Dan Mumm-A Glimpse Beyond

A classically tinged shredfest from a young guitarist who has all sorts of ridiculous ideas about how true shred works? YES PLEASE. Dan Mumm is the latest in a long line of triumphant shred guitarists and his new record A Glimpse Beyond is a testament to the enduring power of Bach, Malmsteen, and Paganini. A blazing masterpiece filled with tasty solos, explosive riffs and songwriting that is often simply to die for A Glimpse Beyond is a lot of fun to listen to and its crazed yet strangely controlled solos are a wonderful way to kick off your day.

One of the first things that will strike you about this record is that in an era where almost everything is done by studio manipulation Dan Mumm is doing it for real. Furthermore, the way he fuses old school Shrapnel records style shred and classical music, with some more contemporary influences (Dare I say I hear touches of Periphery) is really cool. His understanding of baroque and classical is also impressive. Two of my favorite songs on the record are Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Both reinterpretations of ancient songs that have sunk into the blood of the people. Yet it is important to note that while A Glimpse Beyond may be fun it is never overblown. Instead it stands tall and triumphant in the face of adversity, giving the listener courage to fight on.

In conclusion, Dan Mumm's latest release is a promising and powerful one. Fun, yet also filled with technical chops that are to die for A Glimpse Beyond provides a look into the heart of what could end up being one of the early twenty first centuries greatest composers. A man who knows how to write a stellar classically inspired metal song Dan Mumm brings in ideas that I've never really heard before in this context. One might even say that with this record Mumm is giving us, the listeners, a glimpse beyond, into the future of neoclassical music. I certainly hope he is.

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https://www.facebook.com/DanMummOfficial

Molllust-Bach Con Fuoco

I have always loved the bombast of Bach. His music is filled with twists and turns and is very influential in the world of heavy metal. So what better way to celebrate Bach's bombast and virtuosic work than by having a metal band re-arrange it? That is exactly what Mollust seek to do on their latest EP Bach Con Fuoco. It is a tribute to the masterful music of the great Johann Sebastian Bach himself. their musical artistry has seemingly reached its zenith as they take these baroque masterpieces to a whole new level.

The arrangements are not heavy handed at all, instead the use of metal instruments is very tasteful and keeps the spirit of the music. I really like how the guitars and keys work in tandem to craft Bachs intricate melodies. Meanwhile the vocals give credit to the original spirit of Bach while adding the operatic quality that defines Molllusts sound. Bach Con Fuoco is a work full of promise and hope for the symphonic metal genre. In brief, Molllust manages to make the songs very much their own while paying respect to one of the greatest musical masters of all time.

To conclude, Bach Con Fuoco is a beautiful piece of classical artistry that makes for some very intelligent and majestic metal. It pays full tribute to one of the most influential musicians of the second millennium. Clearly the work of virtuoso musicians who know how to create some wonderful work that will surely stand the test of time Mollust continues to drive their music forward and prove that classical music and metal really aren't that far apart at all!

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Atrium Noctis-Home

I have long loved the most mysterious and occult black metal bands. The occult aura surrounding their music has always been a source of inspiration for me. Maybe thats why I love Atrium Noctis's debut album Home, or maybe its just the virtuosic musicianship and beautiful songs that make dreams into a reality. With a combination of classical rearrangements and black metal epics Atrium Noctis prove themselves to be capable and intelligent musicians on this premier effort. It shows a band filled with potential and ready to take the world of black metal by storm.

The music on this album is wonderfully arranged and the songs flow nicely. I really like the Rip sequence, a set of 4 variations on Beethoven themes. They help to give a sense of magic realism to the album and add a lot of flavor to the music. Meanwhile, the black metal parts are majestic with tints of pagan and folk metal that help to give the music an old and earthy feel. There is a nice interplay between death metal growls and black metal shrieks here too. I think that helps to make the music a bit more layered and varied. However they might be further improved by the occasional implementation of clean vocals. All in all though, this album is very solid musically and allows some stellar musicians to shine in black metals grimmest pits.

In conclusion, Home is a musical journey filled with pagan and folk influences upon a devilish black metal sound. This tour de force of 12 intricately arranged tracks manages to make a epic artistic statement that stays with the listener long after the first few spins. It draws the listener into its finely crafted soundscapes and refuses to let them escape. With lots to contemplate and many layers to this bands grim yet well produced sound Home is worth many a listen. It is a very strong release from what seems to be one of the greatest up and coming teutonic black metal acts!

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/Atrium-Noctis/317216824976688?fref=ts

Joe Hartnett

Joe Hartnett is a really cool neoclassical musician with some serious shred chops. His 24 minute prog/shred epic Extension is a classic, Joe knows his way around the neck. The guitar work is mind ripping, with everything from classical to djent influences. The rhythms are also good and manage to keep everything driving forward. The drum work sounds a bit too programmed for my liking though and that is my one major qualm with this song. Overall though, Joe proves that he is a true guitar god who you should know and respect. I get the feeling that after this you'll be hearing about him again in the not so distant future.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Hartnett/152496324820572

Axis of all Things, Chris Brooks

So today I'm reviewing Chris Brooks, a virtuoso guitarist from Australia. Known for previous albums like Master Plan he has slowly built up his name in the virtuoso guitar community. His new album The Axis of all Things is one of the greatest fusion releases of the year. He has a fusion style reminiscent of guys like Holdsworth and Govan. His combination of styles leads to a great sound that is incredibly fun to listen to. In addition to his killer guitar work, his back up band shows some nice bass and drum chops. Yet the heart and soul of this album is truly found within the guitar work. The fusion of classical music, jazz, rock, and even a little metal allows for a unique sound and leads to a great album!

The guitar work on this album is phenomenal. Listening to this record can be enjoyable for fans of many different types of music. The prelude features some really cool classical stylings with a nice toccata-like bit. Then there are a lot of rock stylings, in particular the song Transfiguration features a heavy blues-rock type riff. The blues has a large role in this music and some of the long bends are reminiscent of BB King. In some songs like Open Doors, we even have a Yngwie type shred vibe to the music. Then we have the jazz, oh the jazz. With jazz elements coming into play in all songs it is one of the more important elements. Yet Brooks does an excellent job of giving his jazz a sense of rock so that the solos don't become dull and wanky, but instead stay lively and fun. Not the Day provides an excellent example of a jazzy song that stays lively with a rock feel. The rhythm playing is also excellent, best described as hard rock with crazy changes Brooks does not fail to impress. I particularly like the rhythm bit on Wisdom Road which makes the song feel beautiful and powerful. In brief, the guitar playing on this record will blow your mind to bits.

The back-up band is quite excellent and adapts well to all the playing styles on the album. The bassist, Nate Apparati manages to be powerful and emotional. He changes nicely to the style of music presented. On the more rock based songs he is aggressive and fiery and on the more laid back tracks he layers in a driving force to the music. The drum work is equally good with skillful playing in songs like Feeding the Myth drummer Gordon Rytmeister proves that he is a true master. The other drummer, Peter Mcdonaugh, is also excellent, he can handle the rock playing just as well as the jazz and fits in very well with some of the more acoustic pieces. In other words, the back up band for Chris Brooks is most excellent and nearly as good as the man himself.

In conclusion, Axis of All Things is one of the greatest things you will hear all year. The guitar work is brilliant, and nearly as good as that of Govan himself. Brooks has a power to create moving songs that show off an excellent level of theoretical knowledge. His back up band is also excellent and really helps to make the album shine. So go check this album out if you're a fan of godly musicians and awesome music!

Imaginaerum-Nightwish

Imaginaerum is the first new material from Nightwish in 4 years, and after for years of waiting the verdict is good. Imaginaerum blows the lid of Dark Passion Play as a beautiful and uniquely operatic piece featuring all that makes Nightwish great and more. This album is mysterious and beautiful and incorporates lots of mood changes and orchestral bits. There is a lot more experimentation on this album than on previous works showing Nightwish still has swaths of musical territory to cross. The guitar has all sorts of interesting parts for fun listening. The bass is solid and Hietala proves he's still got it. The drums of Nevalainen are varied and have reached a new level of skill. Holopainen's keys are more important than ever and his orchestral compositions have a cinematic excellence rarely found in metal (or at all really). Then Olzon manages to bring the entire piece together with her soaring vocals. All in all this is a great release from Nightwish and I can not wait to see them perform it in April.

The guitar work on this record can only be described as eclectic. While there are some great hard rocking tracks like Storytime and Ghost River there are also a lot of lighter songs and even some jazz influences. I Want My Tears Back is probably the song that is most in the vein of classic Nightwish with an oddly timed riff some shredding and lots of headbanging fun. Slightly after this track is Arabesque one of the strangest compositions on this record and shows Emppu's ability to play pretty much anything you throw at him. Another example of experimentation is the jazzy portions of Slow Love Slow which show Emppu as we have never heard him before. One thing I would like to hear more of would be the shredding that was so prominent in the earlier albums I feel it could make some of the intros even better. Nevertheless Emppu manages to rip out some great riffs. In short, this record features great guitar work from Emppu and he proves once again that he is one of the most talented guitarists in the symphonic metal scene.

The bass work done by Hietala on this record is very good and features some great rhythm figures that really lock the heavier songs into place and add flavor to the lighter ones. Once again Hietala manages to nail Emppu's funky rhythms on the head and give Nightwish a full sound. He gets a bigger role on this album than on previous efforts because the acoustic songs allow for more of his stuff to get through to strengthen the material. I still feel though that his role could be expanded to show off the full range of his skill. The drum work of Jukka Nevalainen is also really well done. In particular his work on Scaretale shows a lot of technical skill as it features some of Nightwish's craziest rhythms ever. His drumming also does a great job adding a layer of aggression to the orchestra when required. Jukka's solid drum licks really help bring the band together.

The keyboards and orchestras of Tuomas Holopainen is better than any of his previous efforts. In my opinion Song of Myself is the greatest thing he has ever done with Nightwish. His keyboard work is particularly good on the track Rest Calm where his keys support the intro with a great riff and then come in to support the verse. While his technical skill may not have overly advanced his keyboards definitely show more emotion and variety than ever before. The orchestral work on this record blows my mind. From the beautiful orchestra heard on Taikatlvi to the aggressive strings at the intro of Song of Myself Holopainen shows he has taken his orchestra to a whole new level. In addition to this the cinematic feel of some of the orchestras has me peeing my pants with excitement for the movie. There is a lot of very solid work here from both a keyboard and an orchestral standpoint and with a bigger part of the compositions given to Tuomas than ever before this album is amazing.

Then we have the vocals of Annete Olzon, Olzon has closed any doubt in my mind that she is a great singer and can take Nightwish in a great new direction. On her second record with the band her voice has really matured and manages to rip out some great arias Slow Love Slow on as well as belting hard hitting lyrics on The Crow the Owl and the Dove. Sometimes she even does both in the same track like in Rest Calm. The lyrics on this album are great. The overarching story of an old man thinking he is a boy is beautiful and touching. The lyrics cover topics like remorse in I Want My Tears Back and love in Slow Love Slow. Finally they culminate in the tear inducing Song of Myself, which is a beautiful orchestral piece. In short, Annete takes Nightwish to a new level on this album and I wish her all the best.

In conclusion, Nightwish has outdone themselves in this most recent effort. With fun guitar riffs that few guitarists can imitate Emppu leads the Nightwish charge with rhythm insanity. The bass is solid and helps to keep Emppu in check and boost him with aggression when he needs it. The drums help to bring the sound together and keep the band grounded. Then Tuomas and his soaring orchestras can bring tears to your eyes. Finally Annete's arias give the music a beauty that is unmatched in bands with male vocalists. To finish, you really need to buy this record, Nightwish has made their best ever and I can't imagine how they can top it. 

OVERALL 10/10

Andy Sartori

Andy Sartori is easily one of the best unsigned bands I have reviewed in a while. With a lively shreddy power metal sound this band rips it up and has me waving the horns all around the house. The guitar sound on this record is great. It reminds me a lot of the last few Malmsteen records with The Ripper (whose finally found a way not to suck). The solos here have a bit of a baroque flavor too and that definitely gives the music a lot more class. In the meantime the verses are amazing with sick galloping lines that lead to unintentional headbanging. The bass parts are fairly solid but nothing that is out of this world. However the bass fill at the end of One Distant Heart was pretty cool. The drums here remind me of a lot of Hammerfall stuff, they are not overly complex but they get the job done and give the music a great beat. Finally the vocals come across as a combination of The Ripper and Joacim Cans. They are fairly high but they can do soaring screeches as well. And somehow the general flavor comes across as The Ripperish. All in all Andy Sartori is a really sick power metal band with fun shredding nice bass and solid drums. ALl of this is complimented with great vocals that really bring the songs to life.
OVERALL 9.5/10
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andy-A-Sartori/207460432645058