MICHAEL KNIGHT
"Mechanica
Diablo" (KM Records)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Michael Knight's "Mechanica Diablo" is a dark, moody instrumental trip into one man's version of Hell. The base storyline features a futuristic nightmare in which the physical expression of sex with another person is lethal. To remedy the situation people build machines to manipulate themselves for sexual pleasure. The song-titles alone won’t give you this impression as they are grounded in fairly classic horror themes, but for Michael Knight his own version of Hell is technology gone very, very wrong.
"Mechanica Diablo" features thirteen tracks in just over 50-minutes of music that features songs with meaty, murky riffs that jut up against the exotic scales that form the lead guitar lines. This juxtaposition works really well especially since Knight exhibits the necessary patience (the title track) and verve ("Regenerator") to make it all work in a cohesive whole. Occasionally, Knight dips into some very classic riffs and musical motifs, but for the most part nudges his music into territory that is more original than not and avoids strict comparisons to other guitar shredders. To me that's an impressive feat.
One might get the feeling that "Mechanica Diablo" would have been born from the twisted mind of Glenn Danzig had he only been an instrumental guitarist instead of the punkified, retro icon that he is. While "Mechanica Diablo" will probably only find an audience with guitar fanatics, shred heads, and fans of anything music related that is tinged with horror and mystery I must say that those of you in that subset of music fans should seek out Michael Knight's work because it is off the beaten path yet solid. Don't let the fact that "Mechanica Diablo" isn't on a recognizable label deter you from seeking out this disc - it should be on a bigger label.
Michael Knight performs all guitars, bass, drum programming, sound FX, and white noise. Guest performers include Jack Starr (Virgin Steele, Burning Starr), Steve Brooke, Carl Roa, and Rob Balducci on guitar, and Don Lowerre on keyboards.
"Mechanica Diablo" was produced by Michael Knight. The production is just a bit better than average for an independent release, but is generally free of clutter and unnecessary noise.
For more information visit http://www.kmrecords.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the
cover makes you wanna hurl.
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