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Former ILL NINO and current SOULFLY guitarist Marc Rizzo has just released his second mostly-instrumental solo album called "The Ultimate Devotion" on Shrapnel Records (Mascot in Europe). Instrumental guitar shred albums tend to appeal only to a specific group of folks; any number of albums on both Shrapnel and Leviathan would be well suited to this bunch. However, there are always exceptions, albums that have the potential to appeal to a wider audience. While "The Ultimate Devotion" may not cause the masses to run out in droves to purchase it, there is a good amount of enjoyment to be had with Rizzo's mixing of shred metal and Latin music.

Several tunes incorporate flamenco guitar and Latin rhythms into thrashy and shredding compositions, beginning with a slamming tune called "Skankin' to the Shred". "The Riddle of Steel", "Ascension", and a handful of others would fall into that category as well. The ultimate combination of styles is heard on the nearly 11-minute title track, one that includes plenty of metallic bombast, a bit of Pat Metheny-style smooth jazz, and Rizzo's always alluring Flamenco guitar playing. Even on the heavier end of the spectrum, Rizzo's melodic leads can be quite memorable, making for an arresting experience, rather than an exercise in instrumental masturbation. In addition to the beautiful Latin music of "Angelina's Song" and the Salsa beats of "Mamasita", the album ends with two ripping, basically thrash, tunes called "All For Nothing" and "Lived and Learned" that include vocals; yes, you read that correctly. And both are pretty solid compositions.

In the final analysis, I can honestly say that I enjoyed "The Ultimate Devotion" a great deal more than I thought I would. It is an example of the kind of album from a talented player that works as far more than a guitar clinic for the diehards. If you're looking for something a little different to add to your metal collection, then give "The Ultimate Devotion" a chance; you may end up surprised as well.


- Scott Alisoglu

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http://www.disagreement.net/reviews/mar ... otion.html

Looking like a heartbreaker on the cover photo, I was expecting the worst schmaltz music. But after learning that Marc Rizzo is the lead guitarist for Brazilian heavy metal Soulfly, and seeing that the CD had a seventy-five minute length, I started becoming really curious about this second solo album. In his native USA, the album was released on the Shrapnel label, which started in the late Eighties of promoting guitar heroes by the dozen, until nobody could bear it any longer. And nowadays, most guitar hero albums are so academic that only guitarists will actually like them. The Ultimate Devotion is different though. Rizzo is an aspiring young talent with a background in thrash metal music. On The Ultimate Devotion, he combines mostly acoustic flamenco guitar with fast thrash metal shred guitars, a bit like some of the quicker talents of the Eighties did. At times I feel reminded of Marty Friedman who later joined Megadeth.

The songs are up to ten minutes long, and although I have to admit that Marc Rizzo is sometimes slightly self-indulgent, it always is fun listening to his escapades. If he's playing flamenco or blasting speed metal, you are always afraid that he will be getting knots into his fingers. The rhythm section is decently in the background, getting all the spotlights on Rizzo, but that's the goal of a guitar hero album, isn't it. The last ten minutes are filled with two vocal tracks where he hired TJ Frost as a guest vocalist. These are of course my personal highlights, as they show Rizzo from a more general songwriting side, combining late Eighties US metal with elements of power, thrash and speed metal, making for two excellent tracks.

Sometimes I wonder if the tracks come in the right order, as the display on my CD player and the track list on the back cover don't always agree, but that's just a minor problem. If you need to get one guitar hero album this year, it has to be The Ultimate Devotion.

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http://www.smnnews.com/2007/09/01/marc- ... -devotion/

I've always been a big fan of `players' of the guitar. Some of the first guitar players I ever jammed with were heavily into STEVE VAI and JOE SATRIANI and these guys always pushed themselves to be better. Given that MARC RIZZO is neither of the two mentioned above, he does have a solid talent that is so much more than he displays in ILL NINO and SOULFLY.

The Ultimate Devotion is a guitar players album from start to finish and Marc displays elements of some top players (mentioned above) and sweeping in the stylings of Yngwie J. Malmsteen. But the true standout aspect of this album is the classical / flamenco breaks that show a different side to this shredder. It makes me want to hear a full album in that genre as I feel that is where Marc truly shines the brightest as he does in Mamasita. The passages in Angelina's Song and The Riddle Of Steel add unique nuances that make this album interesting from start to end.

While some of the audio quality may not be the best it could be, overall the album is full of fluid guitar passages, melodies that are heard in the sweeping, and dynamics that keep the ears in tune with each song even if they tend to be on the long side. Overall a very enjoyable album for fans of `players.'

RATING: 8/10

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http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/search ... 0K%20-%20S

Despite an adverse departure from Ill Nino, guitar maestro Marc Rizzo has found his home with Max Cavalera in Soulfly, and while Soulfly's music is mostly tailored to feature bombastic chord progressions and earthy percussion, Rizzo gets a chance every now and then to whiz-bang amidst Soulfly's primarily singular song structures. Therefore, it may come as a shock to the unawares that Rizzo can stand on the same stage with Tony MacAlpine, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman and Paul Gilbert and represent himself not only well but spectacularly.

The Ultimate Devotion is Rizzo's second solo outing and when you hear the phrase "mind-melting guitars," that's a good indication as to what you're going to get on this album. If notes-a-second fret attack instrumentals aren't your thing, then The Ultimate Devotion is going to have you crying for mercy, but give it a chance, because amongst Rizzo's repertoire--besides metal and classical--is flamenco, and his combination of the two forms is breathtaking and harmonious, even when interspersing the styles fluidly in sections on "Sinceramente." Though not as drastic, the effect is comparable to the Bad Brains' eclectic merging of hardcore and reggae.

Rizzo's a fast picker on the acoustic guitar, as demonstrated on the sensuous "Angelina's Song" and "Trentinara" and the classy "Mamasita," but mostly he destroys your eardrums and overloads your senses on the opening cut "Skankin' to the Shred" and on the cataclysmic ode to classic power metal "The Riddle of Steel," which is as metal as this shit gets, so much it's almost hard to absorb in one sitting. The song is so complicated and heavy you'll very likely be backing it up over and over just to study it.

Don't dwell too long, because Marc Rizzo won't wait for you to catch up. He positively crushes this album to cinders on the title track and the thrash-oriented "All For Nothing," the latter of which smokes like an Eastwood cigarra. The album's closer, "Live and Learned," which may be an abbreviated autobiography, is a quick shot with vocals (also found on "All For Nothing") and stamps the deal closed with a crushing Soulfly blast.

Marc Rizzo may be one of metal's best-kept secrets, but with the right push of The Ultimate Devotion, that won't remain for long.

BUMP - Review added from SMNnews above.