Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Guatemalan guitarist Hedras Ramos has delivered his fourth album at just 19 years of age. The ability he shows is frightening, not just in his technical ability and lightening shredding skills, but also in his phrasing, his timing, his tone, and his song composition. The main riff of "Glorious War" gives a real sense of battle taking place in a similar way that "Mars" does from 'The Planets Suite'. "Weird Scientists" has a kind of guitar and keyboard duel going on that just sounds, well, weird but brilliant at the same time. "Hands Of God" is simply one of the best guitar instrumental tracks I have heard, up with the best that Satriani and Vai can offer. Beautiful playing with real feeling and emotion poured into every note while still making you tap your toes at the same time. At times his inner teenager takes over and he plays at the speed of light, which he is perfectly capable of, see "Insanity Of The Atoms" for proof, but I much more enjoyed his more delicate moments. Ramos may be disturbingly young to be so good, but he has also gained recognition from the wider musical community. Being hand picked to open the Guatemalan leg of GNR's Chinese Democracy tour is no small thing and it would appear that there is no limit for how far this talented young man can go.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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