Review:
Talent. This is what separates the great from the mediocre. If you can do something
better than the others, then you have a good chance of being remembered. Rock
guitarists should know this better than anyone. To separate yourself from the pack, you
need to have your own style as well as being able to play many different types of music.
This is one of the biggest things that give guitarist Dennis Williams an edge over many
of his contemporaries.
Dennis Williams is a guitarist that makes his home in Canada. The Ontario-area
musician just released a new CD by the name of Relentless under his moniker of
GTRMAN, and with the various styles of playing that Williams showcases on his new
release, the moniker seems to be a good fit. At various points on the album, Williams
can be found picking, shredding, or just plain playing his fingers off.
Of course, it’s not just about the playing style of the musician that makes Dennis
Williams the “GTRMAN”. It is also the fact that he has the ability to play many different
genres of music, as well. With jazz, metal, rock, even country showing up on Relentless,
the listener gets to experience many different sides to Williams.
Relentless begins with the album’s title track. A blend of several elements makes the
song unusual and unique. Strong rock/metal base, diverse playing styles including jazz,
rock and flamenco, and a very energetic feel to the piece combine to create the perfect
track to lead off the album. Needless to say, “Relentless” is a very apropos title to the
song.
The energy continues with the song “Airstrike”. You can almost envision yourself in the
audience at an air show waiting for the jet planes to fly overhead. To calm the nerves a
little, Williams offers “Love Song” next, with an almost classical feel to it. The track
shows the control Williams has when he wants to show some emotion in his playing.
A sign of a real musician is the drive to always want to add something more to your
abilities. For the song “Get Off The Dang Roof,” Williams picked up the banjo and
learned to play a certain song from the movie “Deliverance” as part of the track. A great
surprise, and it adds yet another reason why this album is so strong. Then we go from
one of the strongest tracks on the album to one of the most unusual: “The Temple of
Set” combines a rock base with a few ambient overtones to create an engaging song to
bend the ear of the listener.
On “Lost”, Williams sets aside the guitar for the piano. This song was the one
composition that Williams created with the piano in mind, and with no one to play it for
him, Williams sat down and learned to play the song himself (with surprisingly good
results).
For the final track, Williams returns to his home base, the guitar, on “North Shore
Samurai”. This strong track is a fitting end to an album that gives the listener many
different perspectives on a musician who is much more than just a guitarist. Along with
playing many different guitars for the album, Dennis Williams played the bass, the drum
parts and every other musical sound on the release. Williams is a true “talent” in every
meaning of the word.
Running the gamut from rock to metal, from country to classical, Relentless from Dennis
“GTRMAN” Williams shows many different sides to the musician. A pleasure to listen to,
Williams’ album Relentless makes one wish for more.
Reviewed by: Matheson Kamin,Clevland, OH: for iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon.com
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