Fragile 5

Fragile was Yes' breakthrough album, propelling them in a matter of weeks from a cult act to an international phenomenon; not coincidentally, it also marked the point where all of the elements of the music (and more) that would define their success for more than a decade fell into place fully formed…

As the double-disc The Fragile unfurls, all of Nine Inch Nails' trademarks – gargantuan, processed guitars, ominous electro rhythms, near-ambient keyboards, Trent Reznor's shredded vocals and tortured words – are unveiled, all sounding pretty much how they did on The Downward Spiral. Upon closer inspection, there are new frills, yet these aren't apparent without digging – and what's on the surface isn't necessarily inviting, either…

CONTROL DENIED, the progressive heavy metal brainchild of legendary guitarist Chuck Schuldiner, released its first and only album The Fragile Art of Existence ('99) to massive critical acclaim. The Fragile Artﾅ is the sound of traditional metal stepping into a new century; an album where the experiences and inspirations of trail-blazing, world-class musicians coalesced under the watchful eye of one of the genre's master craftsmen. Remastered, repackaged and featuring over an hour of previously unreleased material (extra tracks and early demos), this is the definitive edition of this timeless classic.

After gaining some recognition from the success of the band's previous album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive got around to recording Not Fragile. Not only had one of the three Bachman brothers (Tim, the rhythm guitarist) left the band to BTO's advantage, but Randy Bachman and C.F. Turner had clearly grown musically. To the album's benefit, most of the material on Not Fragile are the band's much-liked rock anthems, ranging from the hyper-distorted title track, through the famous but far more timid song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet."