• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

September 2023

• Rockett Love: Galactic Circus
• Kerrigan: Bloodmoon
• Taz: Shipwrecked, Vol 2
• Taz: Wake Up & Sweat, Vol 1
• Ronnie Romero: Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters
• The Flower Kings: Look At You Now
• Vega: Battlelines
• Blackbird Angels: Solsorte
• Primal Fear: Code Red
• Eclipse: Megalomanium
• Seventh Wonder: Mercy Falls (Reissue 2008/2023)
• Seventh Wonder: The Great Escape (Reissue 2010/2023)

August 2023

• Hurricane: Reconnected
• U.D.O.: Touchdown
• Streetlight: Ignition
• Sarayasign: The Lion's Road
• Neal Morse: The Dreamer - Joseph - Part One
• Rian: Wings
• Icon Of Sin: Legends
• Lancer: Tempest
• King Kobra: We Are Warriors
• Dark Sky: Signs Of The Time
• Hell In The Club: F.U.B.A.R.
• Kent Hilli: Nothing Left To Lose

July 2023

• Turkish Delight: Volume Two
• Winterstorm: Everfrost
• Scream Maker: Land Of Fire
• James Robledo: Broken Soul
• Houston: Relaunch III
• All For Metal: Legends
• Withering Scorn: Prophets Of Demise
• Bloodbound: Tales From The North
• Kikimora: For A Broken Dime
• Degreed: Public Address

June 2023

• Night Legion: Fight Or Fall
• Midnite City: In At The Deep End
• Pyramaze: Bloodlines
• Shakra: Invincible
• Vypera: Race Of Time
• Stardust: Kingdom Of Illusion
• Pride Of Lions: Dream Higher
• Joel Hoekstra's 13: Crash Of Life
• The Defiants: Drive
• Ray Alder: II
• Art Nation: Inception
• False Memories: Hybrid Ego System

[ More Music Reviews ]

Vejlyt, Niels: Sthenic

Instrumental/Metal Guitar

3.5/5.0

Lion Music
Website Facebook Twitter MySpace
by Craig Hartranft,  08.29.2011

Fans of European power and progressive metal will recognize the name Niels Vejlyt, as he is the guitarist for Infinity Overture and Consortium Project. Mr. Vejlyt is is quite the virtuoso in the neo-classical tradition, and you will the echoes of the legends in his style on his first instrumental album Sthenic.

As expected this album is a platform for Vejlyt to display his skills. As such, we need not quibble about the breadth and depth of his guitar handiwork. If you're player or simply a fan of electric guitar, you will likely salivate over Niels' impressive chops. Otherwise, Sthenic is just another album of lucid shredding from another fine guitarist. Nevertheless, and again not questioning his skill, the arrangements are rather bland and predictable, with a few exceptions.

The first exception comes at the beginning with Heads Up, a song with a moderate pace and less shred pyrotechnics. Winter, the final cut, might be the most interesting. It begins with acoustic guitar, only to develop into a guitar clinic of impressive fret work over a neo-progressive arrangement. In between, From Die Today to My Little Rascal, you have metal shredding over a heavy to power metal arrangements, with Olympic shredding on that latter song. Kajsa offers electric solo over piano. At first it sounds intriguing, then later as if the piano and guitar are in conflict.

Sthenic seems a mixed affair in composition, but with one simple and sound characteristic: Niels Vejlyt's impressive and skillful guitar work. This an album especially crafted for guitar wonks everywhere.

Sthenic seems a mixed affair in composition, but with one simple and sound characteristic: Niels Vejlyt's impressive and skillful guitar work. This an album especially crafted for guitar wonks everywhere.

Alphabetical Index

Formed in 1999 by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson, Sweden's Eclipse is well into their third decade of making music. In the recent past, their recordings and reputation have ... [ Read More ]