. The greatest work of TANGERINE DREAM dates to the 70's when the mini-orchestra formed by Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke and Peter Baumann created an unbroken string of pulsating, expansive and deep musical journeys using synthesizers, classical instruments and rock instruments, without vocals and keeping also the drums minimal. Early masterpieces such as "Zeit" and "Atem" foreshadow BRIAN ENO's ambient music. Their first Virgin Records releases "Phaedra", "Rubycon" and "Stratosfear" show the band at its most versatile and powerful, conjuring dark mini-symphonies of impossible layers and intricacy, moving at will between classical, rock and new age, and from eerie, dark and disturbing ("Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares") to sunlit, upbeat and majestic ("Stratosfear"). Later they sadly morphed by the way of movie soundtrack music into elevator music because of incorporating too much pop and AOR influences and the worst kind of 80's production mannerisms.

18. IMMORTAL: One of the most successful and enduring bands of the Norwegian black metal legacy, IMMORTAL popularized the hyperfast, grind enhanced melodic black metal style before the scene was filled with such bands, yet remaining untouched and recognizable in the way they themselves did it: this "holocaust metal" formation has never strayed from the magical concept of a power trio except for the recordings of "Battles in the North" (whose video clip and tour did actually employ master drummer Hellhammer as a third member of the band). For anyone with the slightest interest in extreme forms of metal, there's simply no passing by the MORBID ANGEL inflected blasphemies of "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism", the grim polyrhythmic storm of "Pure Holocaust" and the technical precision and Nordic-classical melodies of "Blizzard Beasts" are supreme examples of the beauty of metal when done right.

17. SODOM: While a handful of other Germanic thrash metal bands qualify for this list, only SODOM has the distinction of being a trio for the entirety of their career. The sole constant member, bassist/vocalist Tom Angelripper, commands the band's sound with all the ruthlessness of an army of panzers plowing through a school playground. Their aptly-titled debut, 1984's "In the Sign of Evil," was a landmark for early black metal. However, by 1987's "Persecution Mania," the band had established an inclination toward modern warfare that they still hold onto today. Stylistically, they set themselves apart from the other big names of the genre by having the most MOTÖRHEAD influence (a possible clue as to why the number of SODOM members is always three) in addition to being arguably the most German of German thrash bands, having written quite a few songs in their native tongue. Over the years, different line-ups have left their mark on the SODOM catalog, each one dabbling into different genres. From the raw, amateurish style of guitarist Grave Violator on the band's debut, there have also been the hard rock leanings of "Better Off Dead," the straight-up punk sound of "Get What You Deserve" and the low-tuned hardcore of "Masquerade in Blood." However, it's the line-up including guitarist Frank Blackfire and drummer Chris Witchhunter (R.I.P.) that many fans call the band's golden age, as both "Agent Orange" and the aforementioned "Persecution Mania" showcase all the speed and flare of thrash metal at its best. The current line-up that includes guitarist Bernemann and drummer Bobby Schottkowski (which harkens back to the Blackfire/Witchhunter days albeit with the noticeable addition of modern groove) has been going strong for over 10 years now. Their most recent album, simply titled "Sodom," received a rave review from us, which just goes to show that, in the midst of the youth-driven thrash revival, the old guard is alive and well!

16. GRAND FUNK: Forget "Were An American Band" and most of the other limp radio fare of this band's twilight years. Riff after riff, stadium after packed stadium, no band put the "power" in "power trio" like GRAND FUNK. Absolutely scorching platters like 1969's "Grand Funk" (the red album), 1970's "Closer to Home" and 1971's "E Pluribus Funk" scored legions of fans across the USA for the blue-collar rockers of Flint. The press' venomously negative reviews (which continue today) couldn't seem to slow the band's popularity one iota. Sadly, the fiery lawsuits against their infamous manager Terry Knight and a more commercial radio focus sent the Funk into decline after 1972 (plus they became a quartet, bummer!).

15. MOTHER SUPERIOR: Your low-rent trio selections are a joke. TAINT? Ewww! EIGHTEEN WHEELS BURNING? Booo-ring! GROUNDHOGS? That music smells like feet! In terms of powerblueshardrocksoul, the unyielding riff-burn and kaleidoscopic vocals of Jim Wilson, and the flashy rhythmic chops of drummer Matt Tecu and bassist Marcus Blake bury 95% of their contemporaries. Their seemingly bottomless bag of exceptional albums gets deeper by the year, discs like 2002's "Sin" and 2005's "Moanin" absolutely glowing with a distinctive, bombastic style weaned on everything from AC/DC to classic AEROSMITH, WHO, KISS, VELVETS and more. Past affiliations and studio work with everyone from WAYNE KRAMER to HENRY ROLLINS to SPARKS only seem to have bolstered this incredible trio's ability to rock harder and tighter, album after fantastic album. Get on the stick, amigos.

14. WIPERS: The truly magical Portland trio, Greg Sage’s WIPERS provide the perfect bridge between aggressive post-punk and what would evolve into the better grunge stuff. All of the early records are essential, from the gritty, power-poppy buzz of “Is This Real?” to the burbling bass and coruscating, jagged guitar hooks of the 1987 masterpiece, “Over The Edge”. Sage’s guitar genius constantly pushes the envelope, juggling hypnotic riffs and out-to-lunch passages without ever sounding forced or sacrificing honest songcraft. Just one listen to the range of melody and attack in cuts like “Return of the Rat” and “Romeo” juxtaposed against the relentless catchiness of “Mystery” should be enough to hook any HÜSKER DÜ or MUDHONEY fan starving for a fix. Stop wasting your time with boring, repetitive fare like UNSANE and experience a band that really knew how to balance abrasiveness and execution with good songwriting and clever lyrics.

13. CELTIC FROST: The monolithic frozen citadel of HELLHAMMER and its follow-up band CELTIC FROST loomed over 80's metal as an unmatched monument of grimness and ambition. Simultaneously one of the most punishing and one of the most intricate bands in the history of metal, CELTIC FROST throughout its career terrorized listeners with practically every substyle of metal from the early black metal of "Morbid Tales" to the glam metal of "Cold Lake" and from the speed/thrash of "Vanity/Nemesis" to the gothic doom of "Monotheist", somehow impossibly always remaining uniquely themselves, inimitable. It can be said that while VENOM gave black metal its name, HELLHAMMER gave it its heart when the ever controversial Tom G. Warrior with his fellow conspirators Martin Eric Ain and Bruce Day created the raw chainsaw buzz evil of HELLHAMMER's demos and "Apocalyptic Raids" EP for Noise Records that stood out like a mutated thumb amidst the RUNNING WILD and HELLOWEEN releases. The plodding raw broken aggression (sometimes closer to hardcore than metal), carried over into the early CELTIC FROST mini-LP's "Morbid Tales" and "Emperor's Return", still sounds after a quarter of a century a brutal and serious exploration of darkness in a different proportion than what is observed in the usual, established extreme metal of today. The avantgarde ambitions of Warrior started to loom over the proceedings on "To Mega Therion", an occult thrash epos that inspired a whole generation of symphonic metal and doomdeath, losing the brutal segment of the audience with the even more hazy and baffling tours of "Into the Pandemonium", which included a WALL OF VOODOO cover and experimented with new wave and disco. Tom G. Warrior did not have the reputation of a ravishing and ingenuous vocal or guitar performer, but for pure versatility and sense of style no-one can match him, and however symphonic and magnanimous his experiments ever got, they were guided by lucid concepts and surprising choices that helped CELTIC FROST evade cheesiness and vapidity, forming essentially the first experiments in "metal as high art". .

12. BUDGIE: You knew this one was coming. If any band in history could challenge the mighty SABBATH in terms of riffs, riffs, and more wrecking-ball riffs, the trio of Tony Bourge, Ray Phillips, and Burke Shelley would top the list. Everything up through 1975 is beyond essential from a collection standpoint, but you already know that since you've read this multiple times.

11. KING'S X: Always more influential than commercially popular, this trio took the stale, capsizing hard rock world by storm in the late 80s, injecting the old boy with otherworldly bass tones, fantastic three-part harmonies, and knockout guitar playing borne of Lifeson, May, Hendrix and a host of others. The soul-drenched, prog-tinged, funky metal of "Out Of The Silent Planet", "Gretchen Goes To Nebraska", "Faith Hope Love", "King's X", "Dogman", and "Ear Candy" are all jaw-droppingly solid in terms of memorable songs and dizzying power trio chops. It wasn't until the late 90s when Ty Tabor's vocals started getting a little too sappy and Doug Pinnick's bellows lost a bit of their punch. Perhaps the greatest compliment we can pay them is to say KING'S X is still unique enough that no one sounds quite like them, and pigeonholing them into a specific genre is a nightmare task for even the most accomplished music labeller.

10. SLEEP / HIGH ON FIRE: So many bands of the stoner rock genre consist of a mediocre guitarist regurgitating SLINT and BLACK SABBATH riffs while a friend from the local auto body shop clumsily yells along. But taking a step back to monumental releases like "Holy Mountain" from California stoner gods SLEEP, it's easy to understand the excitement that originally sparked things off. Stark Sabbathian riffage is surrounded and penetrated by swirling lyrical odes to weed and biblical themes, reconnecting metalheads with the bitchin' grooviness of obscure psych longhairs. The trio (Matt Pike, Chris Haikus, and Al Cisneros) delivered it's titanic magnum opus with 1999's "Jerusalem", a single 52-minute track of lumbering riff-clouds and galloping drums. Unfortunately the label didn't know what to do with such a monolith, and the ensuing battle led to the band's breakup. But the die was cast (the unedited version of the disc was re-released in 2003 under the original working title "Dopesmoker"), and the undeterred guitarist Matt Pike went on to form HIGH ON FIRE in 1998. Also a trio, HOF pushed the heaviness of SLEEP into an even more barbarous direction, albums like "Surrounded By Thieves" and "Blessed Black Wings" built on Des Kensel's trampling drums and Pike's roaring riff-brawn awash in dark, charred metal imagery and heavy-horse battle themes. Pike's uncompromising vision of heaviness and consistency has developed HOF into one of the most reliable ass-kicking metal trios in history.

9. NOMEANSNO: This band may look like retirement home lodgers but NOMEANSNO still has a lot more energy in both their recorded output and onstage. Rob Wright's bass playing explodes through the speakers and his brother John is often seen carrying a hammer before the band play as he nails his kit to the stage floor to stop separate drums from hitting the ground and gouging body parts as he aggressively pummels the set. Describing the band simply as a punk band would be a huge mistake easily made due to the bulk of their releases pressed on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. A heavy jazz-fusion element is placed in a concrete mixer along with jazz, fusion, blues, hardcore, rock, new wave and punk. NOMEANSNO re-worked MILES DAVIS' "Bitches Brew and THE RAMONES' "Beat on the Brat" in their unique way on their often over-looked album "One". 1989's "Wrong" is still the seminal NOMEANSNO album that no self-respecting rock fan's home should be without. The band's essence of jerky punk played with a warped sense of humor is encapsulated in tracks like "The Tower" and "It's Catching Up", While you're out buying it, delve into any of their other albums as they're all solid. Then say hello one of your favorite bands. Be strong. Be wrong.

8. RUSH: Since the mid-1970s, the trio of Lifeson, Peart, and Lee have successfully earned a reputation as the quintissential progressive rock juggernaut. In terms of vinyl output, key pieces include the blues-driven thunder of 1975's "Fly By Night", the futuristic suites of 1976's "2112", the spectacular live performance captured on "All The World's A Stage", and the near-orchestral execution of their masterpiece, "Hemispheres", among others. RUSH took the power trio concept further than most of the bands on this page, creating compositions that required them to multitask in a live setting, swapping passages, utilizing doublenecks, Moog Taurus pedals, acoustic instruments and chimes. The mere mention of the band seems enough to give our punk readers acid indigestion for some unknown reason, but the fact remains that RUSH deserves considerable accolades for the above-mentioned releases.

7. VENOM: Mankind has suffered many disasters throughout history from Spanish Influenza to the Galveston Hurricane to The Monongah Mining Disaster of 1907. Realistically, the musical alliance of Cronos, Mantas, and Abbadon should rank right up there with the Great Irish Potato Famine. Pledging eternal loyalty to the Dark Lord and spawning black metal, speed metal, thrash metal, and perhaps even some sheet metal while cheap sluts read Satanic prayers in the background, these three made an awful, delightful racket. "Welcome To Hell" added charm and hellish slop factor to MOTORHEAD's speedfreak approach. When all the smoke clears, it's painfully obvious that VENOM has left us with a bevy of twisted, Satanic vinyl treasures from the brain-numbing roar of "Black Metal" to the ridiculous concept disc, "At War With Satan" to later efforts like "Cast In Stone", and they're still destroying brain cells to this day.

6. ZZ TOP: Forget the self-deprecating tag of "a lil' ol' blues band from Texas", ignore the tired old description about them being "two blokes with beards and the only one without being the drummer called..." yeah, you know it, look back beyond the commercially successful, MTV savvy, synthesizer overloaded outfit that with "Eliminator" and "Afterburner" dominated the early years of music television and you'll find a band that with a handful of albums produced some of the best earthy blues-rock of the 1970s. Influenced equally by the classic blues legends and the British Invasion artists of the previous decade through albums like "Tres Hombres", the part live/part studio "Fandango" and "Deguello" they simply oozed quality. With a sound forged around Billy Gibbons unique harmonics signature and a humor and sun-drenched groove few can match songs like "La Grange", "Tush" and "A Fool For Your Stockings" will ultimately outlast the chart fodder. Whilst this round-up may deem some bands more essential, few will get anywhere near their longevity. A promised new studio later this year will mark their 40th year in business and all with the same line-up... two blokes with beards and the only one without being the drummer called....

5. MELVINS: What is there to say about the MELVINS? Despite the fact that they're one of the most influential bands in heavy music, somehow the trio are still vastly underappreciated. From the wounded, lurching punk of the debut "Gluey Porch Treatments" to powerhouse releases like "Ozma", "Bullhead", and "Houdini", the trio has deadened thousands of brain cells with howling feedback and rip-roaring drums over the last few decades. It's still quite difficult to gauge just how much influence THE MELVINS have had on modern rock music, outspoken fans ranging from Dave Grohl to Cobain, to hundreds of stoner, sludge, punk, and post-rock artists. The sheer variety included upon their ridiculous number of releases is also quite staggering, and a testament to the talent of King Buzzo and Dale Crover. Having maintained the power trio until 2006, THE MELIVINS eventually expanded their lineup to include both members of BIG BUSINESS, continuing to drive the limitations of what can be done with guitar, bass, and drums. Plus, how many other bands have an album called "Prick" anyway?

4. CREAM: The first great power-trio as well as the first successful supergroup? Certainly the first three piece to prove that the sum was greater than the parts as the ex-BLUESBREAKERs Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce joined with drummer Ginger Baker and in two short years yielded four albums and revolutionized blues-rock. Pre-dating ZEPPELIN and influencing even HENDRIX they moved from early singles success with "I Feel Free" to delivering two of the finest albums still with "Disraeli Gears" and the part studio/part live "Wheels Of Fire", whilst also sealing their place on every rock compilation to come via "Sunshine Of Your Love". Acrimony between Baker and Bruce saw the band split in '68, Baker working with Clapton again in BLIND FAITH before Clapton developed his solo career and narcotics addiction, before cleaning up and discovering Armani suits and mega selling MOR blandness. Bruce and Baker both would fail to regain the levels of success CREAM achieved despite, especially on Baker's part, some very worthy attempts.

3. HENDRIX EXPERIENCE / BAND OF GYPSYS: Hendrix's Woodstock lineup aside, did this band ever need to be more than a trio? Considering the sizzling snare talents of Mitch Mitchell and the perfectly intertwined bass / guitar interplay of Hendrix and Noel Redding, it seems safe to assume these cats had all the bases covered. Along with CREAM, this band is perhaps thee classic embodiment of the power trio, responsible for revolutionary material from the psych-blues zigzags of "Manic Depression" to the ripping riff frenzy of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". Hendrix's records stunned and delighted rock fans with his bizarre experimental style and unprecedented virtuosity. Only one question remains: Were the BAND OF GYPSYS a better group? You decide!

2. HÜSKER DÜ: The Minneapolis trio of Grant Hart, Bob Mould and Greg Norton never fit easily into a single genre, unless you call it pop/punk/ melodic/alternative rock dabbed in hardcore. The strong songwriting and lead vocals shared between guitar player Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart still sound distinctive. Mould's voice warbles like a man baring his vulnerable soul for all the world, while Hart's rock voice shoots straight for the hip. The band was a tight unit and released a string of great albums with tuneful pop hooks and superb musicianship miles ahead of most bands rooted in the punk and hardcore movement at the time. Greg Norton's fluid basslines were a major component of the band's powerful distorted vibrancy. 1985's definitive "New Day Rising" should already be sitting comfortably in your music collection. "Flip Your Wig" (released the same year!) contains the ridiculously contagious "Makes No Sense At All", a superb cut combining commanding melody with vigorous instrumentation. The high watermark was equaled for the following year's "Candy Apple Grey" with the track "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely". The HUSKER's incredible run from 83-87 churned out no less than five outstanding records, two of which were double-disc sets. Remarkable.

1. MOTÖRHEAD: In terms of raw power, pure grit, and pure dogged consistency, MOTÖRHEAD is pretty much unbeatable. Originally formed in 1975 following Lemmy Kilminster's forced departure from HAWKWIND, the band forged a reputation for speed-crazed, dirty rock 'n roll inspired by the likes of the MC5, LITTLE RICHARD, and late 60s blues rock. Despite numerous lineup changes over the years, the band always seemed to function best as a trio, leaving a huge stack of mandatory wax for both punk and metal fans to collect and enjoy. The 1975 Lucas / Fox / Kilminster disc (released later as "On Parole") is a romping colorful garage rock nugget if there ever was one. The timing of their 1977 debut, and the band's endless road hi jinx with members of THE DAMNED, GIRLSCHOOL, THE SEX PISTOLS, OZZY OSBOURNE, TANK, and countless others seemed to cement MOTÖRHEAD as an endearing entity to both punks and metalheads for all eternity. The consistency of the discography is astounding: the piledriving intensity of 1979's "Overkill", the front-to-back quality of 1980's "Ace of Spades", the guitaristic "Another Perfect Day" up to and including recent crushers like 2006's outstanding "Kiss of Death". There are few bands that are woven into the DNA of Peacedogman.com's favorite artists than MÖTORHEAD; May they continue to deafen audiences around the world for years to come.