Lion Music
LMC182 / Out Now
Three years after his last release under the "Ferrigno, Leal, Kuprij" banner Marco is back with more neo-classical firepower and this, his debut solo album is a very intricately detailed release with a lot of fretwork but also a lot of melody. One of the most immediate comparisons to Marco's very fluid style of play is similar to that of George Bellas and its not real surprise to discover that Marco has taught under George. That said you the two are quite easily seperable as you find out on the track Bellas guests on.
The album opens with the progressive "Temple Of Time" which sees a nice mix of slower melodic lead lines and faster licks and runs. Musically Marco has a very tight backing band in the guise of bass legend Tony Franklin (Blue Murder / The Firm) and drummer Marco Minnemann. As mentioned we get a guest appearance from George Bellas on the second track “Night In Babylon” and this is another more progressive offering and again a nice mix of fast and slower passages. What really put the progressive slant into this release in the Marco’s use of odd tempos, poly-rhythmic lines and time modulations based on a 16th and 8th note pulse, so there is no real Malmsteen style harmonic minor burners here with the final track “Closer To The Wind” getting the nearest to that territory of neo-classical.
Overall Marco has produced an enjoyable album which has a lot of guitar flash backed up by sound backing tracks and that hold the interest. My only criticism would be that the tracks all seem to be around the same sort of tempo but this minor flaw doesn’t devalue the end product and the album comes recommended.
The album opens with the progressive "Temple Of Time" which sees a nice mix of slower melodic lead lines and faster licks and runs. Musically Marco has a very tight backing band in the guise of bass legend Tony Franklin (Blue Murder / The Firm) and drummer Marco Minnemann. As mentioned we get a guest appearance from George Bellas on the second track “Night In Babylon” and this is another more progressive offering and again a nice mix of fast and slower passages. What really put the progressive slant into this release in the Marco’s use of odd tempos, poly-rhythmic lines and time modulations based on a 16th and 8th note pulse, so there is no real Malmsteen style harmonic minor burners here with the final track “Closer To The Wind” getting the nearest to that territory of neo-classical.
Overall Marco has produced an enjoyable album which has a lot of guitar flash backed up by sound backing tracks and that hold the interest. My only criticism would be that the tracks all seem to be around the same sort of tempo but this minor flaw doesn’t devalue the end product and the album comes recommended.
