By: Johan
ith this album, Eric Mantel has made a big impression on me. Every time I
listen to it, I discover something new, and it was clear from the start it
wasn't going to be easy to put into words. "The Unstruck Melody" is,
basically, a musical journey through his entire career, which is very
impressive to say the least. Eric learns to play the guitar from his brother
Jon, also studying piano and vocals later on. Until the late 80's, Eric
plays in a lot of different bands, Eric took lessons from a guitar teacher
who was a Berklee School of music graduate, who turned Eric onto legends Pat
Metheny, Wes Montgomery, Al DiMeola, Steve Morse and Ted Greene..
All of them proving to be great influences on Eric's playing. In 1990, The
Eric Mantel Trio receives worldwide recognition for their album "The
Politics Of Experience", and as a result, some articles from Mike Varney
(Guitar Player Magazine) and Willie Marr (Guitar World Magazine) appear. In
the 90's, Mantel finishes a lot of projects in different styles of music,
working together with great musicians like David Ragsdale (Kansas) and
others. Furthermore, apart from being a talented singer/composer/musician,
he has also grown to be a great entertainer and teacher.
With such an incredible background, it's hardly surprising that his new
album, "The Unstruck Melody", turns out to be a real jewel. Mantel's style
on this album reflects the many different influences accumulated throughout
his career, including mainly jazz, pop, rock, fusion, classical, ballads,
funk and country. "The Unstruck Melody" opens with a sample of a radio,
constantly being tuned to a different station, playing songs in the diverse
musical styles mastered by Eric Mantel. This is followed by "Tribute", a
hard-rock song in true Vai, Morse and Satriani style. You get jazzy-pop with
"The Simple Thing", than a swinging "The Real You", and the jazz-oriented
"Tai Chi". Proof that Eric doesn't mind a little mainstream pop, is given
with "Shine On", "Merry Go Round" and "Gloria", all perfectly acceptable for
radio-play. A guitar-synth is used for "Under A Different Light", playing a
jazzy melody. "Why So Lonely" is a ballad, and unfortunately not the best
song of the album. "Exit 10" then, is a nice rock/fusion instrumental, while
"Intermission" has certain Eastern influences. Even a classical guitar
piece, "Affectionately Yours", is played with extreme purity. "There are No
Words" forms a bridge from jazz/fusion to the passionate soloing in "Wings
Of Fire", displaying a funky groove also found in "Only Want Your Love".
Paula Mantel, Eric's sister, sings the intro for the pop-ballad "True Home".
One of the only musical styles not covered yet is country, and that's
exactly what you get with the fast "Finger Pickin' Country", followed by
"The Unstruck Melody (Reprise)". This last song is not a repetition of the
first track, but rather a continuation. "Don't Let The Day Go By" is, in my
opinion, a disappointing rock-ballad, while "Everybody wants to go to heaven
but nobody wants to die" finishes off the CD in radio-style.
This album is partly instrumental, but even Eric's vocals are performed
exemplary. Eric Mantel not only shines as a guitar player, but the sound and
overall production is of the utmost quality. With over 40 endorser
contracts, Mantel certainly seems to explode with energy and recognition.
The writing "Let the musical journey begin" on the inside cover, is most
definitely not misplaced. The music even had a soothing, relaxing and
spiritual effect on me. Eric Mantel is, without a doubt, one of the most
versatile guitarists in existence, and aptly named "Chicago's best kept
secret". Highly recommended!
Rating: 9.5/10.
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