GUS G is no stranger to music. Having been part of the music industry for the past two decades, he has recorded and toured with the likes of OZZY OSBOURNE, DREAM EVIL and ARCH ENEMY amongst others. Alongside this the main musical focus has been through his own band FIREWIND who have released an impressive nine albums to date. Due to the pandemic unfortunately dampening the momentum of FIREWIND’s self-titled 2020 release (https://rockoutstandout.com/2020/05/13/album-review-firewind-firewind/), there was a desire to continue being creative. The results of this creative burst resulted in the unexpected release of Quantum Leap.
Into The Unknown could easily have been utilised as an introductory piece to any FIREWIND album. Undoubtably a full-on prog-power metal track. The guitar is centre of attention as expected but utilised in a way that also gives it a voice.
Exosphere blasts off into orbit with this stellar track. There is undoubtedly the element of reaching out into the unknown with this piece and showcases the level of experimentation on offer.
The title track is a progressive piece that dips into varying styles. This is extremely pleasant on the ears and would be the perfect introduction to GUS G if you are not familiar with their works to date.
Chronesthesia is a hypothetic view on mental time travel. Being able to conjure up memories of what we have done in the past, transporting us back to those events. With this piece there are snippets and touches of works from GUS G’s career. If you could perfectly amalgamate one’s mastery of the guitar and channel it through GUS G this is the result.
Enigma Of Life is reminiscent of the late, great Eddie Van Halen and the piece composed for the Twister soundtrack Respect The Wind. It is reflective, progressive and undoubtedly catchy whilst retaining some degree of melancholy throughout.
Judgement Day certainly is up there amongst the heaviest of power metal riffs and is borderline thrash in places. It makes you want to bang your head throughout.
Fierce would not be out of place amongst the works of JUDAS PRIEST. You can tell from this piece alone that whilst GUS G is a guitar virtuoso and master of multiple styles, he is a full on metalhead.
Demon Stomp is reminiscent of W.A.S.P, MOTLEY CRUE and all things glam metal. This track is incredibly catchy, encouraging plenty of foot stomping and head banging throughout.
Night Driver screams everything 80’s. It’s the perfect accompaniment to any film soundtrack from this decade and is reminiscent of retro video game soundtracks.
Not Forgotten sounds much like the style of a power ballad. One feels that if there were lyrics to this piece that it would certainly pull on your heart strings.
Force Majeure translates as Major Force. Used to reference natural disasters or acts of God. This piece wonderfully brings the album to a close. It’s incredibly powerful and mighty. Conjuring imagery of tsunamis, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions, this feels like the progression of the start of these through to aftermath. Reflective of how frequent these are in today’s world due to the ongoing battle with climate change.
Disc 2 features a selection of live tracks recorded in Budapest capturing the live essence and energy of GUS G in a live setting away from the renowned FIREWIND experience. It has some original GUS G tracks from previous solo releases and includes a cover of DIRE STRAITS classic Money For Nothing which is heavier than the original and showcases GUS G’s absolute mastery of his guitar.
Aptly titled, GUS G has certainly advanced and developed their musical prowess on this album. Fans of FIREWIND will appreciate several tracks throughout. Those that love the sound of the electric guitar and the skillset behind composing blistering guitar solos will devour this. As an instrumental album, it undoubtedly falls within the realms of heavy metal yet features enough diversity that it can be enjoyed from start to finish.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Martin White
Quantum Leap is out now.
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