by Brian D. Holland.

Eric Mantel has been hailed as Chicago’s best-kept secret. However, the keeper of the Guitar God kingdom is slowly parting the curtains in an effort to unveil the guitarist’s explosive talent and melodic ability. So much for secrecy. His latest CD, The Unstruck Melody, is an explosive work of art. It’s 20 tracks (and a bonus one) of diverse melodies and imaginative pieces; all guitar driven, with amazing solos, melodic voicing, and an incredible assortment of structure and arrangement. None of the tracks are overextended in time, yet none are too short either, except for the sitar-driven ‘Intermission’ and the added aged end piece,'Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants To Die’. It’s one CD of 21 complete songs.

Mantel is the type of musician who has been tagged with the ‘prodigy’ label since the age of 14, when he was playing the music of Al Di Meola, Jeff Beck, and Wes Montgomery note for note. This ability often can be conceived as a double-edged sword. Expectations can be very high, from the standpoint of listeners and supporters as well as from the performer himself/herself. But Eric lived and breathed guitar, and only evolved as time advanced. His live shows are exhilarating to this day.

Almost all of the tracks on the CD are Mantel originals, and the many styles and tones are truly amazing. The CD's opener, ‘The Unstruck Melody’, is a foreshadowing of how the CD is structured, like an ever-changing radio station dial that offers assorted sounds and styles. ‘Tribute’ gets it all going in a rocked up mode. ‘The Simple Things’ sets the stage for some nice and tuneful rhythm guitar arrangements and vocals. This is the type of song that compares Mantel with Eric Johnson. In my opinion, of course, this is far from being insulting or even superfluous, as the closeness in playing style is astounding at times. Mantel doesn’t maintain that approach, though, as the song structure is ever changing and varied.

Let’s not get stuck on the Eric Johnson thing either, as that wouldn’t be fair to either guitarist. There’s a lot of influence on this amazing CD. ‘Tai-Chi’ has a Larry Carlton/George Benson feel, overflowing with spaciousness and brightness; yet, once it delves into overdrive, it’s all Mantel in sensation and texture. ‘Under A Different Light’ has a worldly quality to it, smooth jazz in a good way, and very rhythmic. ‘Affectionately Yours’ is an incredible acoustic melody. It’s beautiful and melancholy in composition and sound, and particularly harmonic in resonance.

The Unstruck Melody is a journey through smooth and sundry song arrangements, consisting of amazing character and attitude. Though Mantel appears to play many guitars, the Strat through Fender Twin tone appears frequently. His solo guitar phrasing, voicing, rhythmic ability, and all around tone is pleasing and alluring. The vocal tracks are melodic and warm. It’s not easy attempting to make a name for oneself in today’s genre of instrumental rock guitar, even if that instrumental feature is a mere percentage of the finished product. Ask anyone who has succeeded at it. However, Eric Mantle’s The Unstruck Melody is in a category of its own, which can sometimes induce success a bit easier. There are many nice songs on this CD.

The Unstruck Melody Track Listing

Act I:

1. The Unstruck Melody

2. Tribute

3. The Simple Things

4. The Real You

5. Tai-Chi

6. Shine On

7. Under A Different Light

8. Merry-Go-Round

9. Why So Lonely

10. Exit 10

11. Intermission

Act II:

12. Gloria

13. Affectionately Yours

14. There Are No Words

15. Wings Of Fire

16. Only Want Your Love

17. True Home

18. Finger Pickin’ Country

19. The Unstruck Melody (Reprise)

20. Don’t Let The Day Go By

21. Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants To Die (Bonus)

Consult CD sleeve for full list of musicians

Holistic Music Entertainment 2006

Links
Eric Mantel
Eric Mantel interview on Modern Guitars
Buy Eric Mantel's The Unstruck Melody on Amazon.com