Produced by Stu Marshall
Released: 2007
Yesterday I reviewed a Dungeon album, and today I'm taking a listen to the solo album from that band's former guitarist Stu Marshall. Instrumental shred albums aren't high on my list of preferred listening. Guitarists can digest these things and then rave on for hours about sweeping and dive-bombing while everyone around them wonders why they're talking about domestic duties and Stukas, and I prefer fretboard wizardry within the constraints of well written and stuctured songs, rather than existing for its own sake. Therefore, Marshall's Altered States should ordinarily be sitting in the dark corner of my CD collection reserved for vapid wankfests like Onward and Malmsteen. The fact that it isn't says a lot.
Altered States kicks off with a track called "Kill or Be Killed", a fast, thrashy cut with a face-ripping riff. "City Nights" stays in metal territory and features the added bonus of Enter Twilight's Richie Hauberger adding his own jaw-dropping moves to Marshall's already considerably awe-inspiring string pulling. These two songs represent the more metallic side of Marshall's personality as the rest of the album explores other angles. Several of the pieces like "Can You Hear Me?" and "Juli's Song" have that laid-back Satriani-style feel about them and "Blind Faith" is a very nice slow, bluesy extended jam. Then there's "Goliath", the only track to feature Marshall's smooth rock vocals. This is a real stand-out that had me thinking of some of Gary Moore's heavier rock moments, with the soloing to go along with it.
While there is some insane playing in evidence, Marshall doesn't go all out to bludgeon his listeners with pure technique, repetition or speed. Instead, he can be languid and relaxed or drop into a steady groove and just rock. Guitarists will still be the ones to greet this album with most enthusiasm, but people who aren't musicians should get something worthwhile from it also.
- Kill or be Killed
- City Nights
- Can You Hear Me?
- Francois
- Juli's Song
- Northam Grove
- Blind Faith
- Goliath
- Balloon Race
- Sunday Afternoon (The Jam)
- The Drunken Highland Fling
Rating: 69%
Idiot You Have No Idea What You're Talking About...."Malmsteen"....Has Done Things And Opened So Many Doors For So Many Would Be GunSlingers It's Hard To Count,Many Have Tried To Copy "Yngwie Malmsteen's" Style Many Have Failed InCluding Myself....You Call His Playing A WankFest ???? What Do you Call A Good Playing Style....Moron ????
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