Gordian Knot - Gordian Knot (1999)

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Rock, Metal, Instrumental

Release Date: 1999

Label: Sensory

AMG Review
Star-studded projects often add up to very little, but Gordian Knot's eponymous debut turns out to be one of the best progressive rock albums released in the last years of the second millennium. And that's thanks to the fact that Sean Malone held on to the reins, guiding the project to its goal of finely crafted guitar-driven instrumental songs. Malone has a prog metal background, so do most of his guests (Cynic drummer Sean Reinert, King Crimson guitarist Trey Gunn, Dream Theater bassist John Myung, along with Ron Jarzombek and Glenn Snelwar). And yet the album only has a couple of tracks that can be qualified as "metal" ("Rivers Dancing," "Singularity"). Everything else falls into the guitar craft of the likes of David Torn and Robert Fripp. "Galois" opens the set with a seductive soundscape. "Code/Anticode" is the album's main showcase, an intelligent prog rocker with a solid rhythm section and a catchy modal melody. "Reflections" manages to make a menacing metal verse and a classical guitar chorus walk hand in hand like two lovers. "Srikara Tal" and "Redemption's Way" work as a soloing frame over a slightly North African percussion backdrop. They feel a bit overstretched, but the guitar work adorning them is worth the extended durations. The album ends with "Grace," a delicate ballad played on the Chapman stick that dissolves into soundscapes to take listeners back to where they started. If it weren't for a couple of overlong or self-indulgent tracks, this album would be a masterpiece. As it is, it still deserves the attention of any guitar fan.

Greg Howe - Greg Howe 1988

Genre: Instrumental rock, Guitar Virtuoso / Shred / Kickass Guitar Music
Format: FLAC + cue + log
Released: 1988
Label: Shrapnel Records

01. Kick It All Over

02. The Pepper Shake

03. Bad Racket

04. Super Unleaded

05. Land Of Ladies

06. Straight Up

07. Red Handed

08. After Hours

09. Little Rose

Greg Howe: guitar
Billy Sheehan: bass
Atma Anur: drums

During the mid- to late '80s, talent scout and Shrapnel Records owner Mike
Varney was the ultimate source for new high-tech guitar virtuosos in the
post-Yngwie Malmsteen era (Malmsteen was also one of his finds). Among the
dozens of young guns who emerged from Varney's stable, Greg Howe was
one of the best. His debut album, Greg Howe, was groove-based, and
favored funk and fusion flavors over gothic neo-classicism. It sounded fresh
compared to the melodramatic work of peers like, say, Vinnie Moore.
Front-loaded with two devastating tracks, "Kick It All Over" and "The Pepper
Shake," Greg Howe is immediately engaging. Unlike other music in the
note-heavy "shred" genre, these two pieces sound fun rather than academic;
the irresistibly slippery grooves provided by the crack rhythm section of Atma
Anur (drums) and Billy Sheehan (bass) provide a supple bed for Howe's
playful fretwork. Unfortunately, the rest of the album falls off a bit after
that. The remaining tracks have some interesting ideas and plenty of
enthusiastic performances, but sound more like vamps for Howe's soloing
than songs. A few premonitions of Howe's more fusion-based future reveal
themselves on Greg Howe, although it's primarily a high-octane, indulgent
rock romp. Worth hearing.
Andy Hinds, All Music Guide

Tony MacAlpine - Chromaticity 2001

Genre: Instrumental rock, neo-classical metal, jazz fusion
Format: FLAC + cue + log
Released: 2001
Label: Shrapnel Records

01. Christmas Island

02. Chromaticity

03. City Beneath The Sea

04. Digitalis Destructi

05. Isis

06. Prince Of Lights

07. Still Valley

08. Avenger

09. Eye Of The Soul

10. Etude Nr. 8 Opus 10 (F. Chopin)

Tony MacAlpine: guitar, keyboard, piano, production
Barry Sparks: bass
Steve Smith: drums

"The Chromaticity session was a perfect opportunity for me to reunite with Steve Smith who of course played drums on my very first release. Steve has and always will be one of my favorite musicians in the world. The energy and positive experience he brings to each session is simply one of a kind. This record was written entirely in Los Angeles and all guitar and keyboard parts were recorded and mixed by Bernie Torelli using a collection of many different amps. Some of the basics were recorded using the Carvin Legacy heads and many of the solos and melodies were recorded using the H&K Access Preamp.

The H&K amp is really wonderful because of the warm tube sounds it’s able to create without excessive volume. This is very important for me as I desire not to overdrive the microphone pre’s to much. I always use (1) 2x12 cabinet in mono format and then replay the other channel to create a very wide stereo effect. This works for me and I will continue to track this way on the new album.

I had a great time writing the material because it was my first time in quite some time since the Planet X days to pen the tunes myself. Since Steve Smith was located at that time in Northern California, we were in a position to complete the songs as far as basic tracks went, and overdubbed the drums in his home studio in Novato. And as usual Mr. Smith was full of many extremely creative ideas. So many things that were set in stone were changed which meant some rewrites on my part to accommodate the creative process that always exist in a studio environment. Steve Smith is a rhythm genius and its shows all over this album. I would say it took approx 2 days for him to record his parts at his pace. Amazing.

The bass was recorded by my great friend Barry Sparks. I have always been in awe of Barry’s remarkable tone and totally solid delivery. Another thing that sets Barry apart from many other players is the complete trust you can have in his work. He is not the type of player one will have to police or over produce to get the right results on the track. I simply had a very detailed electric bass part and some charts and the rest was history. His parts were recorded in Arizona at his home studio - so you can imagine I was very anxiously waiting each day for the songs to arrive. And when they did I was floored. He is quite a talented player. I am looking forward to the day when we can record some music again soon.

Chromaticity is the last record where I will include a piano work from another composer other than myself. I will record some piano works in the future, but only on albums that contain purely piano music. So I guess in some ways Chromaticity signifies an end of an era in terms of songs layout. “Isis” and “Avenger” were the tracks for me that I would say are my favorites on this disc, and will be included in the set list for my upcoming solo tour in the summer.

Thanks for enjoying this album. I will see ya soon..."
Tony MacAlpine

Yngwie Malmsteen - Unleash The Fury (2005)

Genre: Guitar virtuoso, Instrumental music
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 2005
Label: Spitfire

01. Locked And Loaded

02. Revolution

03. Crackin’ The Whip

04. Winds of War (Invasion)

05. Crown Of Thorns

06. BogeyMan

07. Beauty And A Beast

08. Fuguetta (Instrumental)

09. Cherokee Warrior

10. Guardian Angel (Instrumental)
11. Let The Good Times Roll
12. Revelation (Drinking With The Devil)
13. Magic And Mayhem (Instrumental)
14. Exile
15. The Hunt
16. Russian Roulette
17. Unleash The Fury
18. Paraphrase (Instrumental)

Neo-classical rock guitar legend Yngwie J. Malmsteen returns with Rising Force with Unleash The Fury, a guitar shredder’s dream album! From the opening riff of "Locked & Loaded" to the 4
instrumental numbers, Malmsteen and Rising Force (Dougie White - Vocals, Patrick Johansson - Drums, Joakim Svalberg - Keyboards), produce an album that excels in every facet of musicianship. Two of the instrumentals ("Fuguetta" and "Paraphrase") are both variations of
themes composed by Bach, while "Cherokee Warrior" allows Malmsteen to show off his vocal
talents as well.
A former member of Steeler and Alcatrazz, Yngwie J. Malmsteen turned the music world on its
heads when his Rising Force album was released in 1984. The album hit #60 on the Billboard
charts and earned him a Grammy® nomination. His next album Trilogy would continue to showcase Malmsteen’s high standard of excellence, which continues to this day. Yngwie J. Malmsteen is one of rock’s greatest guitar heroes. He continues to be a featured draw in every guitar-oriented magazine on the planet. With a mix of technical playing, appreciation for classical composers, and hard rock edginess, Malmsteen is one of the most respected players around. He performed in the G3 tour in 2003 with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

Konstantin Tzekov - Verticals 1995

Genre: Instrumental music / Progressive
Format: Flac + cue + log
Released: 1995
Label: -

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05. 5

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07. 7

08. 8

09. 9

10. 10

Born on December 24, 1952. At 7 he started studying the piano with the famous pedagogue Lidiya Kouteva who considered him an undeniable discovery with bright talent. In 1972 he graduated her piano class in the Musical School in Sofia and in 1978 graduated the Academy of Music, the piano class of Prof. Lily Atanassova. An essential contribution to his musical education and professional
growth have his studies in harmony and composition with the great Bulgarian musician Stephan Trayanov. Both then and now Konstantin Tsekov is a brilliant pianist. His possibilities for magnificent piano career did not tempt him in the genre, which would later become his destiny. Three factors played a decisive part in this: his friendship with Alexander Bakharov and Rouen Boyadjiev; the music of "Yes" , "Genesis", Gino Vaneli and his firm decision his profession to become his hobby, and his hobby to become a profession!

This was how the three founded FSB in 1976. The studio activities in Balkanton are not only a possibility to experiment the author’s ideas, but also to establish contemporary trends in arrangements and sounds. Konstantin Tsekov is unique studio musician, an absolutist with proverbial "prima vista", having an unruffled nervous system, being a professional of a world class! All this is accompanied by sharp and delicate sensitivity, by inexhaustible creative invention. He is the author of plenty arrangements of songs written by Bulgarian composers, as well as the composer himself of numerous songs from the repertoire of Vassil Naydenov, Orlin Goranov, Yordanka Hristova, Vassil Petrov, Kameliya Todorova, Irina FlorinЃEHe is the author of documentary film music, of theatrical and children’s music. His is the music to the TV feature film "Remnants", directed by Rossen Elezov.

FSB’s pause in activities was for him "the beginnings of something new". His first authors sole album of instrumental music "Verticals", was born in 1996 as an impulse of his momentary mood. Ivan Lechev, Venko Zakhariev and Stoyan Yankoulov took part in it. A recital followed in the arts fest "Apolloniya" and many club performances with that program, as well. Konstantin Tsekov’s second album "Fish Wings", 1999 was entirely different in style. It was new confirmation of the creative potential and particular talent of his author. It was realized by the same team of musicians with the special participation of Avail Kraichovsky and Peter Slavov Jr. The solo vocals were performed by him alone, the texts were written by Jivka Shopova. Silent and concentrated in himself Konstantin Tsekov does not speak easiness both for his past and his future with FSB, but the creativity flame sparks in his eyes.