GTR

While fresh prog was happening way underground and the punk/metal crossover scene was beginning to push prog metal out into the open, the 80's were just an absolute train wreck of classic proggers attempting to reinvent themselves. Some were commercially successful, albeit bile reflux inducing (in regards to Genesis' 80's output), but most floundered in obscurity. GTR were among the latter. Featuring the prog royalty virtuoso guitarists Steves Howe and Hackett, the project had an admittedly unattainable standard to reach while simultaneously needing record company buy-in. The result was about as uncomfortable as Steve Howe looks in the GTR promo photo, resplendent in his baggy polyester suit "16 Candles adult guy extra" style. The album encompassed everything single-sliced-processed-cheese-product 80's sound; complete with overly reverbed drums, high wailing vocals that blurted syrupy platitudes, and our prog hero guitar duo defiled with the obligatory chorus pedal's pseudo-scintillation. The song highlights were in fact the instrumental tunes Sketches in the Sun and Hackett to Bits, the latter of which was nothing more than outtake of the title track of Hackett's second solo album, Please Don't Touch!. But even a couple of respites from the shrill vocals of Max Bacon are not enough to make this album even remotely listenable. The songs structures were routine with ultra-straight-ahead pedestrian rhythms. Nothing to hold this listeners ear and frequently aspects that make me want to plug them.