Stump's most recent CD, "Rapid Fire Rondo", features more of the same neo-classical metal guitar shred. But anyone who has listened to Stump's complete body of work, as I have, will hear that on this disc the arrangements are better, the songwriting is more polished, and the production is cleaner than on any of his previous efforts. From the get-go, you know what you're going to get with this CD, and you get plenty of it. The opener, "Rapid Fire Rondo," not only gets the neo-classical shred party started, it also keeps it going as the track clocks in at almost seven-and-a-half minutes. There are some killer riffs (according to Joe's liner notes, the "bad ass pentatonic lick after the solo section), awesome soloing, and almost a "back-in-time" effect as you are transported to Castle Stump. After a brief slowdown with the one minute thirty-five second "Echo Andante," it's back to full speed and some mean, almost evil riffs with "Thrill Of The Chase." (Shredfest's Hot Pick) This track tells me the story (instrumentally, of course) of a hero or innocent person being chased by some evil being. There is a brief respite in the middle, as if the person feels they have gotten away. But then the evil guitar sound charges back in, and the chase is on once again. That's the great thing with instrumental guitar music - the fun is in the interpretation!

"End of an Era" was written for Joe's closest friend who passed away on September 18th - the anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's death, and also Joe's birthday. As he says in the liner notes, "How do you like that, two of my favorite guys on my birthday. Needless to say, I played my heart out on this tune." It shows. The next track, "Speedball Sonatina" showcases more of Joe's technical prowess with almost a two minute run of 16ths and a killer arpeggio section. "Shredding In Shuffle City" is a bit of a departure. Joe indicates that we should listen to Blackmore playing during "Lazy" on "Made In Japan" and we'll know where he's coming from, but I could have told you this was a Blackmore-influenced track. The licks are clearly Blackmore-like and the song has a blues-rock burn that kicks ass. There is the obligatory Bach-influenced, self-indulgent solo piece ("Unrelenting"), an uncanny salute to the style of David T. Chastain ("The Dominance Factor"), a fast and heavy Euro-Metal track with some great soloing and a beat to bang your head to ("Eurotrashed"), and finally, a heavy, gothic piece with a somewhat Egyptian-sounding melody ("Pharaoh's Delight") which wraps up the disc nicely.

There is a real maturity developing in Joe Stump's music, as he tries to beat the knock that he is simply an Yngwie Malmsteen wanna-be, a charge that has (understandably) been leveled at him repeatedly over the years. But Stump's songs tend to be heavier and darker than Malmsteen's, not to mention that they are instrumental, which means that Stump's fretwork has to tell the story because there's no vocalist to handle that. (Stump does have a couple of vocal projects, Second Coming and Shooting Hemlock.) Stump is beginning to strike a nice balance between being a guitar virtuoso and someone who can create a great overall musical experience for the listener. If you are a fan of classical arrangements and shred guitar, you will appreciate "Rapid Fire Rondo". Also, guitarists will enjoy Joe's notes on each song, as he briefly discusses some of the technical aspects of the compositions. Overall, an enjoyable instrumental journey.