Mario Parga - Entranced

Mario Parga is a UK guitarist of Spanish extraction who I first encountered back in the late 80's at one of the very early Guitarist shows, demoing for Ibanez if memory serves me correctly. He was one of the first UK based guitarists who really had those exotic (at that time) 'shred' techniques really down - and had some genuine star quality to boot.

I next encountered Mario Parga's name when I was working with producer Sean Lynch in 1993 on my first ‘real' album; Sean had produced and mixed Mario's debut album ‘The Magician'... but after that the name Mario Parga never really registered until ‘The Alchemists' came out in 2002 on Matt Williams ‘Liquid Note Records' label. Mario played and composed one ofthe very best tracks on an album that had the pinnacle of the worlds electric virtuoso guitarists, including Brett Garsed, Guthrie Govan and Ron Thal (aka Bumblefoot). When I heard through the grapevine that Mario was hard at work on what would become 'Entranced' I was intrigued as to what he would produce...

Overview!

Th title track opens proceedings up with some minor key riffing and then we are into some of Mario's wonderfully melodious guitar lines: whilst indefatigably a neo classical guitarist Mario, exhibits a unique melodic and vibrato/bending approach. He often comes at notes from above and below in a style that guitarists familiar with the work of Marty Friedman will recognise - and yet he sounds nothing like Marty. Some beautifully arranged sweep picked arpeggios, speedy scalar runs - reminiscent of some of Malmsteen, Di Meola and Uli Jon Roth's work - combined with his unique phrasing sensibility means that this is an effective and emotive opening.

‘The Journey' begins with some great solo electric guitar - wonderfully melodramatic, tragic melodies comprising expansive arpeggios, pedal point licks, extended scale runs - solo electric guitar against the occasional string pads, Mario sets out his musical blueprint early on and largely keeps to it throughout this wonderfully mournful album.

‘Legend' continues this musical path with wind, strings and lashings of tragic melodies before a driving riff takes us into the main body of the song. Baroque and romantic classical melodies fly unbounded, and he exhibits a wonderfully elegant touch that means that his playing is never gratuitous: an impassioned artist at one with his instrument, telling tales of sadness and refection. Despite the sad and introspective nature of his compositions, there is nevertheless very something uplifting about Mario's music. As a guitarist he is a Neo Classical exponent of the top drawer - maybe not as technically histrionic as a Jason Becker, or a Tony Macalpine - but compositionally of the highest order.

‘Haunted' continues in this vein - this really is an album to play late at night with a bottle of wine, or on a long solo journey in the darkness - it's music to contemplate the vast intricacies of life... Sorry if I am coming over all ‘grandiose and pretentious' but this album really does evoke ‘higher' emotions. Do not listen to this if you are going through a heartbreak!

‘Ritual' has some acoustic Di Meola style guitar lines that evoke European landscapes of times gone by, and some great melodies that almost bring to mind some of New Age superstar Yanni's material, before a prototypical Malmsteen riff section kicks in. Maybe not the strongest track here - but on many other albums in the neo classical genre this would be one of the stand-out tracks.

Track six ‘Storm Warning' is another riff based minor key track that combines many different themes with more frenetic guitar playing - and yet more of that Pargo-esque sense of grandeur.

‘Mirage' is probably my favourite - a series of cascading swept arpeggios that begs to be expanded into a simply massive track: a masterpiece that could become an epic along the lines of Becker's ‘Altitudes'. Mario: revisit this track and expand it please! ‘Mirage Part Two: The Epiphany' or something! As it is this is, in any case, simply WONDERFUL!

'Spirit if Night' is the final epic: layers of acoustics, more Di Meola style steel string soloing, evocative electric lines, and some oriental style melody lines provide a suitable riposte to all that's gone before.

And so - suitably - 'Farewell' ends the album with a classical guitar inspired cinematic outro: layers of strings and keyboards and sensitive, lilting melodies that close the final chapter on a masterful album with style.

Conclusion

Mario has kept a low profile for far too long: he needs - and deserves - to be up there in the highest pantheons of virtuoso guitarists. As a stylist Mario is a player who can appeal to fans of many different guitar styles and should not be pigeonholed as just a neo classical artist. This should be considered an essential purchase!