Rob Johnson's (solo artist and guitarist for Magnitude Nine) comments about the "Electric Storm" CD:
Thanks VERY much for sending me your CD! I really like it ! It reminded me of VINNIE MOORE , MACALPINE and SATRIANI. Great playing , well crafted songs , shredding & melody! Thanks so much for letting me hear it!
Review of Electric Storm by Ilan Rosenfeld on Time to Live - The Rock and Metal Review site September 2003
http://www.metalprovider.com/timetolive/albums/revelecstorm.htm
Originally from Cape Town, Sean Mercer now resides in the U.S.A. where he, among other occupations, composes and plays some great guitar. "Electric Storm" is a collection of compositions by him, varying in styles and sounds.
I would say the guitar player whose sound is usually closest to Mercer's is Vinnie Moore. However, there are several songs that would remind me of other guitarists, like Marty Friedman ("Ilana") or Jason Becker ("Electric Storm"). Sean said he was deeply influenced by Yngwie Malmsteen but I could not find any protruding sign of that in his music (perhaps the intro in "Mushrooms Of Fire"), apart from the excellent technique and some really fast licks going on.
The classification of Mercer under the title "Instrumental Progressive Rock" is fitting. There are many progressive elements in his music, including interesting chord progressions and rhythmic changes. There many doubled (maybe tripled?) guitar segments that add a lot to the fun in listening.
Most tracks are rocky in sound, but there are more quiet ones, like the acoustic "Last Time", and parts of "Opus 2", for example. The diversity of sounds does not leave a moment of dullness.
Highlight tracks, or at least my favorites, are "The Festival" (in addition to great guitar, there's a 70's style keyboard solo here too), "Ilana" and "Last Time". All songs are fun to listen to, and therefore we have a very cool album demonstrating good performance as well as excellent composition.
Review of "Electric Storm" by Ronny Elst, Metal Coven, April 2003
Sean Mercer "Electric Storm" (90%)
Category : New release
Format : CD
Playing time : 47:21 minutes
Release : 2002
Label : Independent release
Style : Melodic/progressive instrumental rock
Country : U.S.A.
Sean (originally from Cape Town but now living in the U.S.A.) began playing acoustic guitar at age ten.Five years later he got his first (used) electric guitar.That time Sean's inspirations were Jethro Tull, Clapton and Santana.He played in several bands but later he focussed on his real passion ; composing original instrumentals.Around that same time there was another turning point in Sean's focus ; he heard Yngwie Malmsteen play and Sean would not be happy with a lesser standard.Sean's first album "Electric Storm" is an excellent instrumental rock release.His songs are influenced by melodic, progressive and neo-classical rock styles.
Sean doesn't want to play faster as the speed of light, but he's concentrating on playing very nice melodic themes and melodies.I would describe "Electric Storm" as a mixture of Vinnie Moore's recent albums and Michael Schenker's solo albums.I appreciate Sean a lot as musician and composer ; one of the best "unknown" guitarists that I heard lately!Currently Sean is (when he's not at his day job) hard at work on his next instrumental cd and he's putting the finishing touches to his forthcoming guitar tuition book.
I hope that we'll hear a lot of Sean in the (near) future!
Homepage : www.seanmercer.com
E-mail : info@seanmercer.com
90 % by Ronny Elst (2003)
Use this link to read the original review:
http://www.metalprovider.com/metalcoven/reviews/abc/seanmercerelectricstorm-ronny.htm
Review by Wayne Klinger, Quintessence, April 2003.
Sean Mercer (U.S.)- "Electric Storm" (2002 self)
Sean is in that class of ever-growing popularity of doing everything yourself. You know, the engineering, writing, composing, producing, etc.. Sean is a precisional musician and despite greatly influenced by Malmsteen, he is not a carbon copy of the famous Swede and even has his own unique sound...how unique? About as original as the sound you hear from one of Martone's albums. The CD itself is 12 tracks and Sean is just amazing on guitar and not to forget his keyboard expertise; he may not be the next Jordan Rudess, but he gets the job done emphatically. The music reflects some Neo meets Blues meets Fusion and has been quoted by the likes of Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney as "reminiscent at times of works by Tony MacAlpine". Sean is just yet another player to sneak up onto the hugely growing scene of guitarists and deserves some press. You may also check him out on my upcoming CD compilation release, "Fret-essential". www.seanmercer.com Email: info@seanmercer.com
Use this link to read the original review:
http://community-2.webtv.net/fretsaxesriffs/April2003/page2.html
Review by Rovert Silverstein, 20th Century Guitar Magazine, February 2003
SEAN MERCER - He's been playing guitar since he was a kid back in his native South Africa and after hearing his solo album it's obvious that it's paid off for guitarist Sean Mercer. Mercer's solo debut Electric Storm is filled with a dozen blazing guitar instrumental tracks that sound quite inspired by legends like Steve Vai and Tony MacAlpine. Mercer sets his Kramer Guitars on fire on Electric Storm and the result is superbly composed and performed instrumental guitar album that combines muscular hard rock playing with thought-provoking, neoclassical compositions. He receives support from a number of players, but the center spotlight is clearly on Mercer's soaring electric guitar performance. www.seanmercer.com
Review of "Electric Storm" on Millerecords Reviews by Roberto Guarnieri
"The American guitarist Sean Mercer has had a very strange career. He was discovered years ago by the distinguished Mike Varney, and was then consigned to oblivion for over a decade. You'll remember that the American producer decided to forget about metal instrumental works for a period, in order to devote himself to blues guitarists. Mercer, however, didn't give up, and has come out with "Electric Storm," his first fully instrumental work, which will surely be well received by those who like Vinnie Moore and such neo-classical guitarists with a similar sound.
The CD's sonorities are typical of the late '80s sound, with truly melodic harmonization and a distinct technical mastery. My premonition is fully supported: Because Mercer doesn't have that coldness typical of other guitarists in the genre, I'd venture that Varney was wrong not to produce so skilled a guitarist, at least in such a historical period as the last twenty years. Contact information info@seanmercer.com
(Rating: 4 stars out of 5)
(Click the link below to read the original review in Italian)
http://digilander.libero.it/stratocaster67/Recensioni/Mercer.htm
SEAN MERCER 'ELECTRIC STORM' (INDEPENDENT)
Guitarist SEAN MERCER comes out of the US State Washington and his CD 'Electric storm' is a high-class instrumental AOR/Melodic Rock/Prog album that comes dangerously close to YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. 12 songs are included, and the musicianship is of a very high level. Highlights are "Elation", "The festival", "Electric storm", "Holding back", "Mushrooms of fire" (hello MALMSTEEN!) and "Opus 2". Without any doubts, if you're into quality instrumental rock music, this CD brings you as much pleasure as listening to a MALMSTEEN record. More info at: http://www.seanmercer.com and e-mail him at: info@seanmercer.com
(Points: 8.0 out of 10)
By: Gabor Fabian of Strutter'zine.
http://www.angelfire.com/az2/strutter8/HOTNEWREVIEWS.htm
(Click the link and scroll down about halfway to see this review)
Review of "Electric Storm"
By: Carlos Alberto Vaz Ferreira of Progressive Rock/Progressive Metal
Sean Mercer began playing acoustic guitar at age ten. It took five years before he got his first electric guitar a used Morris Strat copy. Around this time Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton and Santana were Sean's early inspirations. He spent time learning their licks and riffs.
After playing in high school bands He performed in both duo and four-piece top forty bands while studying electrical engineering at the University of Cape Town. All this in the early 1980's. Given his less than enthusiastic appreciation for the standard rock vocal outfit, Sean Mercer was not entirely displeased when fledgling attempts at vocal oriented rock failed due to his well, exacting requirements.
In the late 1980s, Sean Mercer perfects his technique. To this end, his practice routines now run for several hours a day. To better harness his creativity, He undertakes the study of music theory and composition with a private tutor. Working as a recording engineer during the early 1990's enabled Sean's to record the original neoclassical instrumental compositions. He has engineered commercial recording sessions and has occasionally worked as a session guitarist. He maintained a full roster of private guitar students for several years and performed clinics at his alma mater, the University of Cape Town, as well as at several events organized by local music stores.
In 1993 Sean gives a clinic with bassist Johan Buys right after a workshop by Frank Gambale - not an easy act to follow! After hearing his compositions, Mike Varney chose, in October of 1991, to feature Sean in Guitar Player Magazine's prestigious Spotlight Column.
Once again, I didn't expect to hear at the musical scene today a young high-quality guitar player, of course his style is filled with all the possible Progressive Rock ingredients also contains powerful and fast guitar solos, basic and very important element of the Progressive Metal style, however sometimes the guitars sounds become highly melodic, very elegant and full of technical harmonies. Including the keyboards sounds where the musicians create a spiritual atmosphere around the arrangements.
The style are very reminiscent of, or better comparing with "Yngwie Malmsteen", "Marty Friedman", "Vinnie Moore" and "Rod Morgenstein", if you like the guitars solos of bands as: "Nightwish", "Within Temptation", "Edenbridge" and "After Forever", of course Sean Mercer is one of the choice, probably soon he will be among the famous guitars players. "Electric Storm" is the first album, with 12 songs on the CD. The instrumental was mastered by Grammy winning mastering engineer Gavin Lurssen at The Mastering Lab during August September 2002.
My special and particular attention to the songs: "Elation", "The Festival", "Reflections", "Electric Storm", "Holding Back" and "Opus 2". Sean Mercer and the following musicians: Sean Mercer - All compositions, all guitars, keyboard programming, Johan "Yoyo" Buys - Bass, Neil Sebba - All drums (except where noted, Neil endorses Promark Sticks and Peace Drums, Neil currently performs with Jamestowne and Brian Robbins), Andrew Green - Drums on tracks 1,2,4 & 6 (Andrew currently performs with Days of Worth), Nigel Mercer - Drum performance on track 10, Steve Philpott - Keyboards on tracks 1,2,4 & 6 and Keyboard runs on track 11 and Richard Kessel - Keyboard programming.
Excellent and indispensable work, highly recommendable.
© Progressive Rock/Progressive Metal
http://www.progressiverockbr.com/
Brief review (in Japanese) of "Electric Storm" on Neocla.com.
http://www.neocla.com/review/seanmercer.html
(Click the link and scroll down to the bottom)
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