Dave Martone hails from Canada and is described as a guitar virtuoso by his record label, Lion Music. After listening to Dave’s new album “When The Aliens Come” I think one should add “guitar super hero” to that description. Before giving a run down on the album let me say straight away that the album is a drop dead gorgeous slab of killer guitar playing. This album blew my mind on the first listen and on every subsequent play it has enthralled me more each time.

The album features thirteen scorching tracks of crunching and meaty guitars with the song writing emphasis maintaining an element of the future. Dave comments” the main concept of the album is trying to envision what music of the future might be. Trying to imagine that I could hop in some alien space ship 400 years from now and see what was playing on their I-pod equivalent”.

Lucky for all of us we don’t need to wait that long to find out as Dave has given us an album which needs to be heard now and hopefully still be heard in 400 light years.

The opening track “Starz Carz” is a scorcher. Dave’s guitars sound enormous and the track could almost be the soundtrack of an alien invasion. We get brutal riffing, strange effected noises, stunning soloing and amid all the madness a gorgeous classical section reminiscent of the sort of thing Steve Hackett is so good at.

“Flatulation Farm” begins with a glorious spiky synth like motif before launching into what can only be described as space funk. Dave scampers around his fret board like a man possessed. In among the funk we also get a healthy splash of country and banjo style riffs and some of the phrasing is played with a sense of fiendish glee. The track is blessed with some really melodic playing, which sounds modern but really accessible. Dave takes things to the edge sonically but keeps his feet firmly on the ground by making the music listenable and not just a chops extravaganza.

“The Four Horseman” is a truly gorgeous number. There are some great textures to the accompaniment and the melody guitars show what you can tease out of a whammy pedal to great effect. The first time I heard a whammy pedal being used was by Joe Satriani. Since then many players have added it to their arsenal of effects and are using it in more and more melodic ways. Dave’s use on this track is one of the most effective uses I have heard so far. The solo that begins at the three-minute mark is a truly awesome display of control, chops, inventive phrasing and downright crazy playing. It’s sort of Allan Holdsworth tripping out. The solos and effects just get more “out of it” as the track progresses and it has to be said the whole track is just amazing.

“Really Now” is a nice dark and fruity guitar workout. Dave taps and slides his way around his guitar and rhythmically locks in with his band. The guitar sounds as if the strings are loose and floppy giving a cool tonality to the overall sound. It has real movement, and is a very tasty track to drive to. The track takes on a new personality midway through when crunching riffs introduce an almost jazz-fusion like extravaganza. Dave's legato picking goes stratospheric on this track and is just frankly jaw dropping and the unaccompanied play out is worth the price of admission alone.

“Mike Crows Mailbox Of Doom!” is a cool acoustic track which lures one into a false sense of security before getting “crazy and out there”. I can only describe it as a sort of Van Halen's “Spanish Fly” on steroids with a chunk of Ravi Shankar mixed in for good measure. For myself this track is a real highlight and shows acoustic guitars can be set to stun in a very musical way.

“Fumble Fingers” is just fun, pure and simple. Double bass pedal drumming go for the throat and Dave strangles his guitar with his wang bar and makes some truly glorious noises. The playing is fluid and exciting and just pours from the speakers like shooting stars. At times its like Allan Holdsworth having a guitar battle with John  Petrucci until Steve Vai steps in as referee and calls it a draw.

“Pung Yao” is another slightly Spanish and Classical guitar hybrid song. It’s plain and delicate and very beautiful. It gets funky in a Stu Hamm way and there are some dazzling tapped sections. It’s a nice breather from the sonic onslaught that has gone before.

“Angel” is a superb cover of the Jimi Hendrix number. Dave explores some wonderful harmony by using very tasty chords. The song is one of Hendrix’s best-loved tunes and Dave takes it to new heights. There are some lovely dynamics to this version and Dave sounds like he’s having a lot of fun with it. Modern techniques and tricks are used to great effect and show a song that one knows so well can have new life breathed into it.

“O My God I’m Swelling” had me thinking that maybe alien Hillbillies might be playing music like this somewhere. Truly thrilling acoustic guitar blends perfectly with jazzed out electric guitar. If you like what Tommy Emmanuel does with an acoustic you will dig this for sure. With clever use of dynamics Dave gives the impression of something swelling until he breathes the words" they're here”.

“Double FF’S” is a rocking fusion workout where Dave plays some licks which sound truly super human. The track is pinned down by some muscular riffing while the solos go off in all directions. The end of the track gets positively almost Metallica like in its brutal riffing whilst an ethereal female vocal purrs away in the background. There’s some cool feedback at the end as well, which gives the impression that the aliens really have landed at least in Dave's world.

“Maneemanaw” has a nice bass guitar led opening, which proceeds to wander into funk and slap wonderland. This song is all about rhythm and melody. There are some wonderfully placed harmonics in amongst the melody lines, which really hit the spot.

“Techno Bee’z” is a clever rendition of “Flight Of The Bumble Bee”. Dave picks out the classic melody, which has now become a real test for guitar achievers. The whole piece is played over a real techno rhythm and could be described as the kind of music you might hear in a disco in Mos Eisly (remember the Cantina sequence in Star Wars).

“When The Aliens Come” is the final track on the album and Dave comes out with some startlingly new sounding textures. This track reminded me of the wonderful Kings X in the way the riff rolls along until the guitars go into sonic territory that is rarely heard these days. The riffing is furious and crazy but at no point do you lose track of the song. Modern playing often leads the listener to distraction but Dave tempers all his “out there” playing with grooves and melodic sensibility that any lover of guitar instrumental music or rock/fusion could easily get their heads around.

I have listened to this album many times now and have to say Dave Martone has created a dazzling guitar album. It’s full of inventive playing and new textures and possibly is a sign of where instrumental guitar playing may end up one day. You don’t have to be a “guitar head” to enjoy this album as it is more than just a guitar workout. Compositionally its original and at times truly thrilling. One things for sure “the force is strong” in Dave Martone.

Let us know your views on 'When The Aliens Come'

Track Listing

Starz Scarz
Flatulation Farm
The Four Horsemen
Really Now!
Mike Crow’s Mailbox of Doom!
Fumble Fingers
Pung Yao
Angel
O My God I’m Swelling!
Double FF’s
Maneemanaw
Techno Bee’z
When the Aliens Come

Line Up

Dave Martone - Guitar/Keys/Bass
Daniel Adair - Drums//Bass
David Spidel – Bass