ĐШGUITΛR: [Abum Review]: Toomas Vanem

Toomas Vanem is an estonian guitarist with a proven experience in musical industry. On his first solo album, aptly named I, he plays in a fast and subtle way akin to the guitar heroes of the eighties, be they in rock/metal music like Jason Becker, or in jazz likeMike Stern. Backed by two creative musicians, bassist Henno Kelp and drummer Andrus Lillepea, he uses his dexterity to create dynamic instrumental songs within the realms of jazz-rock and metal. Although his discography is already quite impressive, "I" is his debut effort as a solo artist.

Naturally Vanem's guitar expertise is highlighted in this album, which covers ground from prog metal to jazz fusion. Drummer Andrus Lillepea and bassist Henno Kelp supply the rhythm section in a manner that Vanem's complex compositions need whether he's playing metal or jazz rock.

The album presents a few marching instrumental anthems. The album starts off with "Tomorrow's Child" which will please any Dream Theater fan with its John Petrucci like guitar riffs. "Lonely Proton" is next and is an entirely different beast. This piece is a full on fusion song showcasing Vanem's expertise as both a metal guitarist and a jazz rock extraordinaire. "Ghost Story" is the third track and is reminiscent of Joe Satriani. "Operation S.S.E.S." is next and once again with its heavy guitar riffs recalls Dream Theater or even Yngwie Malmsteen for its fretboard speed.

"Summer Samba" is a jazz rock track influenced by Spyro Gyra which features a nice Fender Rhodes keyboard solo by Sergey Pedersen.

"Orbital Man" is next and is a heavy fusion track featuring some nice nylon string acoustic guitar recalling Al DiMeola. "Attack of The Killer Honey Bees" is a solo piece in which Vanem plays all of the instruments, including guitars, keyboards and drum programming. It was written after he was stung by a bee in his yard. "Gravity of Eiffel Tower" is a nice fusion track reminding me of Allan Holdsworth. It features Stuart Hamm on bass guitar as a special guest. Vanem had previously performed together with Hamm in 2010 for a few concerts when he visited Estonia. "Flower Power" is another heavy tune yet melodic at the same time. It reminds me of Jeff Beck or Tony MacAlpine at times.

Closing the album is "Butterfly Effect" it goes back and forth between heavy guitar riffs and melodic jazz inspired soloing.

"I" comes highly recommended to fans of Dream Theater, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth and other prog metal and jazz rock artists with emphasis on heavy guitar. I is an album of pure guitar brilliance, that certainly deserves a place in the discography of any serious guitar lover. It’s played with a lot of passion and prowess, and, since its title suggests that a follow-up should be expected, every effort should be made to support its genitor.