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Vega, Tiago Della: Hybrid

Brazilian guitar virtuoso Tiago Della Vega is considered by many to be the fastest guitarist in the world, and on his debut LP, Hybrid, he certainly pulls out all the stops. Full of exciting prog rock/jazz/metal, and at less than half an hour in length, the record is a thoroughly remarkable tease for a full length release that will (hopefully) come soon. However, its bias for guitar virtuosity instead of melody can become repetitive quickly.

While he plays almost everything on Hybrid, Della Vega utilizes the skills of bassist Benhur Vieira Lima, Pianist Mauricio Pezzi, and vocalist Micheli Trentin on selected tracks. While the guitar has been his main focus since he was five years old (he spent ten years studying it academically while practicing fourteen hours a day), Della Vega shows exceptional skills as a multi-instrumentalist. Hybrid flows like a lavish array of multicultural ideas fused perfectly.

The album opens with the quick and mysterious "Bugus." After some tribal Indian chimes and percussion, Della Vega launches into some very fancy guitar playing over syncopation that somehow manages to keep up. Unfortunately, like a lot of the album, this track features a bit too much showmanship and not even substance (some call it "guitar wanking"). Of course that's expected of someone with such distinction, but it's still too much at times.

Luckily, Della Vega knows when to slow things down and add some emotion. "Destiny" still lets the soloing lead, but the bass and keys provide an affective sense of, well, destiny being fulfilled. It actually has enough commercial appeal that if words and vocals were added, it'd be a good choice for radio.

Another highlight is "Distant Dreams" because its jazzy quality breaks up the monotony of Hybrid feeling like an instrumental emulation of Dream Theater and Symphony X. Also, "Acalanto" utilizes an accordion for some unexpected intrigue. Finally, the brief inclusion of "The Flight of the Bumblebee" is a cool yet undeniably pretentious way for Della Vega to show off just a little bit more.

Hybrid is a remarkable sample of how talented Tiago Della Vega is as a musician and composer. Taken in small doses, it's fascinating. However, even at around twenty-seven minutes long, the unrelenting guitar work becomes redundant; a lot of this album sounds too much alike. Della Vega needs to let his music breathe a bit; there should be some space amidst the madness and he should let the other instruments shine in the spotlight.


Track Listing
1. Bugus
2. Destiny
3. Caprice 24
4. Lost
5. Violet Rose
6. Distant Dreams
7. The Flight of the Bumblebee
8. Acalanto

Added: January 18th 2011
Reviewer: Jordan Blum
Score:
Related Link: Artist MySpace Page
Hits: 2152
Language: english

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