Alkana - Welcome To My Paradise (1978) (Remastered, 2016)

This sought-after hard rock rarity was released in 1978, but sounds like an early 80s record. It has the kind of high vocals and streamlined lead guitar that would soon take over the mainstream hard rock world. The majority of this album is pretty standard macho flashy guitar stuff, better than most of its kind but nothing special unless you're a genre fan. What makes the album special is the 11-minute "The Tower," an epic that incorporates everything that's good about the genre: melodic guitar leads, a stunning chorus, a smooth shift from mellow to heavy after a few minutes of the song. It's a classic, and the rest of the album gains appeal by association with it. Pretty album cover, too. Danny Alkana was formerly with Cock Robin, a local band that at times featured Misunderstood legend Glenn Ross Campbell. He later had some success on the classical-inspired metal guitar circuit.