Arek Religa
In Memory Of The Greatests

Review By Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
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  Arek Religa was honored with the MuzikReviews.com Sonic Bids talent contest winner a few months ago. With his amazing guitar playing talents and his two-hand tapping technique video that leaves your mouth hanging open, made the choice obvious as we narrowed it down to the final three contestants. 

In Memory Of The Greatests is Religa's tribute the great guitar maestros of our time. Arek hails from Poland. Quite amazingly, he did not start playing the guitar until he was sixteen years old. Getting a late start in life did not seem to matter.

This recording is comprised of 13 tracks of instrumental rock, jazz-fusion, blues, and all of that mixed together with atmospheric orchestrated backgrounds created by keyboards to give it a symphonic prog rock feel at times. On scorchers like "Viva Carlos", the guitarist cuts loose and gives his best impression of the legendary rock-blues-world six-string hero Santana. That is the only track that is obviously dedicated to one particular artist, while the rest of the tracks are an intelligent mixture of influences and superb talent inspired by many years of studying the masters and perfecting a unique style.

In the end when the CD stops spinning, you are convinced that you have found a new guitar hero to bow to and acknowledge, yet another previously unrecognized force to be reckoned with in the vast world of indie music.

This guy can rock, he plays with taste and style, and a little bit of both for the perfect audio elixir that will have you mesmerized in no time flat. As you make your way through this instrumental treasure trove you discover how brilliant the artist is and how using influences from many genres and great guitar players through the ages allows for a most enjoyable and diversified listening experience. Do not let the tranquil cover of the CD put any expectations in your mind of what you are in for; this is an artist with a passionate flame burning inside. It comes flowing through the strings of his instrument one track after another.

I refer to one track on the CD however; I would prefer to look at it as a whole entity, a project that has a beginning and end with a storyline implicated by the title of each track. Songs without words can paint a canvas that leaves you to your own devices and imagination. Arek Religa perpetuates this very situation consistently throughout his work in all 13 tracks. The future is now for innovative independents like this; check out this amazing guitar work on In Memory Of The Greatests.

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