George Lynch - Guitars At The End Of The World (2023)
Lynch delivers a follow-up to his excellent instrumental album Seamless from 2021, taking a similar stylistic approach but offering cleaner production.
- The Knowing - Ethereal synths and a gentle but insistent beat eventually welcome some effervescent guitar. A strong melodic lead through the “verse” becomes darker and more focused for the “chorus”. A sweet bass solo leads into a pretty classic-sounding guitar solo with a soft finish. Some gentle noodling blossoms into a more uplifting bridge that builds into some excellent soloing to close out the track. Starting off good and finishing that strong, I think this one merits an 8/10.
- Psycho Beta - An uptempo riff with dark undercurrents takes a somewhat darker turn for the “verse” with some distant leads in the background, then brightens up for a wah-laden “chorus”. Some fiery soloing greets a great ominous bridge, then some gentler soaring lead work before a few more permutations of the song parts with more soloing and a push-the-brakes ending. Very good, a robust 7/10.
- The Crucible - Melancholy ringing guitar with some bass accents and choral support soon breaks into an almost Maidenesque driving riff. The guitar tone on that riff is questionable (it seems like it could use more punch), but there’s lots of slightly bluesy soloing happening on top. The brief “chorus” switches things up nicely with a bit of brightness, and the “verse” has some other variations as well. The soloing is relentless in this track, veering back and forth between slightly bluesy and more metallic, until a quick denouement. Sitting right on the edge of greatness, I think I can round this one up to an 8/10.
- The Passage - Dark synths and almost computery guitar noodling gives way to a very slow and greasy lead. Some softer melancholy leads occasionally break up that feel, eventually leading into a rhythmic interlude before returning to the greasy “verse” and finishing on a variant reprise of the intro and a long bass note. This song picks a groove and mostly stays in it, but it’s still good. 7/10.
- Borracho Boogie Delux - (Yes, there’s no “e” in the final word.) A drum intro welcomes some very busy lead work before breaking into a playful boogie rhythm with bluesy leads, not unlike Joe Satriani’s “Satch Boogie”. There’s a great descending lead with volume swells that breaks things up, then a bubbly ascending lead section, and later on some more busy lead work to bookend the bluesy “verses” before finishing on a big rock ending. Great stuff, 8/10.
- Shadow Of The Needle - Some sickly-sounding guitar with female choral backing soon breaks into an odd-rhythm riff for the “verse” and a more subdued one for the “pre-chorus” before taking on a more traditional feel for the brighter “chorus”. A queasy bridge makes a somewhat awkward lead transition back into the “verse” before some very outside soloing. Some final “choruses” take on more fiery soloing before a quick finish. A bit odd with a few weaknesses, but still good overall. 7/10.
- The Wolf - A laid back bluesy groove supports some very emotive lead work before breaking into a big, airy “chorus” with some odd guitar effects. A brighter bridge with equally emotive lead work breaks things up a bit, then some final “verses” to wrap things up. Great stuff, 8/10.
- Serpentarium - A slow-paced staccato riff provides a base for much soloing. A more driving “pre-chorus” leads into a bigger, more soaring “chorus”. A bluesier bridge with more experimental leads breaks things up a bit in the middle. The rhythm tone in the “pre-chorus” feels a little trashy when it should have been punchier, I think, but otherwise this is all quite good. 7/10.
- The Ritual - An aggressive but slightly bright riff gives way to a more sparse and atmospheric “pre-chorus” before blossoming into an epic and solo-filled “chorus”. A darker, descending bridge leads into a variant “verse” with more intense soloing before returning to a final “chorus”. Another one that rides on the edge of greatness, I think I should round it up to an 8/10.
- Contraflow - A bright melodic lead is soon replaced by a beautiful ascending bubbly lead with great color work around the edges. This breaks into a heavier uptempo “chorus” with a sizzling lead. An intense descending bridge appears later on, leading into a more sparse interlude with some sinister descending rhythm runs and great soloing, then a more driving bit that eventually returns to the awesome bubbly “verse” and “chorus” to finish up. An excellent song, and that bubbly bit is just jaw-dropping. 9/10.
- Tone Bender - A greasy mid-tempo riff supports some heavily effect-laden lead work, flowing into a more pensive ringing “pre-chorus” and a more anthemic “chorus”. A key change on the “verse” with some more intense soloing leads into an effect-heavy bridge before rolling back through the “pre-chorus” and “chorus” to end on a variant “verse”. Very good, a robust 7/10.
- Brilliant Lion From The Second Mountain - Gentle and slightly bright lead work is supported by acoustic and slide guitar. EBow is used tastefully for part of the lead work, and this soft, country-infused theme gets its point across and leaves the stage before it has any chance of getting old. Great stuff, 8/10.
- Bitches Be Trippin - Straight-up funk with fat bass, mellow synth, hand claps, and thin, wah-laden guitar accents. The leads are thin and piercing as you’d expect. For the “chorus” some heavier rhythm guitar is introduced. Strong lead work throughout, and a great interlude that trades off nicely between the bass, synth, and guitar. Great song, 8/10.
Average: 7.7/10
Weighted: 7.7/10
While this is a step down in quality from Seamless, it’s still a great album overall, with a majority of tracks being great or excellent and none of them being any less than good.
Lynch continues to show strong stylistic range and a desire to fill every track with layers and layers of guitar, something he doesn’t really get a chance to do in his projects that include vocals. I love that he’s continuing to produce instrumental work alongside his other projects, as it tends to be some of his best material.
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