| CD REVIEW Senes |
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Band : Senes In 2009, one Steve Senes won the Guitar Superstar '09 contest organized by Guitar Player Magazine, with a judge panel comprising (guitarists) Steve Lukather (solo artist, Toto), Jennifer Batten (solo artist, Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck), Earl Slick (solo artist, John Lennon, David Bowie), Elliot Easton (the Cars), and producer Greg Hampton (check Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, The Tubes, Ronnie Wood). Quite a feat, but whom is this previously unknown guitarist? Growing up in a small rural town 50 miles south of Washington DC (where you couldn't get MTV in those days), Steve first comes in touch with Rock music though Kiss at the age of 7, and with the likes of AC/DC, Van Halen and Ozzy (to name but a few) in the short years that followed. But he didn't get serious about music until he got blown away by the music of Yngwie Malmsteen (actually a live Alcatrazz album) at the age of 15. Within weeks after picking up the guitar, Steve was found emulating solos by Randy Rhoads and Van Halen by ear. He then joined any kind of band imaginable on the local scene, and driven by taking a liking for live work started practicing 10 to 14 hours a day, sometimes more...although he was still going to school at the time! Pretty soon, Steve started entering and winning every guitar contest within driving range (one of which was even judged by Steve Vai). Local gigs grew to regional shows, and soon Steve came under the attention of such notable artists as Eric Johnson, Paul Reed Smith, Darryl “Dimebag” Abbot, and others. Then came the world of touring, with nationwide shows played on an almost continuous schedule. But after years of playing the withering Metal scene, Steve got it in his head to start playing Country music, and therefore he moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Country thing only lasted a couple of months, but he liked his new surroundings, so there he settled. The next decade Steve played with a wide variety of cover and local bands (playing an average 300+ gigs per year), soaking in even more influences (as stated in the bio at (www.) senesmusic.com: “...from Brent Mason to George Benson, Eric Johnson, the DeLeo brothers (Stone Temple Pilots), all the fantastic Funk players, and most recently all the Southern Rock masters, such as the inimitable Warren Haynes, Duane Allman, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins...a collection far too extensive to list here...”), making his impressive list of influences cover several genres, from Rock to Metal, Country to Funk, Rhythm 'n' Blues to Soul, and even Classical, Disco, and Hip Hop! At the Guitar Superstar '09 finals, Jennifer Batten could not withhold herself from commenting, “First of all, where have you been, and why are we just now getting to hear you? You have a style all your own but I just have to say this – Yngwie who?”. If you're looking for a poetic description of Steve's style, you might go and look it up at the aforementioned website, but here it is nevertheless: “Imagine if you will the soulful, melodic catchiness of Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and George Lynch; the sneaky, rhythmic quickness of old school Eddie Van Halen and Nuno Bettencourt; the harmonic complexity of Steve Vai and Jason Becker; the insane shred of Yngwie Malmsteen and Paul Gilbert. Now add the drum and bass-heavy crunch of Metallica; the brutal grooviness of Pantera, Disturbed and Sevendust. Toss in a cool Latin journey alà Carlos Santana; even take a trip back to the '70s on a Starsky And Hutch vibe...,” and all that is but a glimpse into Steve Senes' musical world! Steve's solo album actually came together quite by chance! In late 2007 he bought himself an Apple computer, because they're supposed to be better for audio and video, and in January 2008 got a recording package called Logic Studio 8. After installing it he swiftly laid down a dirty track (just 2 guitars, bass drums, and a lead guitar), and while messing about with it found out he really liked what he was hearing, and suddenly ideas for more instrumental tracks were floating upwards in his imagination. Now he'd always been a fan of instrumental Rock and Metal (even today his iPod is filled for a sizable portion with such stuff from his collection of music), but had never gotten round to making his own instrumental music, although he'd played covers often enough during his extensive live career...so at a certain moment he just simply came to the decision of making a solo album! And here it is! 12 delicious tracks with a variety of influences, a sheer delight for any open-minded lover of instrumental (electric) guitar music! 12 tracks which sound so amazing, you get the impression of having looked into the artist's soul by just listening to his heartfelt music! There's a warmness in each and every track, whether he's going slightly Funky (“Cop Show” - I wonder now, would Steve also have played the horns on that track? At any rate, Starsky And Hutch...eat your hearts out, you never got this good a music on your show!), semi acoustic (“Rush” - is that an instrumental version of an Eagles song?; “Angel”, and also the album closing balladesque “The Afterglow”), or more energetically Metal (that with the occasional additional influences, ranging from Jazzy undertones to ethnic – check the opening passage of album opener “The Swami” for some Indian – nót the native American – touch). In essence, gréat stuff, of which you can hear some examples at (www.) reverbnation.com/stevesenes. Yeah Baby, year-list music, and don't you know it! 98/100 Tony. |
