NIELS VEJLYT – Sthenic
- Posted on 24-10-2011
Infinity Overture guitarist Niels Vejlyt steps out into this solo instrumental sojourn, surrounding himself with a capable duo of ex-Pain Of Salvation bassist Kris Gildenlow and fellow IO drummer Jakob Vand. So I’m sure you are asking yourself, how does “Sthenic” differ from the plethora of shred happy neo-classical non-vocal metal albums coming down the pike? For one- most of the instrumentation has a live approach, meaning you don’t feel like these 8 songs were cut and pasted together through a series of home studios and transferred by computer/MP3 files. Secondly- Niels takes his inspiration from artists like John Petrucci, Jeff Loomis and I even hear older David T. Chastain in cuts like “Samurai” and the closing 9 minute epic “Winter”, yet opens the album with a softer, smoother piece like “Heads Up” where Niels takes you through his slower lead skills.
Those who purchase “Sthenic” also get a DVD with insights into the album, instructional footage for guitar players to improve their skills and the opportunity to see some of Niels playing in a live setting. I can see a few non-musicians really enjoying the versatile chops on display- sure there are a few normal technique happy numbers like “Rain” and “Meteors”, but this is as much a metal effort as it is an instrumental record. Maybe this versatility will improve the output of future Infinity Overture records.
At 40 minutes, I’m comfortable listening to this again and again- it’s great mood music when I need to get some housework done and also unleash my creativity.