Let's start with the basics; Jonas Tamas is a phenomenal guitar player. His debut album, Sharp Guitars From a Flat Planet, shows off his virtuosity with aplomb. Pin-sharp production focuses in on his deft balancing of soaring lead lines and clinical shredding, all laid over a foundation of crisp rhythm guitar.
All of which sounds rather promising, unfortunately however, promising is as far as it goes. Sometimes something can be perfectly constructed but still leave you cold, like a modern and airy concert venue, or a well-made refrigerator. Sadly that is the problem here, as in my case at least this album wasn't able to create any emotional resonance, despite its undoubted technical brilliance.
In truth, there is nothing glaring wrong with the album at all, the only real faults are that it is perhaps a little long and has a slight lack of variation in the songs. The trouble, rather, is that there isn't really anything that makes the listener stand up and really listen. The melodies never sound wrong, but they never really grab you either.
In this Jonas Tamas is in esteemed company, the guitar solo album is a hard taskmaster – even the very best guitarists often miss the mark when it comes to consistently delivering across a whole album without other musicians taking the spotlight, and we can't all be Jeff Beck.
I wanted to like this album, and perhaps others will find things to love about it that I did not, but in the end it felt to me more like a technical exercise than a work of art. Jonas Tamas is a talent to look out for, he just isn't quite there on the evidence of this album.
Track Listing
01. Zenith
02. Golden Sun
03. Finger Of Fate
04. Mosquito Bite
05. Tight Squeeze
06. I Feel Sorry
07. Locrian Locusts
08. Streamline
09. Eloquent Look
10. Stormbeaten
11. Conversion
12. Escape From The Soulful Eyes
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