Tony MacAlpine - Maximum Security (1987)^{Release ID: 10391}

As per MacAlpine’s usual style, Maximum Security is a classy, lush guitar hero album that showcases a lot more than pure speed or technical proficiency (though MacAlpine has those in spades). Great attention is paid to the songwriting and atmosphere here, with keys playing a very prominent role. They switch between dueling with lead guitar melodies and adding thoughtful ambiance to back it. Not much needs to be said about the guitar work itself, which is mostly top tier quality if a bit generic as far as guitar heroes go. Every song (save the short piano solo) is very strong, and most even manage to be memorable in their guitar hooks, which is a hard feet in instrumental metal.