HEAVY MEDDLE

I think this instrumental CD is a solid mix of style, melody, and musician prowess. Overall, the music is very reminiscent of Liquid Tension Experiment, sans keyboards and a bit shy of the overindulgence. The three membered band does an excellent job of keeping the music full and fresh. A very upbeat collection, this CD had me turning up the volume as I got into the grooves presented. Even with "Visions in Green" chilling out, a stand-out tune for this CD, the guitarist Carl Roa was able to pull off some subtle shreds that maintained grasping the pulse of the song.

The bassist Roy Altemus plays effortlessly through complex riffs and does not hide behind anyone, providing a solid bottom that does not supersaturate the overall mix. His tone matches the music perfectly. And the mix is top notch. Very clean with levels befitting of the material being generated.

Getting back to the styles of the music, I found myself hearing possible influences from Eric Johnson, Steely Dan, Deep Purple, Rush, and Steve Morse. "Scrambledreggs" really threw me off with what could be considered a progressive country invention including some picking that Roy Clark would have fun with. The musicianship chops were in full color for this ditty.

Overall, an excellent music experience and one which should be applied liberally to your ears.