Rodrigues, Rod: Tales of a Changing Life Part II

Rod Rodrigues is a Brazilian-Canadian guitarist, music teacher, and songwriter and has been a member of various bands, including Enemies of Reality and Falling Into a Dream (a Dream Theater tribute band). Rodrigues has four releases to his credit prior to Tales of a Changing Life Part II. The opening “Inukshuk� shows off Rodrigues guitar skills, a high powered track that rocks featuring plenty of intricate changes and a metal influence. His soloing is melodic, offering a good balance with the speedier complex runs. Plenty of changes keep you on your toes over the course of the songs six and a half minutes. “On The Road� has a pop sensibility to it, and that opening riff has a Rush influence. “East Coast Memories� has a Hendrix influence in the intro, and it’s another track that becomes an earworm after a few listens. The entire album shows Rodrigues’s virtuosity as both a player and songwriter. “Mom’s Lullaby� shows a softer side with emotive soloing, and the female vocalizations remind me a bit of Pink Floyd. The closing suite is another showcase for Rodrigues and he delivers. An epic orchestral intro transitions into an acoustic guitar section (I wish there was more). A fine guitar / keyboard dual ensues upping the intensity, and you even get a small dose of Latin flavor in the transitions.

Rodrigues has been teaching guitar since 1997, and does guitar clinics where he has worked alongside artists such as Kiko Loureiro (Megadeth) and Rafael Bittencourt (Angra) to name a few. In addition, Rodrigues has released a few videos so make sure to check them out on YouTube. Rodrigues knows his way around a guitar for sure, but he also knows how to write good songs to feature his talents.

Track List:
1. Inukshuk
2. On The Road
3. East Coast Memories
4. Dust In My Eyes
5. Saudade
6. Mom’s Lullaby
7. Tales of a Changing Life
a. Overture OP.17
b. Falling Into A Dream
c. The Unknown Tale
d. Grand Finale

Added: January 11th 2025
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
Hits: 110
Language: english

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