Jason Richardson
I

Enfant Prodige of the "shred oriented" guitar, yet relatively unknown to most compared to the likes of John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and so on, Jason Richardson, who became (relatively) famous for being the favored axe of prestigious bands like All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, and Chelsea Grin, arrives in 2016 with his first solo endeavor, this "I" which I have never understood whether it is pronounced "one" or "ai."

Overlooking this philosophical doubt, the album presents itself with truly excellent production (Taylor Larson) and a really seasoned team of musicians, including Jason Richardson on guitar and bass, and the phenomenal Luke Holland on drums, which on this record sound particularly good compared to many other offerings of the same genre, with a natural and non-ultra-triggered sound.

Before discussing the album itself, it's important to mention the presence of many guests including Spencer Sotelo, Jeff Loomis, and many others, which make the listening experience even more interesting; the product itself, in any case, represents an excellent example of instrumental Progressive Metal with Djent and Neoclassical/Baroque-style influences, played remarkably well with various truly enjoyable pieces: "OMNI," the album's opener, and the beautiful "Fragments," represent, in my opinion, excellent examples of Modern Metal, with solid yet unpredictable structures, sophisticated yet catchy melodies, and an executional clarity that is nothing short of extraordinary, something more unique than rare even in the genre.

Many genres are "referenced" in the album's color palette, which, however, possibly suffers from an excessive repetition of the same patterns and "same" riffs: many songs remain scarcely memorable despite the quality of the material and represent mostly mannerist exercises of pure technique ("Hos Down") or mere backdrops to fairly banal vocal melodies ("Retrograde"); the work, all in all, flows well, although it is more suited to a "guitarist" audience than to a general public, containing an almost strictly "genre-specific" language.

As mentioned earlier, the drums stand out: played divinely and with an impressive groove, the listener is not spared the classic carpets of double bass and extremely fast "blast beats," as well as intricate and highly enjoyable polyrhythmic sections, with a powerful and never dull bass in the background.

All combined together results in a certainly good album, especially for a debut, but it perhaps lacks originality and variety in listening, especially in the long term, and I do not feel inclined to promote it much further: nonetheless, the latent potential, expressed in the best tracks of the lot like "OMNI" and "Fragments," are truly impossible to deny, and will already begin to blossom with the subsequent work, the exceptional single "Tendinitis," which I will discuss at another time.

In conclusion, "I" is a fairly varied album, divinely played and produced, but it suffers from an almost complete lack of originality and often disperses into songs without head or tail, yet alternated with truly valuable pieces that ensure this album remains a lasting and entertaining listen, especially if the listener is an aspiring guitarist.