Marco Sfogli - There's Hope

There has been much debate in the pages of All Out Guitar recently as to who are the hottest players in the world right now and who is the future of shred. Some of the names to pop up in these discussions have been Michael Romeo, Andy James, Guthrie Govan and older names such as Andy Timmons, Greg Howe, Steve Vai and of course Yngwie. Youtube is also a constant source of clips of the latest bedroom shredder or guitar show clinician.

What has become apparent is that during the musical wasteland of Grunge and Nu-metal , many players retreated to their own private spaces and, away from public view and the glaring hatred of the media, they continued to practice their technique and hone their chops to as yet unseen heights. The sands have shifted in the last few years and although still not a true commercial prospect, shred guitar, for want of a better expression, is once again on the rise and, although unlikely to ever achieve the heights of 1986-1990, many players are ready to stake their claim for a place in the pantheon of the guitar gods.

So what separates the men from the boys? Obviously stunning technique, but we must also consider criteria such as tone, touch, feel , taste and musicality. In other words, what if you could combine the tone and feel of Andy Timmons with the progressive leanings and all round musical knowledge of John Petrucci but cap it off with the devastating technique of Michael Romeo? Probably the best guitarist in the world right? Well that is a subjective point of view but Marco Sfogli comes pretty damn close on this album. Quite simply, the man who would be James Labrie’s guitarist has it and has it in spades!

Overview!

The album opens up with 'Still Hurts' and Marco is quick to show us his true metal with some incisive playing. His tone is absolutely fantastic and his ability to combine melody and technique comes to fore.

'Andromeda' is up next and some of you may have seen a clip from this on Youtube http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aqOomFjGfGg.

Sfogli really shows his chops of on this track and although a little on the long side, it really nails that classic Tony Macalpine vibe. The drums of Salvyo Maiello are pounding and this is first class melodic and song orientated shred. 'Seven' slows things down a bit and is not as strong as the first two but it does contain an awesome lick in the mid section.

The title track is very much in the Petrucci mould and features a twisty Phrygian Dominant melody that is spiced with Morley Wah. The rhythm guitar is particularly potent on this track and it seriously shifts some air! Things get very funky for 'Spread the Disease' and Marco shows a bluesy side to his playing. Both these tracks are good but not great but if you are a fan of party rock then you will love 'Farewell'. This is like a good driving song for a sunny day and it reminds me of Andy Timmons both in its compositional style and its melodic inflections.

'Sunset Lights' and 'Genius' are two of the albums highlights. The former is a melodic epic and features an amazing outro solo that fades out like it’s 1988! The latter has a nice fusion influence about it and features some great dualing with keyboardist Alex Argento (any relation to film director Dario?!)

'Never Forgive Me' again owes a debt to Andy Timmons and Def Leppard in its musical style. Proceedings do tail off from here on a little bit and the album finishes off with 'Memories', which does features some spectacularly beautiful playing and 'Texas BBQ', which rounds things up and shows Marco’s abilities as a country player.

Conclusion

So is Marco Sfogli the future of shred? Probably not. The halcyon days of the 80’s are long gone and we shall probably never see the like again. However, there is no doubt that Mr Sfogli is right out of the top draw and 'There's Hope' is definitely one of the finest instrumental rock releases of recent times. The album doesn’t break any new ground but the playing and production are of such a high standard that one cannot fail to be seduced. All fans of quality guitar music should check it out as Marco Sfogil possesses a magic touch around the fretboard that very few players can equal!

Label: Lion Music http://www.lionmusic.com