CONSTANTINE is the brain child of Konstantinos Kotzamanis. He is also the guitarist from MYSTIC PROPHECY, one of the best new Power Metal bands around. He shows he has what it takes to make a shred album. Make no mistake about it, this is pure shred. You're not going to find anything deep here. It's about playing fast and not much else. I have never been a big fan of instrumentals, but I guess if you're going to do one you should do it right, and I believe Konstantinos has managed to do just that. The production is well across the board. For a solo album by a guitarist, the album has a great amount of attention paid to other instruments as well. You even get some keyboard solos mixed in with the guitar, but the keyboard is always over shadowed by the lead guitar frenzy.

I would imagine this is a vanity project. I don't see it doing great numbers or setting the charts on fire. Konstantinos Kotzamanis is an artist and he does what all artists of any merit do and that is, create. I have often heard a question asked of a dinosaur band "Why did you do a new album"? The answer should always be the same in all band's and musician's cases: "because that's what we do". There is no reason here to apologize even if it's just a vanity project. He is an artist creating a new work. Unlike a lot of solo guitarists, he has a full band to return to after doing this album. Steve Vai has his solo albums and some session work with a he variety of artists. Kotzamanis has the ability to get this out of his system, then go back home to MYSTIC PROPHECY. I am a huge fan of that band an am very glad to know he isn't leaving them to pursue a solo career. The world of Power Metal is much better off if great bands stay together instead of disintegrating into side projects.

If you like the solo guitar genre, and especially the very fast kind, then you will like, perhaps even love this. Also, to you Michael Angelo Batio lovers, you will find a few of his trademark shredding styles in here. I am not crazy about this type of music as I have previously stated, but I can't imagine people that are being disappointed with this effort. It's pretty solid for what it is. If you like instrumentals, by all means, go out and grab "Shredcore" fast.