Kostas Vretos - Skin On Strings

\r\nWhen it’s time to review an instrumental album, it’s always like to\r\nstep on a stretched rope.\r\nOn one hand we have the fans of the instrumental - guitar hero genre,\r\nand on the other we have the ones that believe that is very tiring\r\nlistening to an\r\nentire virtuoso album. I am also an oppenent of virtuoso albums, but\r\nthis does not mean that I do\r\nnot love Jason Becker and Marty Friedman releases. I will try to be as\r\nobjective, or to be more correct, as less\r\nsubjective as possible. Let us begin!\r\n

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\r\nOverall, "Skin On Strings" is an excellent effort from\r\nthe beginning to the end, by a talented guitarist with great technique\r\nand\r\nalthough I believe that from the ninth track and then I listened to\r\nless powerful and inspired tracks. The production is great, the\r\ncompositions are powerful,\r\ncomplex and far from indifferent, impressive playing skills, melodies\r\nthat you will remember and known special guests. The album is a must\r\nbuy one!\r\n

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\r\nAbove all, I would like to mention that "Skin On Strings" is the first solo\r\nalbum Kostas Vretos, who is the guitarist of Horizon’s End (progressive\r\nmetal). This is a purely instrumental album that combines different genres.\r\n

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\r\nThe first track is called "Desert Tears". It starts with a classical guitar which plays ’desertedly’, as a lonely cowboy in a ghost town, a doleful, melancholic melody developing and finally giving its place to the rhythmical part of the main riff of the track. A hint of Vai - Satriani viewpoint comes to mind. The regular couple / refrain method is applied to the point of the main solo, where we have a melodic panic, to return to one more chorus and the track’s finale. Keys are discreet but have done a very good job in terms of accompanying the guitar. I may also add that from 4.10 and on to 4.16 in rif reminds one very,very much the track "Moonlight" (The Black Halo 2005) by Kamelot.
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\r\n"A place to call home" follows directly next, with a strong fusion-feeling and a concrete development despite the odd rhythmical solfege. Playful tone, with an excellent change in the beginning of the second minute. Generally, the changes in this piece are such that the transition from the basic melody to another occurs without the listener noticing. However, a simplicity is still maintained despite its strong, stable structure.
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\r\nThe third track is "Never Again". Heavy, in mid - tempo, breaks with repetition. Audacious playing with a great variety in sound. Suitable for those seeking ideas on how to enrich a piece for a prima vista examination.
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\r\n"Namarie", with clean guitars but groove-like, changes the so far heavy feeling into something more relaxing, especially with lead tone, which developes and resolves, though always keeping its basic structure. Here, keyboards are much more prominent than in the other songs of the album, once again playing the part of the supporting "spine".
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\r\n"A new tomorrow", with piano and guitar in the intro, continues with tapping which is also the basis of the track, and full band arrangement. Additonally,the orchestration is meant to implement a live performance-feeling, as the instruments used are a guitar, bass, drums and keyboards, so the sound spreads in melodies and gets heavier in riffs.
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\r\n"Love for sale" is the only song with vocals, done by Vassilis Topalidis, singer of the band Horizon’s End. It starts acoustically, while it progresses more heavily and keeps this style until the end. A Heavy ballad taking us back to early 90’s or even 80’s. Mainstream sound, a pleasant piece of music, suitable for the road and very easy to listen.
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\r\n"Heartbreak Highway" is perhaps the harder and more up-tempo song on the album. Hard and dirty guitars, rhythmic keyboards and many changes. Frankly speaking, while it is a nice song, I feel there still was room for development.
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\r\nThe next track is "As Time Passes By", clearly lighter with a jazz & rock approach, and the lead guitar playing the most outstanding part.
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\r\nComing up is "Skin On Strings", homonymous piece of the CD, in a hard rock mood, equally based on distinct melody sequences and several rhythmic changes. Guest guitarists Alexis Flouros and Thodoris Ziras brings up a climax of talent in this song and all in all a virtuosic playing, much to the delight of any fan of the genre.
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\r\nThe Way She Moves, where there is a vide clip on youtube, is an acoustic guitar song, with not such a classic style, and that is the last song of the album. \r\n

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\r\nIn addition there are 2 parts where each one lasts about 1.30 minutes, the "Sunday Morning" and "Last Words" which could be described as inteludes. Beautiful soft melodies, but where the "Sunday Morning" is a megalancholikes classical guitar melodies, while not "Last Words", is a combination of clean guitars, delay and harmonics. \r\n

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\r\nInstead of epilogue: \r\n
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\r\nThose who are old enough and live the first releases of Jason Becker +\r\nMarty Friedman - Speed Metal Symphony! (1987), or Yngwie Mamlsteen’s\r\nRising Force, certainly have believed that they would never listen to\r\nsuch Greek virtuoso\r\nguitarists. I do not know how many Greeks guitarists are like Kostas\r\nVretos, but now matter the number all of them must come into the light.\r\nSome, must understand that nowdays there really good metal bands to all\r\ngenres, but only a few of them\r\nhave the chance to achieve something. I hope sometime in the future the\r\nglobe will talk aboutf Greek bands, as we\r\nhave spoken and we have supported bands such as Maiden, Scorpions and\r\nAC DC. We wish the best to Kostas Vretos and Horizon’s End.
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\r\nKonstantinos Grevenitis \r\n

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