BILL LUBERA - review added 7th December 2010
Instrumental Album Review: Global Warning (2010)
For fans of: Atmospheric Guitar... and the weather
Global Warning is the debut solo release from Chicago composer, producer and guitarist Bill Lubera. He previously played guitar for the bands Jinx and RipChord, has played the guitar since he was five, and lists his style influences as Rush, Satriani, George Bellas (who Bill is a student of), and more.
The sound on "Global Warning" is, if anything, more from the moody Yngwie Malmsteen school of guitar instrumental creation. Bill doesn't have the same neo-classical style as the Scandinavian shredder, but the way the notes progress and the ambience the songs generate is comparable. He can certainly imagine him - with the right singer - creating an awesome band.
Good:
Bill's guitar playing is first class, perhaps not up there with the very best, but he's only a minute fraction behind. The compositions on "Global Warning" are surprisingly interesting, and the sounds are varied - going from plinky-plonky softness to shredding metal. He's clearly put a lot of effort into giving the album bags of personality rather than just playing as fast or as loud as possible.
Not So Good:
The names of the songs seem to bare no relation to the sound - for me Firestorm should be a heavy monster, Iceberg should be mellow, Hurricane a thrash-fest and so on. The production is ample but nothing more; the album would benefit from being mixed by a top producer. I'm not convinced by the quality of the keyboard sound on some of the songs either - the playing is fine, but the tone can clash with the guitar.
The Songs:
'Hurricane' is arguably my favourite track, but there's not a lot to pick between them quality wise. This is a consistent LP from start to finish.
In Summation:
"Global Warning" is a likeable instrumental release showing some real talent. It isn't necessarily that exciting to sit and listen to, but you can't help but be impressed with the man's playing.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall:
Check out... All of it.
Track List:
01. Blizzard
02. Earthquake
03. Evacuation
04. Heatwave
05. Tsunami
06. Firestorm
07. Hurricane
08. Icebergs
09. Tornado
10. Silver Lining
Artist's website(s): Bill Lubera | MySpace | Facebook
