George Bellas	Website:	www.GeorgeBellas.com
	Genre(s):	Neoclassical
	Instrument(s):	Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
	Trademark(s):	Virtuoso guitarist, purist neoclassical compositions, blazing speed, amazing precision, and fluid sweeps.
	Album(s):	Venomous Fingers Turn Of The Millenium Mind Over Matter
	Collaborations:	Vitalij Kuprij: Extreme Measures
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After paying homage to a list of the greatest neoclassical musicians of all time, Greek neoclassical guitar virtuoso Theodore Ziras hailed George Bellas at the climax of this list as "The Master of Neoclassical for the 2000's". On his 2003 solo release, Venomous Fingers, George Bellas answered that calling to prove why he has earned that type of recognition from his peers. Bellas has accomplished on this CD what many of his neoclassical predecessors have attempted and failed. Bellas has surpassed his first two solo releases with his third solo CD, Venomous Fingers, that is his most intensive solo musical experience provided to date. Not only is Bellas' fretwork edging his high, leading edge neoclassical standards forward, but the surprise on this album is that the consistency and caliber of his musical vision, compositional quality, and drive intensity have all excelled beyond his previous solo releases. I only hesitate to say it is his best effort to date because of the synergy he shared with Vitalij Kuprij on Extreme Measures which is one of the best neoclassical albums that was ever made. After listening to Venomous Fingers countless times since it arrived for review, I can only say that I have been stunned with amazement at Bellas' forward progress in his musicianship on this effort. And, despite these countless listenings, the music on this album seems to make more sense and grow in interest rather than becoming worn out with monotony because of the addictive complexities involved in the incredible guitar work and composition require some time for absorption, as well as some for contemplation.

So putting this amazement aside and taking a closer look at the guitar work on this album, fans of neoclassical guitar are in for a real treat on Venomous Fingers. Bellas has achieved a rare and precarious balancing in his phenomenal playing on this album between his mesmerizing fluidity, captivating aggression, and precise articulation of notes to impart and project emotion and feeling that contribute to the culmination and the definition of his jaw-dropping, eye-widening style. (And, as the title suggests, the emotion conveyed is somewhat venomous and ominous in nature, though compelling at that.) The precision and perfection in his playing on this CD is so flawless that it will be utterly disheartening to any aspiring guitarist. The mechanics in the sweeps Bellas applies on these compositions are so fluid and precise that it seems surreal to listen to them... and, there is no shortage of Bellas' patented sweep picking on this album either! But, where others have faultered in this regard, Bellas has managed to cleverly arrange the sweeps in the compositions in a constructive manner that enhances the compositional value rather than to fall into the common pitfall of monotonous oppression. Bellas has invented some new, refreshing progressions to mesh his arpeggiated sweeps into that keep the technique useful because the compositional content becomes the center of attention rather than the technique and mechanics that become subserviant to the musical vision. And, this is really what good music is supposed to be about anyway, musical expressionism that transcends the complex mechanics involved. There are very few instrumentalists that ever reach this plateau in their playing. But, this is one of the many reasons that Ziras credited Bellas as being not only a master, but as the master of the current neoclassical age.

Newcomers to Venomous Fingers should expect a departure from Bellas album format that emerged from his first two solo albums. On his first two solo albums, Bellas came out of the gates from the get go with his most aggressive and impressive tracks to ensure that he didn't lose the attention of any A.D.D. sufferers. But, Bellas has evolved from this format to one that more closely resembles the Vitalij Kuprij album format that uses the first couple of tracks to build up tension and anticipation into the third track that provides the first in a series of bewildering hooks and punches. The resulting effect on the listener is a musical journey that builds in momentum and then satisfyingly sustains the intensity and gratification of the musical experience. The real joy in this CD is that after the initial build up, there are a number of excellent tracks that follow that curtail any premature denoument to the album.

The album opens with two tension-building arrangements, the venomous, serpentine track "Discovery" and the space transport odyssey track "Journey To The Stars" that define the feeling and mood of the CD, offering a fair indication of the direction and vision for the music that follows, though not yet reaching the climax of the album by any measure relative to what is to ensue. "Shedding Skin" kicks the effort into high gear with an onslaught of tasty neoclassical sweeps, mesmerizing, snake-charming patterns, quickly slithering, blistering runs, and hissing stretches that leave the listener in a state of bewildered paralysis from the subduing venom of Bellas masterful fret work that is tightly interwoven with the synchronized keyboard themes in a manner reminiscent of the intense Greg Howe / Vitalij Kuprij tracks on High Definition. "Shedding Skin" delivers the first in a series of stinging snipes that are to be inflicted on the listener on this epic journey through Bellas' snake pit of guitar fury. The fourth track, "Above And Beyond", redirects the uninhibited aggression of the previous track to a voyeuristic space-ish musical atmosphere that makes the listener feel as though they are being transported once again, perhaps in a doomed attempt to escape the haunting sting of the snakes on "Shedding Skin". "Lightspeed" finds the space journey hitting maximum warp with another relentless barrage of Bellas shredding guitar work that combines hypnotic sweeps, singeing themes, and blazing fast runs that deliver the second bite in his attack.

The album once again settles down to build some ominously foreboding tension with the tracks "Unearthed" and "The Son" that leave the listener with the uneasy feeling that a pit of dangerous vipers has just been unearthed. And, this feeling of impending conflict is perceived rightly so, because the following track "Adrenalin Rush" delivers another onslaught of viperish feeling shred that makes the listener feel like they are now making a mad dash through an unending pit surrounded on all sides by irritated adders that lash at the listener with every demonically serpentine sweep, desparingly descending run, and knashingly bending stretch that Bellas delivers on this track. And, so the album continues with Bellas sustaining his creative application of outside tonality to invent his vision of hopeless flight from the venomous serpents that spring from his finger tips until the album finally reaches its climax with the triumphantly inspiring track, "One Last Wish". Making a departure from the aggressive, sniping feel of the previous tracks that build to this climax, Bellas rescues the listener with the arrival of this new heroic element to the album that introduces the relieving end to the nightmarish journey, though this triumph is amazingly blended with the ominous, pernicious feel that was prevalent in the development of the album to this point. "One Last Wish" evokes memories of Jason Becker's epic guitar work on his definitive masterpiece, Perpetual Burn, as well as invoking reminiscent flashes of Becker's more melodical, classically-influenced collaborations with Marty Friedman. All hell breaks loose on "Run For Cover" that finds the serpents now in a hasty, frenzied retreat, slithering for their lives as the heroic motif sets out to erraticate them with Bellas' relentlessly stinging, envenomed, punitive lashes from his guitar. The final tracks on the album wind the epic voyage down with some well-conceived relief from the intense journey that Bellas has taken the listener, leaving the listener uncertain of whether the vipers were the vanquished... or the vanquishers!

In summarizing the distinct musical atmosphere that Bellas has created on Venomous Fingers, it should be noted to fans of progressive, instrumental music that Bellas has made some impressive efforts with outside tonality to craft the unique venomous, serpentine feel on this album. It is exactly this added dimension to Bellas' musicality that makes his well-established neoclassical repertoire of guitar technique work well in a manner that is new and refreshing rather than becoming redundant with his previous works because he has applied it to some very inventive scales, patterns, and chordal sequences. Fans of the Derek Sherinian school of outside tonality are probably going to like the soundscape on this album, as are all fans of virtuoso neoclassical guitar.

Well, what more can be said? On the scale of "into it", I am "very into" Venomous Fingers. George Bellas gets two thumbs up and an ice rink full of hats for pulling off the hat-trick with this third solo shot between the posts and in the net. And, in comparison to his previous solo efforts, Venomous Fingers seems to have achieved a higher level of quality in the composition and musical cohesion making it a viable world class neoclassical effort. As a fan of guitar-centric neoclassical music, I found this album to be highly enjoyable, instrumentally intensive, and emotionally gratifying, landing the CD on the top shelf of my neoclassical collection. The only question that remains now, is: "What is next for George Bellas?" Can he improve on this effort and push forward and beyond? Only time will tell...

Back around the time Turn Of The Millenium came out, I was desperate for new neoclassical material. I was blindly pulling stuff off the Shrapnel web site to try to find new virtuosos that were pushing the envelope forward. George Bellas was one of the first to answer that calling. My first impression was that "oh here is another Yngwie clone". But, a closer listening and subsequent efforts have proven otherwise. George is definitely influenced by the likes of Yngwie and Uli Jon Roth, but he is his own man and his work stands on its own legs of merit. So when you buy this CD you can expect composition that is reminiscent of Yngwie, but Bellas delivers in a strictly instrumental packaging that Yngwie departed from after his initial effort. Turn Of The Millenium launches George Bellas into the world class arena.

War Cry shines above the others on this CD with its compelling, driving melody that will give Viking bravery to the yellowist, chicken-livered coward.

This one makes it into the permanent rotation with an 8 out of 10, with tracks that are 10s in their own right.

George comes out of the chute bucking, snorting, and driving for a victim on this one. The second track, "Ripped To Shreds", redefines speed with precision with a bid for the king of speed in the neoclassical arena. The composition is complex and substantial and has a tendency to get nostalgic in the later tracks. There is no way the rest of the CD can maintain the level of drive established in "Ripped To Shreds". I look at this one as a prelude to Extreme Measures which takes Bellas' playing to an entirely new level.

I'd give this one a 7 out of 10 overall with a noteworthy 10 on the first track which is as good as any neoclassical instrumental that has ever been put out.

Copyright 2001 - 2003 Christopher Ruel. All Rights Reserved. www.ChrisRuel.com