An interesting exponent of the electric guitar.

Frank Caruso, a master guitarist from Italy and on the music scene for a long while, has just released his second solo album entitled 'Kaleidoscope, Vol II'. It is an instrumental album with a twist; that being the second track, 'Higher Ground', contains the stellar singing of Rob Rock (Impellitteri) whose lungpower and unstoppable Vibrato launches the song into the über-Power Metal bracket.

The remainder of the album is all very much guitar-based, from the acoustic beginnings of opener 'Silent Lake' to the virtuoso meanderings of 'Pegasus' and 'The Best Things Are Free'. To set the scene, if Caruso had to be compartmentalised, it would be that of the Steve Vai/Joe Satriani pigeonhole with ultrafast licks, often harmonised with unusual scales/time signatures – you get the picture?

In this deluge of melodic guitar histrionics, it is hard to pick highlights; the pomp introduction to the aforementioned 'Pegasus' is noteworthy, as is the pure raunchiness of 'Sunset Strip' with his punchy keyboard accompaniment. There are some more introspective elements, such as 'Trip To The Moon' with a very catchy main theme – it's sparser on notes but brings out the tone of Frank Caruso's guitar.

If you are looking for an interesting exponent of the electric guitar, it is certainly worth checking out this album.

Rob McKenzie