Artist description Australia's most creative and exciting rock guitarist has unleashed a brilliant debut CD. Thompson called on his arsenal of Ibanez 6 and 7 string guitars to blast, twist and warp the sonic landscape of traditional guitar instrumental recordings. The guitar virtuoso brought his Ibanez Universe 7 string guitar to the fore on much of the CD. From fluid melodies and fiery extended lead lines on tracks like The Here and Now and Holt to crunching bone jarring rhythms on Hannibal’s March, guitar fans will find much to savour.Speed and virtuosity are a significant part of the master plan, but with an emphasis on groove.

Music Style Guitar instrumental

Musical Influences Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dream Theater, Allan Holdsworth, Rush, Yes

Similar Artists Joe Satriani, Steve Vai

Artist History Brook Thompson's musical journey has seen him take a varied path. From rock roots performing in bars and night clubs in the Australian cities of Newcastle and Sydney, classical guitar recital in Australia's world renoun Sydney Opera House, Ibanez guitar clinics, and now to his base in cosmopolitan Melbourne, the cultural centre of Australia.The steel city of Newcastle - the industrial engine-room of Australia from wartime 1940's to the late 1980's - has been a fertile breeding ground of musicians across the entire music spectrum. Evidence grunge rock phenomenon silverchair, Ozzy Osbourne's bassist of the '80's Bob Daisley, rock outfit The Screaming Jets and brilliant classical pianist Roger Woodward.Now, in the tradition of guitar legends Hendrix, Page, Satriani and Vai, Down Under's most creative and exciting rock guitarist has unleashed a brilliant debut CD. Thompson called on his arsenal of Ibanez 6 and 7 string guitars to blast, twist and warp the sonic landscape of traditional guitar instrumental recordings. Armed with state of the art gear such as his Digitech 2112 pre-amp/effects unit, an enthusiastic rhythm section, and a bunch of superbly crafted tunes, Thompson and co-producer Tony Heads have produced a recording of depth that is rare among independent works."While I was recording Warped I was thinking of all the great rock guitarists like Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck to name a few, and what I wanted to do was to try to pay homage to guys like that. I wanted to make an album that continued the tradition of rock guitar, to keep the flame alive I guess. These days the emphasis seems to be on bashing out a few chords and calling it a song. There's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to make a recording, a statement in a way, to say that it is OK to play your instrument really well and to play music that is challenging", says Thompson. "We had a lot of fun making the CD, experimenting and screwing with guitar sounds and vocal samples on the computer. I wanted a recording environment where there were no rules." The guitar virtuoso brought his Ibanez Universe 7 string to the fore on much of the CD. From fluid melodies and fiery extended lead lines on tracks like The Here and Now and Holt to crunching bone jarring rhythms on Hannibal's March, guitar fans will find much to savour."My concept for the CD was to blend strong melodic guitar based instrumentals with contemporary songs to create a homogenous mix of fresh, original music," explains Thompson. "I've been playing the 7-string guitar for a couple of years now and it's featured on most of the album." He then adds, "And I wanted to blend and twist the sound of the guitar, hence the album title 'Warped'."On 1 November 1999 Thompson launched his official web site. "Warped is available exclusively on the Net", says Thompson. "You wont find it in any 'bricks and mortar' stores. I've posted free MP3 samples from the CD for fans, along with photos and other interesting information."Visit the official brook thompson web site at http://home.primus.com.au/brookt

Group Members Brook Thompson - 6 & 7 string guitars,composerDavid Christensen - bass guitarDarren Brollo - drums

Instruments Guitar, with drums & bass

Albums Warped

Press Reviews AUSTRALIAN MUSICIAN MAGAZINE, November 1998Review by Adrian Pertout"Brook Thompson is a guitarist with a mission to conquer the vast fretted byways and spawn the dream of the 90s guitar hero. 'Warped' features his dexterous musicality and includes drummer Darren Brollo and bassist David Christensen, who incidentally doubles up as his writing partner. There are many fine ingredients in this rock n' roll pie, which although mirror Satriani and Vai recipes, is spiced with a uniquely 'Brook Thompson' melodic direction. Speed and virtuosity are certainly a significant part of the master plan, but with an emphasis on groove, which is provided by an enthusiastically solid rhythm section."My concept for the CD was to blend strong melodic guitar based instrumentals with contemporary songs to create a homogenous mix of fresh, original music," explains Thompson. "I've been playing the 7-string guitar for a couple of years now and it's featured on most of the album." He then adds, "And I wanted to blend and twist the sound of the guitar, hence the album title 'Warped'."The album attempts to pay homage to great rock guitarists like Hendrix, Page and Beck, as well as contemporary guys like Satriani and Vai. "These days the emphasis seems to be on bashing out a few chords and calling it a song," says Thompson, "and there's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to make a statement in a way, to say that it is OK to play your instrument really well and to play music that is challenging.""I launched the album two months ago and the vibe is already happening and growing steadily," he says of his promotional output. "I sent an advance copy of the CD to Australis Music and that led to scoring an endorsement deal for Ibanez guitars with them."********************************************NEWCASTLE HERALD, 13 August 1998Review by Chad WatsonRock guitarist Brook Thompson launched this impressive debut recording last night at SJs on Beaumont. The album kick-starts with a musical introduction that sounds like a high-powered motorcycle changing gear followed by gun shots. From there it launches into a soaring number called The Here and Now before rocketing into outer space with Before the Crush. Thompson tilts his fretboard more towards alien-surfer Joe Satriani than he does down-to-earth Tommy Emmanuel. His extended solos are the stuff that teenage tennis-racquet strummers fantasise about. And his originals have enough variation to avoid being labelled boring. Indeed, many tracks seem familiar by the end of the first listen, ranging from the tranquil (Prelude) to the menacing (Hannibal's March). Thompson switches masterfully between seven and six-string electrics to acoustic and classical guitars…including a version of the Cream classic Sunshine of Your Love. Credit also goes to fellow musicians Darren Brollo (drums), David Christensen and producer Tony Heads (keyboards).

Additional Info "Warped is a sonic journey which experiments with sounds, moods and textures, in the same vein as electric guitar masters Steve Vai or Joe Satriani."

Location Melbourne, Victoria - Australia

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