Saturday, July 10, 2010

Matthew Mills - The Neoclassical Journey Remastered 2010 CD review

Matthew Mills - The Neoclassical Journey Remastered 2010 CD (Matt Mills Music)

One thing crossed my mind when I got Matthew's fifth solo CD in my hands: "Good to have you back, Man!". For all of us who cannot attend Matthew's shows and guitar clinics, his albums prove that Neoclassical Metal still has some loyal and talented "servants". After I listened to "The Neoclassical Journey", I believe that probably is his best solo effort. The talented virtuoso contributes his finest guitar work in splendid songs like the opener "Thoughts Of Time", which once again highlights his favorite songwriting style: strong, catchy and melodic riffs combined with astonishing guitar cadenzas that established his reputation over the years. "Dark Matter part 2" is deeply emotional, sentimental and European-flavored song, with strong Baroque influences. Matthew reaches the limits of his performance and always tries to set new standards for his favorite musical style. Its difficult to follow a Neoclassical Metal path without being repetitive but Matthew proves this opinion wrong. Just listen to the song "Night Time": Melody and atmosphere combine smoothly and the result is wonderful. For all the above reasons, I cannot stop listening to Matthew's musical creations, even though I am not a guitarist, so that means a lot. 
"The Neoclassical Journey features also two guest appearances: David Shankle (DSG, ex-Manowar) contributes two solos on "Dragon's Fire", while Joe Stump delivers his distinguishable guitar solo in the song "Fire Storm". For all arpeggio fanatics, the closing track of the CD, "Arpeggio Travel part 3" ends Matthew's "arpeggio trilogy" that began in his second album titled "Neoclassical Rock guitar" delivers his insane performance and makes everyone ask for more! "The Neoclassical Journey" is  a highlight of modern Neoclassical Metal, proving that the genre still stands strong. You can buy the album through guitar9.com or digitally download it via iTunesMatthew Mill's official web-site

Dimitris Starakis

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