Led Zeppelin faced a rather large challenge in 1973. It was the biggest band in the world and had to record a follow-up to one of the most successful albums in rock history, Led Zeppelin IV.

Not any band could stand up to the task and deliver like Zeppelin did. And did they ever deliver.

Houses of the Holy, the band's next album, stands head and shoulders above Led Zeppelin IV and for that matter nearly any other rock album ever produced. The band displays more maturity (or at least as much maturity as Zeppelin could muster) and delves into different styles and sounds on an album that is massively under-appreciated.

It's not that Led Zeppelin ever made a bad album. They didn't. It's just that aside from being a great album, all the songs on Houses are good. Forget that, all eight songs here are fantastic. It's like listening to God play rock music for 40 minutes.

The album opens with the sonic assault of "The Song Remains the Same" continuing with the layered guitar tradition that began with "Stairway to Heaven." It is a perfect opener to a perfect album. Five and a half minutes with hardly any lyrics and Jimmy Page wailing away.

Next up is a quick change of pace as beautiful acoustic guitar enchants the listener on "The Rain Song." Robert Plant's sparse lyrics blend magnificently with Page's strumming and a song that lasts over seven minutes seems to breezily drift by in mere seconds. "Speak to me only with your eyes," croons Plant.

The true gem of the album is up next. "Over the Hills and Far Away" begins with more stunningly beautiful acoustic guitar and leads up to an explosive display of Zeppelin's power. "Many times I've wondered how much there is to know," wails Plant.

There's no let up in quality though. "The Crunge" features more funky musical stylings and more of Plant's famous high-pitched vocals. It is also one of several songs on the album to employ bassist John Paul Jones experimenting on synthesizer with impressive results.

"Dancing Days" is up next with a furious opening riff that leads to Plant's hippie-like lyrics, delivered to a very un-hippie sound. "I've got my flower. I've got my power. I've got a woman who knows," he sings as Page's guitar blasts away in the background.

In a major departure from the classic Zeppelin sound, "D'yer Mak'er" (an abbreviation of "Did you make her?") shows Zeppelin going reggae with surprisingly pleasant results. Plant is not Bob Marley, but he's not half bad either. Nothing else the band ever did sounds like this as Plant's vocal pleas play on top of Page's bouncy guitar and hammering drums from John Bonham.

"No Quarter" shows Zeppelin at their haunting best. The vocals take another sharp change in direction as the slow song builds to a frightening crescendo. The song also features more of Jones' musical wizardry as he plays grand piano, synthesizer piano and synthesized bass.

The band turns back to the sounds of their heavier sounding albums for the last track, "The Ocean." The song just begs to be played with the volume all the way up and all of the windows down. Plant screams his vocals over top of a crunching rhythm section and Page's always-brilliant guitar. It's an outstanding way to cap off an outstanding album.

Over their illustrious career, Zeppelin may have had bigger hits and better-selling albums, but far and away the strongest effort of their career came in the shadow of their best-selling release. Houses of the Holy is pure brilliance, but what else could be expected from Led Zeppelin?