THE DEBUT Montrose album is universally regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, hard rock albums of all time Released in early 1974, it introduced both sound and a swagger that single-handedly dragged heavy rock kicking and screaming from turgid proto-metal roots into a modern streamlined era, opening up a brave new world of possibilities.

It was the sound that Van Halen would co-opt for their own earth shattering debut five years later.

For guitarist Ronnie Montrose, frontman Sammy Hagar, bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi, this was indeed history in the making.

It has been rightfully said that there is not a weak track on this album. Every guitar riff, drum break and ball-squeezing vocal rings out with a pristine clarity that sounds as astounding now as it did when it was first released.

Essential to their monumental sound is the creative axis of Sammy Hagar and Ronnie Montrose, who provide the classic guitarist/vocalist foil, in a tradition set by Plant/Page, Jagger/Richards and Daltrey/Townshend.

With Hagar's immediately iidentifiable vocals and Montrose's juggernaut guitar riffs, the results are truly mind blowing.

It is an album full of classic hard rock moves. From 'Rock The Nation', to 'Bad Motor Scooter', through 'Rock Candy' (a track so good, in fact, that a record company was named in its honour) to the truly herculean 'Space Station #5' there is no denying sheer thermo-nuclear power.

With the emphasis on maximum mayhem we ask only that no prisoners be taken. Once again, the gods of war are unleashed.