I was thinking that, beside Torben Enevoldsen and Michael Sobygge, aren't there any promising hard rock & metal guitar virtuosi in Denmark. One day Mr. Vejlyt's CD landed in my player and dispelled all my doubts. Niels got to know Malmsteen's music at the beginning of the nineties and wished to achieve same artistic level. On the way, he also played in a few bands of bell-ringing names: Toms Tired and Glow 41, but participated as well in a very interesting progressive group called Empty Room with whom recorded an album "Grand Illusions" (2004). He met Jakob Vand in the latter band and invited him to the studio by the occasion of recording "The Predator". I must forcibly admit that I wasn't entranced after the first listening. As a matter of fact, Niels wrote me in the letter: "sorry about the production", but a lack of any production was clearly audible. The album was profesionally published with a good cover, but, unfortunately, recorded by the use of Niels' personal computer. Well, the sound of Michael Sobygge's albums don't blow me away as well, but it is masterly on Torben Enevoldsen's solo CDs. I think that poor sound on "The Predator" can discourage "sonic purists" from listening to the material. I am not angry at Niels at all, but I recently reviewed two demos by Johan Reinholdz that sound better than no one official release, so it can seem to be puzzling. Now, let's move to musical matters. Niels enlisted many well-known instrumentalists among his inspirations: Yngwie Malmsteen, Greg Howe and George Bellas. Here you can hear the least Malmsteen who has never been a typical shredder like Rusty Cooley for instance. Greg Howe has always been able to play both neoclassical hard rock and fusion, but there is no way you will hear the latter one on that album for sure. But upon listening to the likes of "Enchanted mountain" and "Thunder warrior", the name of neoclassical master of legato technique - George Bellas - comes to my mind. "Fire" should be enjoyed by the fans of Edward Box, Anand and Prashant Aswani. It would appear that music on "The Predator" is very fast. Not at all! Feeling, rhythm and melody have the greatest importance. The last three compositions reveal other Niels' inspirations, that is of Borislav Mitic's works. There are typically neoclassical tracks as "Paganini vs. Strauss" (classical music motifs crossed with Vejlyt's improvisations) and "Moto perpetuo". The latter one is one of the best "opening" of "The Predator". Mentioned Paganini's composition was performed by Mitic as well, but it is utterly different arrangement and dissimilar Niels' attitude to the original version. In my opinion, Niels added much more idyllic mood to the compositions making it really engrossing version. Niels has a right to boast of interesting ideas (e.g. instrumentally innovative "Shredder" and "Misque"), but the lack of professional production makes the reception difficult for us. I can't pick on Dane's technique, because he is just a teacher and a member of Shred Academy. I like he mainly focused his mind on melodies and completed arrangements. I don't estimate the production, but emotions, transmission's sincerity and inventiveness included in his music. I think that production is out-of-music affair, but the matter of having or lack of money, that is funds that can facilitate the access to professional recording studios. The production of many disco and pop artists' albums is perfect... and what? Coming back to "The Predator", I'd like to point out that overloud percussion can seem to make Niels' music undynamic, but witty technique and Dane's ingenuity soothe first, not too good impression as to the sound. Beside, Niels' music is really unusual. I hope Mr. Vejlyt can enter the recording studio and record the material again in the future. If I am right, he is now composing the tracks for his epic metal band in the style of Rhapsody and Symphony X! It shows promise, but all that's left for us to do is listening intently to beautiful tunes from "The Predator" and... dreaming of better sound on the next Niels' solo CD!

There are tons of guitar teachers who have the urge to release their own music. Niels Vejlyt from Denmark doesn't surprise by heading into the fast instrumental neo-classical speed metal genre, but this is one of the few times where we are dealing with an artist who is releasing his own music. Maybe Niels Vejlyt wants to stay underground, because his technical skills don't explain why no label could be found. Unfortunately therefore we are confronted with a very mediocre production that gives a very muddy sound. The guitar feels like a late-Eighties Shrapnel Records item, the drums have not enough power, the piano has a peculiar sound on the last two tracks that head into an even more classical direction. I would have placed those two tracks somewhere between the regular guitar pieces for more variation. Somehow I do think you have to pay respect to artists like this who follow relentlessly their own musical vision, and even though Niels Vejlyt doesn't do anything new or original, his Yngwie inspired guitar playing is sometimes breathtakingly fast, and his rhythm guitar work has subtle jazz undertones.

Woah! Widdle alert! In fact this record is so widdly that the first thing you hear is 10 second blast of solo widdle before the real widdle commences. Which, I suppose, leaves you in no doubt as to what you're in for. Especailly, as it's actually called "Shredder"! You probably won't be surprised to hear that Niels is also a guitar tutor with a series of instructional DVDs, or that he is inspired by th elikes of Shawn Lane, Greg Howe and Nicolo Paganini (natch), amongst others. The big danger with yer actual instrumental widdle is that the perpetuators often forget to write interesting and/or melodic music. You can be as fast as a shark, but sometimes you need to be built for comfort, not speed. Niels falls into the trap a couple of times but, overall, manages to maintain a faint grasp on reality. There are also some numbers that sound like they were recorded in a bucket ("Misque" being the worst offender) but I'm hoping I've just got a dodgy copy. But when he gets it right, it is very good indeed wwith "The Predator", "Distant Thunder" and "Moto Perpetuo" coming up trumps. Oh, and I love the cover painting!

Something about Scandinavian shredders that just rips your ears from your conventional guitar possibilities and pushes them up into a mountain peak of speed and classical nuance blending. Such is the case with guitarist, Niels Vejlyt. His CD, "The Predator", is a totally absorbed exhibition of speed and guitar heroics the likes of Malmsteen and Thale. The 11 instrumental metal collection benefits from the ambitious and courageous lead passages by Vejlyt, which makes up for where the recording lacks production quality. The first tune on the CD, "Shredder", is just that. .as well as the clearest sounding of all the tracks. Niels shows off some syncopated rhythm finesse as he digs into the strings with audible energy. The long mp3, "Enchanted Mountain", just, again, shreds. .Niels harmony lines complement the melodic phrasing here. Speed it up faster with 'Thunder Warrior', as the Paganini inspired phrasing is performed well. Track 9, "Forces of Nature" and track 10's, "Paganini vs. Straus", again features Niels speed in the classically inspired metal guitar genre. We have no idea how he plays this fast - the technique is awe-inspiring. We look forward to more.