Schiermann - Schiermann album review

Acult hero in the world of post-djent prog metal, virtuoso guitarist Chris Schiermann has spent a decade working on his solo debut, which may explain the sheer depth of detail contained within. Wildly diverse and peppered with appearances from members of TesseracT, Animals As Leaders, The Mars Volta and many more, this is a self-evident splurge of creative euphoria that crackles with electrifying love for what the electric guitar can do. Opener Weniger Zeit is a blur of spiralling leads, skittering grooves and futuristic squelches, as our titular hero lets rip across a tightly structured maze of incisive riffs. It’s genuinely stunning and, while entirely instrumental, accessible. On the rambling sprawl of Stygian Path, a squalling sax provides a rare moment of overt jazziness, as polyrhythms swirl and Schiermann’s elegant melodies weave through the melee. In fact, the guitarist’s eagerly stated adoration of late, great Ozzy sidekick Randy Rhoads has found a new, natural home amid contemporary metal tropes: the bewildering Technical Disabilities revels in dynamics and complexity. A meticulously constructed labour of musical love.