Guy Mann-Dude's Mannic Distortion

Unless you’re mortally drunk, or irreparably stoned, you wouldn't want to check out a band named Guy Mann-Dude; looking for some hard-hitting old school speed/thrash metal fun, I mean… but here it is, this trio led by the Guy, the Man(n), and the Dude whose real name is actually Guy Shiffman; so it wasn’t just a wordplay, after all. And not only but the other folks were not some novices, but had done service in other renowned acts like the bass player Barry Sparks, for example, who had participated in the works of luminaries like Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Dokken and Tony MacAlpine; and the drummer David Eagle (R.I.P.) who hit the drums for the Chris Poland solo project among other engagements.

The debut is a purely instrumental affair Guy dazzling the audience with his guitar-wielding skills leaving plenty of room for the riffs to develop as well to a pretty positive impression including on the excellent Rolling Stones cover of “Paint in Black” the song sped up in order to match the style of the rest. On the album reviewed here he has decided to test his vocal abilities, and one would hardly complain about that once he/she savours “Hand in Hand”, a hard-hitting Bay-Areasque thrasher Guy’s attached clean antics soaring above the vigorous fast-paced music covering several ranges with ease. “Against the Grain” is a more technical number retaining the aggression from its predecessor, even moshing more intensely at times. Time for respite with the balladic pacifier “Blue Liquid Eyes” which is a real keeper with the sudden hard riffs inserted and the brilliant lead section. So far so marvellous; comes “Broke Dick Dog” which thrashes the whole neighbourhood with the most aggressive riffage around, a perennial delight for the headbangers who will have the time of their life for about 5-min.

“Faces in the Dark” is the “antidote” to the preceding mosher, a heavy semi-balladic progressiver with outstanding meandering guitar performance which acquires more intense tendencies mid-way Mann… sorry, Guy, obviously unable to submit his wilder, thrashy nature. The latter is given full freedom on the next “Conformity” which continues the impetuous thrashing carnival on full-throttle Guy shredding like demented slowing down a bit on “Enemy” which is a jumpy proto-groover with friendlier rhythms and a brutal fast-paced finish. “Swath of Carnage” is an all-instrumental track which Guy turns into a sweeping technical shredfest, a masterpiece of fast raging rhythms and breath-taking lead sections with echoes of Heathen’s “Victims of Deception” and Laaz Rockit’s “Annihilation Principle”. “Let Me Out” “lets out” some of the most stupendously headbangable riffs this side of Wargasm’s “Why Play Around” the guys producing a moshing, also frequently technical, winner which flows into the closing “Gilda”, a balladic all-instrumental ode with a superb aggressive mid-break.

This is an absolute no-brainer, a thrash metal classic which remains a largely obscure entity. Apart from the solo efforts of Toby Knapp (“Guitar Distortion”, 1993) and Tony Fredianelli (“Breakneck Speed”, 1993) this is the most aggressive virtuoso rifforama ever conceived, a spontaneous combustible display of guitar wizardry which places Guy right beside Shrapnel’s finest, and makes him arguably the greatest unknown shredder in metal history. Why he wasn’t recruited by the label, will remain a mystery; another one would be the enigmatic project The Dudes of Wrath that also included the celebrities Paul Stanley (Kiss) and Tommy Lee (Motley Crue). Reportedly the dudes recorded three songs for the soundtrack of a Wes Craven (“Nightmares on Elm Street”, “Scream”) film that was never completed. Mysteries, mysteries… or rather conspiracies; I guess not many wanted to see a complete unknown conquering the guitar shred world. Well, Guy Shiffman was a very tangible fact from that world; and one of its most prominent representatives; by a long shot.

Now, dude, where’s this guitar of mine…