| CD REVIEW Milan Polak |
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Band : Milan Polak Austrian born guitarist Milan Polak may have earned the most respect in the music business as a session guitarist for the likes of Falco, Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Steve Vai), Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth but also accomplished solo artist), and several members of Guns ‘n’ Roses, but he’s also an accomplished solo artist who’s known to attract the attention of some of the world’s most renowned guitar music lovers (among which the legendary Mike Varney, the people mentioned above, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Mr. Big’s Paul Gilbert, Jeff Scott Soto, Kip Winger, and many others), has released his own instructional books (he’s the author of the series Guitar Heroes – Real Technique), and annually gives master classes and band coaching at the Vienna’s University Of Music & Art! He started off his solo career with two Rock/ Progressive instrumental albums (1995’s Guitar 2001, re-issued as Guitar Odyssey through Lion Music in 2005; and 2005’s Dreamscapes, also issued by Lion Music) which got positive reviews in magazines worldwide, staying iin the top seller charts of guitar9 for months. Jazz Fusion album J.A.M. (sorry I can’t tell you when it was released, but except for a mention in his biography I haven’t actually found any proof of the existence of this album)even reached #2 in UK’s Jazzwise Charts. The 2007 album Straight saw Polak taking on vocals as well, and getting even better reactions such as “Album Of The Year” (Holland) & “Album Of The Month” (Italy), “Top 10 Albums Of The Year” (also Italy), plus “Top 30 Releases Of 2007” and “Best Guitarist Of 2007” (in the UK). 2007 also saw Polak co-write and play on Subway To Sally’s album Bastard. 2008 saw Polak voted as one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Guitarists” by the renowned Guitar World Magazine. Obviously liking the positive response to his first vocal album, the musician now working from out of Germany’s Nice Noize Studios brings us a new 11-track album in that same vein…which I would personally like to dub a modern Heavy Rock! Exceptions are the slightly heavier album opener and title track, plus “Fake”…and the balladesque “Torn”. Still, each and every song is packed to the gills with catchy riffs and interestingly ballanced lead & solo guitars…the whole backed with a very nicely balanced and steady rhythm section, provided by bassist (also sampler, programmer, and minimoog keyboardist) Fabio Trentini and drummer Simon Michael. Lyrically, Polak tackles several issues from the socio-political world (the stupidity of Man in “Sheeple”, the question of God’s existence when looking at what attrocities he allows to happen on this world of His, youth’s obsession with wanting to become a V.I.P. in “Wannabees”…and so on), but also of a more personal nature (”The Opposite Of Love”, for instance)which certainly enforce the man’s credibility! Overall, I surmise that people who’ve lived through the Heavy Rock period of the ‘80s & ‘90s are certainly gonna like this, partly because of the nostalgic factor, but also because there’s a modern touch to the sound…which is the part which will draw in younger people interested in guitar music! Check out this man’s music at myspace.com/milanpolak, where you’ll have to make due with samples of 6 tracks off the new album…and a full-length track off each of Polak’s previous albums! 89/100 Tony. |