3 Headed Monster

Weaned on a stimulating diet of pro-wrestling in all its gory glory and monster films, 3HM have, on debut, presented the world with a massive splash of cold water in the face. Instrumental bands seem to be a burgeoning craze worldwide; after listening to this masterpiece their peers may well shiver at
the height at which the bar is set here.

The eight tracks include several nods to their sources of inspiration: four to wrestling (Perfect-Plex, Ultimate Rage, Bloodbath II and Ides of March) and two to movie beasts (Varan, The Beast of Odo Island), not that the music helps one to differentiate in any way.

It would be unfair - and exhausting - to analyse the album track by track.
Suffice it to say that each represents a well-thought out whole capable of,
and doubtless deliberately intended to, evoke particular images in the mind of the listener with just the occasional brief, strategically-placed sound track clip providing fleeting pointers to the audience.

Paul Muise on bass and drummer Andy Korajczyk (AK45) both support the twin lead guitars and, when the mood demands, lead them into new rhythms. Indeed, one might argue that the most notable feature of the album as a whole is the seamless transition from gentle quasi-acoustic passages to dazzling solos and on to still greater things. In this respect they lay the foundation for some spectacular fireworks from the two Chrises.

The booklet faithfully records which solo is performed by which Chris and when, but this is frankly quite irrelevant: they are both extraordinarily skilled in their craft. If you are looking for a twiddle-fest, don't bother with 3HM. Granted, they are both razor-sharp and often blindingly fast, but they deliver in such a way that all the listener can do is shake his head at the sheer brilliance of each and every break.

Of course, there are also periods when the guitars skilfully interweave like a clever tag-team, helping each other showcase their particular strengths, such as in Perfect-Plex.

Gymnasts will tell you how important the dismount is in their routines. In a genre where many seem unsure how to conclude a piece 3HM only play to
a fade-out once, yet another feather in their communal cap.

Dutch label Melissa Records might have pondered long and hard whether they would be taking a risk with an instrumental outfit - the other bands in their modest stable are all power metal groups. They haven't; these guys,
now truly a three-headed monster with the departure of Chris Cecchini, are
the beast, not its tail !