UNIVERSO INVERSO

The Brazilian artist Kiko LOUREIRO is arguably among the best known guitarists in his native country. Invited to join highly popular and acclaimed metal act Angra at the age of 19, his reputation has been rising alongside that of the band for the last 20 years. In 2005 he decided to establish himself as a solo artist, which so far has resulted in three CDs: "Full Gravity" from 2005, "Universo Inverso" from 2006 and "Fullblast" from 2009. The first two have spawned several reissues, and amongst them is this 2007 edition of "Universo Inverso", released by the US label Boosweet Records in 2007.

Instrumental jazz rock isn't a style of music most will associate with Kiko Loureiro, I'd imagine, but with "Universo Inverso" he has documented that this type of music is one he excels at just as much as the metal he's more renowned for. If Latin-tinged rhythms, guitar soloing and a firm jazz-oriented backbone in an instrumental guise sounds like something you'd like to become familiar with, this is a disc you'll want to check out, in particular if gentle, smooth high-quality music enriched with subtle details suits your personal taste.