It's no wonder why this latest CD from guitarist Mattias IA Eklundh is on Steve Vai's label Favored Nations Entertainment. The Freak Kitchen guitarist has a style that fits firmly in the Vai/Satriani/Zappa school of playing, that being wild, zany, and complex instrumental rock music.
Eklundh is really a wiz-kid, as he throws all sorts of whammy bar tricks and quirky melodies at the listener. The CD is made up of 22 tracks, many being quick little ditties interspersed with longer, heavier tunes littered with catchy melodies and insane solo workouts. Tunes like "Lita's Passion for Heavy Metal" and "God-The Mechanic" mix well with hilarious covers of "La Bamba" and "Detroit Rock City", showing that the guitarist doesn't take himself too seriously and wanted to have a bit of fun with this release. That being said, there is some jaw-dropping fretwork here, as on the incredible "Evil Shower", "Cornholed", and "Midsummer Night in Hell."
I found there to be a bit more variety and overall craziness on this recording from your typical Vai or Satriani album, which brings me to Frank Zappa. Those who liked the "no-holds barred" style of Zappa in his heyday (or even early Vai) will really dig the unpredictable nature of this CD. A guitar talent that I am sure we will hear more from in the future.
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