A dash of Tony MacAlpine, a pinch of George Benson, a taste of Vinnie Moore, and add a splash of Spanish flamenco guitar for flavoring and that's what you get from ex IL Nino & current Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo's new solo disc,Colossal Myopia>(Shrapnel Records). Being from such a Metal band like Soulfy, you might expect Rizzo to just continue down the Metal path, but instead you will find a very thoughtful & enlightening solo effort that allows Rizzo's to show a lot of his different influences. But yes, the
Metal flag is blowing in the wind here, as well!
Colossal Myopia is completely instrumental and vocals are not missed at
all. Marc Rizzo really shakes things up on this CD. The bombastic title track clobbers you over the head from the word go, and then shifts into an unforeseen flamenco passage that is just plain cool. The two entirely different styles DO blend well together. This record is chock full of Rizzo's Spanish & flamenco guitar influences. "Infinity" is a stand out track that features some nice flamenco chops. Very upbeat & quite enjoyable,
ala Steve Stevens' last CD, Flamenco A Go Go. It's nice to see that new
territories are being explored within the Metal/Hard Rock guitar community.
The album not only hits the flamenco vibe, but also shows that Marc Rizzo has a little Wes Montgomery & George Benson up his sleeves. While still showing where his Metal heart truly is, the opening track, "Kilocycle Interval" does allow him to show how much he loves the great jazz of the 2 masters mentioned above. Also check out "Pantheistic Utopia", another track that fuses the jazz & flamenco that is so much a part of this release. "The Piñata Hits Back" is a flat out Spanish guitar romp-funky & lively. It"s
great to hear a younger guy on the guitar scene be so well versed with such great ability as well being a great student of the guitar greats that have come before him. Something that is very often over looked by someone his age!
Marc Rizzo has put together a nice collection of songs that show a lot of his heritage. Metal, flamenco, even some jazz are all reflected here and all represented well. The interesting fusion of flamenco guitar and straight up heaviness, as well as jazz being intertwined throughout the 12 songs on this solo release, just works. Shrapnel Records, once again delivers another great guitar instrumental for a new generation of up and comers.
Track Listing
1. Kilocycle Interval
2. Introspection Of An Introvert
3. Remember The Future
4. Colossal Myopia
5. Infinity
6. S.P.Q.R
7. Synapse
8. Pantheistic Utopia
9. Isosceles
10. The Piñata Hits Back
11. Chupacabra
12. Milagro
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