CD Reviews

David T. Chastain

Countdown to Infinity | Leviathan

By TED DROZDOWSKI | April 17, 2007

3.0 Stars

If liner notes like “a cool little Dorian intro starts this baby off” grab your attention, then David T. Chastain is your man. The guitarist has been the king of old-school guitar-hero indie metal since the mid ’80s, when he started his own Leviathan label. These days, Leviathan is a harbor for a passel of six-string hard-rock daredevil instrumentalists as well as Chastain’s “song” band, the Southern Gentlemen. His 10 latest self-released essays in unabated ripping rage and soar through all sorts of modal leaps, high-speed scales, sweeping arpeggios, and other tools of the slash-and-burn metal fusionist’s trade. Not anywhere near as long as its title implies, “Countdown to Infinity” is as subtle as a truckload of hammers being slowly dumped on sheet steel. My favorite number is “Demonic Harmonic Justice,” and not just for its name: a sweet intro builds quickly into a fat-toned melody surrounded by a wall of gnashing, distorted rhythm guitars. Chastain plays both his Kramer guitar and bass on these tracks, supported by drummer Mike Haid, a player of power, lucidity, and intensity who sets flame to the last entry, a stomping bit of fantasy called “Temptress of Illusion.” When it comes to both themes and chops, Yngwie’s got nuthin’ on David.

Related: Sleight of hand, Progressive party, For olde times’ sake, More

Topics: CD Reviews , Entertainment, Music, Music Reviews

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David T. Chastain, "Attack of the Mechonrites"

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