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| | | | | | | Reviews -UPDATED 12 Dec 07 |  | |
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Review by Owen Edwards (AllOutGuitar.Com) December 12th 2007 Mario Parga is a UK guitarist of Spanish extraction who I first encountered back in the late 80's at one of the very early Guitarist shows, demoing for Ibanez if memory serves me correctly. He was one of the first UK based guitarists who really had those exotic (at that time) 'shred' techniques really down - and had some genuine star quality to boot. I next encountered Mario Parga's name when I was working with producer Sean Lynch in 1993 on my first ‘real' album; Sean had produced and mixed Mario's debut album ‘The Magician'... but after that the name Mario Parga never really registered until ‘The Alchemists' came out in 2002 on Matt Williams ‘Liquid Note Records' label. Mario played and composed one of the very best tracks on an album that had the pinnacle of the worlds electric virtuoso guitarists, including Brett Garsed, Guthrie Govan and Ron Thal (aka Bumblefoot). When I heard through the grapevine that Mario was hard at work on what would become 'Entranced' I was intrigued as to what he would produce... Overview! The title track opens proceedings up with some minor key riffing and then we are into some of Mario's wonderfully melodious guitar lines: whilst indefatigably a neo classical guitarist, Mario exhibits a unique melodic and vibrato/bending approach. He often comes at notes from above and below in a style that guitarists familiar with the work of Marty Friedman will recognise - and yet he sounds nothing like Marty. Some beautifully arranged sweep picked arpeggios, speedy scalar runs - reminiscent of some of Malmsteen, Di Meola and Uli Jon Roth's work - combined with his unique phrasing sensibility means that this is an effective and emotive opening. ‘The Journey' begins with some great solo electric guitar - wonderfully melodramatic, tragic melodies comprising expansive arpeggios, pedal point licks, extended scale runs - solo electric guitar against the occasional string pads, Mario sets out his musical blueprint early on and largely keeps to it throughout this wonderfully mournful album.
‘Legend' continues this musical path with wind, strings and lashings of tragic melodies before a driving riff takes us into the main body of the song. Baroque and romantic classical melodies fly unbounded, and he exhibits a wonderfully elegant touch that means that his playing is never gratuitous: an impassioned artist at one with his instrument, telling tales of sadness and refection. Despite the sad and introspective nature of his compositions, there is nevertheless very something uplifting about Mario's music. As a guitarist he is a Neo Classical exponent of the top drawer - maybe not as technically histrionic as a Jason Becker, or a Tony Macalpine - but compositionally of the highest order.
‘Haunted' continues in this vein - this really is an album to play late at night with a bottle of wine, or on a long solo journey in the darkness - it's music to contemplate the vast intricacies of life... Sorry if I am coming over all ‘grandiose and pretentious' but this album really does evoke ‘higher' emotions. Do not listen to this if you are going through a heartbreak!
‘Ritual' has some acoustic Di Meola style guitar lines that evoke European landscapes of times gone by, and some great melodies that almost bring to mind some of New Age superstar Yanni's material, before a prototypical Malmsteen riff section kicks in. Maybe not the strongest track here - but on many other albums in the neo classical genre this would be one of the stand-out tracks.
Track six ‘Storm Warning' is another riff based minor key track that combines many different themes with more frenetic guitar playing - and yet more of that Parga-esque sense of grandeur.
‘Mirage' is probably my favourite - a series of cascading swept arpeggios that begs to be expanded into a simply massive track: a masterpiece that could become an epic along the lines of Becker's ‘Altitudes'. Mario: revisit this track and expand it please! ‘Mirage Part Two: The Epiphany' or something! As it is this is, in any case, simply WONDERFUL!
'Spirit if Night' is the final epic: layers of acoustics, more Di Meola style steel string soloing, evocative electric lines, and some oriental style melody lines provide a suitable riposte to all that's gone before.
And so - suitably - 'Farewell' ends the album with a classical guitar inspired cinematic outro: layers of strings and keyboards and sensitive, lilting melodies that close the final chapter on a masterful album with style.
Conclusion Mario has kept a low profile for far too long: he needs - and deserves - to be up there in the highest pantheons of virtuoso guitarists. As a stylist Mario is a player who can appeal to fans of many different guitar styles and should not be pigeonholed as just a neo classical artist. This should be considered an essential purchase! 5/5 http://www.alloutguitar.com/review/album/mario_parga_entranced |
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Review by Ronny Elst (Mario's Metal Mania) October 2007 Mario was born in 1969. At an early age he became interested in music and more specially, the guitar. He played in his first band at the age of 10, playing covers. That time he also became interested in rock music. Sometime in 1988 he was asked for an unknown pop-rock band at a London venue as they performed for an audience containing music business people. A rock journalist from a magazine called Metal Forces attended the gig and liked what he did, and he then began to feature Mario in the publication. Since then, Mario has appeared in numerous magazines, he played a live guitar solo on MTV and played live numerous radio shows in the U.K. and around the world. Between '87-'90 Mario made a few demo recordings that never got/get released and during '90he met vocalist Graham Bonnet who was involved with a band called "Forcefield". Mario played on two albums of that band. He also recorded a solo album, "The Magician" in 1991. During '91 he played in Cozy Powell's band "Hammer". In '92 he became obsessed with the acoustic guitar, but in '93 he switched back to the electric guitar with a new project, "Savage Paradise". Due to personal problems he went away from the music scene completely. Five years later he met up again with Graham Bonnet and played on his album "The Day I Went Mad". Between '99 and 2000 Mario experimented with guitar music and wrote a lot of material. In 2001 he recorded a track for Liquid Note Records' album "The Alchemists" and in 2002 he also recorded a track for the Lion Music album "Wamth In The Wilderness II". His new album, "Entranced", consists of material that was written over a decade. It was recorded in phases during 2004 and 2007. All instruments were played by Mario himself and he also produced "Entranced". It's a very personal album and represents both happy and sad moments of his life during that period. The first three songs are in my opinion very influenced by Vinnie Moore, great melodic guitar instrumentals with now and then some shred parts. There are also a few calmer songs, of which one of them is acoustic. "Ritual" is the longest track and switches from acoustic to electric guitar. There are also two short songs which are a kind of guitar solo's like Vinnie Moore did at the first Vicious Rumors album. Mario has managed to compose and record a very diverse and very good instrumental guitar album, with neo-classical, shred, rock, metal and ambient songs. 91/100 |
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Review by M J Brady (ProGGnosis) August 2007 Mario Parga has been around the music scene for quite some time, having been involved with numerous fringe rock bands, and having also been involved with a couple guitar collection recordings such as the first The Alchemists cd, and also the Jason Becker Tribute cd called Warmth in the Wilderness II, where he contributed a song called 'Hourglass'. Mario has had the privilege of having performed with the late Cozy Powell, as well as some other stellar rock artists such as Graham Bonnet, Tony Martin, Neil Murray, Don Airey, etc.
To my amazement, Mario has but one solo recording to date, and it was his The Magician album from 1991. Here in 2007, Mario is able to introduce to the music world his musical offerings on this cd Entranced. The music on this cd shows the many sides to Mario Parga's long journey through the music scene, he shows not only a deft touch as a soloist, but also a strong sense for memorable melodies, creating more than simply mere offerings for displaying his techniques. Mario also created everything on this, including the music, artwork, sound production, etc. No doubt Mario Parga is a serious guitarist, my only hesitations are that he was not utilizing some other musicians to help compliment his playing, as there are times when the drum tracks are not adding to the emotional impact of the music's power.
Mario switches from electric guitar to acoustic with a freedom that few guitarist are able, think DiMeola, McLaughlin, Morse, and while his music is not quite as elaborate from a compositional sense, his gift for playing can not be denied. Hard for me to compare Mario Parga with just any one prominent guitarist, but I hear a bit of Gary Moore during his Colloseum II days, a bit of Yngwie, Alex Masi, hints of Jason Becker. The music is mainly rock/instrumental, nothing too complex really, as the songs stay fairly straight forward with the steady rock backbeat, so the music is intended to feature the many sides to his playing repetoire. |
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Review by Mikolaj 'Nicolo' Furmankiewicz (Department of Virtuosity) July 2007 What could I expect after listening to such an outstanding album like The Magician? Even though the second release was published under the title referring to one track from the debut, I didn't want to get its copy, but something fresh and showing Mario's other face of musical mastery. It doesn't matter that Mario recorded all guitars, keys, bass, sequencing and drum programming single-handed. Most important is the fact I wasn't disappointed with Mr. Parga's music and new ideas! For instance, the first and the title track - 'Entranced' is very nostalgic, romantic, reflective, yet neoclassical! This one proves that Mario hasn't forgotten how to play the guitar, haha. 'The Journey' is a kind of instrumental miniature and sounds like an epic caprice. It's a great example how a dazzlingly skilled musician's showcase should sound like. 'Haunted' and 'Farewell' are distinguished by a calmness typical of Marty Friedman's Scenes and Introduction. 'Ritual' includes a classical guitar mastery hidden between romantic notes and electric proficiency in further part of the composition. As far as 'Mirage' is concerned, it reminds me of violin works by Polish archgenius - Henryk Wieniawski. As Mr. Parga has gotten older his music has got a new shape. Here are more emotions, and less shredding shows. I treat this album as an intellectual challenge for a listener. Mario's music AD 2007 is quiet, yet atmospheric and, fortunately, still guitar, virtuosic and accessible to every sensitive person. Here are also audible flamenco influences and orchestrations in the style of Jason Becker's Perspective. Since the album is more subdued, the listener has enough time to contemplate the music. I think that the heaviness included in Parga's riffs and melodies surrounded them are characteristics of this CD. Yeah, the stuff is as melodic as solo works by Spanish guitarists - Toni Lloret and Roberto Rodrigo. If you want to win a woman's heart, don't do it with a sword, just play Entranced! Mario's second act is a real neoclassical guitar soundtrack! Briefly put, I am enchanted with his Entranced... http://www.hmpmag.pl/dovmag/index.php?m=070540-mario_parga-entranced-2007 |
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Review by the Bailey Brothers (Rock United)
June 2007 Arpeggios played as fast as humanly possible are about as appealing as a trip to the dentist for me. Thankfully Mario Parga has matured into a brilliant composer. The opening title track 'Entranced' didn't blow me away, you can't fault the technique and execution but it brought nothing new to the plate and was beginning to sound like an 80's throw back. Song number two 'The Journey' would have been a better opening introduction because it's 60 seconds worth of sheer class.
This album has come together over several years but Parga has managed to make the album sound as if the songs were all recorded during the same time. He's backed off the distortion and the presence on his amps to create a sweet tone which is enhanced with clever use of reverbs. Another addition is the use of string arrangements which make songs such as 'Haunted' tug on the heart strings; Parga's beautiful melodic playing on this song would bring a tear to a glass eye. This should definitely be a movie sound track or at least feature in some emotional epic because it's a brilliant piece of work.
He has played all the instruments on the album, produced it and even released it on his own MidnightCafe Music label. 'Storm Warning' brings a wall of layered guitars over a pretty basic rhythm section, sweep picking techniques are in abundance and the lead guitar solo in the middle shines through like a welcoming lighthouse to steer another quality song to safety. 'Ritual' shows Parga's prowess as a very accomplished acoustic guitar player. Living in Spain as a youngster may have influenced this hispanic type ditty. Bringing the lead guitar in added a new flavor to what was already a tasty little number. There's an acoustic vs lead guitar question and answer moment at the end which may have just gone on a bit too long and ruined the desert. 'Mirage' is another exceptional composition and this is Mario Parga in his comfort zone, hopping over strings like the cat on my bird table leaving many a player chasing shadows. Once again the clever use of string arrangements has provided the canvas that Mario Parga needed to leave his self portrait in all its glory. 'Farewell' is a must listen to song because you won't find this type of song on many instrumental guitar albums. Once again, it's a very moving composition and definitely the direction Mario should go with.
This album has been on my Mp3 player, in the car, on every system I own. I would have liked to have heard a drummer instead of drum samples just to lift some of the rocky songs and add more energy but when you can write songs like 'Haunted' who needs drums anyway?
Listen, all you budding guitar heroes out there, play the songs, wait for the 2 second silence and then say those inevitable words - "I'll get my coat!" We stuck our arse on the line and put a young Mario Parga in front of Millions on MTV because we thought he had potential. It wasn't too long before he was working with the likes of Graham Bonnet and Cozy Powell and rightly so. He's living proof that Shred's Not Dead in 2007. Entranced should be on your music system right now and Parga should be getting the accolades lesser mortals take for granted... 8/10 |
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Review by Dmitry Epstein (DME) June 2007 That's how it is with modern guitarists who fish in a hard rock pool: mathematically accurate scales and artificial emotions. Mario Parga's different - on his scales heart weighs more than mind, and having played in a band with Cozy Powell and Neil Murray, the Englishman has an old-school charm about him. Still, this instrumental work is as contemporary as it gets, with emotive passages rolling over sharp riffs and some intense shredding thrown in for good measure. Measured it is, indeed, and the opening title track little by little unravels into a panoramic picture where everything's in harmony and no surplus notes are in sight. There's a class and a knowledge of classical music oozing out of 'Legend' which can easily be scaled up into an orchestral piece. Thankfully, Parga doesn't bring in faux, synthesized strings and pulls it off on the guitar. He can be tremulously intimate on the acoustic, like in 'Ritual', showing amazing filigree technique, and then all the facets of Mario's talent come together in a glimmering diamond that is 'Spirit Of Night'. It's here that one will feel entranced and eager to play this gem to the loved one. Isn't it what music is for? 4.5/5 |
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Review by Rex 'Nosferatu' Fernandez (Metal Critico) May 2007 Tuve la oportunidad de escuchar a este guitarrista solista por primera vez con una pieza llamada “Vals Diabolique” que fue editada en un disco recopilatorio de guitarristas llamado “The Alchemists” que me suministró mi buen amigo Chris Van Hayden hace ya unos años, recuerdo bien que estaba analizando una a una las ejecuciones de todos los que comprendían aquel material, venía de mi trabajo cuando llegó el turno de Mario Parga, me pareció tan preciosa su ejecución que ya no pasé de ahí, lo oí una y otra vez y cuando llegué a casa lo volví a escuchar con mas calma, no lo podía creer, ¿Quién era este tipazo? Le escribí a Van Hayden en Inglaterra para que me averiguara inmediatamente todo al respecto, pues Mario vive en Inglaterra, lo que quería era conseguir lo mas pronto posible un disco completo de este maestro y resulta que no era posible porque Mario no había sacado un disco completo como solista desde 1991. Comencé a pensar que talvez era una estrella fugaz y que solo ese track era tan hechicero, pero luego conseguí una participación de Mario en un tributo a Jason Becker con otra rola de su autoría y una ejecución llamada “The Hourglass” que evocaba un aire de dolorosa tristeza que me hizo confirmar que había encontrado a un guitarrista realmente iluminado que era absolutamente genial. De entonces acá he conseguido sus primeros trabajos y he estudiado la evolución de su sonido y su composición a través del tiempo y cómo pasó de ser un guitarrista experto con una veloz e impecable técnica y mecánica perfecta con ciertos destellos de magia que ya dejaban presentir al genio futuro, a ser un guitarrista capaz de balancear de la mejor manera su composición para poner aquella técnica primigenia en función de su expresión del sentimiento a través de una música capaz de hechizar a cualquier público que tuviera oídos y fuera humano.
Ahora sale a la luz “Entranced”, el segundo disco completo como solista de este guitarrista Inglés que vivió algún tiempo en España y es el primero desde su debut “The Magician” en 1991, recién salió este 2007.
Entranced es una mezcla de técnica impecable y sentimiento, es música no aparatosamente dispuesta sino que ha sido compuesta poniendo el alma en cada nota. Todos aquellos amantes de los arpegios y las técnicas avanzadas de la guitarra encontrarán aquí una pieza maestra de virtuosismo sin elementos progresivos, no se trata de música para lucir una técnica, es al revés, la técnica es puesta en función de una composición. La depuración con que se ejecutan todos los arpegios y sus figuras y escalas es dominada con tal maestría que el efecto final resulta completamente natural. El sentimiento que predomina a lo largo del disco es la melancolía y el sentimiento, el disco es un escenario con muchos paisajes sonoros y poesía pura, cortes como “Spirit Of the Night”, “Haunted”, “Legend”, “Mirage” hacen de este disco una pieza maestra sin par y dejan claro que Mario está entre los mejores guitarristas a nivel mundial y su estilo es completamente único, algo realmente difícil a estas alturas. Parte de la grandiosidad de su estilo reside en la expresividad de su creatividad y la forma en como compone la base de teclados, y el sonido nebuloso de su guitarra con reverb un tanto grueso, tibio y difuso, es como presentir figuras entre la neblina, crea paisajes donde abundan los interludios con guitarras acústicas clásicas y con un phrashing inigualable.
Cualquier amante de la guitarra debería darse la oportunidad de adquirir este disco que sin duda alguna vale cada centavo que inviertas en él.
En la actualidad estoy en contacto con Mario Parga a quien considero un buen amigo, aquellos que deseen contactarle o escuchar su música, pueden acceder a su site oficial: www.marioparga.com 100/100 Translation into English by the reviewer: MARIO PARGA - Entranced
I had the opportunity to listen to this guitar solo player for the first time with a piece called “Valse Diabolique”, which was on a compilation album called “The Alchemists” where various guitar players performed, which my good friend Chris Van Hayden (recently recruited to play with the band Biomechanical) sent me a couple of years ago. I very well remember that I was analyzing the execution of all the players on that material one by one; I was driving home from my office when it was Mario Parga’s turn, his execution appeared so precious to me that I couldn’t go any further. I stopped the car and listened to it time and again. When I got home I listened to it again with more calm. I was blown away! Who was this guy whose playing I couldn’t believe? I wrote Van Hayden in England to find out immediately more information about him, since Mario lives in England as well. I wanted to get a complete album from this master as soon as possible but I was told that it was not possible because he hadn’t released any solo album since 1991. I started to think that perhaps he was just a fleeting star and that maybe that was the only bewitching track… but, I later got another participation from Mario on a Jason Becker tribute with a self composed and executed song called “The Hourglass” that evoked a vibe of hurting sadness that only confirmed me that I had found a really enlightened guitar player who was absolutely genius.
Since then, I have been able to grab his early works and have studied the evolution of his sound and composition through time and how he went from expert guitarist with impeccable fast technique and perfect mechanics with magic sparks that left the sensation of the future genius to the guitarist capable of balancing his composition the best way to put that original state in function of his expression of the feeling, thorough an expressive music capable of bewitching any audience with a pair of ears and who were human. Now is the time for the public appearance of “Entranced”, the second album of this English guitar solo player who lived in Spain, and his first release since his 1991 debut album “The Magician”, which has been released in 2007. “Entranced” is a mix of an impeccable technique and feeling; it’s not ostentatious music, but rather composed wholeheartedly in every single note. Everyone who loves arpeggios and advanced techniques of the guitar will find here a masterpiece of virtuosity without any progressive elements. We’re not talking about music to evidence a determined skill or technique, but quite the opposite, technique put in function of a composition. The depuration with which all arpeggios and other figures and scales are performed is dominated with such mastery that the final effect results completely natural. Melancholy and Feeling is the dominant vibe along the disc, which is a stage with many sounding sceneries and pure poetry; cuts like “Spirit Of the Night”, “Haunted”, “Legend” and “Mirage” make this album a masterpiece like no other and state clearly that Mario is among the greatest guitar players worldwide; his style is truly unique —something really difficult this days–. Part of the grandiosity of his style resides in the expressivity of his creativity and the way how the keyword base is composed combined with the nebulous sound of the guitar with a quite thick, warm and fading reverb. It’s like having the sensation of figures in the haze; it creates sceneries where classical acoustic guitar interludes abound, played with a phrasing with no par. Any guitar lover should give himself a chance to acquire this disc that is worth every single penny invested in it without any doubt. Nowadays, I’m in regular contact with Mario Parga, to whom I consider a great personal friend. Those who might be interested in contacting him or listening to his music, can access his official web site at: www.marioparga.com 100/100 |
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Review by Keith Ames (Musician magazine)
Summer 2007 Edition Mario began playing guitar aged four and found fame as a teenager in the 1980s for his blinding technique. His debut in 1991 captured rave reviews from specialist guitar magazines everywhere. This CD represents his latest instrumental release and establishes his pre-eminence of the UK hard rock solo territory once again. 'Legend' contains all the elements to gratify the cogniscenti: chunky low down riffs, solos of speed and taste, mixed adroitly with energy and sheer grit. Followed by the Gary Moore/Wishbone style mood leveller of 'Haunted' and the acoustic delicacy of 'Ritual', here is a player in top form. |
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