The Blessed album really rejuvenated my interest in music in general, it managed to capture the energy and enthusiasm of the band, which is something that the majority of my favorite bands have lost along the way.
The thread the other day about songwriting standards being lowered made me think that a great song played without any passion or fire is a wasted opportunity, and is what has happened to the melodic rock scene of today, and is why I've made a conscious decision to explore other styles & genres,....or maybe I'm having an early 'mid-life crisis'?! ;-)