State Of Mind is the debut release of guitarist Adrian Smith's post Iron-Maiden project, Psycho Motel, and it features Smith's stellar axework as well as his great songwriting. This album is a blend of heavy Black Sabbath-like riffs and melodic metal hooks, making it quite an original release. The featured vocalist on this record is Solli who sounds very much like Tesla's Jeff Keith, thus giving the album a bluesy feel as well.

More than just straight-ahead Hard Rock, State Of Mind features Smith and company experimenting with different sounds and different instruments like the violin and cello, which add mystique to the heavy guitar-driven sound of the record. Bassist Gary Leiderman and drummer Mike Sturgis provide a solid backbone to the music.

State Of Mind is very much a guitar-oriented album that features some great soloing from Adrian Smith, strong bluesy vocals, and excellent songs. Fans of great guitar, and bands like Iron Maiden, Tesla, and Badlands will definitely want to pick this up.

Shred Pick - Western Shore (4:46)

(Originally released in 1996)

Reviewed by Henry Bocanegra

For more info on Psycho Motel Check out their website.

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