Matteo Mancuso "The Journey", by Grant Stoner
Larry Deniston | Published on 1/29/2024
Grant's guitar corner
My album pick for this month is Matteo Mancuso " The Journey" Mascot music productions 2023 CD.
As another of the " New Breed" of young guitar players, Matteo does stand in his own. Steve Vai and Al DiMeola both think he's like a god, and can do things they're not capable of.
He plays entirely with his fingers, no pick. His electric playing is super fast and fluid, reminiscent of Allan Holdsworth. Some tunes are rockish, others like "Polifemo" are kinda modern Bebop. And then there's beautiful flamenco-esqe acoustic playing Asian "The Journey".
The music is so melodic and pretty that it doesn't sound like a shred fest. Every song is different, unlike Polyphia, which I reviewed a few months ago. Both good of course, but Matteo does dip into many more styles.
The sound is perfectly mixed. Nothing stands in the way of anything else. I would personally like a little more treble definition. And like some modern recordings, there's a bit too much overall compression. But really, the sound is quite pleasant and well engineered. An excellent backing ensemble as well rounds it out. And despite the incredible virtuosity, it's a very musically satisfying listen for anyone who likes guitar.