The brunt of " The Brink".
author: Dan Conrad
Chris Delis is a gifted guitarist, vocalist, songwriter & his debut disc " On The Brink" proves
this. On this release Delis deftly handles all guitars, does all the singing & most of the bass chores. So well done is his guitar playing that he flys seamlessly through scales, modes & styles.
His style comes across as more heartfelt & honest then those who seem to say "checkout how fast I am." You can hear some definite influences but Delis refuses to wear them on his sleeve.
Vocally, to these ears, Delis sounds like a cross between Don Felder & Don Henly only without the sanctimonious self importance. This is not a bad thing as Delis sounds wonderful and at his best when harmonizing with himself.
" Mojo", the upbeat opening instrumental, quickly sets the tone as Delis breezes through with Gibbons type squawking & harmonic chicken picking. He then moves to some soaring notes both clean & nimble.
" Livin' On The Brink" an Eagles type of rocking ballad is where I get the Henly/Felder comparison from.
Next up is the reggae feeling of "Sunday Dreds" where Delis really let's that guitar shimmer & shine with an almost nuclear tone. Now that's 3 tunes & 3 different blows so far, and Delis is not content with just that. Next we are treated with the rollicking, funky, bluesy roadhouse blister "One Girl , One Guitar" which features a jaw dropping wah solo. Have I mentioned his tone?
"Sprocket" , another instrumental breaks into it's blues/funk shred that would not be out of place on any of Jeff Beck's recent outings. I"m also reminded of Steve Morse.
"Keep On Movin' " & "That Lonely Feeling" are a couple of almost poppy aor tunes. The former I can actually hear ASIA doing, but that's just me.
"Smokey", another uptempo instrumental scorcher has some nice "Morse-ish" moments with Delis inserting some nice shifting ideas.
For the finale, Delis pulls off something of a mark on "Fallin" To Pieces". Did you ever hear a song that you know you've never heard before but it sounds so damn familiar; you'd swear you have? "Who is this? 38 Special? I know this tune". No, it's Chris freakin' Delis!" That's a mark of a great tune & a great writer. This disc is by no means a vanity pressing, it is in fact a calling card. Do yourself a favor, go out on a limb and pick-up "ON THE BRINK". You'll be glad you did. Tip: keep a fire extinguisher near by. To hear, see, learn more about Chris Delis, visit
www.chrisdelis.com .
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Top Notch
author: Dean Coupland
Chris Delis is my favorite guitar player. His technical ability is unmatched on this planet, plus he was there with me when I first laid eyes upon my late dog, Chili. He tends to be a little paranoid in the woods when it comes to deer ticks but he more than makes up for that with his great sense of humor and effortless guitar style. If I was pressured with the threat of being water-boarded to lodge one complaint about Chris it would have to be the lack of Ozzy covers in his body of work. That minor flaw not withstanding, I whole-heartedly recommend "On The Brink" to anyone who appreciates fine guitar work.
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Smokin' guitar playing, good songs and production. A great find.
author: Brian
If you are a guitar fan then pick up this new CD by Chris Delis. The album is strong from top to bottom. My personal favorites are Sunday Dreds, One Girl-One Guitar (love the gritty, bluesy vocal on this tune), Loney Feeling (catchy pop-rocker with a strong hook chorus)and Smokey.
Do yourself a favor a pick up a copy of this album.
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