Jimmy Williams has returned as a solo artist to record his second offering of guitar based instrumental music that touches on many styles that have no doubt influenced his playing. After reviewing Jimmy's debut cd, I felt that the chops and song ideas were sufficient, yet the lack of professional recording techniques and the use of more individual musicians left the cd seeming like a demo of some great ideas. Well here with his Sonic Divergence cd, Jimmy has covered all the bases that were missed on his debut. With the help of a keyboardist and drummer, and a noticeably more professional sounding production, Williams again shows that guitar instrumental music still has it's place as an ever expanding genre, his style of writing varies from more progressive metal sounding arrangements, to melodic ballads, and even more contemplative acoustical settings. Williams is a competent musician as well as composer, in a day and age where good shred guitarists are a dime a dozen, it's the guitarist that is a musician that will ultimately shine through by showing their ability to construct songs. Songs that are not merely constructed for the purposes of showoffmanship. Jimmy Williams does take care of the composing elements enough to keep the cd from being just another self-indulgent guitar affair. His playing style is reminiscent of the many guitarists that come from the heavy metal backgrounds, displaying a lot of sweeps, taps, speedy scale work, and sound vibrato techniques. In some ways he reminds me a bit of Michael Harris, blending the speed of neo-classical metal with the more melodic and progressive style of playing and writing. Sonic Divergence is evidence that guitar music still has it's place even long after the Shrapnel invasion, and while Jimmy Williams is one on a long list of players out there, his music is the kind that makes your ears perk up, not so much because he is doing anything technically unique, but because he arranges music that moves and changes, showing an emphasis on creative writing rather than that of displaying the fruits of his hours of metronomic practicing, which far too many of these cookie cutter shredders do.

Have you ever wondered what a record would sound like if John Petrucci (Dream Theater) and Jason Becker (Cacophony-David Lee Roth) busted out some crazy guitar work on the same album? Wonder no more. Jimmy Williams' "Sonic Divergence" in an intense masterpiece of virtuoso guitar playing and masterful songwriting. Being a guitar player myself, I cannot deny the fact "Jim is a Guitar playing GOD, living amongst mortals!" I know, I know, I sound like a nut hugger, but once you hear the busting chugs of "Broken Glass Reflection" (track 2) and within 13 seconds, a searing sweeping harmonized lead, you will be blown away! Don't worry, this isn't the best part of the album it only gets better..... My favorite being track #8 "Cosmic Fugue" allows the listener to paint this brutal yet beautiful ethereal landscape within your own mind.... The album ends with an amazing piece of acoustic/ neo-classical shred fest that can only leave you wanting more!!