ALBUM
NEW ALBUMS
A selection of new and reissued guitar releases, including Album Of The Month
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
PAUL GILBERT
WEREWOLVES OF PORTLAND
The
Players
Club
l
9/10
ALBUM REVIEWS BY JASON SIDWELL AND DAVID MEAD
With Paul’s 16th studio album, we hear once again how a guitar into a distorted amp can catch audiences’ attention! Paul played all guitar, bass, drums and keyboard parts, his Ibanez Fireman guitars being the most used. The album’s title was partly inspired by Warren Zevon’s Werewolves Of London but (Paul lives in Portland, USA) with the music shaped by creating lyrics and melodies to form the essence of his lead playing. This song-based approach to creating instrumentals works well and provides a lot of expression; while Paul is one of the most jaw-dropping shredders around, his vibrato, string bending, phrasing, slide technique and rich Marshall tone make him an appealing musician all round. Hello! North Dakota is a great example; ceremonial harmony guitar intro, vocal-like slide leads, 70s funky wah riffing and a shredding blues-rock solo. Note his interest in good pop chord progressions, on tracks such as My Goodness and Meaningful (the beauty of the IVm chord move). Of course, if you want the shred it’s there, just dressed up differently than, say, earlier Racer X classics like Scarified. Singing melodies, great rock grooves, vibrant chord progressions, versatile guitar chops and lots of musical variety, this is a great album! (JS)