Artist description Creative song writer with an original take on instrumental rock. Writes very rich melodies and gripping rhythmic and lead guitar compositions.

Music Style Instrumental Rock/Metal

Musical Influences Pantera, Megadeath, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani,

Similar Artists Joe Satriani or Steve Vai

Artist History I was born and raised in Southern California and developed an interest in playing guitar in 1992 when I was about sixteen. My brother had an Ibanez electric guitar and a small amplifier in which I used to begin learning the fundamentals and eventually grew very passionate about playing. I was inspired by such bands as Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Megadeath, Aerosmith, Boston and many other classic, hard rock and heavy metal bands. Lacking the patience to go the traditional route of learning the basic steps first, I jumped right into learning more difficult lead and rhythm guitar songs from my favorite bands. Although I knew this was a backward way of learning I caught on fairly quickly and realized I had a pretty good ear for playing. By reading tablature, studying chord charts and learning scales I completely taught myself how to play the instrument. About a year later I began writing my own original material. I invested in a drum machine and a small 4-track recorder and began to expand my ability to write more in depth music. Over the years with the help and support of my wife Jennifer I eventually assembled a semi-professional recording studio which I now operate out of my apartment. I have not performed with or been associated with any bands recently. I prefer to be a solo artist because this way I do not have to compromise on artistic ideas and I can have complete control over my musical vision. I still reside in California with my wife and although I am working fulltime I have stayed true to my love for music and am currently working on my second album due for release at the end of 2003. My first album “Beyond Obsession” is a compilation of some of the first songs I wrote. Many of these songs were originally composed to contain lyrics, but due to a lack of vocal recording equipment and a growing interest in instrumental music I decided to transform these songs into my chosen genre. As a result of this, some of the songs on this album have taken on a musical form that is more rhythmic in nature. I named this album Beyond Obsession because the process of writing the music, recording and editing it was very tedious and it turned into more of an obsession than a project. For me this was a pursuit of perfection because I was producing the entire album by myself and I had to start from scratch working with equipment I knew very little about. After recording the first song, which later became the title track I had established a deeper knowledge of the recording process and developed a strategy in which to record the rest of the album. In the end the result of being a perfectionist and an independent songwriter has paid off for me.

Group Members Bob Smithson

Instruments Carvin electric guitar, Takamine acoustic, Washburn bass and Boss & Zoom drum machines

Albums Beyond Obsession

Location Huntington Beach, CA - USA

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