Neal Schon - I on U 2005

Neal Schon - I on U

Well, I like this album very much and I like it just because it is different from a typical guitar instrumental album, or better because it has some unusual ideas. Many people tend to dislike this album because there's not a real band playing with Neal but sequencer bases and electronic drums tracks. Well I precisely love this one also for these reasons. I mean, normally I love bands over computer things of course, but if the experiment is well done, sometimes it is interesting to hear something different made with machines. Frank Zappa did fantastic things with computers (in "Jazz from Hell" and "Civilization Phase III" for example), Jeff Beck did great stuff with computer bases and electronic loops in his latest albums and Joe Satriani did great music in his album "Engines of creation". And what about Shawn Lane's "Powers of ten" which was made entirely with a computer plus Shawn's guitar of course? It is one of the greatest guitar albums of all time! So this is Neal's turn, let's judge this music for what it is. I don't compare this album to the others in the Neal's discography and I don't expect Neal to play every album, every time the same stuff. I'm open minded and I'm always ready to judge the music for what it is, no matter if there's a band or a computer playing, or if it's a style or another. Consequently I approached this album very positively because it intrigued me to see if Neal's could do something good with loops and electronic bases. But to be absolutely precise he did something similar in some tunes from his double album "Electric world" even if that one was based on a more calm approach. "Beyond the thunder" was a another softer album, and a more melodic effort than this one. I on U is more aggressive, it is very near a shred guitar album. They are impossible to compare. Here Neal indulges more on his chops and it is great music because Neal's is one of the greatest in the rock idiom for sure. The eletronic drums-keyboards sounds in I on U are very pleasing to me, just for the reason that they don't want to sound similar to the real things. They are computer generated sounds and you clearly hear this, but they are very good sounds! Technology isn't s a bad thing, it depends on how you use it. Here in my opinion it is used very well. The melodies and themes of the songs are interesting and various and Neal does a very good fretboard work that sends shivers down your spine. It is a very modern album that I would not suggest to the traditional guys. It's a rock guitar instrumental album, with strong melodies, a very explosive style, with modern sounds and very good arrangements. I love it, thanks Neal! Well a new forgotten album for remembering.

Highly recommended for every guitar fan.

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Soul Sirkus - World Play 2005

Soul Sirkus - World Play

Here's a little something different for you. Come on. "Highest Ground" is led by a fist pounding riff that never lets up. The backing vocals and lead vocals really come together on the chorus. A super-charged rhythm sets the pace for "New Position". Neil Schon's guitar work on this one shows that he's been a closet shredder all these years. "Another World" combines wailing guitar licks and marching drum beats to create a post-apocalyptic feel, at least to me. It's like Jeff Scott Soto is trying to inspire hope when all is lost. Warm keyboard tones and melodic guitar work dominate the emotional ballad "Soul Goes On". Soto has always been at his best when he cuts a ballad. Creepy riffs and creepy drums drive home the theme of "Peephole". It's no surprise that Sammy Hagar co-wrote this one. Even creepier is that Soto comes off sounding just like him. "Abailar To' Mudo" showcases bassist Marco Medoza. It's a combination of vocals noises and sounds mixed with a funky bass groove. "My Friend, My Love" is an acapella piece that shows off Soto's range and emotion. Once again the group returns with melodic vocal enhancement. "James Brown" is set to a funky rhythm section that seems like a jam session, with everything delivered on the fly. This album is a forgotten masterpiece. Get it and enjoy it.

Highly recommend for every melodic rock fan.

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Tommy Shaw - Ambition 1987

Tommy Shaw - Ambition

This is my favorite of all the Tommy Shaw solo albums. This is an awesome, vintage 1980s melodic pop/rock album. To me, every single track shines. For sure "No Such Thing" is a great rocker to open the album. "Dangerous Game" has a soaring, anthemic melodic quality to it that can't be beat. "Ever Since The World Began" is a remake of the Survivor song that appears on the "Eye Of the Tiger" album, and it is as hearfelt and brilliant a performance as the original. "Somewhere in the Night" is another soaring melodic anthem in the second half of the album, and "Lay Them Down" as the closing track is also beautifully thick with melodies. If you are a fan of '80s melodic pop/rock, you owe it to yourself to pick up this underrated gem of an album. Note that this was the last Tommy solo album before the brilliant supergroup Damn Yankees was formed. It's certainly not as heavy throughout as the Damn Yankees material is, but melodically it was surely a sign of things to come. Masterpiece.

Highly recommended for every melodic rock fan.

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Queensryche - Empire Remastered Edition 1990

Queensryche - Empire Remastered Edition

There are always forgotten albums. This is one of them. I do not know why I have no Queensryche albums still on my blog. But now is the time to cure this problem. Late in 1990, Queensryche would release 'Empire', the album that introduced progressive metal masters to the world. It is amazing what 24-bit re-mastering has done to this album. It feels incredibly fresh now just as it was back then. Great production as well. This album will always be a classic. One of the greatest album of all time for me. It is full of great musicianship and Geoff Tate is obviously one of the great rock singers of all time. However, it has never sounded this good before. The production of this album is exceptional and Chris DeGarmo was really writing some amazing material at this point in the bands career. For those who are fans of progressive metal this is an album that is essential for your collection. More than a simple album from 1990, more than just a new progressive masterpiece, this is a magic itself.

Must have for every music fan.

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Myrath - Hope 2007

Myrath - Hope

Here is the first milestone from this great band form Tunisia. This album features their original singer and has a slightly different sound than their next album Desert Call. Desert Call is one of the finest Progressive Metal albums to come along in years. Buy it immediately if you are a fan of Dream Theater, Symphony X. Music has a middle-eastern flavor to it. I hope you will like it.

Highly recommended for every progressive music fan.

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Marc Rizzo - The Ultimate Devotion 2007

Marc Rizzo - The Ultimate Devotion

 

Marc Rizzo is an absolute insane guitarist. He is a very underrated player. This is just incredible as his first stuff "Colossal Myopia." Well, great player, good songs and sound. If you like modern instrumental rock music, you have to try this album. The last two songs was made with vocals. That is all, get it and enjoy it.

Highly recommended for all guitar fan.

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Mike Stern - Upside Downside 1986

Mike Stern - Upside Downside

Well, it is time to go back to jazz. What a great album? Mike Stern doesn't sound as polite on this album, as on some of his later ones. The same goes for the other players like Dave Weckl on drums. Every tune is great, chancing from ballads to screaming jazz-rock, David Sanborn is playing a beautiful solo on a ballad, and the late Jaco Pastorius is also playing on a tune where everyone sounds to have a good time. The guitar solos are absolutely killers! This was the 2nd album of Mike Stern, and one of the latest of Jaco Pastorius. To friend together for a last time. Magical album. Enjoy it.

Highly recommended for every fusion guitar fan.

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Freak of Nature - Freak of Nature 1993

Freak of Nature - Freak of Nature

Well, we have to say, that the year 1993 was the beginning of the dark grunge era, with not so many great new music. But there are exceptions like this album. The center of this band was the singer of White Lion, Mike Tramp. After the release of the first album, Freak of Nature went on tour, which was only supposed to last a month. In the next year they have made an another album, and the band was over. But we have two great melodic album with hard psychedelic, progressive and some alternative influences on the second album. If you do not know them, get this album.

Highly recommended for every rock music fan.

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Marty Friedman - True Obsessions 1996

Marty Friedman - True Obsessions

When i first listened to this album I really didn't like this. I put the album aside and left it for a while. A few years later I went and got Scenes album, and really thought it was brilliant and Friedman's style came through there. I rediscovered this great album. So I got True Obsession and put it on and absolutely loved it. It provides a good mix of guitar instrumentals and  non instrumental stuff with some great Marty Friendman solos. Fave track off the album 'Hands Of Time'. Definitely a great album for any Friedman fans and some people looking to be introduced to his stuff. Anyway I like this singer too, but I have no other materials with his voice.

Highly recommended for every guitar fan.

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Axel Rudi Pell - Eternal Prisoner 1992

Axel Rudi Pell - Eternal Prisoner

Eternal Prisoner was the third solo album from German guitar virtuoso Axel Rudi Pell, and the first to feature journeyman vocalist Jeff Scott Soto. I usually have great interest in guitar virtuosos. This album was given by one of my friend, like a great melodic rock album. There are so many critics around the guitar work of Pell. OK, he is not the same league with Malmsteen, but I like his playing. And he wrote nearly the same quality songs, like Yngwie did. Songs, not the solos. He's not as flashy player as the Californian guitar heroes, but he's always managed to write real, effective songs, not just notes stapled together. He also isn't afraid to let his vocalists shine. Compare Soto's output with Pell to his Malmsteen work, and the difference is stark. You end up loving an album like Eternal Prisoner as much for Soto's performance as you do Pell's. In fact, there's only one instrumental on Eternal Prisoner, and even that song - Dreams of Passion - feels like a fully developed song. With Eternal Prisoner, Pell proves once again that he can put together an engaging melodic metal album with first rate vocal and guitar performances and well written songs. His great idol is Blackmore, well you feel Richie in some songs. A very great melodic rock album from the nineteens, I like it.

Highly recommended for every melodic rock fan.

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Impellitteri - Grin and Bear It 1992

Impellitteri - Grin and Bear It

Do you remember the first Impellitteri album with Graham Bonnet. I hope you do. This one is their second movement with Rob Rock.  Man this album rocks! If you are a fan of 80's heavy metal, this one is for you. Besides very impressive riffs for most of the songs on the album, Chis Impellitteri's light speed solo will definitely blow you away. And about the lyrics, the title song "Grin and bear it" is very motivating, like the whole album. Get it. Enjoy it. 

Highly recommended for every classical heavy metal fan.

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White Lion - Pride 1987

White Lion - Pride

Going back to 1987 it was not only the rise of new Whitesnake, it was the year of another great bands. For fans of great guitar solos and great rock anthems, "Pride" should definitely be in your collection. From start to finish, you feel the chemistry of this band that really seems to work together so great. Mike Tramps raspy voice really sounds well with Vito Bratta's remarkable heart felt guitar playing. "Lady of the Valley", "All you need is Rock N Roll", "Tell me" and of course the two monster songs "Wait" and "When the Children Cry" are really worth having a copy of this time capsule, that captures the great rock bands of the 80's. To go back to a time when amazing solos and passion were the priority in songs. A solid album that will not let you down. After this album the quartet made two quite good albums, and after these albums the band was over. Sorry for them. Anyway we have remained four great albums, and this one is the best of all. Enjoy the traveling back in time.

Highly recommended for all melodic fans.

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H.S.A.S. - Through the Fire 1984

H.S.A.S. - Through the Fire

This one is a forgotten masterpiece of hard rock. Well, I've been a Hagar fan going on 20 years now and I simply consider HSAS is one of his best group rock efforts! It was before his Van Halen era. Very strong songs that stand the test of time include the opener, "Top of the Rock" which smashes into power chord rock anthems like "Missing You", "Animation", "Hot and Dirty" and a great cover of "Whiter Shade of Pale". I was amazed to find this CD in the past year. This is just simply one of the most amazing hard rock albums I have ever heard! I wish some of the outtakes from those original shows would surface at some point. Sammy Hagar hooked up with Journey guitarist Neal Schon, himself having finished up with their album Frontiers. Along with Mike Shrieve and Kenny Aaronson, the four staged a series of live gigs. This album is live, but was overdubbed later in a studio, mixing out the audience noise. The result sounds more distinct than a live album might, yet there is more edge and raw energy than a studio album usually has (anyway, the King Crimson did this same thing on their Starless And Bible Black album). If you like Sammy Hagar, or want to hear Neal Schon play hot rock guitar, or just like catchy songs, this is worth the price! A must have. 

Highly recommended for every hard rock fan.

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Animals As Leaders - Weightless 2011

Animals As Leaders - Weightless

Secound masterpiece made by Tosin Abasi and his fellows. Well I do not want to write more, if you like their first album, this is the same but a bit better. Though the self-titled featured only Misha Mansoor in addition to Abasi, the group’s line-up was solidified shortly before their first outing, adding ex-Animosity drummer Navene Koperweis and guitarist Javier Reyes. Weightless sports a sleek and powerful production job by Koperweis and mixing handled by Reyes, something equally as impressive and unique as the music itself. Music is still the same good old progressive instrumental metal with lot of influences. Anyway I included their past single. Enjoy.

Highly recommended for every instrumental progressive metal fan.

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Ice Age - The Great Divide 1999

Ice Age - The Great Divide

Well I have got a message, cos the 2nd Ice Age album was deleted last week. When I made a copy from the record, I realized, that the first one is not posted on my blog. Now I decided to upload this one. Well, this is awesome stuff. The music blows me away! It is great to hear a band who can play and still write lyrics with substance and depth. So often bands play endless musical rifts with no hooks, and mundane, sophomoric lyrics. However, Ice-Age offers and delivers so much. These guys have a mesaage and need to be heard. Ice Age's "Great Divide" continues to impress the more I listen. Check out "Spare Chicken Parts" and "Bottom Line!" I am looking forward to more music from this band. Spread the word, we need more music like this. I am sorry for this great band. A next masterpiece to discover.

Highly recommended for every progressive metal fan.

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