Demo 2004 Reviews

Virtuosity One

Fans of Uli Jon Roth, James Byrd and Yngwie Malmsteen pay attention!

What we have here is one of the finest new talents in the neo-classical genre I have heard for many years. Hailing from Sweden Lori Linstruth's 6 track demo cd is guaranteed to make fans of the neo-classical genres jaws drop to the floor.

Throughout the 6 tracks on offer Linstruth makes her guitar wail, cry, moan making the 17 minute running length a joy.

Recorded on her home PC with very basic equipment Linstruth has proved that quality shines through no matter what. The mix is good, although I would have liked to have heard the guitars a little higher in the mix and the arrangements (though limited to keyboard synths, bass and drums) create a rich backdrop for Lori's guitar to shine.

Lori Linstruth may be known to many as the lead guitarist of LA metal act Warbride from the early 1990's. Lori now resides back in her native Sweden but Warbride are still a going recording concern with new material being penned for the rest of 2004. As stated at the start of the page fans of Uli Jon Roth and James Byrd will feel instantly at home with the melodies, soulful wah pedal work, majestic vibrato and classical overtones. Its no suprise to learn that Lori quotes these as influences but also ranks Ayreon's Arjen Lucassen as one of her current major sources of influence.

Lori's demo cd features a variation of Lucassen's 'The Dream Sequencer' and also a beautiful take on J.S.Bach's Leite Mich. Camel Breath is home to some fantastic harmonised lines over an background that evokes images of pyramids and pharoahs.

This demo cd available from Lori Linstruths website (or click on the cd cover above) for the princely sum of $7 (paypal accepted) is an extremely enjoyable if way too short piece of work. This is one artist that I deserves to make the distance and I look forward to future works with much interest.

Metal Maidens

Reviewed in Metal Maidens#38/December 2004
By: Toine van Poorten

LORI LINSTRUTH-
untitled

SWE Demo CD 2004

6 TRACKS: Leite Mich - If - The Dream Sequencer: Reprise - Massive - Camel
Breath - Devoid

What a great surprise to receive this instrumental CD of LORI LINSTRUTH! She really turns back in time, when it was a hype to release these supercool extravaganza guitar records such as great names like MARTY FRIEDMAN, JASON BECKER, TONY MACALPNE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, RITCHIE KOTZEN and JOE SATRIANI.

Opener "Leite Mich" is a classical song, originally written by Johan Sebastian Bach. "If" could well have been on almost every guitar record, that I mentioned earlier in this review. It has a kind of YNGWIE J MALMSTEEN feel, like in a song called "I Am A Viking". The third song on this great demo comes as an even bigger surprise to us. It's a cover from the AYREON song "The Dream Sequencer: Reprise". And she really did this with style! I think, she can be really proud of the final result. "Massive" is a short interlude. It's more of an introduction to "Camel Breath".

I hear some Eastern influences, which is no wonder when you read the title of this song. You don't see too much camels on the local highway here in Europe, do you? So the title is explained here in a nutshell. "Devoid" is the last song on this very exciting demo. A great example of the high skills of this Swedish multi-instrumentalist, who did play all instruments by herself. My compliments for this great demo CD, that plays a little over seventeen minutes.

By the way, Lori also has some good news for all the WARBRIDE fans out there. She has reformed this all-female cult metal band, and is about to release a new album very soon. If this will sound half as sensational as her demo, then you'll hear much more about this blonde Swedish guitar goddess in the very near future. To be continued for sure!

Metal Queens

I had listened to some Lori Linstruth songs before, but when I heard this CD I was amazed! A great sound, really melodic and powerful at once in the six songs that Lori introduces us to in her first demo as a solo guitarist.

After the intro "Leite Mich" (a cover of a Bach piece), "If" follows, an incredible song, with a perfect balance between power and emotion. I love the solo of this song, it's very original and simply perfect. This mid-tempo song increases its intensity from the beginning and then it reaches the climax when that perfect solo arrives. "If" is truly a masterpiece.

"The Dream Sequencer: Reprise" is an Ayreon cover. There's not a style or sound change (from Lori's originals) in the two cover versions on the album as sometimes happens, but Lori did a great job and imprinted them with her own style without modifying the original songs. (Lori also contributed to the Ayreon tribute album recording "Sail Away To Avalon" along with other musicians).

"Massive" is a short but powerful song that introduces the next track, "Camel Breath", a diamond. This mid-tempo song shines with a very beautiful acoustic beginning, a really emotive moment in the middle of the song and a superb solo.

The last track "Devoid", is another brilliant song, very "Linstruth" like. A bit slower, it has beautifully melodic guitars, even more melodic if possible, like an incantation. I like how she uses the wah-wah, sounds great, it's a wonderful song.

Guitars, drums and  keys have all been recorded by Lori: "I record on my PC using various software packages and plugins. The backing tracks are the first priority. I play everything on my keyboard - bass, drums, synths." And she does that very well. Actually the drum sound is amazing, I'm really surprised by how good it sounds knowing that she used midi. There are a lot of guitar players who - recording all the stuff by themselves - can't quite get a good drum sound and that makes the rest sound worse. Drums have to sound powerful and Lori achieved that: "For the drums I record the midi only and add drum samples later. For the bass and keyboards it's usually a mixture of midi and real-time keyboards; it depends on which sounds better."

Her guitar sound is marvelous, and her vibrato and bending outstanding, they give a great deal of feeling to the songs: "When a backing is basically finished, I'll start adding the guitars. Sometimes I'll have a guitar melody in advance; sometimes they come to me as I'm playing over the backing. The guitars on the demo were all done on my HM Strat, using various guitar preamps - and recorded directly into the computer's line in."  One thing I admire so much about her playing is that she is very clean in her solos and I appreciate that a lot, you won't find such accuracy every day.

Arrangements and mixing were also done by herself: "When all the tracks are laid down I then do the mixing - adding effects, panning, EQ - all that fun stuff. Then a final mastering and it's finished. Actually, the songs are never 'done' but at some point you just have to finish them up and get them out the door."  It's incredible that Lori did it all by herself, there are not so many people who want to learn how to use the software you need, record good drums, mixing... to be the whole band! and also get such a great sound: "I did everything on my demo from start to finish myself, but did get some good advice about setting up drum tracks from my friend Dallas Hodgson."

Lori Linstruth gives us a fresh sound as a fantastic present in this album, with her very own style which doesn't necessarily reminds you of another guitarist. You won't know what "exquisite" means until you've heard these songs and after that, the only thing you'll want to do is get down on your knees and beg for more and more.

Lori has done an excellent job with this demo. I'll look forward expectantly to the next chapter :-).

Hellride Music

Lori Linstruth - Demo 2004 (Self-Release)
By Michael Ballue
October 6th, 2004

I often start reviews with setting out where I was at with the disc as I sat down to listen. In all fairness I'll note that as a long time fan of Ms. Linstruth's work I was really set to like this, and probably not very objective. That said, I think that even if she were an unknown entity to me, I still would have loved this.

A short (17 minutes +), six track, one woman instrumental demo is what we have on offer. Well, that and some of the best guitar instrumentals I've heard in a long time. Had Lori been doing this stuff in the late 80's I think it would have been a slam dunk she would have gotten an offer from Shrapnel. And if she'd taken it up, proceeded to decimate a fair chunk of their roster. Not with blinding speed (though there is some serious fret board speed on offer here) or over blown intricacy, but rather with compositional mastery and an absolutely searing vibrato that provides melodic sustain at a level rarely heard. Seriously this has more in common with Uli Roth or Michael Schenker than most of the 80's fret burners.

It's all amazing, from the Bach opener "Leite Mich" to the powerful deeply dark melody of closer "Devoid". Kudos due also on the beautifully twisted rhythm of "If" and the densely layered forceful melody of "Camel Breath". It would be easy to say this is the best heavy guitar work I've heard from a female (and it is), but this demo proves solidly (as if the old Warbride demos hadn't!) that she can annihilate most of the male competition also.

To say I'm looking forward to the full length and the debut offering from the recently reformed Warbride would be an understatement. I love this stuff as I was well prepared to, objectivity be damned.

RockReviews.INFO

Players like Lori Linstruth are unfortunately rare sights on this male dominant field of guitar instrumentals... However, Lori proves there's no reason for that. She does not only measure up to some of the male guitarists, but trumps most of them with her own unique recognisable sound, style with full of emotion and melodic phrasing (which is quite reminiscent of Arjen Anthony Lucassen). Especially Lori's vibrato is worth mentioning (it's really good and actually it's one of the keys to her emotional guitar playing). I announce her as the best female guitarist I've ever heard (so far)... By the way, Lori was featured on Guitarwar's Best of 2003 CD, which should prove something of her skills.

Songs are melodic, atmospheric and occasionally dark guitar instrumentals... There are two covers, both of which sound very "Linstuth-like", so Lori has flavoured them with her own style. The covers also sound like they belong to this demo CD (in its all completeness). Lori's original material is also good, there actually aren't any weak songs on this demo CD. All in all, the quality of songs is very even.

Production on this album has been done well. The sounds are felicitous and relatively clean without lacking atmosphere. Especially the guitar tone is good... Only complaints regard the drum sound. However, for programmed drums they sounded quite good. Overall, Lori has done a good job on mixing and mastering this album. There were only two clips, both of which were on the last track (nothing grave). By the way, those clips are only on my version (Lori has fixed those).

Lori Linstruth's demo CD is a pleasant surprise and I warmly recommend it to all fans of instrumental guitar music... There are samples on her website for you to listen and you can also place your order for this CD there. With such a strong demo CD, I'm really looking forward to hearing Lori's full album (which hopefully isn't in the too distant future)...

SleazE Metal

By Odette

Rating: 7.5/10

English:
When i got this Demo from Lori Linstruth without any informations, i had to make myself clever over this lady here on the Internet first. I must already say that I have liked her website in quite peculiar way. She comes from Sweden and is a new guitar talent and a woman. These are already two quite unusual qualities because it don't exists so much women musicians like Lita Ford or Vixen for example. That her Demo contains only 6 Tracks i don't even find so bad. The Tracks are pure instrumental and even if I usually don't like straight instrumental music must i mention here as good once. She recorded it on her home pc with very basic equipment which proves that quality shines through no matter what. The mix isn't bad and in any case the woman can play. Some will known her as the lead guitarist of LA metalband Warbride from the early 90s. Now she's back in her native sweden but Warbride are still a going recording concern with new material being penned for the rest of 2004. Her influences suffice of Uli Jon Roth, James Byrd about Ayreaon's Arjen Lucassen. Lori's CD contains a deviation of Lucassen's "The Dream Sequencer" and also a beautiful take on J.S. Bach's "Leite Mich". No question, the woman know how to play and for every guitar-freak a listener worth to it. Her demo is available over Lori's website (www.lorilinstruth.com). Simply being able to be inspired by her music. Good luck Lori!

Deutsch:
Als ich das Demo von Lori Linstruth erhielt ohne irgendwelche Informationen, musste ich mich zuerst im Internet über die Dame hier schlau machen. Ich muss schon sagen, dass mir ihre Website auf ganz eigenartige Weise gefallen hat. Sie kommt aus Schweden und ist ein neues Gitarren-Talent und eine Frau dazu. Das sind schon zwei recht ungewöhnliche Eigenschaften, weil es ja nicht gerade viel Musikerinnen wie z.B. Lita Ford, Vixen usw. gibt. Das ihr Demo nur 6 Tracks enthält find ich nicht einmal so schlecht. Die Tracks sind rein Instrumental und obwohl ich normalerweise nicht gerade Instrumentalmusik mag, muss ich doch den ein oder anderen Song von ihr, hier mit Lob erwähnen. Aufgenommen hat sie das Teil auf ihrem Heim-PC mit sehr grundlegender Ausstattung, das beweist, dass hier ganz gleich was, die Qualität durchscheint. Der Mix ist nicht schlecht und die Frau kann auf jeden Fall spielen. Man wird sie vielleicht kennen als Lead-Gitarristin der LA Metal Band Warbride aus den frühen 90igern. Jetzt ist sie zurück in Schweden aber wird nach wie vor noch für Warbride das neue Material in 2004 einspielen. Ihre Einflüsse reichen von Uli Jon Roth, James Byrd über Ayreaon´s Arjen Lucassen. Loris CD beinhaltet eine Abweichung von Lucassen´s "The Dream Sequencer" und auch ein überarbeiteter Song von J.S. Bach´s "Leite Mich". Keine Frage, die Frau wie man spielt und für jeden Gitarren-Freak eine Anhörung Wert. Ihr Demo ist über Loris Website erhältlich. Lasst euch einfach von Ihrer Musik inspirieren. Viel Glück Lori!

The Temple of metal

Lori Linstruth comes from Sweden and for all you trivia maniacs she is also a member (of the reformed) all girl metal act Warbride (now that's a heck of a name). In this demo Lori delivers sixteen minutes of stunning neoclassical melodic metal in the vein of Yngwie Malmsteen etc. Now Lori mentioned in her letter that she prefers working in a band rather on her own, well let me tell you: she handles things on her own quite good!

It's very easy to become boring in instrumental albums. of course this one is only 16 minutes long but still in this short time period Lori delivers a quite diverse and multileveled material that can be considered at least eye-pocking! Her technique can be considered top notch while she has a great taste over quality.

Though everything is done by herself I can't say that I discovered a moment of "let's get on with it" in this demo. Everything sounds worked to the last detail and that's a big bonus for her. So the fans of neoclassical metal MUST check this one.

-- Mikael Dalakos

Lori's shop