Al Estrada

Al Estrada - Riffage - 2005 - Grooveyard

FANS OF SATRIANI, YNGWIE, AND MCALPINE UNITE!! SHREDDING IS ALIVE AND WELL IN ’05! YOU THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD TO BE ON SHRAPNEL RECORDS TO GET THIS KINDA RED-HOT SHIT, BUT WELCOME TO THE NEW HOME OF ALL THAT IS ELECTRIC GEEEETAR: GROOVEYARD! IF YOU THOUGHT THAT “SURFING WITH THE ALIEN” WAS A GREAT RECORD, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. ALMOST A SUB-GENRE OF ITSELF, THESE GUITAR-DRIVEN DISCS HAVE CARVED A NICHE IN OUR METAL CULTURE, AND CONTINUALLY GUYS ARE COMING OUT WITH THESE INSTRUMENTAL, BLAZING AXE WORKS THAT ARE SHOWING THE GUITAR CULTURE THAT THIS IS STILL COOL. HERE WE HAVE A VETERAN OF THE FIELD, MR. AL ESTRADA. THIS DUDE’S SIX-STRING IS ON FIRE! AS A HUGE NOD TO THE LEADER IN THE FIELD OF THIS TYPE OF GUITAR BASED MUSIC, ESTRADA FOLLOWS A FORMULA DEVELOPED BY SATRIANI AND VAI: SHORT COMPOSITIONS, STRIPPED DOWN, EXCEPT OF COURSE THE FLASHY AND MIND-NUMBING GUITAR VIRTUOSITY. ESTRADA HAS CAPTURED THE SOUND OF THE GENRE PERFECTLY, BLENDING HIS AXE WORK WITH HIS OWN BASS PLAYING, AND PROGRAMMING HIS OWN DRUMS (OK, MAYBE A TURN-OFF TO SOME, BUT TRUST ME, THEY SOUND REAL). TRACKS LIKE “UNKNOWN ZONE” GIVE US A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT THIS DISC IS ALL ABOUT: PRIME IN-YOUR-FACE RIFFING. YOU KNOW, THAT ADRENALINE PUMPING SHIT COUPLED WITH A PEPPERING OF SOFTER LEAD WORK, COMING TO A HEAD WITH A BLISTERING SOLO. “THE SCORPION” GIVES PROPS TO MR. MALMSTEEN, ITS CONSTRUCTION AND SOUND GIVE IT A FEEL OF SEMI-CLASSICAL METAL LIKE A RISING FORCE TUNE. ON THIS TRACK, ESTRADA MANAGES TO HARMONIZE WITH HIMSELF (I THINK THAT IS ILLEGAL IN 48 STATES)! “WAHZ UP!” SHOWS OFF A BLUESY VIBE, A LA STEVIE RAY/KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD, BUT PLENTY OF SOLOING, AND NONE OF THOSE PESKY VOCALS. SINGERS JUST GET IN THE WAY OF THE AMPS ANYWAY. IF’N YOU ARE INTO THE GUITAR HERO THING, THIS IS ONE TO GRAB. IT CAN PROUDLY SIT THERE NEXT TO THAT COPY OF “PASSION AND WARFARE” YOU GOT IN HIGH SCHOOL. TUNE UP THE ‘OL AIR GUITAR….YOU’LL DEFINITELY FEEL THIS ONE. - PEACEDOGMAN.COM (2006)

"RIFFAGE", THE AWESOME NEW DISC FROM SUPREME AXERIPPER AL ESTRADA, FEATURES 19 TRAX (68 MINUTES) OF OUTSTANDING, KILLER BEYOND BELIEF, BRAIN-DAMAGING, INTENSE, POWERFUL, AGGRESSIVE INSTRUMENTAL HEAVY GUITAR "SHRED" THAT HITS HARD AND CUTS DEEP FROM START TO FINISH WITH FIERCE, STUNNING, ELECTRIFYING GUITAR GOD-LIKE VIRTUOSITY. AL ESTRADA IS AN AMAZING, GIFTED GUITARIST AND ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE METAL SHRED GUITARISTS YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD. ON "RIFFAGE", HE SETS THE INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR SHRED RECORD STRAIGHT AND KICKS INTO OVERDRIVE WITH AN AMAZING DISPLAY OF MIND-BLOWING CLASSIC HEAVY "RIFFAGE", WORLD-CLASS LIGHTNING FAST LEADS, HI-OCTANE KILLER AGGRESSIVE "CHOPS" (COMPLETE WITH HUGE AMOUNTS OF SUPERHUMAN TECHNIQUE & FEEL), AWESOME METAL GUITAR "TONES" TO KILL FOR AND STRONG, OUTSTANDING SONGS (RIFFAGE) TO BACK UP HIS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL, INTRICATE, FAST FINGERED SIX STRING ASSAULT. AL ESTRADA'S GUITAR PLAYING/MUSIC IS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING AS HE FLAWLESSLY BLENDS OLD SCHOOL & NEW SCHOOL HEAVY GUITAR SHRED MENTALITY WITH ALL THE RIGHT INFLUENCES AND MUSICAL MOVES TO CREATE HIS OWN BRILLIANT STYLE & VOICE ON THE GUITAR. "RIFFAGE" IS A KILLER INSTRUMENTAL HEAVY GUITAR DISC THAT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FANS OF KILLER AXEMASTERS LIKE JOE SATRIANI, STEVE VAI, EDDIE VAN HALEN, MICHAEL SCHENKER, ULI ROTH, VINNIE MOORE, DOUG ALDRICH, PAUL GILBERT, GEORGE LYNCH, JOHN NORUM, AKIRA TAKASAKI, CHRIS POLAND, GARY MOORE, JEFF BECK, JEFF KOLLMAN, JOE STUMP & GUS G. ETC., AND TO ANYONE OUT THERE WHO REALLY DIGS THE GUITAR AND WHO KNOWS WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO REAL SHRED GUITAR MUSIC. AL ESTRADA IS A BRUTAL AXESLINGER WITH LIGHTNING FAST FRETWORK WHO IS ON THE SAME LEVEL OR BETTER THAN MOST FAMOUS SHREDDERS OUT THERE IN SHRAPNEL-LAND AND DESERVES TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR HIS VAST TALENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON THE GUITAR. IF YOU ARE A FAN OF TOP-SHELF INSTRUMENTAL HEAVY GUITAR MUSIC, YOU NEED TO TUNE INTO THE "RIFFAGE" DISC, WHICH IS EXCLUSIVELY RELEASED ON GROOVEYARD RECORDS, A NEW LABEL DEDICATED TO OUTSTANDING TOTAL GUITAR MUSIC FROM AROUND THE WORLD. AL ESTRADA IS A MAJOR FORCE TO RECKONED WITH ON THE GUITAR AND HE PUSHES THE SIX STRING MACHINE TO ITS OUTER LIMITS & CAPABILITIES. AL ESTRADA KICKS SERIOUS HEAVY GUITAR ASS AND RULES ON "RIFFAGE"! © 2012 & BEYOND - GROOVEYARD RECORDS, INC. http://www.grooveyardrecords.com/riffage-.html

rockadrome.com says, “Riffage CD Awesome studio disc from monster axeripper Al Estrada. 19 trax (68 minutes) of outstanding killer beyond belief, brain damaging, intense, powerful, aggressive instrumental heavy guitar "shred". "Riffage" kicks serious heavy guitar ass”. If this is what you’re looking for, then look no further. No subtleties on this album! The title says it all. Al Estrada is an atomic warhead with strings attached and he takes no prisoners. There are plenty of seriously hard rock and heavy metal instrumental guitar albums out there that can render you stone deaf in a couple of hours. However, many of these albums are by bands which do not have a lead guitarist with the astonishing talents of Al Estrada. Grooveyard Records says that “Al Estrada is an amazing, gifted guitarist and one of the most incredible metal "shred" guitarists you have never heard. On "Riffage", he sets the instrumental guitar "shred" record straight and kicks into overdrive with an amazing display of mind-blowing CLASSIC heavy "Riffage", world-class lightning fast leads, hi-octane killer aggressive "chops" (complete with huge amounts of superhuman technique & feel), awesome metal guitar "tones" to kill for and strong, outstanding songs (riffage) to back up his incredibly powerful, intricate, fast fingered six string assault. Al Estrada's guitar playing/music is nothing short of amazing as he flawlessly blends old school & new school heavy guitar shred mentality with all the right influences and musical moves to create his own brilliant style & voice on the guitar”. They’re not joking! "Riffage" features tracks from Al’s previous independent releases "Radiation Man" and "Freedom To Burn" with a few new songs. If you have these albums, you may think twice about buying this one. However, it’s terrific stuff and well worth having the nineteen tracks on one disc. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Read an interview with Al @ http://www.guitar9.com/interview92.html Listen to Guthrie Govan and Shaun Baxter for more high power rock/metal guitar, and careful with that tympanic membrane, Eugene! What? (lol)! [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 164 Mb]

TRACKS

1 I Am War 5:10
2 Radiation Man 3:21
3 Allegiance 3:29
4 Possessed 3:25
5 Unknown Zone 3:52
6 Freedom 3:54
7 La Isla 3:33
8 The Scorpion 3:50
9 Sun In My Hand 4:57
10 Wahz Up! 4:03
11 Purple Sky 4:53
12 A Long Goodbye 4:52
13 El Rey 00:57
14 Spanish Eyes 3:45
15 Full Moon 3:56
16 Kaos 3:45
17 Echo Love 1:09
18 Blue 3:49
19 The Feed 00:58

All tracks composed by Al Estrada except Track 9 composed by Uli John Roth

MUSICIANS

Al Estrada - Guitar, Bass, Drum Programming
Jeff Erickson - Bass on Tracks 2 & 18