Andy James

Andy James, lead guitarist of the band Sacred Mother Tongue which is in the process of disbanding as of this review, is fortunate to have a solo career and a bevy of endorsements to fall back on. Luckily for him his solo back catalog of instrumental metal is solid and accessible, demonstrating a strong sense of core melody many shredders (I'm looking at you, Yngwie) have lost or never really had. His music is not composed of scales and arpeggios assembled in random patterns, but highly focused compositions based around fantastic demonstration of virtuosity and taste.

Let me say also that the production is absolutely phenomenal. The leads, as they should be, sound crystal clear, and the rhythm tracks- rather muddy on previous releases- sound wonderfully sharp and build the foundation for the excellent soloing. I don't know if the drums are human or programmed, but they definitely sound clear and real and do their job well. Bass, however, isn't all that present; but what else would you expect in a shred album? If you're listening to Andy James, you want to hear shredding.

And boy, does he deliver. Every song (minus the brief interludes) is crammed with breathtakingly well-executed guitar work, and showing remarkable diversity from the ballad-esque What Lies Beneath and Separation from the epic War March and speedy headbanger The Storm. None of the songs are particularly heavy, but Bullet in the Head is likely the most so on the record, sounding a tad power metal and demonstrating marvelous dueling melodies that weave in and out, building up and then releasing tension. Many of the songs even have something like a verse-chorus structure to them. As said before, Andy simply gets melody, and every single song has a sense of destination to it that other shredders should pay attention to and learn from.

In conclusion, Andy James' self-titled is a downright immaculate example of instrumental metal at its best; blending demonstrations of virtuosity without compromising musical structure or tastefulness. At no point did I feel like there was something unnecessary being done; every moment was utilized to its fullest potential for the purpose of musical expression. The only criticism I can even think of is that the other instruments could have been utilized more, but with how well Andy plays, I can't hold it against him. My high score is completely deserved.