Michael Sobygge CD Reviews

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MICHAEL SOBYGGE

"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" (MSP Music)
"Melodic Meltdown" (MSP Music)
"No Words Needed" (MSP Music)

Reviewed by Snidermann

There have been some excellent rock guitarists in the world: the late great Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Les Paul, just to name a few. And now there's Michael Søbygge.

Søbygge’s very unique musical style utilizes sophisticated classical, modern rock, blues and heavy metal. He flows effortlessly between all of them, sometimes at the drop of a hat.

"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" is full of exceptional guitar work accompanied with gripping arrangements and that alone really makes it worth the time to listen to. If you like your rock'n'roll music with minimal vocals, a strong guitarist as its driving force vocals and a unique classical twist, I wholeheartedly suggest Michael Søbygge.

Michael Søbygge’s band is: Michael Søbygge- guitars; Lars Binderup - vocals, Lasse W. Wehner - bass and Martin Bech - drums.

Check out this extremely talented line up at http://www.sobygge.dk or http://www.hjem.get2net.dk/guldhammer.

"Melodic Meltdown" (MSP Music)

Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter

Editor R. Scott Bolton, knowing I am fan of guitar instrumentals, gave me the opportunity to hear Denmark-based Michael Sobygge who has a reputation for being a guitarist's guitar player. Please note that "Melodic Meltdown" is a solo Sobygge CD and should not be confused with his vocal-based band which also goes by the name Melodic Meltdown.

"Melodic Meltdown" features twelve tracks of a variety of guitar-based instrumentals. Sobygge switches gears quickly, easily, and effortlessly showing him to be a more than competent guitarist and songwriter.

"Melodic Meltdown" opens with the flamenco-styled "Prelude" which evokes the world music style of Al DiMeola and Paco DeLucia. "Madness" follows with a hard rock motif and fairly standard soloing. "Babylon," the third track, shows Sobygge expanding his boundaries and adding some exotic scales to his solos. "Melodic Meltdown" is at its best when it follows, more or less, the blueprint provided by "Babylon." "Daydreaming," the high-octane "Stonehenge," and "The Road Home part two" are the best examples of this style working in Sobygge's favor.

However, there are plenty of other highlights. "The Road Home part 1" features a sound familiar to Joe Satriani tapping a la "Flying In A Blue Dream" disc along with Stu Hamm-like pulsating bass lines underneath. "The Two Friends" evokes a classical vibe that would be perfect for a movie score. "With Love" is a beautiful classically tinged ballad that is sweet and pleasant.

Michael Sobygge deserves to be heard by fans of guitar-oriented instrumentals.

Michael Sobygge handles all guitar duties, Lasse W. Wehner plays bass, and Joe Clancy plays the drums.

For more information visit http://www.melodicmeltdown.dk/.

"No Words Needed" (MSP Music)

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

Unfortunately, a lot of instrumental rock recordings, especially those that qualify as hard rock/heavy metal, wind up being not much more than a showcase for one person, usually a guitarist. This isn't necessarily a bad thing especially since rough music depends so much on guitar for its sound. It's just that - no matter how talented the individual guitarist - it seems that everything begins to sound the same.

That's what sets Michael Sobygge's "No Words Needed" apart. Sobygge's CD is much more than a showcase, it's a suite - a symphony. It's a musical journey through a half dozen different styles, tempos and techniques. And yet it all comes together like one musical piece, divided into eleven different parts.

Of course, there are moments of showcasing. The first two tracks in particular, "Awakening" and "Point of No Return" seem to exist solely to demonstrate Sobygge's lead guitar skill. From that point on, however, "No Words Needed" becomes a musical journey that is as varied as it is technically impressive. This despite the fact that Michael is also responsible for bass guitar and piano on the CD.

For more information, visit Michael's website at http://www.intromental.com/sobygge/

Joining Michael on "No Words Needed" is Joe Clancy on drums.

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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