David T. Chastain
Heavy Excursions

July 2009
Released: 2009, Leviathan
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Alan Gilkeson

David T. Chastain, overlooked virtuoso, one of a few modern guitar greats, yet generally ignored in conversations of such greatness. It's always Yngwie this and Satriani that. Satriani and Chastain are in the same league, destroying Yngwie and his pompous style. Chastain belongs among the greats... Morse, Johnson, and Vai.



HEAVY EXCURSIONS features one of my all time favorite Chastain instrumentals, 'Wild and Truly Diminished', a short but raucous heavy romp built around the tri-tone. All of the guitar classics on this album come from previous releases and are some of Chastain's heaviest work. It's a showcase of a genius at play, with numbers like 'Schizophrenia', which like the title implies, switches between styles on the edge of a dime. Or how about a poppy yet heavy shred like 'Burning Passions', nothing disappoints, especially if you appreciate shredding.



After twenty plus years of recording, fifty plus albums under his belt, Mr. Chastain continues to create masterful sounds from an electric guitar. HEAVY EXCURSIONS is just a sampling of his work over time. One could literally study all that he's done for years and years, the volume is amazing. Most of the great neo-classical guitarists don't even touch the versatility, styles, and size of his catalog.