In a previous life I was only into guitar heroes. Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore, Joe Satriani, Vito Bratta – just a few guitarists who’d I listen to for extreme riffs. And if there were vocals, fine – but everything was an avenue to get to the solo or some refrain that sounded impossible to pull off. Dallas based guitarist Darren “DPaul” Wise fits in with the aforementioned guitarists. His new single God Only Knows showcases his new relationship with Gibson Guitars. Now, we have the best of both worlds here – the rounded tones that Gibson is known for along with some serious musicianship. Not just an exercise in masturbatory shredding (ahem, Yngwie), this is a fully realized song that taps into an emotional resonance for the listener. In fact, I can’t even imagine vocals with this particular song. A melodic heavy metal jam, the song allows for room to breathe – resulting in some impressive techniques from Wise. A wise man, indeed. The song and video is out now (embedded below). I’d recommend it even if instrumental music isn’t your normal vibe.
Verdict: Excellent!
For Fans of: Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Gary Moore, White Lion, Blue Murder