I’ve always been a big fan of ‘players’ of the guitar. Some of the first guitar players I ever jammed with were heavily into STEVE VAI and JOE SATRIANI and these guys always pushed themselves to be better. Given that MARC RIZZO is neither of the two mentioned above, he does have a solid talent that is so much more than he displays in ILL NINO and SOULFLY.

The Ultimate Devotion is a guitar players album from start to finish and Marc displays elements of some top players (mentioned above) and sweeping in the stylings of Yngwie J. Malmsteen. But the true standout aspect of this album is the classical / flamenco breaks that show a different side to this shredder. It makes me want to hear a full album in that genre as I feel that is where Marc truly shines the brightest as he does in Mamasita. The passages in Angelina’s Song and The Riddle Of Steel add unique nuances that make this album interesting from start to end.

While some of the audio quality may not be the best it could be, overall the album is full of fluid guitar passages, melodies that are heard in the sweeping, and dynamics that keep the ears in tune with each song even if they tend to be on the long side. Overall a very enjoyable album for fans of ‘players.’

RATING: 8/10
LABEL: Shrapnel Records

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This entry was posted on Saturday, September 1st, 2007 at 1:11 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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