TAK
MATSUMOTO GROUP - TMG
I
Tak Matsumoto: Guitar
Eric Martin: Vocals
Jack Blades: Vocals, Bass
Brian Tichy: Drums
TMG I is Tak Matsumoto Group's new album. With such players as Jack Blades on Vocals and Bass, Eric Martin on vocals too, Brian Tichy on Drums and obviously Tak Matsumoto on Guitar, this album can only be a masterpiece.
Oh Japan - Our Time Is Now is a great example of powerful melodic hard rock. Eric Martin's one of rock's biggest talents, and this supergroup is tight. Tak Matsumoto is a Melodic yet technical player with full-of-feel style.
Everything Passes Away is a slow tempo rocker with a poundin' riff. Cool odd tempo.
Kings for A Day has a cool syncopated riff. The chorus reminds me of Angra a lot .
I Know You By Heart has a dreamy intro based on harmonics, then a cool inteaction of rhythm and lead guitar. Quiet verse with muted arpeggiated clean guitar, then a DreamTheatre-like chorus. It's interesting to see which influence DT has had on progressive metal... Cool solo by Tak.
I Wish You Were Here is a light hearted rock'n roll song, very fun to listen to. Very Mr.Big-ish, but hey that's quite obvious. Eric Martin's cool, no doubt about it. Helps a lot to put the rock 'n roll trademark whenever he sings. Solo with attitude and energy, which btw are my personal favourite.
The Greatest Show On Earth has a traditional Japanes short intro, and then turns into another monster rocker. Sounds a bit like the soundtrack to a japanese cartoon... Original soloing on this one too. Coll break with energetic riff right at the end of the song.
Sitar for Signs Of Life. Another ear-catchin' chorus for another classic rocker.
Red, White and Bullet Blues has a liquid intro and a devastatingly hard riff. Try not to bang your head along it. Yeah! Rock On! Slidey solo...
Trapped follows the same line of the other tracks in this album. Cool staccato Chorus (it always work, just think of White Lion's Broken Heart... =) Quite an energetic album IMHO =) Some more original phrasing in the solo...
My Alibi is a bit funkier, with a semiclean guitar groovin' out a bit.
Wonderland takes us back to hard rock. The solo has some classic rock'n roll clichès, and some flashy licks too.
Train, Train is a slow rocker with a lot of blues in its veins... Bluesy solo with some harmonizide lines too.
Two Of A Kind starts with a strong Jimi Hendrix's influence, à la Little Wing just to make you understand. That kind of rhythm guitar playin' will transform every single song in a beautiful ballad, and this one is no exception.
Never Goodbye closes with some octaves over the usually distorted riff, then the verse features some heavy processed guitar that sounds like a synth, then a plenty of energy again. Cool little trick with harmonics and the whammy bar by Tak right before the chorus.
A cool melodic hard rock album, with rich vocals, thanx to Eric Martin
(ex Mr.Big), some really rockin guitar lines and some truly original
solos. An album for everybody as it features strong songs much more
than guitar showcasin'... Matsumoto never overplays, and often in the
solos he goes for a blues-based solution more than a flashy lick.
A pleasure to listen to. Energy and distorted guitars, and some touch
of Japan here and there.
Don't search for six-strings flamboiance here, search for a well written
and produced rock album.
Rating: 9,5
(reviewed by Max)