Neo-Classical Chart - August 2006

A little late on posting the monthly top 10 bestselllers on the neo-classical chart at www.guitar9.com this month but here we go...

#1 Matthew Mills / Neo Classical Rock Guitar
The album is for strong and healthy guitar fanatics - NeoClassical Rock Guitar is not recommended for the malnourished, faint-of-heart, or anyone taking the thousands of drugs advertised on prime time television.

#2 Hess / Opus 1
The CD features a new breed of high caliber instrumental guitar compositions combining the neo-classical styles of Yngwie Malmsteen and Jason Becker with the progressive rock styles of Dream Theater and George Bellas, along with the emotion of 19th century Romanticism.
[check out our exclusive interview with Tom Hess]

#3 Michael Romeo / The Dark Chapter
Romeo is an incredibly accomplished player drawing on a neo-classical style reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen while retaining his own identifiable signature that sets him apart from other players in this genre. He has received major coverage in many of the guitar magazines around the world and is best known for his role as lead guitarist in Symphony X.

#4 Matt Mills Project / Matt Mills Project
The twelve all instrumental tracks feature a smorgasbord of large, swept arpeggiated sequences, diminished patterns and pedaled passages (ala Malmsteen and Moore) - with Mills' guitaristic prowess comes through strikingly on every track.

#5 Timo Tolkki / Classical Variations & Themes
Classical Variations And Themes is the re-release of Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki's 1994, neo-classically flavored, melodic metal solo outing.

#6 German Schauss / The Lightspeeder
Mind-blowingly fast sweeps. Complex, classically influenced progressions. Odd, even and fractional meters. Shredded, corpse-chopping, speed picking. A head-splittingly large number of notes! All this and more can be heard on German Schauss' CD The Lightspeeder, a collection of seven neo-classical progressive instrumentals designed to shock, awe and make you soil your drawers.

#7 Theodore Ziras / Virtual Virtuosity
Classic sweep arpeggios, searing extended solo sections, memorable themes, and overall extraordinary playing mark this CD, Ziras' second, and cement his place in the roster of notable neo-classical shredders.

#8 Tony MacAlpine / Edge Of Insanity
Edge Of Insanity is the incredible neo-classical fusion album recorded with renowned bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Steve Smith who combined with MacAlpine for one of the hottest power trios of all time.

#9 George Bellas / Mind Over Matter
Mind Over Matter is George Bellas' second Shrapnel release, and finds the guitarist perfecting his neo-classical approach, while evoking shades of Jason Becker in places.
[check out our exclusive interview with George Bellas]

#10 Bob Katsionis - Imaginery Force
An instrumental virtuoso progressive/neoclassical/metal album with amazing keyboards and guitars, entitled Imaginary Force. The tempos are fast and furious as Katsionis' mega rhythms and blazing guitar work are almost upstaged by his ultra-frightening keyboard solos,