FANALO: Fanalo (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Let's start with a bit of background. Fanalo is the French guitarist behind the excellent band Plug-In, with whom Ron Bumblefoot Thal toured a few years ago. As well as being a musician, Fanalo is also the professional director of a music school (CIAM) in Bordeaux. The man's busy schedule and multiple hats justify his absence from the circuit in recent years, with Plug-In's last album dating back to 2010.

Fanalo has just released his very first solo album, and for the occasion he has enlisted the services of prestigious guests such as singer Jeff Scott Soto, introduced to him by Ron Bumblefoot Thal himself, the two having remained close friends since their Art of Anarchy and, above all, Sons of Apollo days. Bumblefoot himself took part in one of the tracks, as did Julien “Djul” Lacharme and Butcho Vukovic, ex-singer of Watcha and Last Temptation.

Fifteen years ago, Fanalo brought out the heavy artillery on “Hijack” with Plug-In, and it's to our great pleasure that we rediscover his technical, powerful phrasing and the very personal tinge of his touch. Not only is his technical baggage remarkable, but the accuracy of his notes is a joy to hear.

If the compositions are generally a little more rock and less metal (though not always) than on Plug-In, the message conveyed here is resolutely different, with Fanalo offering well-crafted songs with strong lyrics, notably on human stupidity in 'Why', in which the Bumblefoot / Fanalo duel is jaw-dropping. The tracks are tailor-made for the singers, and the artist's greatness is evident in the way he gives pride of place to the vocals and space to the songs as a whole. As you'll have gathered, this is no guitar showcase, and all the better for it.

On the other hand, over the long haul, some will find it hard to find a common thread, the first two tracks being very progressive before moving on to more rock/heavy tracks. 'STC', sung by Butcho, will delight those nostalgic for Watcha, the singer's timbre inevitably recalling the neo metal era. 'Why', on which Thomas Smith lays down his vocal lines, is bound to evoke the grunge period and Pearl Jam in particular. Then, progressive metal reappears, before once again slipping into a rock trip. There's nothing prohibitive about this, but some might argue that there's a slight lack of coherence. There's always the risk of having too many guests on an album. Listeners may wonder whether they're still listening to the same artist, or whether their streaming platform has switched to another band.

While this mix of genres may leave some listeners on the fence, Fanalo's debut album will delight the majority of others, who will be delighted to rediscover an artist, a real one, who has allowed himself to open up the field of possibilities on his first solo album, the follow-up to which we can't wait to hear... - Official website

FANALO

FANALO

KLONOSPHERE

HARD ROCK