GORDIAN KNOT

Imagine two or three Stick or touch style guitarists, one or two standard guitarist, and an inventive powerhouse drummer/percussionist playing head spinning solos or ambient trance meditations with Frippian splashes and the occassional freakazoid guitar breaks. This is it. Trey Gunn (King Crimson), John Myung (Dream Theater) and Sean Malone (Cynic) all play stick or Warr Guitar on this monster release. For the Uninitiated, a stick or Warr guitar are touch styled instruments, played by tapping the strings with fingers of both hands, rather than picking with one hand a fretting with the other. They can have 8, 10, 12 or more strings and have the octave range of a piano. Fascinating.

Gordian Knot is the brain child of Sean Malone. Surely his is a name synonymous with incredible musicianship. Hopefully the Gordian Knot projects will continue and someday hit the stage. Incredible disc with great musicianship. Malone is staking out his place among bassists and touch guitar. Opener Galois and the hidden track Grace, are solo excursions which would benefit any student of the lower end.

Other "guests" on this release are guitar shredders Ron Jarzombek (Spastic Ink) and Glenn Snelwar. Jarzombek puts a little Holdsworth into his style. Super fast but tasteful.

Sean Reinert, the percussionist, is a unique talent. Redemptions Way and Srikara Tal, more ambient tracks, include some wonderful eastern rhythms , with tablas and shakers. These are my favorite tunes on the disc.

This is a great instrumental album. More three and a half stars release, but instrumental music fans should find much to enjoy. I did!