Though it looks and reeks like a hastily put together compilation, Guitars That Ate My Brain is actually a very solid collection of instrumental shred guitar instrumentals by some of the lesser known axe-grinders on the metal scene. Though there are a few players here who specialize in recordings of this nature, most of these guitarists make their living in metal bands, and rarely do we get to hear them play instrumental material, so for many this will be a real treat. Paul Waggoner from Between the Buried and Me scorches on the excellent "Boot Dagger Boogie", a crunchy progressive metal workout, while the always steady Dave Martone shows his classy side on "Hybrid Angels". Fans of the recent incarnation of Guns 'n' Roses get to hear Ron Thal (Bumblefoot) shred his ass off on the melodic rocker "Disengaged", but if you've followed this guy's career you no doubt know what he is capable of. Elsewhere, Devin Townsend rips on "Nerd Alert" (nice to hear him let loose for once!), Kris Norris from Darkest Hour pounds out a killer metal shred attack on "The Life and Times of Sir Walter Sickert" (check out his new solo album for more of this great player), Chris Poland's doom metal fusion gem "L.D.E." sees him take a break from his recent jazz outings with Ohm, a surprisingly nimble Shane Gibson from Korn impresses on "Artichoke Samurai", James Murphy shows his melodic side on "Maiden Voyage", and the Antropia duo of Hugues Lefebvre and Yann Mouhad tears it up on "Schrödinger's Cat Paradox", seemingly an homage to Cacophony or Liquid Tension Experiment. Honestly, there's not a weak cut here, just 12 tracks of tasty licks, memorable melodies, huge riffs, and shredderific chops from hell. Too bad the packaging doesn't quite live up to the cool music.
Track Listing
1. Paul Waggoner [BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME] - "Boot Dagger Boogie"
2. Kris Norris [DARKEST HOUR] - "The Life and Times of Sir Walter Sickert"
3. Dave Martone - "Hybrid Angels"
4. Ron Thal (aka "Bumblefoot") [GUNS N ROSES] - "Disengaged"
5. Eyal Levi and Emil Werstler [DAATH] - "The Unwavering Collapse"
6. Shane Gibson [KORN] - "Artichoke Samurai"
7. Devin Townsend [STRAPPING YOUNG LAD] - "Nerd Alert"
8. Chris Poland [OHM/MEGADETH] - "L.D.E."
9. Ola Frenning and Christofer Malmström [SOILWORK/DARKANE] - "Hydra"
10. Mike Orlando - "Stomped"
11. James Murphy [TESTAMENT/DEATH/OBITUARY] - "Maiden Voyage"
12. Hugues Lefebvre and Yann Mouhad [ANTHROPIA] - "Schrödinger's Cat Paradox"
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