The Guitar Player's Resource
Virginia guitarist and instructor Matthew Mills submitted his 4 song demo CD-R Race Through Eternity, which features a smorgasbord of large, swept arpeggiated sequences and diminished patterns. In fact, the opening title track is a showcase of the sweeping technique, along with pedaled passages (ala Malmsteen and Moore), the main melody not coming in until 1:38 -- a veritable arpeggiated assault. You won't hear this much sweeping in a broom factory! Mills plays his demos over a drum machine, so you might not appreciate the end result as much as you might with a real drummer, however Mills' technical prowess comes through strikingly on every track. He also favors a lot of harmonized lines -- which is another Malmsteen favorite -- the song "Drive" is a showcase of this aspect of Mill's style. Mills may have to work hard to shed the Malmsteen influence however, in order to stake out his own original territory, but technically, he's there!
Matthew began playing guitar at the age of 15, initially influenced by bands like Iron Maiden and Helloween. His life changed after hearing Yngwie Malmsteen, when he realized the importance of practice and dedication towards music and guitar playing. Matthew was inspired enough to practice 6 to 8 hours a day because of Yngwie, and also led him to learn classical music. After years of studying and practicing, he decided to become a guitar teacher, and currently teaches 57 students a week. Matthew has also performed and recorded with the instrumental band Diesmilin, as well as won a local guitar contest. This experience made him decide to push his musical direction.
Mills plans to become a recording artist since he has written a lot of material and is gaining confidence after recording three demo CDs.
Matthew Mills
United States