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Vanja: The Awakening
Vanja - The Awakening Album Review

Vanja: The Awakening

Melodic Hard Rock Guitar (Instrumental)
3.5/5.0

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Unsigned / Self-released
by Joel Rittberg,  08.21.2013

Here we have an instrumental release from the Bosnian born Vanja. Never-Ending Circle starts the disc off, with a nice melodic solo, over a basic drum and bass pattern. While Vanja can definitely shred, this song feels like a three minute plus guitar solo versus being a well-structured song. Flying, is next with a very cool hard rock riff, that could be found in today's more mainstream hard rock. Unlike the song before it, this song feels more like a song, than an extended guitar solo. New Way, introduces a wah-effect, along with a catchy stop and go guitar riff before he rips into a solo. Colorful sounds like Vanja, was trying to get in touch with his inner Stevie Ray Vaughn or seventies Clapton.

Vanja The Awakening Photo

Vanja: awake and standing.

The song follows a blues minor key, in which he switches between chunky rhythm riffs with flourishes of lead guitar. Like all good blues songs, its built on the basic twelve-bar blues scale. A scale in which infinite possibilities are there, depending on the sound you are looking for. I really like this song, its different from the songs that came before it. Autumn Inside, reminds of The Extremist era of Joe Satriani with its colorful lead tone, and enchanting melody.

Vanja may not be the most technical guitarist I have ever listened to, but he writes with a great sense of melody. Speaking of melody, the aptly titled Melody II is next. This is a true to form instrumental song on an instrumental guitarist cd. It has that opening solo that rips your face off, and goes into a very cool rhythm part. The song builds on the initial lead solo,and branches off into new parts. This is the most technical song on the disc, and I like his use of phrasing in his solos on this song.

Storm is next, and starts with a solid guitar riff, with momentary lead breaks in between. It also has a cool change of pace, a minute and a half into this three minute song. Vanja slows the song down, only to build it back up to the main rhythm riff he plays throughout the song. My Deliverance is a slow, enchanting guitar piece. It uses a nice blend of reverb and delay(from what I can hear) that gives its an ethereal feel to it. The Awakening builds upon this song, with a wah-infused solo. The song starts off slow, before it breaks into an almost 80's sounding hard rock riff. Another song, while technically proficient does feel like a continuous guitar solo.

Vanja offers his blend of instrumental guitar rock; while not the most original, it is definitely enjoyable. He should be commended for his skill and his sense of melody. Recommended for those, looking for a solid instrumental guitar cd full of melody.


Vanja - The Awakening (Preview)





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In Short

While not the most original instrumental album you will hear, Vanja's sense of melody makes this easy to listen too.

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