Chastain - Instrumental Variations (1987)

The shred-meister's debut album (under the name Dave T. Chastain) may have confused some metal-heads, after all, who'd really want to buy an album and then find out there's no vocals on it. Even so, Chastain was the sort of metal musician who could draw you in with his fiery chords, blazing solo's and intricate riffs. 'Instrumental...' is simply Dave T. Chastain and Ken Mary, nine thrillingly majestic heavy metal tunes which would've benefitted even further by the addition of a vocal threat - thankfully Chastain would eventually enlist the talents od Sledge Leather (who appeared on his 1985 opus 'Mystery of Illusion' also reviewed on here), but that's not to say that 'Instrumental...' isn't a rollicking good lsten. Of all the metal muso's out their shredding for a living Chastain is one of the best. You only have to dive in head first on album opener 'Now or Never' to appreciate the man's talent, 'It Doesn't Have To Be,' 'The Oracle Within' et al are all astonishing instrumentals very much touching upon complex thrash and raging metal - but naturally there is a classical influence but such are the wonderfully orchestrated textures that 'Instrumental...' isn't just an album for the guitar masturbators out there. Many guitarists do have a tendency to overelaborate, but here Chastain keeps each track down to around the four-minute mark making 'Instrumental...' are a rather joyous experience. Cool cover too, making a change from the usual artist on the front holding a guitar gimmick.
7/10