Having thoroughly ranted about various video games over the last few weeks, I thought I'd take a step back and talk about a few of the the recent album releases that I've been playing. In particular, Zero Loomis' Zero Order Phase has been tearing up my ear drums heavily for the past few days. Known for his intense guitar work and heavy riffs as Nevermore's guitar soul, I was curious to see what he could produce on his own with no group restraints. In the end, the combination of serious raw guitar talent and years of writing songs and performing for one of the best acts in modern metal has definitely paid off. ZOP is nothing if not a shining example of intense guitar genius and blinding riffage.

A little while back I complained about Nevermore front man Warrel Dane's solo cd falling into the usual pitfalls of boring nu-metal. Dane's singing was great on the album as expected, but the music was uninspired and got old after a few listens. With Zero Order Phase we have a completely different direction. Instead of worrying about hit radio material, Loomis comes out swinging with some amazing guitar work. The cd is a straight forward tribute to the guitar gods. Non-stop intense wanking that will make you realize how much you suck at guitar. If you couldn't already tell, all the greats (Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteen) obviously influenced Jeff in Nevermore, but now it's clear he's ready to stand among them. Sure, I'm biased. Nevermore is one of my all time favorites, but his guitar work really does shine with this release. It's amazing to see how far he's come since the early days of Nevermore's self-titled release. From eclectic jazz fusion to straight up trash shredding, ZOP is a nonstop guitar solo like no other.

One one sour note, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the production that Neil Kernon brought to the table this time around. You might remember him from earlier Nevermore releases, such as Dreaming Neon Black. He always had a knack for bringing out a really nice raw and clear guitar sound that would tear the shit out of your car speakers, while not as punchy and bass heavy as Andy Sneap. With ZOP the production sounds much more manufactured and processed--almost too generic. For example, I was discussing the album with a good friend of mine and we started talking about the drum production. At first I was sure Loomis just used a drum machine (no shocker on a guitar solo album) since they're so clicky and compressed. Turns out it's actually ex-Nevermore drummer Mark Arrington. So, as far as I'm concerned, the fact that I thought it was a drum machine is not a good thing, but your opinion might differ.

Obviously, the point of the album is for Loomis to show off his skills as a master guitar player, so don't expect super catchy riffs and emotional ballads to crank out in your car. This is strictly for metal guitar aficionados. If you're looking for the next Nevermore release, this is far from it, but yet all the elements are there. Overall, I'm impressed at the skill Loomis brings to the table and I think the release was timed very well on his part. If you're a Nevermore fan, this is a must have. If you're just someone who appreciates non-stop wanking, this cd will also appeal.