EEPS

I guess Marco never sleeps. He is recording/touring with the most talented artists in music today (The Aristocrats, Mike Keneally, Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani), and he still finds time to put out solo albums, instructional videos, and who knows what else. EEPS is not just another run of the mill solo album - this is beyond killer! I'm ashamed to say this is my first taste of Marco's solo stuff and I will be buying more immediately.

This disc is loaded with 18 tunes (almost 80 minutes) of creative music that shifts from pop to experimental and almost everything else. Marco plays all the instruments (except the last song) and sings on a few tunes. The talent on display on this disc is amazing, the drumming is phenomenal, but that's not enough, Marco can also play the hell out of the guitar as heard on "Sushi Cat Doll". This song comes out pounding, slows down to a mellow break with a tasty solo, followed by distorted crunch and whammy bar work that has a King Crimson vibe, back to the mellow break with perfectly placed chirping notes, back to a Crimson vibe, and finally evolves into a techno ending with a cool groove. What an amazing song! "Live Ghost" sounds like an outtake from an Aristocrats disc, until the break in the middle transports you to another universe. Other highlights for me include "The Split", "Painter", "Dead Ghost", and the poppy "Sunshine". Hell, there really isn't a bad track, although some of it is hard for me to digest, but there is magic that draws me back for repeated listens.