This came out as a shock to me! I had lost track of IMPELLITTERI a few years ago, only to be surprised now with his brand new release Wicked Maiden. I like surprises. One of the in vogue crop of guitar heroes, Connecticut born Chris Impellitteri has impressed many with his speed and dexterity allied with obvious classical leanings. Almost 25 years in the music business and IMPELLITTERI still delivers fresh Heavy Metal. You have to love this kind of people; they simply never let you down.

Wicked Maiden is the 12th studio (as far as I know, correct me if I am wrong) album by Chris Impellitteri and re-unites the guitarist with long time singer and collaborator Rob Rock. Bassist James Pulli joins in and together with Brandon Wild behind the drum kit the high-speed, neo-classical quartet is complete. Although keyboards are to be found in this record, there is no further information about it. Can it be Ed Roth?

So what do you get when you combine one the worlds greatest guitar shredders, a melodic singer that screams his way into your soul, a bassist that bring memories of the foundation of Metal and a drummer that pounds his drums heavy and fast like a madman? One of the best Metal albums of 2009, no doubt! Wicked Maiden has it all. From the momentous guitar riffs, the breakneck shredding guitar solos, the phenomenal melodic vocals and jaw-dropping screams all the way to a ponderous rhythm section, this album will satisfy every fan of guitar oriented Heavy Metal.

With 3 years in the making, IMPELLITTERI strikes back and delivers fierce Heavy Metal to the world. Engineer Greg Reely created a marvelous sound and the production is truly limpid. Not forget to mention that legendary engineer George Marino in New York City mastered the album. Wicked Maiden is a medley of melodies, harmonies, shredding solos, energetic and exciting vocal lines, stunning high pitch screams, sharp keyboard arrangements, punchy bass lines and intense drumming that holds the whole band together.

In all honesty, this album is a must have for every Heavy Metal fan in the universe. IMPELLITTERI makes history, beyond fashion and trends. It makes no difference to describe every song separately. We have ten anthems, ten fine tunes to satisfy our hunger for good music and entertain ourselves under the sounds of the Wicked Maiden.
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