ANDY JAMES - review added 19th June 2009
Album Review: Kaos 7 EP (2009)
For fans of: Instrumental Rock... and Sacred Mother Tongue
Andy James is better known as the guitarist from UK metalcore band Sacred Mother Tongue. We reviewed their album, The Ruin Of Man, back in March and came away very impressed. Here was a band with an overabundance of talent making very heavy but accessible metal. Judging by what we heard, any one of the band's members could put out a solo album and have a fair chance of it being brilliant.
Kaos 7 is Andy's first EP, although rather confusingly he has already released a full length album (soon to be re-mastered and re-issued). He plays a bright and fluid instrumental music in the style of artists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. There isn't an Yngwie flavoured baroque flourish to be seen, nor does he approach the heaviness of his SMT work.
The four songs follow similar migratory paths, moving from place to place with high-fashion groove. There's a modernistic twang in places and some of the tracks have a large and tasty proggy chip on their shoulders. John Petrucci may be the daddy of the genre, but his ankles are being bitten as we speak.
Andy wears his influences on his sleeve with pride, and he more than does them proud. There is little doubt this guy is one of the top guitarists in the UK at the moment. There are a few moments of sloppy timing and poorly-chosen key changes, but they don't take away from this being a fantastic addition to the man's growing portfolio. If you like instrumental guitar music, it doesn't get much better than this.
Check out... This man's skill. He's a bit of a legend.
Track List:
1. Collision Course
2. Black Hole
3. Phase 4
4. Sphere
Artist's websites: MySpace
