Press
In the world of hard rock instrumental guitar music you normally have those that can play with great technical precision, and those that write great melodies. It’s not too often that you get a player that can do both of those things, but Mike Shouse is definitely one that can.
Upon hearing the first track (“Bionic”) of Shouse’s second disc, “Alone On The Sun,” you might think that you simply have a shredder, but it turns out he can do so much more. When Shouse is not playing in a flashy shred style, he brings an almost lyrical way of playing to these great songs. Songs like “You Can Fly” and the title track, “Alone On The Sun,” will have you singing. Almost all of these songs have great structure and amazing technical expertise. You can hear Shouse running up and down the fret board, but it always sounds like it’s going somewhere. So many shredders make the mistake of throwing all the great licks out there, but they have no rhyme or reason, no structure. Shouse never overplays and seems to stay focused on each song.
My favorite track on the disc, “Shock And Awe,” is an amazing piece of work. I couldn’t begin to tell you how he gets the brilliant “wah-wah” effect (I would imagine it’s a pedal….) that sings the song, but it’s played to perfection. This song seems to have a couple of verses, a nice solo, and then a concluding verse. It really is a wonder the way this guy constructs these songs, and I think “Shock And Awe” should be a blueprint for all hard rock instrumental guitarists.
Many would compare Shouse to Joe Satriani, and that would be very fair. He is a lot like Joe, and to me that’s a wonderful thing! But make no mistake, these songs are all Mike Shouse, and there are a bunch of great ones on display here.
- Scott Itter www.drmusic.org
"He sounds like 80s Steve Vai and he looks like modern day Joe Satriani (okay, so he sounds a little like Satch too). Southern-bred guitar instrumentalist Mike Shouse has jam packed his sophomore effort with catchy, toe-tapping, rock guitar inspiration. What was surprising and quite possible the best part of the album was the two vocal tracks (Gene Booth on vox) "Man of Constant Sorrow" and "Don't Remember Me." Both tracks mix gritty southern rock style with intricate and virtuoso guitar mastery Shouse's instrumentals are great, but his vocal tracks are that much better."
4 out of 5
- George Dionne http://www.rock-is-life.com/reviewsinbrief.htm
RATING - ****(4 stars)
"Mike Shouse is no newcomer and we can clearly hear that in this new album entitled 'Alone on the sun'. 10 very interesting and well structured tracks with a strong instrumental rock feel a-la Vai and Macalpine. Discrete production and good sounds. I will immediately mention 'Man of constant sorrow', sung by an excellent Gene Booth. A real rock song with Satch-like attitude. The melodic influences of Vai and Satch are also audible in the pleasant 'Choices' and 'Alone on the sun'. Excellent phrasings, never boring, please us with nice guitar lines instead of the usual super-virtuoso technical solos without feel. 'Shock and awe' is a great metal song, based on a very good riff. We also have a very entertaining boogie with 'Dead in Memphis' as well as the other vocal track 'Dont remember me', with the again excellent Gene Booth. What to say...an excellent record very well done, never boring and lifted by a true tasteful rock'n'roll. Bravo Mike ! Great album, a must have !"
- Matt Cafissi / Guitar Chef Magazine (Italy) www.guitarchef.cjb.net
.........’Alone on the Sun’ rightfully deserves to sit alongside the works of the guitar gods of this world. No, I’m not being held up by gunpoint, because Shouse’s playing is truly immaculate, and well, he’s among the few instrumental guitarists who have finally ensured that the production and band musicianship has leapt from ‘supporting’ to ‘playing with’ the lead guitarist (a truly miraculous achievement worthy of celebration). Through this lens, hands down, Shouse has excelled at his craft, creating an album that any instrumental guitar purist will drool over for years to come. And as much as I hate to say it, it’d be indecent to assign anything less than a 9.0 out of 10 to ‘Alone on the Sun’.
- Alex Jasperse (Canada) (www.musesmuse.com)
There are a lot of ace guitarists out there lately, including a flock who mainly prefer to let their instruments do the talking, in the tradition of someone like Jeff Beck, who was giving fans vocals-free platters back in the Seventies. Over the years, some axe-slingers have made projects of reinterpreting familiar songs with their fingers – how about “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” for instance? Ah, but for many aficionados, one true test of a guitarist's effectiveness is whether he does a good job of coming up with distinctive new tunes that engage and stick with the listener. A Guitar Institute alumnus named Michael Shouse carries on in the tradition of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai and others, by delivering both the shredded lettuce of lickage and the meat-and-potatoes of good beats and melodies, rounding out a satisfying musical meal for the discriminating rocker. One bold move is Shouse's use of a flamenco-style intro to “re-invent” the bluegrass classic, "Man of Constant Sorrows." Shouse went with some stock martial sound-effects to start “Shock and Awe,” which also features a satisfyingly-chunky bass line, and solid drumming from Charlie Zeleny. Michael Shouse is a new-age guitar hero who definitely deserves a listen.
-Rob Swick (www.allaccessmagazine.com)
Kentucky guitar slinger Mike Shouse looks like a cross between vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Joe Satriani; thankfully he plays more like the latter and definitely doesn't sing. Reflecting influences which include Gilbert, Petrucci, Vai, Wylde, Vaughn and many others, Shouse has been at his craft for 20 years, and on his second independent release 'Alone On The Sun,' it certainly shows.
Shouse definitely has his chops down. He can shred with the best; fortunately for us, Shouse has some genuine creativity. Tunes like 'Choices,' 'Alone On The Sun,' or 'You Can Fly' demonstrate that he can craft a whole song developing a melodic arrangement and also blister up and down the fret board. Shouse also displays versatility: his guitar style can move between hard rock and heavy metal within a song. When he does this he keeps your interest for what's next rather than simply reminding you that he's a lick busting guitar hero. Most of the greats already know that we know that they know that they can play; Shouse never over indulges to the point of false humility. I think he knows we hate that stuff. Yet, with that said, for simply amazing kick ass and sizzling fret work you can't beat 'Bionic' (if you skip the ludicrous intro) and 'Dead In Memphis.'
Regarding the latter, realizing he's from down south Kentucky way, you would expect some of those southern influences in his music. It rises on 'Dead In Memphis,' 'Don't Remember Me', and on the best track, the reworking of the classic folk/bluegrass number, 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' (which dates back to 1913 and has been recorded by the likes of Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart).
Additional positives would include the outstanding supporting cast Shouse recruited as backup, with my kudos in particular to drummers Charlie Zeleny and Diego 'Grom' Meraviglia and bassist Kyle Honea. The only significant downsides were in the production which was mostly uneven and even horrible at times as on the opening cut 'Bionic.' If it were not for the promise of Shouse's guitar work ahead, I may have not made it past the opening track.
Overall, Mike Shouse's 'Alone On The Sun' is a solid expression of his experience, skill, and style as a guitarist. His compositions, though seemingly more of the same from another guitar virtuoso, demonstrate his ability to craft a complete melodic composition involving all participants and still soar on his guitar at the same time. Recommended!
-Craig Hartranft www.dangerdog.com
Michael Shouse is a guitarist and composer from Lexington, Kentucky (USA) with 20 years of experience on his back. He is always studying new guitar techniques and is also involved in film making, sound editing, and writing for specialized magazines. On his first album, “Enter the Soul” (2001, Digitrax Multimedia Hazard, KY), he played everything from bass to vocals, helped by Jason Poff (bass on two songs) and Dwight Dunlap (drums and percussion). He also had a song - “Man” - included in the compilation “International Anthems: Vol. 1” (2002, CD Smash). For his second self-produced album - “Alone on the Sun” (2008) - Shouse employed an extensive list of session musicians (see below). Each one has a brief biography at Shouse’s homepage. As a man who was born and raised in old Kentucky (Southern USA), Shouse is deeply rooted in the musical tradition of his homeland, and his compositions are impregnated with folk, blues, bluegrass, and rock. But Shouse can see farther than his sunglasses will let him, and joins those old rhythms with new ones, cementing them together like bricks into a solid wall. The achieved sonority is a fusion of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Electrified Blues and Bluegrass, with some Spanish scales inserted here and there – with similar musical styles of "Stevie Ray Vaughan", "Paul Gilbert", "John Petrucci", "Joe Satriani", "Zack Wylde" and "Marty Friedman".
“Alone on the Sun” can be heard in a single spin. It brings 8 totally instrumental pieces and two songs that are brilliantly performed by Gene Booth – a man that incarnates the voice of the Southern Style. One is “Don’t Remenber Me” and the other is a new version of Dick Burnett’s “Man of Constant Sorrow” (1913). For those who watched the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” by the Coen brothers, this is the song that makes George Clooney‘s fake band to achieve a tremendous success. It could be worthless to include a song that has been recorded by almost everybody (including "Bob Dylan" and "Rod Stuart"). But Shouse rearranges the old classic in the most creative way, executing it with a surprising Heavy Metal verve that turns it into one of the best tracks of the record. On the instrumental tracks, Shouse exerts his technical virtuosity with the precision of a guitar Master, building scaffolds of riffs upon which he elaborates long and exuberant solos, beveled to match each piece with precision – as done by Instrumental Heavy Metal guitar players of the 80’s and 90’s – but never forgetting the old feeling of the South. The guest musicians follow the cues left by Shouse and contribute with a secure rhythm section, without missing a chance to add something of their own.
The best tracks are: “Bionic” (introduced by quotations of the old TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man”); “The Arabian” (with original use of bells); “Alone on the Sun” and “Shock and Awe” (with abusive use of pedal effects). Those who are fond of the Southern style will appreciate the equally good “Choices”, the ballad “You Can Fly” and the electrified boogie-bluesy “Dead in Memphis”. The album closes very well with “For Alex” - a neoclassical sad ballad.
As suggested by the title, “Alone on the Sun” is really hot - and tasteful as a plate of Kentucky fried chicken with coleslaw salad – you can have it daily without ever getting fed up. Shouse is really recommended for fans of "Steve Vai", "John Petrucci", "Joe Satriani", "Marty Friedman", and other heavy instrumental guitar players. Band members and collaborators involved in Shouses’s project are: Mike Shouse – all Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals; Gene Booth – Vocals on tracks 2 and 9. Bassists, in order of appearance: Trip Walmsley (track 1), Sean Taylor (tracks 2 and 9), Scott Hubbell (track 3), Alun Vaughan (track 4), Kyle Honea (tracks 5 and 6), Byron Santo (track 7), Josh Kerr (track 8) and Travis Nichols (track 10). Drummers, same: Charlie Zeleny (tracks 1, 4, 6 and 10), Joey Sanchez (tracks 2, 7 and 9) and Diego “Grom” Meraviglia (tracks 3, 5 and 8)...
-Marcelo Trotta (Brazil) www.progressiverockbr.com
.......The wonderfully-monikered Shouse is a little bit of each, standing like an enflamed Vin Diesel upon the cover of Alone on the Sun with all the shadowed, pseudo-intensity one expects from this genre. Lathered with a thick layer of self-serving frenzy, Alone on the Sun is quite appropriately titled, sounding as if the work of an isolated artist with little perspective on their pet indulgences. The result is an album of high technical proficiency and tricky jamming.......Shouse is actually Kentucky-based guitarist Mike Shouse, who, it should be noted, has more guitar talent than fifteen men combined.
-Kevin Liedel (Norway) www.muzikreviews.com
MIKE SHOUSE is the name of this guitarist, who sent me his CD ‘Alone on the sun’, which is featuring high quality instrumental guitar based Melodic Hardrock, although on 2 songs we can hear vocals. However, the main topic is of course Mike’s guitar. Mike is playing of course quite well, not shredding all the time like most players, but more creating melodies with his guitar. Must-have for the fans of instrumental guitar based Hardrock. Recommended if you’re into the LION MUSIC kinda releases. More info at: www.mikeshousemusic.com and email at: mike@mikeshousemusic.com
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
-Gabor Kleinbloesem (Strutter Magazine, Holland) www.strutter.8m.com
Metal Express Rating: 7.0/10
Alone On the Sun is Mike Shouse’s second Instrumental CD on an Independent label consisting of eight Instrumental tracks and two vocal tracks. One of the vocal tracks is a Rock version of a well known Bluegrass hit titled “Man Of Constant Sorrow.” Hailing from Lexington, Kentucky, it can be understood why Shouse decided to put the two vocal tracks he selected on the new album, especially “Man of Constant Sorrow.” After playing for twenty years and being versed in numerous styles of music to boot, this second Instrumental album by Shouse should be all the proof one needs to see how far Mike has evolved over the years. Mike opts to open his new album with a tune labeled “Bionic.” Luckily the third track “The Arabian” starts off better than its predecessors did. While clearly an Instrumental tune and nothing more, it has some substance to it and seems to go to different places throughout the entire tune. It has some pretty good guitar work by Mike in it as well. The bass and drums form a strong foundation for the tune and the repetitive nature of the bass line is one that sticks with you even after the song is over. “Choices” is a good track to follow up with and again shows the versatility of Mike’s guitar playing. This is a nice tune that shows many different styles of intricate guitar work backed up by some fine and solid drumming and bass playing. Some real nice guitar on that one definitely. The title track is next in line. When one listens to the title track of any album, one usually expects to hear something special or better than the other tracks on the same album. In this case “Alone On the Sun” isn’t that special that you can’t wait to hear it again nor is it much better than the other tracks. What is true however is the fact that more of Mike’s guitar work and style that hasn’t been touched upon yet shines through and blends nicely with some more fantastic bass and drum work. “Shock and Awe” opens right off the bat with a catchy guitar riff that is complemented with an equally persistent and deep pounding bass line that is a strong foundation or backbone of the tune. It allows Shouse to go off and wander with his six-string while a strong rhythm section holds down the fort. Mike has some more electric (no pun intended) moments in this one. One can hear some very soft yet effective guitar play leading up to the opening moments of the song that are way too cool to pass up mentioning. It’s nothing mind-blowing but it deserves notice. “You Can Fly” has a beautiful sounding acoustic opening that’s a lead in for Mike taking over with his electric. This track has a very strange and unique bass line that doesn’t just end there. The drumming and the guitar work also take a hit. This is just a very weird sounding track from the time signature perspective. It’s not a bad thing in any way but takes some time in getting used to. “Dead In Memphis” opens with a bang. It has you rockin’ in no time flat with its energy that is hard to miss. Mike’s playing is interesting enough that makes one curious to see what he will come up with next throughout this track. The closing track is titled “For Alex.” Unfortunately not knowing who Alex is or might be brings us to a dead end as far as the title is concerned. The good thing is that the song has a beautiful sound to it done with just the right amount of feeling, much slower and mellower than the previous nine tracks but done in a very tasteful fashion. A nice surprise for the finish indeed. This sophomore project of Shouse has him performing all of the guitar work, keyboard duties, and backing vocals. Shouse did all of the recording and composing at his home studio and used eight different session bassists along with three different session drummers from all around the world to aid him in the making of his latest release. The final product is what it is and will undoubtedly form different opinions by all who take the time to give it at least a once over. Is this record worthy enough that you must run to the store the day it is released…NO, but if you are a true Instrumental or guitar fan, it is good enough to pick up a copy for your collection. Happy listening!
-GEORGE FUSTOS www.metalexpressradio.com
Budotzi Productions
Music Reviews
At first you might think your on a ride at Disneyworld, when a voice from the past (Six Million Dollar Man) invites you to hear a bigger, better and faster Mike Shouse. The first cut from "Alone On The Sun" is a fret burning rendition of a song you may have heard before, but not quite like this. An obviously well practiced guitar man, Shouse makes a fine first impression.
With "Man of Constant Sorrow" we get a dose of a southern acoustic with a blast of 80's electric lead fills. It's a catchy groove that may rock a few bars down south. In "The Arabian" a Van Halen sounding guitar speaks to us over a "Kashmirish" backdrop. Again this song accentuates the clean and quick finger moves of Shouse. "Choices" starts off with a nice groove double octave lead. This is definitely lead guitar music. So if your a fan of Satriani, Johnson, Van Halen, I'm sure you'll dig the environment of this entire collection.
The title track "Alone On The Sun" demonstrates the lead guitar prowess of Shouse once more. Although I would love to hear a bit more vocal work in these songs, they are still thoroughly entertaining. "Shock and Awe" begins with a war going on, the sounds of gunfire with a deep chord structure underneath eventually grinding into an impressive strong performance on all levels.
Don't let the beautiful acoustic start to "You Can Fly" deceive you, more fret melting action is soon to be heard. Classy, and well produced there's not an inch of complaint. Followed up by "Dead In Memphis" a ZZTOP gone insane rocker complete with the flat tire drum beat.
Van Halenesque at first "Don't Remember Me" soon takes a hard edged life of it's own with strong vocals that match the composition. I'll re-echo my thoughts again, more vocals on all of these selections would be a positive.
It's obvious over the course of this album including the final cut (For Alex) that Mike Shouse is a masterful guitarist with a knack for well groomed arrangements and guitar tones.
Mike Shouse is a multi-instrumentalist, and all around entertainer in many aspects including the movie industry. Check out Shouse on sonicbids.com. I promise there won't be a wasted minute.
- John Tenting
Mike Shouse is a guitarist from Kentucky. He has released this rather good new CD called 'Alone In The Sun' under the moniker of SHOUSE. The self financed CD features eleven tracks showcasing Mike's tremendous style. Track one is called 'Bionic' and borrows its theme from The Six Million Dollar Man, it’s a fast and furious affair. 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' features vocals and is a bubbly guitar driven rocker. The song is reminiscent of L.A. Guns crossed with Jerry Cantrell. 'The Arabian' is another guitar work out, I hear a lot of Satriani effects on this track especially with the slight Eastern influences, very good instrumental. 'Choices' is a slower track, more melodic based and has a Y&T meets Satch vibe. Next up is the neo-classical/melodic title track 'Alone In The Sun'. This is a temperamental memorable track. I love the ambience of the song and the way the entire vibe builds quite quick, the only let down is the drum machine clatter which makes it a little tingly sounding, a good solid track, possibly inspired by Joey Tafolla and Michael Lee Firkins. 'Shock And Awe' is more of a fun rocker, a really cool vibe on this track clearly inspired by Satriani's 'Surfing With The Alien' crossed with Mattias Ia Eklund from Freak Kitchen. 'You Can Fly' is a rock-solid jam number, very melodic and interesting where 'Dead In Memphis' let the side down being a little off-putting and not going with the flow of the other material, seems to slog along more than go for the gullet and in for the kill. 'Don't Remember Me' is the second vocal led track, the vocals here are more raspy, this again is pretty catchy and as the song builds, it has a vintage edge laced against a modern feel, without doubt the best of the vocal tracks. Last up is 'For Alex' is charismatic balladic ditty oozing heaps of melody. For an independent release the production is a little abrasive. I feel it would be interesting to hear a jam-packed vocal led album than multi instrumentals because lyrically the vocal led songs have potential.
- Nicky Baldrian, Fireworks Magazine, (UK).
Mike Shouse is an “electric” guitarist in every sense of the word, charging out of the gate with the Six Million Dollar Man-inspired cooker “Bionic.” “Man of Constant Sorrow” features vocalist Gene Booth, who brings a Godsmack-meets-Chris Cornell quality to the piece. Shouse shifts gears for the Mediterranean-flavored “The Arabian,” and gets into hard-rocking bop mode for “Choices.”
The title track smacks of Joe Satriani, where a killer melodic hook is developed along tandem guitar and piano leads. Shouse later takes respite with the acoustic-tinged “You Can Fly.” This is a well-orchestrated tune that really shines a spotlight on the guitarist’s versatility. “Don’t Remember Me” is another strong vocal track by Booth, its cynical lyrics addressing personal fate.
Shouse handles all guitars, keyboards and backing vocals with a strong roster of contributors rounding things out. Fans of guitar shred and wide-ranging six-string fireworks will appreciate this player’s considerable talents.
- Eric Harabadian, Progression Magazine(US)
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