Sarah Longfield - Disparity

Having risen to the fame on the strength of a strangely addictive series of internet guitar videos, Sarah Longfield is a guitarist and musician for the 21st century. A woman who not just understands the importance of having a rich content strategy, but also who writes some really powerful music, her new record Disparity is a real treat, a masterful take on guitar centric art prog with haunting vocals and piano-inspired tapping. Her take on shred is distinct and thrilling, allowing for her unique sound to thrive on its own.

What I dig about this record is that while it certainly a guitar virtuoso record and one that does not deny itself the glory of some truly magical playing it also does not fall into the tropes of modern prog. While a lot of the prettiness is there, her approach is fairly distinct and she doesn't rely on tired ideas or 'djent' in order to differentiate herself. Instead this is a record that, while unafraid to touch on elements of heaviness, is not beholden to it and which uses the quiet poetry of the genre to ensure that, while your face might be melted off by Sarah's talent, he's doing it without being obnoxious or over the top, but merely that fucking good.

I've been pretty far removed from the prog world for a few years now, largely because I was tired of a fairly strict idea of what was 'good' or 'interesting'. I got bored of it. Yet here Sarah Longfield with her piano-inspired approach and truly thrilling tapping technique has been able to unleash something that will ring forth across the ages as a true stunner, an album that ebbs and flows, lives and breathes and hints at all sort of cool musical ideas for her work to take as she moves forward and continues to impress us mere mortals.

Find her on Facebook! 
https://www.facebook.com/Sarah.Longfield.Music/

Metalfier, Exmortus, and Marty Friedman

Another night another show in the perpetual hustle and bustle that is Manhattan, a world of struggle, a world of triumph and a world of tribulation... damn I'm feeling poetic on this particularly sleepy Friday afternoon. The point is I saw three bands last night, all of whom unleashed guitar heroics and made a silly old punter like me feel free at last despite the daily toil that might bring us down. What I'm saying is that nights of shred are part of what makes heavy metal so much fun and so darn worthwhile.

First up was Metalfier, who, despite sounding exactly like you'd expect a band call Metalfier to sound where quite a bit of fun. Fronted by a possibly insane Polish dude these guys are propelled by the high octane guitar heroics of Jeff Monge. Toss in some fun thrash metal songwriting and suddenly you have yourself a tasty opener for a metal legend. The point being, these guys are still refining their sound, but that's part of what makes them fun. Thrash metal is here for us to have a good time and get drunk with our buddies - so really, you have to ask, what more could you ask for from a rapidly rising local act?

Up next were my most hotly anticipated band of the soiree, legends-in-the-making Exmortus. These shred happy death masters have a great time unleashing the live rituals of their high powered sound. Over the top and proud of it Exmortus are the kind of band who really allow you to get your rocks off in a live setting. The fact of the matter is that these dudes are among the best up and coming bands in the country. Hell - forget that, with their upcoming record it seems to me at least that Exmortus are thrash warriors for a new generation who will keep pushing their music over the top and driving it beyond all expectations - this is what heavy metal is supposed to be about, and Exmortus fucking get it.

Finally it was time for Marty Friedman to unleash his shreddy goodness upon the crowd. With an incredibly talented backing band partially from Japan and partially from the States the man played work from across his entire solo catalog. With a nice mix of ballads and more straightforward thrashers it was stunning to see him unleash his mastery live. The thing is, while Friedman is the focal point, the dudes and dudette he plays with are insanely talented. It's incredible to witness the stage presence and raw energy he has been able to cultivate - making him perhaps the most potent and inspiring live instrumental act in the twenty first century.

At the end of the night I went off to an all night diner with an old friend and couldn't help but be charmed at the eternal power of what we had just witnessed. Marty Friedman is a living god, a man who truly understands what it means to play heavy metal and carry it forth for a new geenration. This is the kind of bleak salvation that we need if we want to have the strength to carry on for another day. And so we let our hair fly and the horns soar and go out and enjoy the darkness, because high speed guitar antics are what give us strength.

Find the bands on Facebook!

Metalfier: https://www.facebook.com/METALFIER?fref=ts

Exmortus: https://www.facebook.com/exmortusofficial

Marty Friedman: https://www.facebook.com/martyfriedman.official?fref=ts

Axel Rudi Pell-Into the Storm

I look into the mirror, my face is hard, out of the glass stares the face of a guy who has to pay a fifty thousand dollar bill for something he's not quite sure he wants. Somewhere though, something stirs bright within me, I have a copy of the new deluxe edition of the latest Axel Rudi Pell record, Into the Storm, in my inbox, if that can't brighten my day I don't know what will. As is, it certainly seems like Axel Rudi Pell has managed to do it again, not only is the original content of Into the Storm top notch as we have come to expect from this great man, but the bonus content is enticing.

From the mournful guitar solo on the beginning of White Cats, you know that the bonus content of this record is delicious. The fact of the matter is that the extra material is complimenting a record that alrday proves that three decades into his career Axel Rudi Pell is still a metal lord. It's easy to feel the grooves when they've been derived from the mind of such an incredible talent as Pell. I'd also like to point out that Johnny Gioeli does an incredible job on vocals, his voice soars high and mighty, speaking to the all consuming power of this mans music. As he blares through tracks like the ten minute long epic Into the Storm or the progressive masterpiece Way to Mandalay you get a sense for the incredible power of this band as a cohesive unit. Gioeli stands tall with Pell allowing the band to reach its full potential.

I realize perhaps I can push that debt back, maybe there is a deeper understanding we can come too here. Axel Rudi Pell has guided me towards something greater, and I think that Into the Storm may very well be able to help you out too. this is the product of a man who understands not only the world he lives in, but the one he came from. Into the Storm is special because it connects, it leaves us feeling whole, as if all of the darkness around can not vanquish us. Though the night is dark and full of terrors, I know one thing, I can put my faith in Axel Rudi Pell's ax to guide me into the storm.

Find Axel Rudi Pell on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/AXEL-RUDI-PELL-OFFICIAL-SITE/427164065301

Stamina-Perseverance

Stamina is the kind of power metal band that is distinctly Italian, and I mean that in a good way. Filled with a flair for the dramatic and some powerful bombastic vocals Stamina have created something fun and magical with their new record Perseverance. Evidence as to the sheer quality of the material that Wormhole Death records seems to pump out, this is an album that any fan of hard rock or power metal will enjoy. Light hearted and soaring high, with this record the bands gives me the stamina and perseverance that I need to last until the weekend.

I especially love the guitar lines on this record. They are melodic and fun, filled with all sorts of shreddy goodness. When they create an interplay with the keyboard and synthesizer lines, as they do in I'm Alive you get a sense for the sheer virtuosity of Stamina. They are talented and not afraid to show it, and this is a big part of what makes Perseverance so darn enjoyable. The way that Stamina craft their songs allows for huge, Stratovarius style choruses that get everyone listening singing along loud and proud. Yet raw emotion is not left on the side, in fact many of their songs feature some very emotionally powerful guitar lines. Perhaps the best example of this is the mourning guitar on Just Before the Dawn.

Perseverance might just be the feel good record of the year. Many of their tracks are hopeful and every single one rings out with positive vibes. Sure there are heavy topics at hand here and some great songwriting, but at the end of the day, you can't feel bad listening to Stamina. This makes the record really valuable for me, there is a certain undeniable beauty to a band that can pull off something this triumphant and almost tear jerking. As for now, I will let my hair down and windmill triumphantly into the sunset. Corny and glorious, Stamina is power metal at its finest!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/staminaitalianband?fref=ts

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.

Find him on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/DanMummOfficial

Northwind Wolves

Northwind Wolves provide a rare treat for the listener, death metal that reeks of 1980s shred and Paganini. I think I can honestly say that until today I had never heard a death metal record that would have fit on Shrapnel Records, yet here we are. Northwind Wolves new record Astronomy is a ferociously delivered hunk of the purest death metal infused with technical chops that are to die for. In fact the Paganini inspired bits add a certain brightness to the sound and only make things that much more brutal. The thing is, Northwind Wolves are fun to listen too and their crazed riffs are just explosive and fiery. The lyricso n the record are pretty excellent too, lines like 'What we shared had come to pass/What was so strong, could break like glass/With that glass , you say goodbye/so take my hand and prepare to die...' abound and communicate a certain desperation on the part of the listener. In conclusion, if you're looking for a death metal record that does something fresh and exciting with their sound, then come check out Northwind Wolves!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/NorthwindWolves/app_2405167945

Scythia-For the Bear

I have long believed that their is a horrific lack of excellent epic folk metal from America. Scythia seem to be here to remedy that. Their EP For the Bear is a seven track masterwork showing off all of the chops of Dream Theater and the fun loving spirit of Sabaton. At last folk metal that is both lighthearted while mindblowing technical. What makes this record special is the sheer fusion of technicality and earthy magic, it's like what would happen if you smashed Wintersun and Symphony X together, highly technical and very folk oriented heavy metal mastery, in a phrase, its simply magnificent.

This technicality often gives the music a very explosive Malmsteen type edge, the emphasis on shredding is glorious and makes the songs tasty and fun. The vocal stylings are pretty straightforward and rather powerful, they remind me quite a bit of the singer from Blind Guardian. This groups vocalist guides the listener on epic folk tales (many of the songs do in fact tell a story) and lead you into some really excellent choruses, most notably on the simply stellar Fierce Riders of Scythia. Add this in with the excellent keyboard melody lines and dazzling solos and you have something that is truly special.

In conclusion, if you're looking for an easy album to fall in love with then For the Bear is for you. Happy and a blast to listen too the high powered solos and crazy riffs will capture even the most pvre metallers heart. I'd also like to quickly mention the excellent mix which really allows the melodies to shine and takes the music to a whole new level. The glorious fusion of crazy guitars, ancient melodies and viking majesty is not something you easily forget. So if you're looking for one of the best American Folk Metal records from recent years then For the Bear is something that you need to check out!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/scythiametal

Vendetta V-The Arc Of Antimatter

Some of you may remember Vendetta V from my review of him back in April. Well now I'm proud to announce that he has a new album out. The ear shredding The Arc of Antimatter is a tribute to just how great shred can be in 2013. Filled with crazy solos and great riffs this Armenian metalhead has really outdone himself this time with what is quite possibly his greatest record yet. It is a mind boggling tribute to the greatness of artists like Joe Satriani and even Guthrie Govan. (Yes, it's that good) I love the super tight production, it gives the music a very solid punch and makes it into something you want to keep listening too. The riffs themselves are also great and drive some of the best songs like Into the Nation up to 11. With more than seventy minutes of music this record is definitely worth the eleven bucks that Vendetta V is asking for it. In short, if you're looking for some of the best shred of 2013 (and certainly some of the best to ever come out of Asia) then Vendetta V is the band for you. This mysterious masked man is truly a guitar god and with his best release ever now out he hopefully can ride this triumph to worldwide recognition!

Listen to the record on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Vcreep/app_204974879526524

Gladius

Gladius is a fun shred act with tasty songs and a great understanding of classical music. More classically oriented than Malmsteen if not as flashy Gladius is truly a talented musician. The crazed solos on songs like The Might Tempest are simply fun to listen too. Whats really notable is that Gladius seems to be really pushing the envelope, tossing in all sorts of cool little twists and turns in the music to keep things fresh and interesting. I love the mix of electric and acoustic guitars, with his records Gladius proves himself to be a master of both. (I particularly love his cover of Sound of Silence). Vocally he's also pretty decent, his voice reminds me of some of the vocalists on the old Shrapnel Records releases. He also does a good job of writing Christian lyrics that don't sound forced or overplayed. (Gasp! A Christian artist who DESERVES to be signed, what is this madness?) Best of all, if you dig Gladius he already has a pretty decent discography (including a Christmas album) so there's plenty to go back and listen too!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/gladiusmusic/app_204974879526524

Alphakill-Unmitigated Disaster

A terrifying thrash metal band from Winnipeg Alphakill have a throat ripping and vicious sound worthy of any of the great 80s Bay Area bands. Their new album Unmitigated Disaster seems to be a sort of fusion of the music of Forbidden and Megadeth. Their are dramatic vocal parts and epic guitar solos for an end result that is headbanging and ferocious. In short, a wonderfully technical thrash record with lots of interesting twists and turns Unmitigated Disaster will engage the listener for many a spin and force heads to bang the world over!

As I said before what truly makes this record remarkable is the way the guitar acrobatics fuse with strangely elegant vocals, or at least ones that go a fair sight beyond your standard thrash shouts. At their best they are almost reminiscent of Joey Belladona of Anthrax. Meanwhile the rhythm section is just hectic and there are all sorts of crazy fills which add a lot of flavor to the songs like Becoming the Alpha. They add an unexpected punch to a lot of tracks and its part of what keeps Alphakills music so darned interesting. Their sheer technical capability allows them to go places that many thrash bands could never reach.

In conclusion, this collection of nine chaotic thrash metal tracks show a lot of potential from these Winnipeg natives. As far as debut albums go it features a surprisingly tight overall sound and I'm curious to see if they can further streamline it in the future and add further emphasis on the technical parts. With tons of heavy riffs and chunky little rhythmic germs this band should be able to take on a new stage, going above and beyond their local scene and tour the nation. Unimitigated Disaster is tight and very promising, it will be interesting to see if the band can add to their trademark ferocity and technicality in the sequel!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/alphakillthrash

Terrifier-Destroyers of the Faith

Born in fire in 2012 Terrifier is a powerful thrash metal band who incorporate a power metal sensibility into their heavy and high energy brand of thrash. Their new album Destroyers of the Faith is a testament to the greatness of thrash metal. Featuring a heavy Megadeth influence Terrifier have a mighty sound filled with intricate guitar fills that are oftentimes reminiscent of Dave Mustaines work on Rust in Peace. Destructive and filled with impressively heavy riffs this set of 8 tracks is a wonderful block of thrash metal that should appeal to thousands of fans across the globe. At once accessible and very technical this group seem ready to take their music to a whole new level.

I have to say that the most impressive part of this record for me are the solos. They give the record a terrifying energy and really make tracks like the eponymous Destroyers of the Faith truly special. They add a taste of Dragonforce to the mix and I think that this needs to be noted. It takes the band to a whole new level of thrash metal might. Toss in some explosive riffs reminiscent of Overkillor even Iced Earth and you have yourself an impressive block of metal. Clearly the result of some excellent songwriting, Destroyers of the Faith is a very tasty record. The solos alone make this blazing record worth many a listen.

In short, Terrifier are a band defined by their hard hitting sound and their incredible solos. I might even go so far as to say that Terrifier have some of the best solos in modern thrash metal. They just flow with the music and give it so much more depth. With a guitar duo who seem destined to go down in the annals of metal history Terrifier are capable of becoming huge fast. If you're looking for some thrash that will blow your mind with its technical sensibilities then you have come to the right place, Terrifier will burst your brain and force it back together with the power of their twin guitarists.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/TerrifierThrashers/app_2405167945

Draaka Rouge

Draaka Rouge is a very cool shred act from Vancouver. Fronted by a modern virtuoso this is music for all who like it dark and technical. Despite the raw speed this album still remains somewhat accessible to the masses. The overall sound is not too intimidating or introverted, I could see this record gaining some pretty great success. Draaka, the guitarist is a modern day Jason Becker. His solos are technical yet they do not get as boring as Malmsteens. Instead their is definite progression here and a heavy baroque influence. The production is stellar, I really like the mix of the keys. It helps to make the music really flow. The overall compositions show a lot of classical knowledge. Draaka clearly has had a lot of training. His songwriting is really fantastic, it shows the mans true skill. Shred that every metalhead should love I highly recommend you go check this album out!

https://www.facebook.com/draakarouge/app_2405167945

Interview with Xander Demos

So I just got to interview Xander Demos earlier tonight. I found out about his new record as well as his life as a guitar player, read on for more! 

Be sure to like his facebook HERE

So Xander can you introduce yourself?

Yes! Hello everybody my name is Xander Demos from Pittspurg Pennsylvania I am a guitar player of the metal style (Laughter). I am in several different bands right now including my own solo band.

Can you tell us a bit about your new album?

Guitarcadia was basically an album that was under construction for quite a few years. I released an EP called Road to Guitarcadia with a limited budget just to get some things out there. All Five of the songs that appeared on that album appeared on Guitarcadia. Guitarcadia was an album I always wanted to do. I had the name for a number of years I thought it would be a cool album name. Finally we were all done recording it January this year when it was sent to Cj Snare for it to be mixed and mastered and it was released in February as planned.

The first time I heard I thought it sounded like something that Shrapnel Records would have released in the 80s. Was that a goal of yours?

Yes it actually was. Got to be honest I was a huge Shrapnel Record fans and as a guitarist I'm really into instrumental music so that was where I was going with that. The new album I'm working on, Dancing Through Daggers has a vocalist and different band members. So a lot of the make up of the song writing is different now. Where I had 8 instrumentals and 2 vocals tunes on Guitarcadia, I have 7 vocal tunes and 3 instrumentals on the albums that's going to be coming out.

When can we expect that?

That'll be out probably next year we've got the 3 instrumentals already written and two vocal tunes already written. The other 5 I'm going to do with my band.

Are the vocal tunes going to be power metally?

Yes, they definitely will. Power metal style. But if you're familiar with Dream Theater you know how they can throw you a curveball every one in a while with their songwriting in songs like Lifting Shadows off a Dream or I walk besides you. I have a song called Minds Eye which is very much like one of those tunes. It's a really mleodic tune it doesn't have a lot of heaviness to it but its defintely in the signature sound that I have. Really big hooks and all that. The new album is sort of like a story rather than just some cool stuff thrown together. But I'll release more info as we get closer to the release.

For Guitarcadia, how did the writing process go?

It took place over a number of years. On Metagalactic, which on Road to Guitarcadia was called Into the Skies, I changed the name on a few songs for a couple reasons. Metagalactic was written back in the late 80s and I actually submitted that to Shrapnel. I wasn't as accomplished a player at that time and of course I never heard anything back but at least I got that out there. I knew that Mike Barney got thousands of submissions. So that's my oldest tune. But most of the other stuff, like Right Angles I wrote 3 years ago. It was melodic, almost like a pop metal song and I thought you know this might work with some vocals. The song Nothing Major was a collaboration with my keyboard player. We were joking around saying this song will be all major key stuff and we'll call it “Nothing Major” being silly in our songwriting there. Under Darkened Skies actually went back to the power metal band called Stronghold. The vocalists that's on their was the vocalist in that band to do it because we had never done it in the studio. The writing process was kind of cool the way it went. Woodshed Sonata was actually written by me and then Matt and Chris laid down their parts without ever hearing the song!

What kind of equipment did you use on Guitarcadia?

I have an iMac with an extra monitor. I used Protools Vigio 3. The direct interface version. I used some other things, I have an octo-pre for the drums. Then a PreSonus Eureka for the vocals and definitely the bass. Most of the stuff I use like Sennheiser and Short mics I use to mic up my cabinet. I sometimes do weird mic tricks with that but nothing crazy. I also used the AxeFX ultra on pretty much all my guitar parts?

Whats your favorite song off Guitarcadia?

The one that's so special to me is Right Angles it opens it right up and introduces the whole album. As for playing it either Right Angles or Guitarcadia because Guitarcadia is a lot of fun and we actually have an extended beginning that's actually going to be on the new album as a bonus track. Guitarcadia is a blast to play live.

One of my highlights was the Boys of Summer cover. Why did you include it?

Good question. When I was trying to get some stuff recorded a long time ago a friend of mine who plays in the Sabbath Judas Sabbath tribute band with me he was recording a demo for the cover band that I was in. We did 8-9 cover tunes, just completely random tracks, Seperate Ways by Journey, Don't Stop Believing, Jump. All these songs a cover band would play, just a lot heavier. But Boys of Summer we kind of took to a new level because we were all into the shred thing. I don't know if you're familiar with it but The Working Man album from 1995 came out with a cover of Analog Kid on it. And Michael Romeo and Billy Sheehan played on it. That Boys of Summer was a tribute to that song. And that's why I included it. It has that little shred solo in the middle and the fun bass guitar. So basically I included because it had a lot of over top guitar work.

When and why did you start playing guitar?

That's an easy one. Basically I started in the 80s watching MTV and I basically started out on drums but that didn't work out to well. But a year later I begged my parents to get my guitar and I saw Ozzy and Night Ranger and all these other guitar players getting these cool noises out of it and that's kind of what started it.

How many hours a day were you doing in high school?

Maybe like one hour a day? Sometimes it was longer there was days where I probably had a guitar in my hand for 3-4 hours it wasn't all the time.

So how did you get so good?

In the 90s when grunge came around and guitar playing was no longer cool I justkept playing annd practicing a lot and hoping that style of playing would be popular again. And when I joined a power metal band in the early 2000s people were like “Oh hey look this guy plays guitar solos” and stuffl like that. I basically had 8-9 years in the 90s to improve myself.

With your band, what are you future plans, especially for tours?

Well future plans right now are to get this second album done and do some national act openings and if we're fortunate enough and somebody gives us enough a money maybe do a tour.

Finally, What is it that you love so much about music?

Everything, I know I sound like the guy from Almost Famous when I say that but everything possible. The way a song hits you and hearing something new that wasn't there a year ago and you think about where you were when you heard it. Its all of music that I love.

Luay Rifai

Luay Rifai is a illumination fusion guitarist who knows how to lay out the craziest riffs and the speediest solos while still allowing room for a lot of emotion. Stylistically this guy is closest to Joe Satriani or maybe even Guthrie Govan. His riffs have a wild rock and roll energy to them but they don't get overly gratuitous like those of Yngwie Malmsteen. They just are, they rock, they roll and they're accessible. This is instrumental rock for the common man. Meanwhile, the backing band is pretty stellar and gives Rifai a nice padding to bounce off of. Their playing is pretty run of the mill, yet it gives him enough atmosphere to really create some magic. Overall though the playing is mindblowing. This guy truly knows how to make a guitar sing and do it in a way that doesn't turn off non-musicians. He is one of the few modern instrumental shredders who could truly make it big in th rock world. So go check him out and be amazed!
https://www.facebook.com/RifaiLuay

Xander Demos-Guitarcadia

                            


Xander Demos is a shred guitarist from my home state of Pennsylvania. He has all the chops and some mad licks. They are very tasty and his debut album is filled to the brim with awesome solos and lots of crazy shredding. In many ways this sounds like something Shrapnel Records would release in the 80s. I'm not saying that it's boring, but that it's very much in the style of the old masters like Malmsteen. It has the old school power metal feel, the oodles of solos, and the fun high energy bouncy riffs, as well as the obligatory killer cover song. (In this case Boys of Summer). Guitarcadia is an album that will draw you in, show you a shreddin' good time and spit you back out. With a sound that could only have come from the womb of Malmsteen this album will not fall to blow you away.



The guitar work features a ton of crazy solos. And there are a lot of instrumental tracks on this album. It makes the vocals feel a bit out, but overall it creates a very nice overall sound. The songs flow into each other and the lush guitar nerd solos will take most shredders back to their early days in the genre. Listening to this record I think of my first shred albums, Odyssey (Malmsteen) and Glory to the Brave (Hammerfall). Xander manages to capture all of their majesty while putting his own specific spin on it. I might describe his sound as a tad jazzier than Malmsteen's. He also does not confine himself to any one scale, and this means that he gets a lot more from his guitar. The neoclassical stylings on songs like White Knuckle Driving are very tasty and they add a lot to the album and give it that old-school feel. Overall, the playing on this album is awesome and I will be listening to it a lot just for this.



Meanwhile there are other cool aspects of this album. The bass is certainly given a lot of time to shine. I really like the bass lines and they help solidify a very shred-tastic album. There are some cool fills too and I really like the way they fit into the music. White Knuckle Driving features some cool stuff from a bass perspective too with a most excellent fill at the beginning. The drumming is pretty solid too and there are a lot of great fills. In particular the song Guitarcadia (which is yet another track in the good old Shrapnel Records style) shows off a lot of really cool fills that I didn't really take in on first listen. It really keeps the energy up and makes sure that you don't die under the might of Xander's soloing. Overall, this bands' rhythm section is stellar and truly knows how to keep a shred god on his feet.



Finally the vocals are a ton of fun and can be both very power metal as well as very rock. The more power metal songs really get into a Hammerfall vein and conjure up images of dungeons and dragons. It's hard to say a lot about the singing due to a good chunk of the album being instrumental. I will say that the singer definitely does have a great voice and he can really rock. I will also go so far as to say that, the cover of Boys of Summer is just as good as, if not better than the original and this mans' voice plays a HUGE part in that. He really gets the atmosphere right and can truly drive a band forward.



In conclusion, Guitarcadia is a lush album filled with tons of glorious licks that will rip your mind apart. This is an album that takes elements of modern power metal and shred and fuses them with an old school Vai or Alcatraz sound and then goes crazy with it. Xander Demos is a guitar god and he knows how to rock. His band is also brilliant and they really give him a solid backing for his guitar madness. So go listen to this album, guitar players will delight and non musicians will be blown away by the beautiful melodies that Xander continually creates.



https://www.facebook.com/xanderdemosmusic?ref=ts

Ryan Malloy

Ryan Malloy has created one of the most interesting musical projects that I have ever heard. He combines crazy Govan style shredding with almost Jack White-ish garage rock. The music is defined by it's simplicity with only a guitar and vocals Malloy has to work hard to get a full sound. This leads to some of the most creative music I have heard in months. The guitar work is phenomenal with some great solos coming in and proving Malloy's guitar skill. Then his guitar riffs support the verses and have a raw garage rock feel to them. My only issue is that occasionally the song structures seem off and upset my ear. The vocals are very good and feel extremely untreated and are very human. They are not the greatest yet this gives them humanity and makes them much easier to relate too. Overall Ryan Malloy is a great singer-songwriter who writes some of the most creative music out there. I strongly recommend checking him out.

OVERALL 8.5/10

http://ryanmalloy.bandcamp.com/album/ready-or-not

like their facebook while you're at it

https://www.facebook.com/RyanMalloyMusic

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