Fountainhead-Fear is the Enemy

One of the drawbacks of this blog is that I rarely get enough of one of my favorite genres of music, fusion. Yet today, to my great joy, my lust for technical and jazzy music has been sated with Fountainhead's visionary Fear is the Enemy EP. A delicious slab of guitar playing that shows a stellar musician flashing his best chops. With the songwriting capability and the raw talent to separate himself from legions of posers the bands Fountainhead is a clear heir to the fusion god throne of Shawn Lane or even Allan Holdsworth. With tastes of the playing style of a variety of guitar gods Fear is the Enemy is an interesting and refreshing burst of jazz fusion.

The soulful quality of the guitar work is very impressive and more progressive songs like I Do and I Will help to show the lyrical quality that his playing can have. There are also quite a few nice heavy rhythm fills which are often reminiscent of Dream Theater, oftentimes though they will mix in a bit of a Meshuggah influence to spice up their rhythmic complexity. It should be noted though that this record is not all about the guitar playing. There are some wonderful synthesizer parts and excellent drums throughout this record. They help to create a layered sound and show the versatility of the performer. As a whole this record is majestic and often triumphant, pushing ever forward into new and more progressive realms of an epic and incredibly beautiful brand of jazz fusion.

To finish, Fear is the Enemy is a veritable masterwork. It is the product of years of training from one of jazz fusions most promising guitarist. This is a shining and monolothic artistic statement that proves the enduring might that a virtuoso guitarist can have. The effect it leaves on the heart is impressive and makes the record worth many a spin. On the day I've probably listened to it about half a dozen times and the record is still fresh and delicious. For those looking for wonderful fusion with touches of metal that give it flavor Fear is the Enemy is right for you!

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