When Elmo approached me to do a review of his new guitar album, not only was I super flattered, but excited! Elmo is a talented guitarist and musician from Finland, and any album of his was bound to be a treat for the ears!

I wasn’t mistaken!

The album kicks off at an energetic pace with “Instrumetal”, and true to its name, it’s a metal, daring ride, and one of the heavier tracks on the album, featuring a wailing guitar, and definitely displaying Elmo’s deft abilities to their advantage! I love the random humour thrown in at the end of this track, with an Indian accented chap saying “we may be human, but we’re still animals”, which is actually Elmo himself speaking, and it’s a tip of the hat to Steve Vai (Check out Vai’s song “Liberty”).

“Don’t Quit Yer Day Job” is probably one of my favourite tracks, it has a relaxed, slightly funky, Led Zeppelin feel to it, which I love, but don’t be deceived, heavier undertones will kick in later in the track, which do seem a bit randomly placed, but still don’t do the track any harm at all.

The majority of the album has a fairly laid back, sexy guitar feel, then the tempo changes considerably with “Algorythm” and “The Art of Listening”.  It’s cleverly put together, starting off at an energetic pace, then becoming deceptively chilled, and leading up to the slightly heavier tracks, and ending with a couple of soothing tunes, which make the whole experience very satisfying. The final track, aptly named “Relax”, is perfectly placed, too, it’s there to do just what the title suggests, right at the end, and I will admit, you’re definitely left wanting more!

All in all, a marvellous tribute to the world of rock, it’s an album for road trips, and chilling at the bar with a Bud, an album of varied moods and experiences, and proof that Finland is bursting with talent. You can check out Elmo’s website right here.

The album is available in the following formats:

• Free Digital Copy
• Physical CD Album
• Limited Edition Signed CD (of which there are only 50, so if you want one, get a copy soon!)

Rock on!

Amanda