TONY KAREID „Intensutopia”

Music: Shred, Progressive metal
Website: http://www.myspace.com/tonykareid
Country: Norway
Duration: 59:01
Cool Songs: Sandstorm, Valley of Angels, The Journey to Intensutopia

Was year 2009 any special for fans of guitar works? Nah, it wasn't, there were some surprises, some disappointments, and mass of averageness. Year like any other, despite 1986, it was a good year – I was born xD . But, down to business.

What I have here is debut album of Tony Kareid, Norway's newly arisen guitar hero, who I don't know anything about. What is more, uncle google don't know much either, just myspace and official site in construction. But I am not surprised of that, Norway is land of fjords, woods and black metallers with make ups. Do you know any other guitar virtuoso from Norway? No? But I do, Terje Rypdal, but he's slightly in other corner of music. Anyway – at the end of 2009 Tony sent mi his album, and I must admit, it was good end of year indeed. Long time has passed since I have listened to such a cool shred metal project. You heard right, shred metal – because Intensutopia is much more into metal than into rock or jazz. But of course, if you listen carefully you can catch some moments of theese genres, but whole concept is written into progressive metal form. Such tracks like Acid Pain, Multitap, or Sandstorm are pure energy, and I am not only talking about solos, which by the way are well thought and balanced, but about whole songs, which are nicely composed of lead, background and effects. Many players think that shred is about to “I will play my superb 55436 minutes long solo and later we will think about what to add”. Here, everything is coherent and fit. That is nice, because as we may read in inlay, some songs are composed since 2000 year and whole album is work of two men – Tony Kåreid and Kristoffer Øyen. Not whole cd is pure metal, lightning speed solos and riffs ripping heads off. Other side of cd is cosmic atmosphere made of keyboards and various effects. We can mention here Desert Demon, which is actually a second pard of Sandstorm, or Jules Sister – an improvisation made only with acoustic guitar with some weird effects on. In spite of this tune is not as good as rest of tracks, idea is gorgous, what we can see on next, similar tune – Valley of Angels – true masterpiece. Some time I was listening it in loop, because it is so freakin awesome. Same idea, but much more cool. And the last one – if somebody want to record progressive metal album, then he have to record suite. Here it is – over 15 minutes long The Journey to Intensutopia which is dragging us through many inspirations of composer. Through prog metal, thrash riffs, neoclassical arpeggios, psychedelic interlude, funk and many more I don't have time to enumerate. Especially, that from 7:30 track is gaining more and more coolness, what is leading to an end with listener saying “What the f*** have just happened?”

Talking bout end, we should end. Now. Making long story short – it was nice surprise. Album came from nowhere, and I think it has a potential to conquer some part of world. It need only some more promotion, cause even such collosus like internetz don't know much about this project.

note: 9/10

Tracklist

1. Acid Pain
2. El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
3. Sandstorm
4. Desert Demon
5. Multitap
6. Almost Alien
7. Julies Sister
8. Unicorn
9. Derrick
10. Valley of Angels
11. The Journey to Intensutopia

Line-up

Tony Kåreid – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Kristoffer Øyen – Drums