River Runs Red by Life of Agony

From the moment I was introduced to Life of Agony through my childhood best friend (via River Runs Red), they were my favorite band.  This record embodies so many emotions that I went through as a teenager, it's tough to not list it in my TopFive.

While they may not be the most talented musicians alive, they certainly know how to write lyrics that people can relate to, and there's no shortage of that on River Runs Red.  From the interludes ("Monday", "Thursday", "Friday") showing how crappy life can be for some kids, to songs like "Words and Music" and "Through and Through".  It just seemed like this record was written for 13 year old me.

Falling Into Infinty by Dream Theater

I first stumbled onto Dream Theater via an issue of Modern Drummer when I was about 12.  I thought to myself "What a cool name for a band! I have to get one of their records."  That record was Falling Into Infinity, and that record blew me away.  Cut to 19 years later, and literally dozens of records and DVDs of the band.

They're easily one of my top two favorite bands (along with Life of Agony) and they're considered to be the most talented collection of musicians alive by many.

Tracks on this album range from mellow and beautiful ("Anna Lee", "Hollow Years", "Peruvian Skies") to rockin' hard ("You Not Me", "Trial of Tears"), but no matter what mood you're in, this record is a play-straight-through gem. There's not a single bad track on it that you'll need to skip.  Every song is unique and vastly different from the track before it.

...And Justice For All by Metallica

What can I say about ...And Justice For All that hasn't been said over the last two decades?  While not my favorite album of all time, I'm sure it holds that honor for many people.  From start to finish, it's a fantastic listen, and one that got me into hard rock when I was a teenager.

I first got turned onto Metallica when the black album came out in the early '90s.  I then soon picked up the rest of their albums, including Justice, and fell in love with their sound and their songs.

All these years later, I can still listen to it from start to finish, and not skip a single song.  I wish I could say the same for Metallica's other albums.

...And Justice For All will always hold a special place in my heart as the album that introduced me to the harder side of rock music.

Division by 10 Years

Not many people know who 10 Years is, and that's fine.  I had the pleasure of seeing them open for Shinedown about a year and a half ago (along with Halestorm), and was blown away by their performance, which got me more into the band.

At the time "Beautiful" was their radio single, and Sirius XM's Octane had been playing it quite frequently, but I hadn't really gotten into them yet, until I heard some of the other tracks on this album.

Their style is so unique, and the singer (Jesse) has a voice unlike anyone else out there.  I can listen to this album on repeat for an entire day, and not even bat an eyelash.  They just came out with another record (Feeding The Wolves) which may make its way onto one of my future lists, but it's too early at this point to bump Division for it.

Boston by Boston

There's very little discussion needed - Brad Delp was one of the greatest vocalists in the history of music.  I'm not saying the greatest, but top five, easily.

Boston's debut album, in addition to being one of the biggest selling debut albums ever, is also one of the most fantastic albums I've ever heard.  I wasn't a big fan of the band, until Foreplay/Long Time showed up in the Rock Band game.  Eventually the Rock Band franchise released more tracks from the album, introducing me to a band I would come to adore, and had never really given the time of day.

I now own every album Boston ever put out - while none of them are nearly as good as their debut album, they all still have their moments, and certainly have a good track or two each.

From "More Than A Feeling" to "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" to "Peace of Mind", there's not a bad track on this album. It's 100% fantastic, and the world of music is a less talented place without the late, great Brad Delp.