JOOP WOLTERS – Speed, Traffic & Guitar Accidents

Joop may not yet be a common name amongst the masses but neither once was Yngwie. And much like his Swedish predecessor, Joop is a guitar hero in the making. With his second solo effort Speed, Traffic & Guitar Accidents, Joop is reaching for an audience far and wide with this multi-faceted instrumental.

The last time Joop released a solo effort, the results were much more sterile, largely due to the fact that the drums were drum machines and there was little input besides Joop himself. This time Joop has invited a cast of many to help flush out his compositions and to create a sound-scape that both embraces the listener and takes them to the sounds within Joop’s mind.

The players participating this time are Patrick Eijdems (drums on 6 songs), Daniel Flores (drums on 5 songs), Nathan v/d Wouw (drums on 3 songs),Vivien Lalu (keys and additional keys on 2 songs), Alex Argento (keys and soloing on 2 songs) and Mike Roelofs (keys on 1 song). (Unfortunately, this is the only listing on the prerelease of the musicians, there wasn’t a break down of individual songs, hopefully that will accompany the final release).

The songs themselves are the heart of the matter here … with so many guitar shred releases coming out over the years, it is easy to get lost between the Paul Gilberts, Yngwie Malmsteens, Tony McAlpines & Francesco Fereris of the world. Fast is fast, and it seems everyday someone is getting faster, so what separates the leaders of the pack from the rest of the shred monsters? Why, the songs of course; compositions that sing and dance and hold substance over speed. Not to say Joop isn’t fast and technically accurate, but he is obviously a lover of the fine arts and in tune with the craftsmanship behind song composition.

Joop states in the press release that he was able to spend more time with these songs than during his first release. That is clear from the first track, “Interludallowedintersection.” It would seem he has something to say, and unable to express himself with the limitations of mere human vocals. Instead, he speaks volumes with his passion for the guitar. On the 3rd track, “A Day and This,” Joop ventures on a Blues road, but doesn’t bother to conform to the standard “Delta” sounds. Rather, he embraces its origin and creates a new rhythm that is all his own. On “Loverslane,” half of you expects to hear Prince start belting out something akin to Purple Rain … Joop’s consideration and respect for the genres he embraces is obviously very deliberate and thought out. This definitely isn’t a jam album; these songs have a start and an ending … each one telling its own story.

Besides the aforementioned Blues and Soul influenced tracks, Joop integrates many different styles and sounds throughout the disk, but relies on his Metal heritage to give the album a cohesive oneness. You don’t have to listen long to know Joop comes from the schools of Dream Theater and Steve Vai, and has assumed some of their trademark tones and polyrhythmic nuances in his style. He’s no slouch on keyboards, and Joop also proves to be an excellent bassist. From his guitar following speedy trills to laying back and holding a solid groove in the pocket, Joop voices each instrument with solid ability and supreme musicianship.

If you’re a lover of guitar shredding, out of bounds time changes, and just getting lost in the moment of a great song, then make sure you add Joop Wolters’ Speed, Traffic & Guitar Accidents to your collection.