David T. Chastain

David T. Chastain - Heavy Excursions - 2009 - Leviathan Records

David T. Chastain (born in Atlanta, Georgia on 31 August 1963) is an American guitarist and owner of Leviathan Records and Diginet Music. Chastain is a metal guitarist who emerged in the mid-'80s along with a wave of other neo-classical guitarists. He has released about 50 recordings under multiple names, including David T. Chastain, CJSS, Georgia Blues Dawgs, The Cincinnati Improvisational Group, SPIKE, Zanister, Ruud Cooty and Southern Gentlemen (blues-rock) as well as a number of heavy metal releases under the band name Chastain, accompanied by female vocalist Leather Leone. In more recent years, David has worked as a record producer at his own company, Leviathan Records. His label specializes in discovering and promoting new talents, specializing in guitarists and bands. He also runs Diginet Music, a company specializing in rare, unreleased or out-of-print music. – Wiki

Over the last 20 years Guitar Magazine writers around the world have favorably compared David T. Chastain to guitar greats Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Al Di Meola, Allan Holdsworth, Uli Roth, Michael Schenker and many others. However David's ambition has always been to develop his own "unique" style. David's first instrumental release was 1987's "Instrumental Variations." The Cd was released during the "Golden Era" of heavy rock instrumentals. That release as well as most of David T's instrumental Cds has had a varied musical format to showcase David's addiction to different styles. David recently decided that he wanted to put out a release of what he considered his best "Heavy" instrumentals and he has done so on his new Cd, "Heavy Excursions." Tracks included are from the aforementioned "Instrumental Variations" as well as tracks from some of David's other all instrumental Cds, "Within The Heat," "Elegant Seduction," "Acoustic Visions," "Rock Solid Guitar," and David's newest all instrumental Cd , "Countdown to Infinity." As an extra bonus David added the Chastain instrumental classic "827" and the bombastic CJSS cut "Thunder and Lightning." David comments, "I have always really liked '827' and 'Thunder and Lightning' and felt they needed to be included in any compilation Cd of my heavy instrumental favorites. Musicians featured on this Cd include bassists David Harbour, Steven Taylor and Mike Skimmerhorn. Drummers include Ken Mary, Mike Haid, Les Sharp and Rick Porter. David adds, "I have been very lucky throughout my career in having great musicians play on my solo Cds." All of the tracks were digitally remastered to match today's standards and to try to carry a somewhat congruent sound from release to release. This collection of tracks has to be considered a landmark in heavy guitar instrumentals. For over 20 years David has been able to put out a very high standard of music with little consideration to the "in sounds" of the moment. A true artist does not waver in the face of fashion. © http://www.leviathanrecords.com/dtchx.htm

Guitar World has said that, "As a player, Chastain ranks with Steve Morse, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai”. He was one of the first artists signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel label which specialized in technically accomplished rock, metal, and fusion guitarists. David’s relatively small group of fans will say that he is one of rock's unsung guitar virtuosos and heroes, and anyone who doubts that he knows his way around his instrument need only give “Heavy Excursions” a close listen. He incorporates numerous musical influences and styles into his music, from blues to classical, and metal to fusion. David points to Allan Holdsworth, Al Di Meola, and John McLaughlin as three of his major influences. Many guitar “experts” reckon that David is not as technically talented as guitarists like Satriani, Vai, Coven, Eriksen, and similar players, but it should be said that “Heavy Excursions” is an instrumental compilation album of re-recordings of selected songs from various past albums selected by David himself, which encompasses what he feels are the best heavy instrumentals that he has recorded over his career. Tracks included are from "Instrumental Variations" as well as tracks from some of David's other all instrumental CDs, "Within The Heat," "Elegant Seduction," "Acoustic Visions," "Rock Solid Guitar," and "Countdown To Infinity". Some critics say that this album does not showcase Dave’s guitar skills as well as his individual albums like “Mystery of Illusion” or “Ruler of the Wasteland” but it doesn't really matter. David should be better known as a great guitarist, but he is just one of many great musicians who never get the recognition they deserve. Whether you like hard rock, jazz fusion, heavy metal, or just great guitar playing, you may enjoy this album. Check out Dave’s “Rock Solid Guitar”, “Elegant Seduction”, and “Countdown To Infinity” albums on this blog and listen to his “Mystery of Illusion” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 142.8 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Capriccio In E Minor
2. Spontaneous combustion
3. 18th Century Inamorata
4. Wild and Truly Diminished
5. Now Or Never
6. The Oracle Within
7. Excursions Into Reality
8. Schizophrenia
9. Blitzkrieg
10. Pompous Rompous
11. Menage a Trois
12. Set
13. Burning Passions
14. Attack of the Mechonrites
15. Rambunctious Delicacy
16. Countdown To Infinity
17. 827
18. Thunder and Lightning

All tracks composed by David T. Chastain

MUSICIANS

David T. Chastain - Guitar, Bass Guitar
David Harbour, Steven Taylor, Mike Skimmerhorn - Bass Guitar
Mike Haid, Les Sharp, Ken Mary, Rick Porter - Drums

BIO

Although guitarists such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Yngwie Malmsteen received the lion's share of publicity and commercial success during the heyday of "guitar shredders" back in the '80s, David T. Chastain has been slugging it out for just as long, yet never achieved the same level of recognition as the aforementioned instrumentalists. With his mastery of the six-string and talent for effortlessly reeling off lightning-fast neo-classical licks, Chastain has been releasing albums since the mid-'80s, either as a solo artist or as part of the bands Chastain and CJSS. David Chastain was one of the first artists signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel label (which specialized in technically accomplished rock guitarists), resulting in such shredder classics as Mystery of Illusion and Ruler of the Wasteland. Countdown to Infinity was released on Leviathan in 2007. © Greg Prato © 2013 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/david-t-chastain-mn0000224951/biography