I was fortunate enough to have a major Dan fan teach me the ways of Nightingale, Unicorn and others. Alive Again has been one of my favorite albums for months. I keep going back to it all the time. The whole 80's vibe to it yet completely updated is total heaven for me. Great stuff.
And even though I have lived in Arkansas for the last 12 years, and currently live in Tennessee, I too have been to Metal Haven in Chicago. That place is a fucking amazing treasure. Some people are lucky enough to live in Chicago but to have a great emtal store too. *envious*