Reviewed: April, 2022
Released: 2022, Independent
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Cristóbal Torres
David DeFeis (solemn founder of Virgin Steele) once said that metal (in general, not referring to a specific subgenre) was the classical music of our times. One of the clearest examples that can justify this statement can be found in the work of Manuel Barbará, a musician completely dedicated to his instrument with the enormous capacity to deploy large doses of technique and still deliver something that people can enjoy.
Barbará graduated from the Berklee College of Music, where he not only managed to hone his technical skills but also his compositional skills. The most interesting trait his studies gave him was the prospect of composing for both chamber music and a band using electric guitars. It is a very interesting case where all the theory is applied without the music being tedious.
After debuting with his debut album titled MOONRISE (2021), now Manuel Barbará presents his most recent single: CLOCKWORK SOUL, a piece that from its concept refers us to all those technical death metal groups that seek perfection in execution not only of his instrument but of the ensemble of the entire band in general.
The piece offers an incredible technical and compositional deployment by Manuel Barbará. It is an instrumental piece capable of making an impact without the need to have a vocalist singing lyrics. The enormous compositional range of this musician is very interesting, even coming to compose chamber music.
CLOCKWORK SOUL is just the preamble of what is to come. Manuel Barbará anticipated that he already has two other songs ready and hopes to announce a new project with the help of two musicians. Pay attention to his work.
Lineup:
Manuel Barbará (Guitar)
Nick Thorpe (Bass)
Joey Ferretti (Drums)
Charles Henry-Volk (Mix/Master)
Tracklist:
Clockwork Soul
Sites:
www.8stringalchemy.com
www.facebook.com/8stringalchemy
www.instagram.com/8stringalchemy/
www.youtube.com/channel/UCKFQ6CjNRmsY4WcAogqDy1w
8stringalchemy.bandcamp.com/
