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Vol. 14, No. 4: Jun.-Jul. 2009
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Electric (Heavy) Recommendations
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Guitar Nine Records
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Giuseppe Silvestri
La Rosa Del Deserto
Our Price: $16.00
(Price Includes U.S. shipping)
More Info
Neo-Classical Metal/Heavy Metal
Reviewer Dimitris Starakis, of the Magic Starlite 'Zine writes about Giuseppe Silvestri's 2008 CD La Rosa Del Deserto, "This is the second CD from the 34-year-old guitarist, who recently signed a contract with Secret Port Records and he definitely carries the tradition of the great Italian scene! I really enjoy instrumental albums, especially when the composer strongly focuses on his inspirational melodies and riffs, without having the demonstration of various techniques as a top priority. The style of the album ranges from my favorite Neo-Classical songs ("Inferno", "Coral Castle", "Portrait of Isabel", "Les Fleur Du Mal"), to Eastern-influenced tracks ("Gates Of Passion"), mid-tempo pompous compositions ("Eternity") and quite sentimental moments (the title track, "Daisy") so there's plenty of variety for the listener to choose which songs fits their taste best. Giuseppe is totally enjoyable when he performs the songs: he uses catchy phrases which never produce a dull moment and I think that this is the great advantage of his second effort. Allow me also to express my admiration for the song "Portrait Of Isabel" since I think that in this particular song Giuseppe proves his advanced skills as a composer." Instrumental Guitar, total running time, 55:15
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In Review
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'What Lies Beyond Words'
Review Featured In ProgScape.com
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| Hard Rock/Shred | |
By: Bill Knispel
cott Allen has been playing guitar since first
discovering Van Halen at 11. At 20 he enrolled at
the Musician`s Institute, graduating in 1996 after
studying with players such as Scott Henderson and
Brett Garsed. The Scott Allen Project has been his
main performing ensemble, having opened for national
artists such as Planet X, Gary Hoey and Eric Martin
of Mr. Big. Allen has also gotten significant press
coverage for his playing in a variety of regional
and national publications, including Guitar Player
Magazine, Northeast In-tune Magazine, Rise Music
Magazine, and Unsigned Music Magazine.
What Lies Beyond Words is Allen`s first album, and
has been produced by Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon.
The first and most important thing that I must
impress in this review is that this album is made up
of songs. Not launching pads for instrumental
wankery par excellence (or more accurately, in
extremis). Scott Allen has crafted 11 tracks that
stand as structured songs. Despite the guitar being
the lead melodic voice, it would not be difficult at
all to imagine these tracks with vocals.
Allen has assembled a strong supporting cast of
musicians to bring these compositions to life. Tom
Frost and Brian Kinney are a solid rhythm section on
drums and bass, respectively. Marty Cresci handles
rhythm guitar, and also gets an opportunity to show
off a little with an outro solo on the album`s
concluding track, "The Clock is Ticking." The
band gels quite well, and it feels obvious that
they`ve done some significant woodshedding to
polish their playing and songwriting skills. Frank
Hannon`s production pulls no punches, with crisp
highs, a thick midrange and punchy lows that can
rattle windows at high volumes, perfect for the high
energy instrumental rock the Scott Allen Project
brings to the table.
What Lies Beyond Words opens with "I Want Some of
This (Bring It On)," a rocker which alternates
crunchy blues with Satriani-esque lead lines. "The
Grind" is just that; a sleazy mid tempo stomper
with fuzzy, tremelo drenched guitar and a groove as
deep as the Grand Canyon. Slower tracks such as
"Saying Goodbye" show some degree of Jeff Beck
influence, as Allen wrings long, weepy sustained
notes from his instrument while his bandmates drive
a smooth, jazzy vamp underneath. The album contrasts
this quiet mood with the raucous "Eternal
Optimist," a bright, cheery rocker with bursts of
double kick drum and tastefully crunchy rhythm
guitar.
A jazzier vibe can be heard on "The Cool
Breeze," with Cresci`s clean guitar chords
glistening under overdriven leads. "A Girl I Once
Knew" is an uplifting, almost anthemic rocker,
with keyboard orchestration and a tasteful
harmonized lead tone.
The album closes with "The Clock Is Ticking."
This track literally opens with the ticking of a
stopwatch as the song shifts through several time
and mood changes. It`s one of the least
straightforward tracks on the album, and its
complexity is effortless and enjoyable.
What Lies Beyond Words is appealing in that it
offers actual songs for Allen to show off his guitar
playing chops. With a surfeit of melody and less
wanking per minute than most guitar-based
instrumental albums, Scott Allen`s What Lies
Beyond Words is striking evidence that his is a
guitar voice worthy of mention alongside the current
giants in the instrumental guitar arena. If you dig
players like Satriani or Petrucci, especially at
their most melodic, Scott Allen will be right up you
alley.
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