METAMORPHEUS

This album is AMAZING!!! I received the promo (my review is online at metal-realm.com Magazine) from the label about a month ago, and in the beginning it didn't really capture my attention. However, after a few auditions, it really caught me. In this album, Hackett plays classical guitar, acompanied by a small orchestra. The music is the closest you can get to classical, in the begining of the 21st century. The album is based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus. Steve's classical guitar playing is awesome and I'm really surprised at the ease with which he coulours his sound, which is a very rare thing among electric guitarists who at some point pick up the classical guitar (I play classical guitar myself, so I tend to be disappointed with a guitarist when he just plays everything flat). The arrangements are very good, the compositions are amazing (references to the clasics exist) and Hackett shows an impressive talent in describing the very feelings of Orpheus in every part of the story: from the happiest, to the blackest (his descent to Hades). I'm really impressed with this album - recommended.