Jacky Vincent is better known by the youngest range of the readers, as the guitarist for the Epitaph Records recording band FALLING IN REVERSE, honestly I'm not attracted by his original act, I think I'm too old for this kind of music even if from time to time I can find some interest in those Post-Hardcore / Screamo stuff, I still think that ESCAPE THE FATE are a better group without Ronnie Radke (FALLING IN REVERSE's Leader and ex-ESCAPE THE FATE's singer) .

One thing is certain, it's that Jacky is a great axe player, a true shredder, with plenty of chops, and a strong enough technique to satisfy the most discriminating and the picky guitar aficionados , this full instrumental album called "Star X Speed Story" signed by the most iconic guitar label ever: Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records is the best proof of the accuracy of my statement.

The album also featuring guest fellows shredders such as Michael Angelo Batio (ex-HOLLAND / ex-NITRO), Paul Gilbert (RACER X / MR. BIG) and the young Dario Lorina (ex-LIZZY BORDEN / BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) also from LAS VEGAS. You will find in this album an incredible amount of jaw dropping moments, full of awesome speedy solos, phenomenal fast sweeping tricks and burning' fret board licks, clearly summable and tagged under the modern shredding genre, which is Jacky's strongest styles.

The Skills displayed by Vincent and his FALLING IN REVERSE's band mates Ryan Seaman and bassist Ronnie Ficcaro are proudly demonstrated/Executed in the great Shrapnel's tradition ("Runaway Tryst" / "Fatal Envy"), full of mastery and expertise with an absolute intensity.

This well-known recipe is coupled with some surprising electronic pounding, and strange techno-loops ("Venom Love" / "Sidescroller") enhanced by Extreme Metal blast-beat or syncopated rhythmic, all those exotic or heterogenic elements are making this album sounding pretty invigorating, stylistically improved, holding something like a quite unusual spirit, this is not your regular Metal guitar album, in fact the weirdest of all, is that most of those songs structures aren't based on the riffage and more on the beat itself which is really a surprise.

The melodic arrangements are numerous and catchy but those elements are presented in a new envelope, the themes are methodically and highly-developed in a new light, sometimes at break neck speed, with some unbelievable Jazz Rock / Fusion flavors ("Star X Speed") that stand in contrast with the more regular high flow of notes , but sometimes also in a soft pace ("Without You" and the beautiful "If You Were Mine" ) everything is made to avoid the monotony trap, even some Metalcore breakdowns ("Burning Tears") are added.

Meanwhile, the great cut "Neo Concerto" and "The Tempest" reveal a more Neo-Classic tendency with ultra-technical playing, and of course a strong use of the minor harmonic scales, vertiginous arpeggios and exciting legato runs, backed by synthetic layers and still running at an inhuman staccato tempo.

The production co-handled by Jacky and the fine Sound engineer Jason Constantine (who's also featuring in Dario Lorina's latest -sh1214-2-) is top notch , powerful and only matched by the Jacky Vincent's dedication for the noble art of the six string picking dogma.

Flashy, relentless, smart, dashing and really ambitious in its own construction "Star X Speed Story" is a supersonic shred machine for the most demanding guitar fan.

PS: This album was released in late October 2013, and appears in my mighty instrumental top 10.