Andy James - In the Wake of Chaos

[DaNextSlash]

Thanks to Clarky I got my grubby hands on this CD...after washing my hands and getting it out of the packaging...I chucked in my only CD player...my laptop. Plugged in my headphones...

I don't know where to start...the entire album is fantastic. WOC is exactly that...In the Wake of Chaos..but not the insane chaos of 80s neo-classical shred. Andy James is one of the few guitarist I've heard with insane chops but a huge sense of melody. Most tracks on the CD can easily be songs on the radio once the guitar melody is done with vocals...good thing or bad?? You decide.

His signature melodic string skipping tapping antics are all over the album. Not that I'm complaining...it's perhaps forms the coolest sounding licks ever. Pretty cool how there are so many almost nu-metal and pop riffs that sound killer with his lead on top. Example "Shine on though", I swear it is the same chord progression as "Photograph" by Nickelback....but the melody that Mr. James puts on that song is so killer.

Insanely cool album for all those instrumental geeks. But enjoy good melodies and face-melting stuff and best of all...no rubbish whammy bar rubbish. Best instrumental in these few years for sure. The only other instrumental album I liked was Paul Gilbert's "Get Outta My Yard". Deep down I think I still like the insane neo-classical a la "Dragon Kiss" and "Perpetual Burn" by Marty Friedman and Jason Becker respectively more...but the music and licks in this album are actually 'usable'.

Great album...and will be playing it for a while yet. Only rant..."Devils Day" which was one of my favourite songs I have heard from Youtube...is oh so samick with the wah that he uses on the album. Rant over.

Bottom line. Embrace perhaps the best guitarist to come out of UK since ages ago. Buy it!!! Favourite song?? Toss up between "Lost without you" and the title track. But changing everytime I listen to the album...

[Basket Case]

I bought it a few weeks back. It's a very good listen!

[Clarky]

Well reviewd mate, I couldn't have put it better myself.

I made Andy cry when I told him that if Joe Satriani had released that album it would have sold millions (true.) Andy was sad not because of the beautiful comparison, but by the fact that he is as poor as Kenny.