The Chicago-native, who founded The Midwest Premier Guitar Instruction Service in 1979, often travels the country attending guitar clinics when he is not teaching and performing, and his endorsements include GHS strings.

Accompanied by John Falstrom on bass and Pat Doody (who is also co-producer) on drums, Mantel has written and arranged twenty tracks featuring a variety of styles and vibes that follow a path of many musical twists and turns. From rock and fusion, to funk and jazz, to pop and ballads, it's all here. And often times more than one of these themes within the same track.

Throughout Unstruck, Mantel touches upon many of his diverse guitar influences such as progressive rock, (Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth, Alex Lifeson) blues, (Albert King, Robert Johnson, Buddy Guy) and jazz (Pat Metheny, Lenny Breau Stanley Jordan).

Right from the quizzical opening intro of radio-dial noise (the title track), The Unstruck Melody takes the listener on a journey that with every turn, leaves you wondering "what's around the next corner" with each track.

From the all-out instrumental rocking of "Tribute", "The Real You" (with a wah wah-drenched solo that would frighten away Peter Frampton) and "Wings Of Fire", to the smooth jazz grooves of "The Simple Things", "Tai-Chi" and "Under A Different Light", to the melodic-rock side of "Shine On" and "Why So Lonely", Unstruck runs the gamete of rock, jazz and pop themes.

One impressive aspect for this reviewer is how Mantel can blend all these different genres and styles within a single track, seamlessly matching acoustic chords back-to-back with soaring progressive leads with ease.

This guitarist can truly play anything, and is a pretty good vocalist as well, singing on eight of the tracks. So if progressive-edged guitar virtuosity, with some jazzy-funk and pop grooves tossed about, then investigating The Unstruck Melody would be well worth your while.