Clintone
GUITAR-HEAVY, ALL-INSTRUMENTAL HARD ROCK MAKES A COMEBACK ON CLINTONE’S ‘FULL CIRCLE’
Think the ‘guitar hero’ is dead? Guess again! The early 21st century has seen a resurgence in guitarists who have perfected their shredding skills, and six-string wiz Clintone certainly fits the bill – especially on his debut recording for the Metro City/Locomotive label, ‘Full Circle.’ Instantly bringing to mind the guitar heroics of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, the Salem, New Hampshire native can certainly hold his own with the best of them – able to show off his chops while also penning memorable and hook-heavy songs (which are entirely instrumental – harkening back to the heady days of ‘Surfing with the Alien’).
“I started out as a guitarist, but then over the years, moved onto a more singer-songwriter role,” explains Clintone. “In 2006, I had recorded several instrumental songs and started playing them for people. Very quickly, people were reacting in a way I've not seen in my ‘singer-songwriter’ stuff. So I said, ‘What the hell, lets take it all the way and finish a full-length.’ I figured at least I'd have a kick ass demo to maybe land a gig with a well-known established national act. So that's where the title comes from. I started as a guitarist, left for a while, and then came full circle again. The wayward son had come home.”
As evidenced by such standout tracks as “Dead Lines,” “Touching on Taboo,” and the title track (all of which are currently available for streaming on Clintone’s Myspace page), it appears to only be a matter of time until guitar mags worldwide start making him a cover star. And this appears to only be the beginning, as Clintone points out that a whole new wave of talented guitar heroes are on the horizon.
“Look at some of the younger bands that have come out recently - like Trivium and Atreyu. They remind me of bands like Iron Maiden - as far as the dual lead harmony lead stuff, which paved the way in the late 80's for guys like Satriani and the explosion of shred. I feel the industry as a whole has changed so much and fans really want more out of a band than just the latest fashion or hair cut. They really long for quality musicianship.”
It certainly appears as though Clintone is onto something, and he couldn’t have picked a better time to have come ‘Full Circle.’
