Antonello Giliberto
Journey Through My Memory
Minotauro Records
2015
Antonello, is a Sicilian prodigious guitarist that has been playing since his youth, inspired by modern rock and metal, before he took an interest in things more classical upon discovering Johann Sebastian Bach’s works, who was a great influence for him and benefited his playing tremendously with tonal modes coming into play. Also Yngwie Malmsteen’s “The Seventh Sign” caused a great impression on the young guitarist, urging him to incorporate sweep arpeggios into his musical vocabulary. Musicians like Joey Tafolla, Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine and a lot of other neoclassical guitarists since including Jason Becker. He since, got his degrees in guitar and studied with some of the best international instructors while also being involved in a few bands and keeping busy with both teaching guitar at his local academy and touring with those bands in Italy. In 2013, he delivered his first solo album “The Mansion of Lost Souls”.
More recently he became involved with the power metal band Steelblade, with whom he performed at Sicily Metal Camp in August 2014 and he got to also to collaborate with the thrash metal French band E-Force, led by former Voivod Eric Forrest who even invited him to lay down some solos on their latest album. Between composing the second album, he also found time to work with the historic Italian thrash-metal band Schizo, with whom he will perform live in 2015 in support of the new album “Rotten Spiral” and he also presents himself in a Deep Purple cover band, which includes Tony Carey in its line up.
While “Journey Through My Memory” Antonello’s second album, marks an upgrade for him, since he did relinquished playing all the instruments by himself and instead chose to get virtuoso bassist Dino Fiorenza with whom he had collaborated in the past and the legendary drummer John Macaluso. Thus getting a much better sound and superior instrumental performances all around. The mix is clear and balanced, if not a little fuzzy in higher volumes, but overall very much in tune with the style. And what’s important here, is the compositions and thankfully, here Antonello is really hitting the nail on the head with melodious and meaningful, neoclassical exercises, that don’t lose their edge, or virtuosic nature of performance, but manage to be both tasteful and not too self-absorbed, as is the case with a lot of “shred” guitarists. Managing to make the compositions interesting to the avid listener, without sacrificing the technical aspect is a difficult balance and Antonello excels here with virtually every song being well constructed and featuring a lot of interesting parts with the solos coming in effortlessly and feeling as a natural part of the composition in most cases, not disrupting the flow at all.
Where the “maestro” Yngwie, has lately been caught faltering and releasing album upon album of mediocrely recorded material, Antonello prove himself to be somewhat of a new rising force on the neoclassical scene, with an album that will surely give him some due notice. Easily on of the better and more inspired neoclassical albums I have heard in a while in a genre where antagonism is inherently high and a lot of capable musicians are vying for the spot, under the “lights”...
More recently he became involved with the power metal band Steelblade, with whom he performed at Sicily Metal Camp in August 2014 and he got to also to collaborate with the thrash metal French band E-Force, led by former Voivod Eric Forrest who even invited him to lay down some solos on their latest album. Between composing the second album, he also found time to work with the historic Italian thrash-metal band Schizo, with whom he will perform live in 2015 in support of the new album “Rotten Spiral” and he also presents himself in a Deep Purple cover band, which includes Tony Carey in its line up.
While “Journey Through My Memory” Antonello’s second album, marks an upgrade for him, since he did relinquished playing all the instruments by himself and instead chose to get virtuoso bassist Dino Fiorenza with whom he had collaborated in the past and the legendary drummer John Macaluso. Thus getting a much better sound and superior instrumental performances all around. The mix is clear and balanced, if not a little fuzzy in higher volumes, but overall very much in tune with the style. And what’s important here, is the compositions and thankfully, here Antonello is really hitting the nail on the head with melodious and meaningful, neoclassical exercises, that don’t lose their edge, or virtuosic nature of performance, but manage to be both tasteful and not too self-absorbed, as is the case with a lot of “shred” guitarists. Managing to make the compositions interesting to the avid listener, without sacrificing the technical aspect is a difficult balance and Antonello excels here with virtually every song being well constructed and featuring a lot of interesting parts with the solos coming in effortlessly and feeling as a natural part of the composition in most cases, not disrupting the flow at all.
Where the “maestro” Yngwie, has lately been caught faltering and releasing album upon album of mediocrely recorded material, Antonello prove himself to be somewhat of a new rising force on the neoclassical scene, with an album that will surely give him some due notice. Easily on of the better and more inspired neoclassical albums I have heard in a while in a genre where antagonism is inherently high and a lot of capable musicians are vying for the spot, under the “lights”...