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Dragon's Cave: Elektro Motion
Dragon's Cave Elektro Motion new music review

Dragon's Cave: Elektro Motion

Melodic Guitar/Hard Rock
4.5/5.0

Asgardh Music
www.myspace.com/dragonscavemusic
www.dragonscave.it
Review: Craig Hartranft,  06.28.2010

Dragon's Cave is the solo project of Italian guitar virtuoso Steve Angarthal (Fire Trails), and Elektro Motion is his first work. As with most every album featuring a guitar hero, everything from production to song composition to studio musicians, exists to showcase the player. This is indeed the case with Elektro Motion, as Angarthal even lends himself to lead vocals. Yes, even though it is a guitar album, it's not a wholly instrumental album. (This makes things easy for me as a reviewer as always have a difficult time commenting on the latter.) What you have on Elektro Motion is pure melodic hard rock, with nods to metal, putting Mr. Angarhal's fret work at the forefront.

Thankfully, Angarthal has a fine sense of song composition as all the vocal lead songs distinguish themselves with a strong sense of melody and hook-laden movement. Songs like Time Train or Drifting On are geniune melodic rockers which draw you inand develop well, and then present Angarthal's fret work as aural seasoning for the stew. Perhaps a better example is the excellent A New Beginning where Angarthal's immensely addictive arrangment blends perfectly with his ambitious shredding. And he's not a bad vocalist either; not the best I've ever heard, but he holds his own. Take note of his expressive smotions on the melancholoy and rising ballad Out of Sight.

As for the instrumentals expect the usual stuff: an exceptional and skillful guitarist exploring and stretching his talents. While you could dismiss these instrumental interludes as virtousitic self-gratification, something that could be said of any guitarist's solo effort, Angarthal's efforts are toward pure 'song' composition. This single attribute allows the instrumentals to rise above and impress as easily as the vocal pieces.

Steve Angarthal's Dragon's Cave, and debut work Elektro Motion, is an ambitious and entertaining listening adventure, delivering exceptional guitar-centered melodic hard rock. Certainly a showcase for his talent, but his skills only accent the strong song composition here. And this work contains 16 songs, offering more bang for your buck (or euro). Very recommended!

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In Short

Steve Angarthal's Dragon's Cave, and debut work Elektro Motion, is an ambitious and entertaining listening adventure, delivering exceptional guitar-centered melodic hard rock. Certainly a showcase for his talent, but his skills only accent the strong song composition here.

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