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It sickens me every time I see a prominent guitar magazine
lauding praise on the guitarists in Korn. I guess they must
play the three chords that they actually know better than
anyone else. But if Head Cheese, Monkey Crap, and their
fans want to hear heavy, crunching, Metal guitar done right,
they should listen to Tom Kopyto's YTK. They just
might learn what the word 'melodic' means!
Released by M.A.C.E. Music, the label owned by acclaimed
shredder Michael Batio (better known as Michael Angelo to
old Nitro fans), YTK is a Metal guitar fan's dream.
Tom Kopyto is a true Metal musician and he shreds through
the eight instrumental tracks on this disc like the guitar
heroes of yore. The heavy overall sound created by the bass
and the drums is often reminiscent of classic Metallica
and Megadeth, yet at times I hear the slight influence of
some modern acts (GOOD modern acts, like Creed and Sevendust)
as well. There are even a couple of more progressive-sounding
tracks ("Contrition" and "Tomorrow")
that trade in some of the heavy drums for some high-hat
and some of the fast shredding for some soulful, emotional,
stretched-out guitar notes. But at no time does Kopyto's
axe-work dip to the mediocre, three-chord, heavily distorted
level of some of today's popular yet musically challenged
bands; it always remains skilled and melodic.
Besides Kopyto's kick-ass shredding, one thing that impresses
me about this CD is that even though the drums are programmed
(Aggghhh! Drum machines!), they sound very heavy! There
were many occasions when I forgot that the drumming wasn't
"real." That only adds to the already excellent
score I'm giving this disc for it's production values.
YTK is highly recommended for all Metal fans who
can appreciate instrumental songs, for Instrumental Guitar
fans seeking a dose of heaviness in their musical diet,
for any Korn fans (or members!) who want to learn a thing
or two about true Metal musicianship, and especially for
the staff members of the major guitar print publications
who have forgotten that three chords and a butt-load of
distortion don't make a guitarist talented. Run, don't walk,
to get this one into your collection.
Pick of the Lot: Solacitude (4:38)
Reviewed by Shredfest
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