Format: flac + cue + log
Genre: Rock, Instrumental rock, neo-classical metal
Release Date: 1986
Label: Shrapnel
Album Review by Andy Hinds @ AMG
After Yngwie Malmsteen set the guitar world on fire with his 1984 debut, Rising Force, it was amazing how quickly the clones came out of the woodwork. Within a couple years there were dozens of them, flooding the market with their recorded instrumental extravaganzas. Tony MacAlpine was one of the Yngwie followers, to a certain degree. His debut album, Edge of Insanity, with its all-star rhythm section of Steve Smith and Billy Sheehan (drums and bass, respectively), follows the rough blueprint of Yngwie's model. Soloing over dramatic minor key vamps, MacAlpine catalogs his impressive licks at top speed. But while his chops on the guitar are quite astounding, what is more impressive is that he is equally adept at playing the keyboard. So there's plenty of exciting guitar/keyboard interplay here, including dueling solo sections and unison or harmonized runs, that is quite dazzling. Album highlights include the laid-back album-closer, "No Place in Time," and MacAlpine's impressive unaccompanied piano performance of Chopin's "Prelude 16, Opus 28." The low point is "Quarter to Midnight," a "live solo" that sounds very suspiciously like a studio recording with (rather fake-sounding) crowd noise dubbed in. His second album, Maximum Security, is much better.
Progressive metal guitar virtuoso Tony MacAlpine began his musical education as a classically-trained pianist and violinist; his subsequent rock recordings retained a pronounced classical influence, incorporating elements of jazz and fusion as well. He debuted in 1986 with the instrumental Edge of Insanity, recorded with an all-star line-up including bassist Billy Sheehan and ex-Journey drummer Steve Smith; for the follow-up, Project: Driver, MacAlpine formed the band M.A.R.S. with drummer Tommy Aldridge, vocalist Bob Rock and bassist Rudi Sarzo. The group quickly dissolved and MacAlpine returned to his solo career, additionally forming his own label, Squawk; after 1987's Maximum Security, he founded another group, dubbed simply MacAlpine, with singer Alan Schorn, keyboardist Mark Robertson, bassist Mike Jacques and drummer Billy Carmassi. The band's lone record, Eyes of the World, appeared in 1990, and MacAlpine returned to instrumental projects for the remainder of the decade, issuing a series of albums including 1992's Freedom to Fly, 1995's Evolution, 1997's Live Insanity and 2000's Cab. Cab 2 followed in 2001. by Jason Ankeny @ AMG
No comments:
Post a Comment