Blog

Not in exact order, but a general order :D

Jason Becker
Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot)
Shawn Lane
Marty Friedman (Cacophony, Megadeth, etc)
Neil Zaza
Steve Vai (Whitesnake, Alcatrazz)
Andy Timmons
Blues Saraceno
Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult)
Terry Kath (Chicago)
Milan Polak

Hey,

I have great news: my instrumentalguitaralbum has been released, and it is available on CDBaby! Jonas Tamas - Sharp Guitars From A Flat Planet

The album contains 12 instrumental guitar songs, melodic progressivehard rock style (in the vain of John Petrucci, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani) and has over 64 minutes running time. In some songs, there are neoclassical Yngwie Malmsteen or Vinnie Moore touches too, with mellow Andy Timmons-like moments as well.
Overall, an album between rock and metal, with some fast solos, arpeggios, but also melodic, and shred moments too.

You can listen to sound clips of all the 12 songs here:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/tamasjonas

Cheers
Jonas Tamas

Andy Timmons Band / Deliver Us / Resolution (1) / 2006

Also tagged as: Andy Timmons - Deliver Us

At the moment it looks like I have to either make a considerable effort to restore some regularity to my journal posting or consign myself to just the two I've been keeping up each week, so a semi-spontaneous journal on a Thursday is called for.

I've awarded former Danger Danger guitarist Andy Timmons the SotD award a few times before, but recently thistrack has risen in my estimation to be easily my favourite track of his. Every section of this instrumental is strong enough to hang an entire song on, and Andy's tone is just superior to everyone else's. Timmons is perhaps the guitarist best placed to challenge for Joe Satriani's crown as the instrumental guitar virtuoso with the best songwriting sensibilities - in Andy's songs every note counts and the structures are clearly in evidence to all but the shortest attention span. It's not a million notes a second the whole way through like many guitarists are charicatured. Andy, in a very Satriani-like way, is confident enough to play slow and mid-paced powerful phrases with clear verse, chorus and bridge sections each, in this case and many others, as memorable as the last.

Although a 2006 release, Resolution is still Andy's most recent release. It is perhaps suggestable then that a new record may be on the way. I at least hope this is the case, but I'm unaware as to whether we should expect one this year or not.

A shout out for 2006, while I'm thinking about it, THE year for instrumental guitar in my book. A hell of a lot of fantastic instrumental releases that year.

Do any of the usual readers remember Danger Danger, by the way? No one mentioned anything last time I mentioned them, but I find it hard to believe. Bad memories that need to be surpressed perhaps?

Abbath Doom Occulta of Immortal
Ace Frehley of KISS
Adam Jones of Tool
Akira Takasaki of Loudness
Alex Lifeson of Rush
Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson of Testament
Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom
Andre Olbrich of Blind Guardian
Andy James
Andy Timmons (Danger Danger, Andy Timmons Band)
Angus & Malcolm Young of AC/DC
Bernie Versailles (Agent Steel, Redemption)
Bill Steer of Carcass
bjorn gelotte & Jesper Stromblad of In Flames
Brett Garsed (Planet X)
Brian May of Queen
Brian Tatler of Diamond Head
Carl Roa
Chris DeGarmo & Michael Wilton of QUEENSRŸCHE
Chris Impellitteri (Impellitteri)
Chuck Schuldiner of Death
Daron Malakian of System of a Down
Dave Murray & Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden
Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman of Megadeth
Dave Weiner
Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad)
Dimebag Darrell of Pantera & Damageplan
Dino Cazares of Fear Factory
Donald Buck Dharma Roeser of Blue Öyster Cult
Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio, Hurricane, Burning Rain, Lion, House of Lords, Bad Moon Rising)
Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen
Fast Eddie Clarke of MOTÖRHEAD
Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch of Tesla
Gary Hoey
Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt of Exodus
Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy)
George Lynch of Dokken
Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce of Alice Cooper
Glen Tipton & KK Downing of Judas Priest
Gus G (Firewind, Mystic Prophecy, Dream Evil
Guthrie Govan (GPS)
Hank Shermann & Michael Denner of Mercyful Fate
Head & munky of Korn
Jake E Lee of Ozzy Osbourne & Badlands
Jason Becker of Dave Lee Roth
Jeff Beck
Jeff Waters (Annihilator)
Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains
Jim Martin of Faith No More
Jim Matheos of Fates Warning
Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
Joe Perry & Brad Whitford of Aerosmith
Joe Satriani
Joey Tafolla (Jag Panzer)
John Christ of Danzig
John Kay & Michael Monarh of Steppenwolf
John Petrucci of Dream Theater
John Sykes of Thin Lizzy & Blue Murder
Jon Donais & Matt Backhand of Shadows Fall
Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth
Jørn Viggo Lofstad (Pagan's Mind, Jorn)
Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray
Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman of Slayer
Kiko Loureiro & Rafael Bittencourt (Angra)
Kim Thayil of Soundgarden
Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield of Metallica
Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
Leslie West of Mountain
Mantas of Venom
Mark Morton & Will Adler of Lamb of God
Marten Hagström & Fredrik Thorndendal of Meshuggah
Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen, Jonas Hellborg)
Michael Amott of Arch Enemy
Michael Angelo
Michael Romeo of Symphony X
Michael Schenker of MSG & UFO
Mick Mars of MÖTLEY CRÜE
Mikael Åkerfeldt & Peter Lindgren of Opeth
Neil Young
Nick Bowcott of Grim Reaper
Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap
Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme
Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth of Mayhem
Paul Gilbert of Mr Big & Racer X
Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman of coc
Pete Townshend of The Who
Phil Campbell (Motorhead)
Phil Collen & steve clarke of Def Leppard
Piggy of Voivod
Randy Rhoads of Ozzy Osbourne
Reb Beach of Winger & Dokken
Richie Kotzen (Poison, Mr. Big, Forty Deuce)
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi
Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple & Rainbow
Robert Fripp of King Crimson
Ron Jarzombek (Watchtower, Spastic Ink)
Ron Thal (a.k.a. Bumblefoot, Guns N Roses)
Roy Z (Bruce Dickinson)
Rudolf Schenker & Uli John Roth of Scorpions
Rusty Cooley (Outworld)
Sammy Hagar of Van Halen
Scott "Wino" Weinrich of The Obsessed
Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy
Scott Ian of Anthrax
Slash of Guns N' Roses
Stephen Carpenter of Deftones
Steve Lukather (Toto, Los Lobotomys, El Grupo, Doves Of Fire
Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple, Steve Morse Band)
Steve Stevens (Billy Idol)
Steve Vai of Dave Lee Roth
Ted Nugent
Timo Tolkki of Stratovarius
Tom G Warrior of Celtic Frost
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine
Tommy Victor of Prong
Tony Bourge of Budgie
Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
Tony Macalpine (Planet X, Devil's Slingshot, Ring of Fire, CAB)
Tore Østby (Conception, Ark
Trey Azagthoth of Morbid Angel
Ty Tabor of King's X
Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid of Entombed
Vernon Reid of Living Colour
Vinnie Moore (UFO)
Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard
Warren DeMartini of Ratt
Yngwie Malmsteen
Zakk Wylde of Ozzy Osbourne & Black Label Society


This list is just a jumping off point. There are GLARING OMMISSIONS. Please share your recommendations from all genres...I can't get enough guitar virtuosity!

NOW WORSHIP AT THE ALTAR OF THE METAL GODS!

Antonio Vega
Freak Kitchen
Andy Timmons
Tony Hernando
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Dream Theater
Tool
Extreme
Yngwie Malmsteen
Maneta de Camioneta
Voodoo Six
Stratovarius
The Flower Kings with Daniel Gildenlow
Thunderstone
G3 ...with Robert Fripp, Steve Vai & Joe Satriani
Symphony X
The Gathering
Pale Forest
Eric Sardinas
Paul Gilbert
Kip Winger
Dare
Jorn
Pure Inc.
Lamar Chase
Triosphere
Tyketto
Eden Lost
The Chariot
The Human Abstract
Protest the Hero
Megadeth
Judas Priest
Testament
AC/DC
Mr. Big
Deep Purple
Opeth
Bigelf
Unexpect

some of them more than once...and I am probably forgetting something, mainly openers

Andy Timmons Band / "Gone (9/11/01)" / Resolution (7) / May 2006

Artist: Andy Timmons Band
Original Album: Resolution
Track: Gone (9/11/01)

This track was supposedly written seven years ago to the day and, so former Danger Danger guitarist Andy Timmons claims represents a musical snapshot of what everyone was feeling on that day. The track is not as desolate and empty as I would have imagined it based on that information alone, instead it has more of a curious nature at least in my understanding of it. Of course, it's far from upbeat, but I would have expected a very slow piece to bare the accolade of being written on 9/11/01.

It's a nice piece with an ever so slightly exotic feel, but I can't help but feel that the importance or true nature of the events had yet to sink in when this was written. It brings memories back to me of a similar nature, on the day itself I was more concerned with who would do such a thing and how and what it meant for the future than the loss of life. That's not to say I didn't think the loss of life was awful and absolutely terrible, but I was thirteen, not particularly politically aware, and on the east side of the Atlantic, my awareness of the true size of the towers, the true number of people in them and their actual fame and importance was minimal. I remember to start with confusion was definitely the chief emotion I felt. It was the afternoon here I was at school when it happened, the first I heard of it was a completely distorted message undoubtedly passed through numerous other schoolchildren before it reached me. First thing I was told was that a plane had hit the Eiffel Tower, which was absolutely not what happened. I'm sure it sounds strange, but even when I saw that pictures, I took a long time to take it in. Up to that point I had believed the 'big news' to have been an accidental plane crash, so for some reason it took me a long time to realise there was no way it could have been accidental. Looking back, it was obvious - two planes don't just crash in such a short space of time in such an exact area - but there was such a degree of confuision about everything that logical thought like that didn't seem quite as conclusive as it normally would.

The world changed in a matter of hours, maybe even minutes. To my recollection, I had never heard the word 'terrorist' or 'terrorism' before. I didn't know who Al-Qaeda were. They weren't a big thing. Then suddenly, everyone knew. They were a big thing. I think this track represents that well too. Towards the end of the track we hear playing that is suggestive of a collapse, possibly of the towers themselves, but more fitting, I think as a signalling of the end of an era, 'the era of blissful ignorance' if you will. It certainly seems that ay to me.

On a lighter note, (and I'm sorry if this is too abrupt a change in the mood,) also in the news today Royal mix-up over lager delivery.

Dave Weiner / "Shove The Sun Aside" / Shove The Sun Aside (6) / 2004

Artist: Dave Weiner
Original Album:Shove the Sun Aside
Track: Shove The Sun Aside

I know I've tried to go easy on the instrumental stuff, bbut I've got a load of instrumental artist left over at this point where I'm struggling for full band artists before I have to start repeating myself or picking 'one hit wonders' or bands I know very little about. Yes, I do have a few left, but one or two I'm keeping for specific days, and one or two I either just don't want to use or would be slightly inappropriate today.

Let's not take anything away from this one though. Dave Weiner, for those who don't know, has been Steve Vai's live band's rhythm guitarist since the recording of Alive in an Ultra World. The Shove the Sun Aside EP is pretty damn good, and worth a listen for anyone reaching out beyond the first seven or eight instrumental guitarists that anyone interested in the genre usually encountersd first. Even if you don't listen to the first album, seek out this track because it is the masterpiece of the EP. Exceedingly tuneful and nearly 7 and a half minutes long the track builds up momentum in its gradual intro and and never flags, lacks or allows for boredom to creep in, despite it's rather lengthy fade out. Recommended for fans of Vai, Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons.

Andy Timmons / "That Was Then, This Is Now" / Ear X-Tacy 2 (1) / 1997

Artist: Andy Timmons
Original Album: Ear X-Tacy 2
Track: That Was Then, This Is Now

As a general rule, I'm trying to avoid, or minimise the number of instrumentals I choose for sotd. I'm not really sure, why I'm doing that, as I listen to a lot of instrumental music. Nevertheless, this is the second instrumental track I've picked for SotD.

Guitar fans out there should check out ex-Danger Danger guitarist, Timmons, as he really is the king of tone. His playing is great and extremely melodic. He plays more of a blues influence than classical, thusbearing closer resemblance to someone like Joe Satriani than say Yngwie Malmsteen.

Since the pair of 'Ear X-Tacy' albums are fairly hard to come by these days, newcomers will be well advised to pick-up the compilation of the two, for which this track has been promoted to being the title track. (Album link: That Was Then, This Is Now.)

Timmons is a seriously underrated guitarist, who rarely seems to play less than perfectly. Any fan of Satriani, Steve Vai or Eric Johnson should have a listen. Note, that list of 'similar artists' is not picked randomly.