STRESSFEST

Stressfest from 1996 is a good jazz rock album where the guitar of Steve Morse shine almost on every piece. I like this album better then Stand up, ok is a diffrent decade, lots of changes between 1985 and 1996 in musical terms, the sound here is better, the guitar is more crunchy and has some brilliant moments, very uptempo pieces melted as always with some slower ones, some typical Morse signature on this album. The album is dynamic with some great moments like the opening track Stressfest, where Morse in more concentrated on compostional level, then trying to show us how many guitar noodleings he can do in space 5 seconds like Malmsteen. His technique aswell is unique here, but I feel that some pieces sounds to much the same to each other, same riffs, same arrangements, but doesn't mean sounds band, only sometimes monotone. Another goody is a slow piece Eyes Of A Child , some fantastic solos here, smooth and with great atmosphere. Well, this is better then Stand up, I make this comparation because I don't know other album from his solo career, has better arrangements, the AOR atmosphere is gone, same the vocals, is entirely instrumental, wich is better for him , because the pieces with vocals always sound very mainstream , very comercial. 3 stars for this album who is good, but I prefere him in Dixie Dregs , Kansas or Deep Purple where did good job aswell. Nice cover art.