Band:	Impellitteri
Album:	Pedal To The Metal
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	March 24, 2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. The Iceman Cometh
02. The Kingdom Of Titus (Tribute)
03. Dance With The Devil
04. Hurricane
05. Crushing Daze
06. Destruction
07. Judgement Day
08. Punk
09. Propaganda Mind
10. The Writings On The Wall

"Pedal To The Metal" is the new album of Mr Chris Impellitteri the famous American high-speed neo-classical guitarist [ooochh shit it was long?]. This album in fact was released in Japan first in April 2004, but SPV, decided lately to release it in Europe. More or less one year later and with the disappearance of a song "Stay Tonight" we have the luck, or maybe the bad luck to have this album in the old continent?

Chris Impellitteri is a really good guitarist that's hard to say anything wrong against all his musical abilities. All the solo or the riffs of this album are really efficient, something more than professional, he is a great guitarist no doubt on that and we all know it. And in fact that's really hard if you're a bit objective to find something wrong with all the musicians of this combo, even Curtis Skelton who was the singer of the US Nu Metal act Speak No Evil is in my opinion a really correct singer. Not the best one on Earth but his vocals are honest and really we can't blame him. BUT, because yes there is a big BUT which will explain this really bad rating [that I hardly give really], I smell a real lack of originality. The majority of the songs, are not awful, but we heard all that several times before, that's classic Heavy Melodic Metal / Hard Rock in the pure US spirit. Some choruses can be catchy that's ok, and if it was the only problem in fact this album could have a better review. But when you'll listen to this album, you'll have two really intensive shocks. The first one (it will be the 2nd one in fact but I'll keep the best for the end hehe) is "Propaganda Mind". If the song seems to be ok after only 30 secs you have the feeling that you already know this song. How ? Where ? well I think that I know it. I remember a band which released in 2000 an album, "The Sickness", maybe it's coming to you now, Disturbed. If you watch TV or if you listen to the radio, I'm sure that you'll remember their single Hit "Stupify". Well it seems that "Propaganda Mind" is really close to it, and I'm nice when I say that, because the riff is quite similar to it in fact. But well a quite similar riff for a song it can happen, but if you listen to all this "Pedal To The Metal" album and if you know a bit the Scandinavian Metal scene, you will be definitely shocked by the real rip-off of Pinball Map by In Flames. Yeah, there is another song "The Kingdom Of Titus (Tribute)" which absolutely uses the same riffs as Pinball Map? that's incredible, only the lyrics, the clean voice of the singer and an octave are different. For the rest that's only the same? Incredible really. I checked it; there is the word (Tribute) in the title of the song, then maybe it was just a cover, but nono, when you check the credits, you read "Music Impelliteri" and well in this case either I don't understand or I'm a real deaf (and some of my mates who agree with me need to clean their ears too).
Bha, I don't know what I can add, this is a full of potential band, especially because of the quality of the guitar-playing of Chris Impellitteri but no, sorry that's a bit too much for me, and even if all that is a pure accident, I can't approve it. Plus check me this ugly cover.. errkkk? No no enough please?

I would like to see a new album of Mr Impelliteri with a bit more work and originality. We are all sure that he is able to do something good, but that's not fair to try to copy some bands to catch maybe some European and Japanese Metal Heads. Well maybe you don't believe me, but really try to find the cd somewhere, and listen to the two songs and you'll see that I'm serious. Me, in any way, and because of that I will only forget this album?