LIVE AT METALWORKS (WITH GLEN DROVER)

The double credited album "Live at Metalworks", released by Magna Carta Records in 2013, documents a double bill concert performance where Canadian artists Dave MARTONE and Glen DROVER shared the stage, each given a set with their own backing bands but also guesting in on each others performances. This limited edition CD comes with a bonus DVD from the same performance, but as this one isn't included in the digital promo package I was sent I can't really tell whether or not that DVD adds anything apart from being a bonus item.

Of the two sets, Dave Martone's is the longest one, and at least to my ears also the one least impressive. The energetic Bossa Dorado is a highlight, taking the bossanova where it rarely have been before, and Angel Fish comes across as a distinctly Satriani-tinged excursion to my ears, in a good way I might add. An instrumental where mood and melody have just as much a place as sequences of a more technical nature. The Devil Went Down to Georgia is an enjoyable told tale where the storyline is used to set up some flamboyant guitar work, while Crush of Love, with Drover guesting on second guitar, is an elongated take/improvisation on the Satriani classic fairly well performed - although not quite at the same level as from the creator.

In general I find Martone to be too focused on technical performance to suit my taste and arguably not as concerned about more developed compositional features as such, but fans of guitar soloing, shredding and neo-classical runs will find this live performance to be a treasure trove to experience, no doubts about that.

Glen Drover's set is just a tad more appealing to my ears. With Saga keyboardist Jim Gilmour as part of his backing band the songs obviously gets more depth by default, and the manner in which Drover and Leighton utilize their instruments to craft supplemental contrasts is at times superb. We're treated to a fair share of darker toned riff constructions paired off against lighter toned keyboards obviously, but there's also fairly sweeping and elegant keyboard textures given room to soar and shine, quirky interwoven guitar and keyboard interactions as well as alternating solo runs by both instruments, the non-soloing instrument supporting the soloing instrument at any given time.

Bass and drums are also brought more to the fore on Drover's set, and most stunningly so on Ground Zero, a brilliant performance that kicks off as some sort of DiMeola-inspired metal workout that gradually moves away from the initial jazzrock details by the rhythms section to a more purebred metal expression, all done in an excellent manner. The concluding run through Megadeth's classic Symphony of Destruction just about the only letdown here to my ears, while it does take the song to grounds the original doesn't cover I personally didn't find those new grounds as appealing as the ones explored by the original in this case.

The two sets documented on this live CD are by artists that, at least if this live performance documents anything, are fairly different in nature. Martone comes across as the technically oriented artist that will appeal to a guitar hero type audience, while Drover comes across as a a guy with an arguably broader appeal towards a progressive metal oriented crowd. Less focused on the technical bits, and to a much greater extent employing those details within a well developed context. Still, if you enjoy (mostly) instrumental metal this is an album that warrants an inspection, and as the artists are fairly different in scope to my ears the overall appeal of this album should be fairly broad, even if the full album perhaps might be regarded as intriguing by a slightly lesser sized audience overall.