Felix Martin - The Scenic Album

by the grunge era of the 1990s through 2000s. In 44 minutes, Martin delivers nothing but solos. In order to prevent the album from seeming narcissistic, the tracks feature Marco Minnemann on drums and Nathan Navarro on bass. Minnemann struts his stuff in the tracks, but a massive bulk of the album is dedicated to showcasing Martin’s guitar excellence.

 

The first notes of “The Tango - Part 1” sound like the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea brought in his bass to record the thwacking first few seconds. It does not take long for more specialized and spectacular guitar skills to move forward, though; the sheer range of sounds keeps this album from becoming repetitive like others. Rehashing the same eight or ten tricks with a reversion to classical guitar is one of most boring styles of playing, yet it’s done by dozens of professional guitarists. Martin’s 14 strings hum over the electronic pickup, and he uses every bit of guitar wizardry that he knows, with the exception of the famous Jimmy Page violin bow, Jack Daniels bottle slide used by Michael Anthony, and the Jimi Hendrix Zippo flambé.

 

At times - most notably in “Triangle Tune” and “High Spirit” - the speed with which Martin delivers individual notes defies comprehension, and the fact that he maintains rhythm and speed for extended periods only amazes more. The “Viroliano” tune troika of “Viroliano Tries Prog - Part 1,” “...Tries Jazz,” and “...Tries Metal” is nearly eight minutes of magic as Martin travels through the three styles seamlessly. The metal guitar finish is just...I don’t know. I’m sick of trying to come up with analogies and metaphors for this guy. How many different ways are there to say “I loved this track too! It blew me away as much as the others!” The drumless solo in the middle of “Eleven Drums” requires another listen or six to really appreciate the things Martin accomplishes in the short time he gives himself.

 

The history of guitar prodigies who release showcase albums leaves little hope that Martin will successfully release too many more albums that will achieve commercial success without adding a vocalist or joining a band. Until that happens, let’s just enjoy the heck out of this amazing piece of sonic art.