GEORGE BELLAS – The Dawn Of Time

When you think of great guitarists in the history of Metal, the name George Bellas probably does not come to mind. He should though, because George Bellas’ latest album The Dawn Of Time is without a doubt an instrumental masterpiece.

George Bellas is credited for performing on 22 albums. The Dawn Of Time is his sixth instrumental solo album. What you will hear throughout this album is a very carefully produced mix of Progressive and Neo-Classical Metal. There are a total of 19 tracks and nearly 80 minutes worth of music. Each track is clearly unique and takes on a life of its own. Bellas’ meticulous compositions are put together very precisely. It appears as if Bellas wrote every single note of his fervent guitar solos and could reproduce them at the snap of a finger.

What you will not hear on this album are 19 tracks of intense guitar shredding of playing a thousand notes a second. Bellas had a more relaxed design in his playing. Some of the tracks on the album resemble a classic Progressive Rock style. It is somewhat like listening to the works of Jeff Beck, Greg Lake, or Kerry Livgren. Whereas there are other tracks which Bellas is clearly showing off, and will play very fast and full of zeal. The premise of this album is progressive and driven.

It should also be noted that Bellas has almost 100% control of every aspect in the creation of this album. Like his previous solo instrumental album, Planetary Alignment, released in 2008, Bellas plays every instrument (excluding drums). He also composed, produced, mastered, and created the artwork for the album. Bellas’ drummer Marco Minnemann, is an extraordinary musician in his own right. True to form with the feel of the album, you are not going to hear any ferocious fast dual bass drums. Minnemann performs right in time with Bellas and does not overindulge anywhere. He is an important key to bringing the album to an excelled musical height.

One thing that is missing from this album is heavy riffs and power chords. The main musical themes are set for the most part by the keyboards. Then the masterful guitar work fills in all the key ingredients. This gives it the classic Progressive Rock or an almost “Jazz-like” feel in some parts.

Regardless, Bellas is undoubtedly a superb and very well trained musician. You can’t help from being in awe by listening to some of the amazing sounds he produces from his guitar. Although Bellas is not a pioneer by any means, he will blow you away and leave you wanting for more.