Glory Daze Review Posted by gdazegod on May 09 2006 09:10:39
Background
The brainchild of Greek virtuoso guitarist Ragazas, this project focuses primarily on instrumental
workouts, with two tracks containing vocals. Ragazas according to his bio is self taught with a
certificate in Classical Harmony and above all a noted guitar instructor. If in doubt to his skill,
Ragazas was chosen from candidates worldwide for a scholarship to Atlanta's Institiute Of Music in
1996 and a year later won a further scholarship from Berklee College in Boston. Delving into Ragazas
past it appears he was part of a Greek thrash act named Deceptor, although information is scarce at
best. Killer Sixgun is referred to as a group project by Ragazas, but essentially it's a one man
show, as he displays his chops for a larger audience. And what chops they are, as Ragazas tackles
mainly an 80's based hard rock direction with some authentic results that sometimes recall a bygone age.
The Songs
'Run (If You Can)' has nothing to do with Accept, instead being a fast instrumental opener that brings
Saxon's 'A Little Bit Of What You Fancy' immediately to mind. If you've ever heard that rousing rabble
rocker you'll know exactly what to expect here, simply without the lyrics. Very well handed, 1984 all
over as Ragazas puts his best foot forward to lay claim as the world's fastest guitarist! Even more
80's influenced is 'Highway Of Love', one of the rare vocal tracks, one of the more convincing attempts
I've heard in recent years to reclaim the spirit of 1988, the riff taking me back a few decades as does
the highly melodic chorus. Taking a slower and calmer tone is 'Day One' which opts for more emotional
guitar work than bluster, a feeling which is quickly erased by the last vocal track, 'Reach Out' another
incendiary hard rock cut with Touch's blend of Don Dokken meets Stephen Pearcy vocal work. Ragazas'
love of Gary Moore shines through on 'Stay With Me' which is a close relation to Moore's 'Still Got The
Blues' recording, full of passionate blues licks, an quite effective display. There's room for a slice
of jazz inspired fusion on 'C Storm' which always raises a smile or two and demonstrates an endless
array of techniques at Ragazas' disposal. 'The Jeckyll And Hyde Jam' is aptly titled as Ragazas shifts
from style to style, lulling jazz again interspersed with heavier sections leaning towards metal.
'Stormcoming' is another classic show of amazing soloing, with Ragazas importantly maintaining interest
throughout where many musicians might have failed. I've heard albums by Steve Vai and Joe Satriani that
never seemed as consistent as this project.
In Summary
This should appeal to a broader audience than just guitarists, as almost every classic rock style is
handled in some fashion, with all conquering might. When you have as much talent as Ragazas such a feat
shouldn't be too much of a task and he deserves praise for writing every note of the album, with some
sterling production helping infinitely. With his career as an instructor it remains to be seen if Ragazas
takes Killer Sixgun on full time, but the promise delivered here should make this man a household name
in guitar circles. Worth checking out for all fans with a taste for traditional hard rock especially.
Review By: Alun Thomas
Rating 7/10