Creating an ear grabbing proposal forged in the fires and technical styling of hard rock and heavy metal, Italian guitarist Albert Marshall has just released a debut solo album in the magnetic shape of Speakeasy. It is an eight track collection of instrumental adventures, though a couple also feature the guest vocals of Mark Boals (Y.J.Malmsteen, U.J.Roth, Ring of Fire), which highlight but do not boastfully self-congratulate the undoubted prowess of Marshall whilst making for one rather enjoyable adventure.
Picking up his first guitar aged 16 and self-teaching with Deep Purple records, Marshall subsequently embraced and explored the broader expanses and styles of metal and rock alongside flavours such as blues and funk. Graduating from the Modern Music Institute while already gaining experiences in various tribute and original music making bands he proceeded to become part of metallers Altair, playing on their Sleazy Rider Records released album Descending. Now the Padova hailing musician has ventured forth with his own solo work and first full-length with Speakeasy seeing bassist Simon Dredo (L.a.Rox, Alex De Rosso, Adam Bomb) and drummer Roberto Gualdi (Pfm, Vecchioni, Glenn Hughes) playing alongside.
Inspired by the styles and sounds of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, and Jason Becker, Speakeasy immediately reveals its voice and Marshall’s magnetic prowess through opener Butler’s Revenge. From start to finish, his strings vibrate like suggestive vocal chords in ears and imagination. Alongside Dredo is no lightweight either, the pulsating resonance of his bass equally captivating and appetite ensnaring as Gualdi provides a manipulative frame for the pair to conjure upon.
The superb track sets the tone for the release in style, though each subsequent piece brings its own open individuality and technical dexterity with next up Badlands aligning an enticing hue of restraint to the same eager energy and charge of its predecessor whilst weaving its own picturesque landscape of melodic metal. Wiry grooves vine the darker muscular trespass of the track, their melodic tendrils intoxication within just as potent rhythmic shadows while its successor, Fallen Angel encases the senses in a web of heavy metal endeavour. The first of two tracks featuring Boals, it is a more unsurprising slice of heavy metal yet revels in the individual and united prowess of its creators if without catching fire in our imagination as the tracks around it.
Captivation and enjoyment is only reinforced through the melodic metal waltz of Re Marzapane and the alluring sonic lattice of Dreamlover, the former carrying a glaze to its grooves which is almost punk like against the track’s progressive nature while its successor creates a tapestry of sonic hinting rich with cosmopolitan suggestion and sophistication. Both tracks enthral without deviation before Tristam Fireland re-ignites the album’s heavy metal heart with Boals back involved.
The blues stroll of Ramshackle Blues had personal juices, which faltered a touch with its predecessor, flowing again, its enterprise bound saunter a rousing spark to body and spirit. The brief closing piece of Eclipse (White Horse) equally seduced; its melodic ballad mesmeric, descriptive, and thoroughly beguiling.
And that pretty much sums up Speakeasy and the craft of Albert Marshall, a release and ability which is pretty much spellbinding.
Speakeasy is out now via Red Cat Records across most stores.
https://www.facebook.com/albertmarshallmusic/
Pete RingMaster 18/10/2018
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
Pugnale’s guitar craft and enterprise is another potent feature and provides even more attention grabbing enticement within next up Road To Hell, his grooves wrapping round ears with infectious intent as the rhythms of Inserillo and Cola rap and throb with flirtatious aggression. Growing into a definite best track contender it is swiftly rivalled by the blues rock lined strum of Memories; a track with a whiff of stoner rock and grunge to its relatively calm but increasingly tempestuous climate
Through the equally tense Bareknuckle Lover, the mercurial attack of the track as alluring as it is resourceful, and the lively emotive roar of For Kingdom For Glory, Chasing Dragons continue to add fresh adventure to their release. The second of the two in some ways promises more than it delivers, certain inventive moments not exploited as much as personal tastes wished yet is still a gripping snare of sound.
What has emerged is a release which certainly bears but embraces the difficulties endured. There is a fire in its belly and irritancy in its breath which only enhances both its raw almost rebellious roar and melodic imagination. Recorded with Adam Getgood and mastered by Prash Mistry, the EP springs from dark clouds and a melancholic climate with Blackened Heart, the track surging through ears with caustic intensity wrapped in melodic enticement. It swiftly consumes and violates the senses yet all the while its creative swing and instinctive virulence is working away on song and listener. The recognised technical prowess of the band is as quickly tempting and escalating the magnetic appeal equally racing through the track, unpredictability lighting its evolving landscape as Green similarly shows his strength and prowess as sole frontman.
Their inspirations are said to include the likes of Black Sabbath, Corrosion of Conformity, Clutch, Pantera, and Down; influences you could maybe guess listening to the new EP. They are spices though which adds to its potency rather than defusing its individuality. You can debate whether it makes for a sound which is unique enough to make a truly major impact but as release opener Curtain Call proves it all makes for one seriously appetising proposal commanding attention. The first track initially unleashes a defined rally of beats which swiftly sparks grooved tendrils and rapacious riffs aligned to a great bass grumble. There is equally a grainy growl to the vocals of Rose which in turn ignites an even more potent snarl to the already captivating proposition. Short but a sweet snare of rock ‘’n’ roll with a sludge hued spicing to its stoner liquor, the track quickly and increasingly had ears and appetite gripped
Signing with Eternal Sound Records this past February for the release of their Kyle Simpson produced debut, The Alive immediately set the scene and tone with album opener This Is Rock And Roll. The groove cast by the bass to set things off is pure intimation of things to come and instantly has hips swinging. A sonic trespass of guitar triggers the track’s eager stroll, Glasgow’s potent vocals quickly adding to the boisterousness flooding ears. Blues hues only add to the temptation, a slice of creative nagging which had the body bouncing and vocal chords tuning up in no time.
The Serpent’s Tongue opens up the album, predatory riffs and Kerswill’s rapier swing to the fore but equally strands of citric endeavour entangle the trespass which in turn is accentuated by the familiar and ever magnetic tones of Fair and an increasingly antagonism in that rhythmic antipathy. Savage yet firmly galvanic, the track is superb; hues of bands like Pantera adding to an almost spiteful character but a grudge which invites deeper and greedier investigation as individual flair and prowess inspires a united enterprise.