SCALE THE SUMMIT

"Bloom" An exciting way to begin the album, that opening lead is extremely inspiring.

"Sargasso Sea" Heavy, chugging chords begin this one and remain a constant feature.

"The Great Plains" Probably the best introduction on the album (allowing the music to breathe, as it were), this piece has palm-muted guitar and a fairly straightforward series of chord progressions with some really amazing riffs bridging it all together. Some elegant clean guitar makes for a beautiful middle section.

"Dunes" The heaviness resumes with two static riffs playing side-by-side.

"Age Of The Tide" The heavy drumming doesn't seem to work alongside the more graceful guitars on this one. Otherwise, it's a real peppy instrumental.

"Glacial Planet" The band tones things way down at first , laced with elegant, clean guitar and light drumming. Unfortunately, the introduction is extremely short-lived, as the heavy-handed guitar and rhythm section enter, backing up more lackluster guitar soloing.

"City In The Sky" Essentially more chugging guitars, thudding bass, heavy drums and lead guitar, this is another exercise in sameness, offering no desperately-needed variety. There is a pretty good bass solo, however.

"Giants" The lengthiest and last piece is, as expected, more dual guitar riffs and runs accompanied by over-the-top drumming and passable bass. Ultimately, it is more of the same- very little on this record stands out, but it's all right for what it is.

I was curious about these guys because they were on an e-mail that I received from PA since I am on their mailing list. Gives me updates about what's new and stuff, and I like that kinda stuff. So, I heard about these guys in a forum, something about releasing a new album. I decided to check them out.

I found out that they are a quartet, that are about my age, and are making instrumental albums. Seeing as how I make music of my own and intend to do something similar to what these guys are doing, I decided to check them out. Like I said, I like to support the little guys, so I wanted to see what they were up to.

Well, pretty good stuff is what I have to say. There is a lot crazy drumming going on with a lot of control, but also can be very soft at times and subdued. The guitar is the exact same, along with their riffs. They also change beats and rhythms a lot in each song, but it is all positive. In other words, they have a lot of breadth of material and are varied in what they do. To me they have their own style, and it is wonderful. I am listening to the third track on the album as I write this, to tell you the truth.

If there is anything that they can be similar to at times, I would say it is Stemage. They (I can't remember if it is just one person or not) does remixes of music from the game series Metroid. (By the way, if you happen to be into games, give those games a look over. They are incredible!!) You can find the music at www.metroidmetal.com. It can be hard edged and brutal at times, but it can also be very soft and serene. What I find most similar are the drumming time signatures and choices of symbols and occasional drum throws that are different from any bands I've ever heard before. Also, the guitars share a lot of similarities, especially when there is a lot of distortion applied.

The reason why I like this album is because the entire time I feel like I am on an adventure. It takes me places, and that's awesome. It's short, compact, tight, and feels light. Albums that are longer feel like they are a bit heavier because of the amount of music in them, which is never a bad thing at all to me. I like this because it is different from that. It's short, but it is not short because it's lacking. That makes it a gem to me.

This is a 4 star album to me. It's wonderful. It's not a masterpiece, but it certainly can't be called good. For guys this age, this is so cool, especially with the kind of music they are producing. It's so different from what I would expect.

More power to them and I hope they do exceedingly well! Hell yeah!

Take it easy everyone and watch out for me later when I decide to do my next review!

Flames Burning Eternal,

Shadow

This is a very tasty album. But I wouldn't call this Extreme Tech Metal. Maybe Prog Metal Fusion.

The songs on this album are extremely well written, and the virtuosity of the players is never in doubt. I would place the tone of the guitars somewhere between Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson, with the composistion reminiscent of The Dixie Dregs, minus the bluegrass influence, and adding a hefty dollop of metal.

There are no songs that stand out over the others, as each piece draws the listener in, and hosts a wild ride through a mutitude of ever-changing musical ideas, all fitting together perfectly.

For the most part, instrumental albums tend to be on more of the Hey look at me, I can do a guitar solo for 40 minutes straight without stopping and you cant side of life. There a few excpetions such as Karl Sander's 'Saurian Meditations' which focuses more on building a story with sound. But Scale the Summit present something all on their own.

This is an album that is purely about the songwriting. Peaks and Valleys weave their way through bombastic sections and moments of pure guitar genius. If only I could play like these kids do. Which is another great thing about this band and album. They are just kids, with a whole career ahead of them.

With 'Carving Desert Canyons' the future is looking bright for these four young virtuosos.

From the get-go, the most apparent influence at play is Canvas Solaris. They are very fond of the technically proficient chops, riffs, passages, etc. that CS employ. Wolves and the ironically comicially titled Penguins in Flight, the former showcasing very progressive time signatures, while the former boasts Petrucci-esque guitar chops.

The drummer is particuarly gifted, playing very tight rhythms tirelessly. The bassist is very well heard, and his skills on the four-string are virtually unlimited and unmatched. The production is also very good for a self-financed album.

Don't hesitate getting this album if you are a fan of Canvas Solaris. Plus, you'll help STS save up for a tour van. :D

I'm writing this review because i feel a great injustice was being done to any Progressive music fan who navigated to the Scale the Summit page for some advice on the quality of the boys from Houston's music. I first discovered this band on their myspace page (myspace.com/scalethesummit) and found myself listening to the three preview tracks so often that i realised that i had hit on something big as a Progressive Rock and Prog metal fan.

I bought the album at once, and long story short this highly talented quartet have quickly moved their way up the ranks to among my favourite artists.

Onto Monument.

The first thing that hits you is Shaping the Clouds, an epic technical metal journey that really creates a glorious mood. Pat Skeffington's drumming is stellar - The guitarists work around each other like the best of them, and the bass is just a part of the band as much as Chris Squire was a part of Yes's music. The album moves on and on the third track we come across Crossing the Ocean. Instead of the uproar of the first two tracks, CtO starts with a Canvas Solaris inspired jazz melody which ripples across your ears, leading you slowly into the rousing heavy guitar entry. i don't have time right now to go through every song, but other highlights of the album include Rode in on Horseback, Penguins in flight and especially the twin brother of Shaping the Clouds, Holding Thunder.

I read the 5 star/1 star warning when i selected my Essential 5 star rating and realised that yes, this album does deserve those 5 stars.

-It's their debut album (which doesn't really matter, given the quality of the album none the less, it just makes it even more impressive)

-The only reason i hesitated with the rating was because of certain production values of the album - some of it seems a little.. uneven, but that's not because of the skills of the musicians or the songs themselves, just the producer.

-It's truly something to behold as a full album, not just a series of great songs.

-The musicians show of their chops as instrumentalists without spoiling the song - it seems like they're less focused on solos than creating an overall mood to the songs.

So for fans of instrumental technical progressive metal or Progressive Metal in general, then check Scale the Summit's Monument out.

you won't regret it, and if you have any doubts then head over to their myspace (written earlier) and see for yourself. the tracks offered are currently Holding Thunder, Crossing the Ocean, Wolves and Shaping the Clouds.

The guys are talented musicians, and play tighter than the proverbial duck's arse. They are fond of complex playing as well; no run of the mill chops and riff patterns here used by a score of other bands.

But their mix of fusion and metal; although technically excellent; lacks mood, atmosphere and melody.

If listening to talented musicians showing off their skills is of interest this one is worth checking out; if moods and melodies are your thing chances are good that this one may not appeal.