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Masi, Alex: Theory of Everything

Instrumental Guitar

4.0/5.0

Lion Music
www.myspace.com/alexmasi
www.lionmusic.com
Review: Craig Hartranft,  07.12.2010

Guitar virtuoso Alex Masi returns with Theory of Everything, his first solo project in nearly four years. For Masi, Theory of Everything is truly a solo effort as he has no studio musicians to help him. Rather, he chose to explore modern conventions of software and technology to round out his arrangements with samples and loops. I can hear the guitar purists cringing about now. But this goes on more often than you know. Thankfully, this integration of Masi's skills with technology does not run down the latter. Rather, in his own desire to make Theory of Everything sound less like a guitar album, these additions add a certain intrigue to the compositions.

Certainly with a listen to the first cut Theory of Nothing (clever opposite to the album title), Mr. Masi is 'playing' with his new found toys. But being a master of music and guitar from metal to fusion to pop to classical, he allows the arrangements to be innovative, living, and accessible to the listener. Also as certainly with the massive experimentation, one expect some stumbles. Sometimes the experimentation and welding of technology can be overwhelming as on Queen of Headf*ck or Soul Virus Hack. But it's minimal, and often only in short moments. Nevertheless, between his technical guitar skills and his technological wizardry in the home studio, Alex Masi's Theory of Everything is a promising and entertaining album. A conventional and conservative guitarist might cringe and an aspiring guitarist might drool at this amalgamation, but it's hard not to be just a little bit impressed. Recommended!

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Between his technical guitar skills and his technological wizardry in the home studio, Alex Masi's Theory of Everything is a promising and entertaining album.

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Here's a fun fact about Swiss legends, Gotthard: their last 16 releases, excepting their debut album, went to number one in their home country, making them one of Switzerland's most successful acts and ... [ Read More ]