III

Scott Allen Project

This review is about an album that was released in 2013, but the physical edition […]
By Yngwieviking
April 30, 2015
Scott Allen Project - III album cover

This review is about an album that was released in 2013, but the physical edition is finally available, so it's a reminder for those who have short memory but a weak spot for guitar prowess in a Melodic development!

A fretboard frenzy feast for the guitar addicts and an eargasm for the Rock fanatics; that's how I would sum it up! "III" by SCOTT ALLEN PROJECT is a pretty well denominated album, indeed it's the third work of an American Guitar Player, named Scott Allen and his all instrumental progressive hard rock trio composed by Drummer Tom Frost and Brian Kinney on Bass Guitar, based in Sacramento, Northern California.

This is what Mike Varney (legendary guitar-Hero detector/Shred-guru and owner of BLUES BUREAU/TONE CENTER Records) wrote in his famous spotlight column in Guitar Player magazine: "With heavy riffs setting the tone for many of his compositions, Scott Allen utilizes some great Jeff beck-like blues phrases, Van Halen-like aggression, and a full palate of shred chops."

Indeed, the High energetic instrumental Hard Rock is updated with many different colors, as Prog Metal/Latin Funk Metal ("River Of Time") or Classic Rock ("The Texas Way") very much in the same vein of Steve Vai/Joe Satriani and Co., with more edge and some episodic explosion of Metallic Shrapnels right in your ear ("My Aching Head")!

The band cohesion is first class, like in Scott Allen's anthemic "What Lies beneath", it's an addictive song built around a straight Heavy Metal pace and an infectious melody, setting the stage for the whole recording with a bold tone and loads of hooks and some amazing fills.

The flashy guitar fireworks and its blistering skills sparks are like magic spells (like in the Jeff Watson meets Vito Bratta two-hand tapping theme of "5th Street Strut"), but the real focus is around the compositions more than anything else, the virtuosic leads and the dazzling solos are the shred-cherry on the top of the seducing harmonies cake!

Scott Allen is now a renowned Guitar instructor, besides his numerous technical skills, he possess a strong songwriter soul, clearly palpable in the most stripped moments with some simple structured song like in "Dreaming", where the whole melodic climax is based around the singing guitar talent of Mr Allen!

Some cuts are more complexified but the melodic focus is always under the light and even the Heaviest numbers are rewarding, in melodic terms, and never sterile.

Early 2015 saw finally the CD release of the band's closing trilogy, as the sound of SCOTT ALLEN PROJECT is in constant evolution; this album appropriately titled "III" is the next step in their everlasting progress and contains many elements and hints of what the future may hold...Recommended.

8 / 10

Excellent

"III" Track-listing:

1. What Lies Beneath
2. 5th Street Strut
3. River Of Time
4. Into The Light
5. Shake It
6. Dreaming
7. The Texas Way
8. Inside Out
9. My Aching Head
10. Echoes Of Eternity

Scott Allen Project Lineup:

Scott Allen - Lead Guitars
Tom Frost - Drums
Brian Kinney - Bass

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