Thom Mathews - Mindcraft
  Genre: Shred/Instrumental
  Release Date: 2007
  Label: Black Flame Records
  Band Web Site: http://www.myspace.com/thommathews

In the late 1970s a new style of guitar playing would capture the minds and the itchy fingers of axe slingers all over the landscape. You could say it began with an “Eruption”! All it took was one listen of the classic six-string mass slaughter which was Eddie Van Halen’s announcement to the world that he was here, and guitar would never be the same again! Edward The Great’s melding of melody, virtuosity, and blazing speed spawned the beast that would become known as shredding. That was only the beginning of the fireworks as the 1980s would introduce us to the classically inspired licks of Yngwie Malmsteen, the dual barrage of Marty Friedman and Jason Becker, the elegance of Joe Satriani, the drilling of Paul Gilbert, and of course Steve Vai, who showed the whole world that guitars could talk! Just as quickly as the guitar wars began, they were over, as the emergence of the grunge movement ended the six- (or even seven-) string speed extravaganza. However, the shred was never dead, and the movement was joined by worthy contenders such as Michael Romeo and John Petrucci. I am happy to announce that another warrior has entered the arena of shred masters and is willing to take no prisoners in his quest for recognition. He is Thom Mathews, and is currently the guitarist in the band Quinta Essentia.

The description of his debut album Mindcraft on the record label web site describes the CD as “a journey into territories of virtuosity unlike anything ever witnessed on this planet. A rare blend of haunting melodies neo-classical shred licks and elements of all genres of extreme metal executed with enough intensity and dexterious fluidity to tear your face off!” Well, that sounds pretty good to me…now let’s commence with said face tearing and press play!

“Prepare For Crash Landing” sums up the feeling of the track that bears its name perfectly, as the supersonic chords, gut twisting leads and rumbling drum volley gives the listener the feeling that they just jumped out of the Space Shuttle…without a parachute and above the atmosphere! As the heat from re-entry tears your flesh off, the six-string machine guns disguised as Mathews’ fingers shoots what’s left of you to pieces as you crash to the ground! Awesome!

“Acid Membrane” starts off with some trip-inducing, brain bending licks before dissolving into an ethereal trip to the center of your mind’s deepest fears…a trip that would make Jefferson Airplane proud and make any recovering ‘60s hippies think they are having a flashback! Whoa dude! Far out! But then the drums kick you out of the state of nirvana you thought you were in and the spiraling solos knock you back to the real world…what a ride! Who needs LSD?

Mathews definitely has a knack for writing a song title that fits the mood of a composition to a T. “Kite In a Whirlwind” is a full on gale force of six-string intensity packaged with aggressive riffing, a hailstorm of blast beats, and fretboard wrecking solos! Any kite that would be unfortunate enough to be caught in this windstorm would surely take the poor soul unfortunate enough to be holding on to the string for the ride of his life…or his death!

The title track features even more of Mathews’ signature soloing spinning like a drill into the side of your skull. The melody in the middle of the track is hauntingly beautiful and will hypnotize you into a false sense of calm before the madness resumes.

“Blood Letting” is the shortest offering on the disc, and it sets the table for the surprisingly sludgy intro of “Vortex of Abandon” which features some killer heavy handed riffs and some nice squeals as Mathews continues with his unceasing attack on the axe.

Well, here we are at the end of the disc…are you still alive? Still breathing? Good. “Coma-Dose” is what I would call the shredder’s equivalent of a cool-down track, with some beautiful lead work overtop a melancholy instrumental backing. You needed a rest, didn’t you?

While this album is punctuated by the soaring display of virtuosity that is the axe grinding of Thom Mathews, his backing musicians are not to be ignored as well. All the great guitar heroes like Malmsteen and Vai have had top-notch players adding beef to the riffs, and this album is no exception. Lance Wright’s drumming adds some heavy artillery to the aresenal, and Stephen Coker displays some fine performances on the keys and the bass (he also assumes the drum duties on “Vortex of Abandon” and “Coma-Dose”).

Many aspiring axe handlers have tried to tread the same hallowed path that Malmsteen, Vai, Van Halen, and Friedman have tread. Some survived, but many pale imitators have been left lying alongside the road and their journeys have ended with broken strings and broken dreams. After listening to Mindcraft I have little doubt that soon Thom Mathews will be standing tall among the rubble with his axe held high. All shred fans out there have to pick this one up! THE SHRED IS NOT DEAD!

Review written by: Matt B.        
Date: January 10, 2008
Rating: 4 stars out of 5