Chris Brooks: Axis of All Things Album Review

The Axis of All Things

Australian guitarist Chris Brooks is a monster player, flat out. Following in the path of the great instrumental rock guitarists such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Greg Howe, Brooks is a world-class player that brings both lightning-fast chops and a strong sense of melody and groove to his songwriting and improvisations. After spending years honing his chops and compositional skills, resulting in a number of memorable recordings, Brooks’ hard work and dedication to the instrument shines through on his latest record The Axis of All Things. The album contains 10 energy-charged instrumental guitar tracks that shines a light on Brooks’ virtuosic playing, as well as features the guitarist in duo with three big-name guest soloists.

Brooks is not a player that holds back when it comes to unleashing his well-honed chops. On songs such as the title track “The Axis of All Things,” Brooks unleashes a barrage of highly-crafted legato licks, palm-muted phrases and perfectly accurate rhythmic lines that all combine to not only showcase the guitarists outstanding ability on the instrument, but showcase his focus on not settling for anything less than his best when it comes to tone, note choice and rhythmic accuracy, something that fans will no doubt appreciate.

Aside from the tracks that feature Brooks as the sole guitarist, three big name players make guest spots on the record, Brett Garsed, Rick Graham and Lord Tim. All three guest pickers bring their A game, as one would expect no less, no this session, but do so in a way that is respectful to the song and the artistic intent of the album as a whole. Often times, guest soloists will play well on a record, but their solos sound forced, outside the mix or just not fitting in with the artist’s overall concept for the record. That is not the case here. With Brooks and company, they come together to lift the songs to new heights of intensity as they take turns laying down blistering solos that are sure to impress even the most seasoned fan of the instrumental rock guitar genre.

While he might not be a household name, yet, Brooks goes a long way to stamping his place among the modern instrumental guitar elite. The Axis of All Things is a well-written, creatively arranged record that features world-class playing from all involved. Definitely worth the price of admission.