┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│■ ■│
│ .-/ .-. │
│ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │
│ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │
│ / || (:/:| \ │
│ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │
│ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │
│ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │
│ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │
│ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │
│ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │
│ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │
│ \:-~ ~-:/ │
│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
│ │
│ + Gus G - I Am The Fire (Jap. Ed.) + │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Jun-08-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2014 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.gusgofficial.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Gus G Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : I Am The Fire (Jap. Ed.) Label : King ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It is always hard to know what to expect when ║ │
│║ guitarists have solo albums, especially when ║ │
│║ they are already pretty much the leader of their ║ │
│║ main band. Will it be their attempt at something ║ │
│║ experimental, a chance to do vocals, or will it ║ │
│║ be a complete festival of shred. When it comes ║ │
│║ to Greek guitar virtuoso it almost seems like ║ │
│║ life couldnÆt get much better. His own band ║ │
│║ Firewind has steadily been releasing albums for ║ │
│║ years and he is now probably more known as the ║ │
│║ guy who replaced Zakk Wylde in Ozzy OsbourneÆs ║ │
│║ band. When reading that he was due to put out a ║ │
│║ solo album titled I Am the Fire (which in itself ║ │
│║ to me signifies his leadership of Firewind), I ║ │
│║ had no idea what to expect or why he was doing ║ │
│║ so. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ On paper I Am the Fire seems extremely ║ │
│║ impressive, with a wide array of guest musicians ║ │
│║ from Mats Leven, Tom Englund of Evergrey, Jeff ║ │
│║ Scott Soto, and even oddly enough Steel ║ │
│║ PantherÆs Michael Starr. A couple of the tracks ║ │
│║ even had the bass laid down by legends David ║ │
│║ Ellefson and Billy Sheehan. Then we get thrown a ║ │
│║ curve ball in terms of expectations by the ║ │
│║ several tracks with guests from more modern ║ │
│║ bands such as Devour the Day, Eyes Set to Kill, ║ │
│║ and Lynam. The only thing left to do to find out ║ │
│║ where your expectations were met is to actually ║ │
│║ listen to the album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Realizing that Mats Leven, who has been in ║ │
│║ several technically proficient bands such as ║ │
│║ Yngwie Malmsteen and At Vance, is on four songs ║ │
│║ seems like the logical place to begin an ║ │
│║ analysis of the album. From these tracks I can ║ │
│║ easily see what Gus was trying to do with this ║ │
│║ project. He is trying to get more mainstream ║ │
│║ success without alienating FirewindÆs fanbase. ║ │
│║ Every track with Leven is very similar. They are ║ │
│║ all pretty much 3 to 4 minute Guns NÆ Roses ║ │
│║ meets Buckcherry sleazy sounding rock and roll ║ │
│║ tunes. That seems to have always been a huge ║ │
│║ craze and I can honestly understand why Gus ║ │
│║ would choose to write songs like this. What I ║ │
│║ donÆt really understand is why someone of GusÆs ║ │
│║ ability minimizes on the complexity of the riffs ║ │
│║ and plays pretty basic by the numbers guitar ║ │
│║ solos in several of the songs. Out of the Leven ║ │
│║ fronted tracks End of the Line is definitely the ║ │
│║ bright spot. It has a very laid back vibe to it, ║ │
│║ is a little more memorable than the other four ║ │
│║ and GusÆs guitar playing really starts to shine. ║ │
│║ The solos are very melodic, yet intricate and ║ │
│║ soulful and its honestly one of the best tracks ║ │
│║ on the album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The next logical tracks to check out are the two ║ │
│║ with the guests from the up to date radio rock ║ │
│║ sounding bands Devour the Day and Eyes Set to ║ │
│║ Kill. I Am the Fire and Long Way Down both sound ║ │
│║ like something that could easily be a hit on the ║ │
│║ radio. Both are a little repetitive and have ║ │
│║ that ôlife is hardö kind of lyrical content that ║ │
│║ most popular rock bands of today seem to have. ║ │
│║ Neither of these tracks are anything I would ║ │
│║ think most fans of Firewind would appreciate, ║ │
│║ but I could see them garnering some mainstream ║ │
│║ attention although myself would not normally ║ │
│║ listen to songs like this. Just CanÆt Let Go ║ │
│║ with Jacob Bunton of Lynam on vocals can very ║ │
│║ easily fall into the same category as these two ║ │
│║ as well. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ What I am least surprised to see on this album ║ │
│║ is that there are two absolutely shredding ║ │
│║ instrumental tracks which oddly enough are the ║ │
│║ ones with Ellefson and Sheehan playing bass on ║ │
│║ them. Vengeance and Terrified are what I expect ║ │
│║ to see on any guitar virtuosoÆs solo albums. I ║ │
│║ am usually not the hugest fan of instrumental ║ │
│║ tracks, but both tracks are phenomenal, ║ │
│║ especially Terrified, which is just a huge wall ║ │
│║ of speed and technical ability while maintaining ║ │
│║ a flow that is memorable, which is what made me ║ │
│║ fall in love with GusÆs guitar playing several ║ │
│║ years ago. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The last part of my analysis is the tracks I ║ │
│║ expected to love solely on who the guests on ║ │
│║ them were. Redemption sounds nothing like what I ║ │
│║ would expect from the vocalist of Steel Panther ║ │
│║ and from the vibe from several other songs on ║ │
│║ the album. StarrÆs few high notes he hits on ║ │
│║ this track are pretty amazing, but its honestly ║ │
│║ not the most memorable of songs. The guitar solo ║ │
│║ is once again is very nice though, extremely ║ │
│║ fast and probably one of the longer solos on the ║ │
│║ album. Summer Days with Jeff Scott Soto actually ║ │
│║ does sound like it could be a Firewind song. Its ║ │
│║ a mid-paced melodic rock tune and is extremely ║ │
│║ memorable. This is easily one of the best songs ║ │
│║ on the album and the one guitar solo that ║ │
│║ probably has the most emotional feel to it from ║ │
│║ any of the album. Dreamkeeper is actually the ║ │
│║ first song I listened to because I have always ║ │
│║ loved Tom EnglundÆs blend of dark, yet emotional ║ │
│║ vocals. He is easily one of the most soulful ║ │
│║ metal vocalists I have ever heard and definitely ║ │
│║ doesnÆt disappoint on this. It actually sounds ║ │
│║ like it could be an Evergrey song and is a ║ │
│║ unique almost power ballad-ish sounding song. ║ │
│║ The song fades out with a lot of very emotional ║ │
│║ sounding guitar work as well. Honestly this ║ │
│║ track is the highlight of the album and I really ║ │
│║ wish more songs on the album were like this. It ║ │
│║ was great to see Gus and Tom working together ║ │
│║ again since all those years ago in Nightrage. I ║ │
│║ really hope that they record a full album ║ │
│║ together sometime in the future. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ After completely listening to the album I am a ║ │
│║ little more impressed by it than I first ║ │
│║ thought. There are a wide variety of songs for ║ │
│║ pretty much any fan of hard rock and metal and a ║ │
│║ couple of fantastic instrumental pieces. Not all ║ │
│║ of the songs are things I would normally listen ║ │
│║ to, but I definitely must admit that 2 or 3 ║ │
│║ songs really drive this album, especially Summer ║ │
│║ Days and Dreamkeeper. I would not be opposed to ║ │
│║ another Gus G. solo album in the future. This ║ │
│║ has a lot to offer several types of music ║ │
│║ listeners, but of course I highly doubt most ║ │
│║ people would like all of it. The three or four ║ │
│║ phenomenal tracks greatly increase the rating of ║ │
│║ this album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - My Will Be Done (Feat. Mats Leven) [03:15] │
│ 02 - Blame It On Me (Feat. Mats Leven) [03:23] │
│ 03 - I Am The Fire (Feat. Devour The Day) [03:15] │
│ 04 - Vengeance (Feat. David Ellefson) [04:26] │
│ 05 - Long Way Down (Feat. Alexia Rodriguez) [03:02] │
│ 06 - Just Can┤t Let Go (Feat. Jacob Bunton) [04:00] │
│ 07 - Terrified (Feat. Billy Sheehan) [03:14] │
│ 08 - Eyes Wide Open (Feat. Mats Leven) [04:19] │
│ 09 - Redemption (Feat. Michael Starr) [04:15] │
│ 10 - Summer Days (Feat. Jeff Scott Soto) [03:49] │
│ 11 - Dreamkeeper (Feat. Tom S. Englund) [04:46] │
│ 12 - End Of The Line (Feat. Mats Leven) [05:00] │
│ 13 - Without You (Bonus Track) [05:00] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [51:44 minn │
│ │
│ │
│ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘