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Neil Zaza is a name that (unfortunately) many might not recognize, despite him being a top-notch guitarist! He's someone who has played with Vai and Satriani and for his CDs can afford to call people like Michael Antony and Jordan Rudess... Imagine a less experimental Joe Satriani, but even more melodic, in the style of "The Forgotten pt. 2" and you'll have an idea of Neil's sound.
Impeccable in every part, he favors melody without compromising technique; in "When Gravity Fails" you can hear all the techniques a shredder must master: tapping, bending, quite a bit of sweep picking, but none of them seem out of place or forced, so this is one of the few entirely instrumental CDs that are enjoyable even for a non-guitarist audience without being boring.
In "When Gravity Fails" every track is a gem, so there's no point in discussing each one individually, but I'll try to highlight the absolute best. When number 3 shows up on the stereo, you understand what an incredible guitarist Zaza is in terms of touch and feeling: "Cinematic" is the peak of the album, an engaging and appropriately moving piece of music, in a word, stunning! It is followed by "In My Dreams", very atmospheric. Zaza shines best in power ballads, even more so than in rock outbursts. "Celestine" is another example of heartfelt touch and tear-inducing melody. I highlight "Heavyosity" for Rudess's work, who here seems like a demonic version of Jon Lord. If you prefer the typical hard rock feel over the soft atmosphere of power ballads, listen to "Ultra" or "Something Anything" in addition to the aforementioned "Heavyosity", songs that are technically perfect with a killer vibe.
In conclusion, Neil Zaza is a name that should be spread, too little known despite his brilliance as an (exceptional) instrumentalist and the musicality of his works (superb)!
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