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: : Review : :
This is a guitar-oriented
album featuring 15 individual artists. Every track offers something different as the
performers change between skits. You won’t find an actor changing costumes backstage
and then returning for a different act. The director really did his research on this
one, auditioning a handful of artists for the parts and filling the slots nicely.
The first two songs, “Kara
Kum,” and “Twisted Metal,” introduce you to the textbook basics in Metal 101. You
then go on to some light reading in, “The Journey Begins.” Afterwards, the amps are
brought in by the stagehands and our minds are fed something quite a bit heavier in,
“Black Inside.” The album continues to oscillate between styles, even reaching out
to blues and jazz at times.
The best song is Nicola
Fassi’s, “Rebel Hot.” Here we go through the character development of a guitarist
who possesses the flair of Steve Morse. The script adapts some of the songwriting
and rhythm of Pain of Salvation, yet it is a fun uplifting song. Every instrument is
elegant, especially the precisely placed notes from the piano. There are no frills
for the sake of it.
The allure of the album is
the fact the compilation touches upon so many different interpretations of metallic
music. A completely different band or artist provides each cut. Every style has
subtle difference from the next. Quintessence Metal WebZine took great efforts to
provide a diverse compilation. That is the overall strength of the album.
Any single contributor who
might have acted alone for the duration of the album may have offered less drama. In
this case, the whole is greater than the sum. It becomes much more fascinating how
it switches scenes between each piece. While these artists are strictly B-list on
their own merits, the art direction is more than worthy of an award.
Rating: 7/10 Stars
Reviewer: Josh Turner
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Fret-Essential Compilation CD # 1 - 2004
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