Every now and then, I'll run across a tune that, for a variety of reasons, is absolutely amazing—usually an early work...and then...I don't hear much from that artist or band again. 
Such a song inspired me to do this particular piece.
Many have heard of the band “Iron Maiden”; and may also be familiar with the frontman that played a large role in the band's climb to “superstardom”: Bruce Dickinson...often referred to as “The Bruce”. Truly a “larger than life” figure!
Well, he has a cousin (Rob) who also is a musician; and he had a band back in the '90s called “Catherine Wheel” (There's an interesting connection between the names for their respective bands.)
The song in question “Black Metallic”—from their first album “Ferment”-- was all about use of sonic “imagery” and “atmospherics”. This kind of music came to be known as “shoegaze”, since band members often were looking down at the stage to trigger and control a variety of “effects” used to get their sound.
This musical genre has since been widened through use of prefix “mashups” to help further define the type of “shoegaze” being performed.
Getting around to the song I'm posting here—inspired by this unforgettable original work—there now is one of those mashups that applies: “Darkgaze”...and it really DOES seem to be appropriate. See if you agree...

...and what about Rob Dickinson? He still is involved with music, but is receiving recognition for the pursuit of another passion: Building re-imagined Porsche 911s. And the name of his Company? “Singer Vehicle Design”! Makes sense - Thrust

Dark Metallic (HodadWarrior Version) - Darkgaze Instrumental by MMountain Offensive(Catherine Wheel)

While Van Halen's "Diver Down" had to be one of the BEST "Summer Party Albums" EVER, there weren't necessarily any memorable "original" tracks on it, IMO...except for one rather brief MONSTER GROOVE passage which introduced the song "Little Guitars".
I've always felt that there were a lot of possibilities to expand and expound on that groove; and I've posted an edit of a recent effort aimed at doing just that.
As per just about always: I'm responsible for all performance, production and posting duties you're hearing and seeing.
For another version / edit / mix of this song, please click this link:
https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-2/bigger-guitars-jam-it-all-dk-version-20-instrumental-by-mmountain-offensive-evh-hendrix

Thanks for listening!! - Thrust

Little Guitars...only BIGGER (SingleVersion) - Rock Instrumental by MMountain Offensive (EVH/Gojira)

Having many great memories of a wide variety of “Musical Experiences” during my “Formative Years”, they often inform (sometimes unwittingly) the “statements” I make with my current work.
Listening to a lot of Pop AM Radio during the '60s, I was impacted (naturally) by the virtual “omnipresence” of the  West Coast (U.S.) collective of studio musicians who became known as “The Wrecking Crew”...as well as what the Beatles were putting out at the time. A couple of (the many) standouts were Sonny and Cher's “The Beat Goes On” AND the Beatles “She's So Heavy” (more of an “album cut”, really; but I had access to LPs toward the end of the '60s!).
As far as our Modern World is concerned, many are having a harder and harder time observing all of the “Compounded Chaos” coming at us from all sides...and still rationally viewing it as “business as usual”.
So “The Beat” DOES go on—but at quite an accellerated and uncertain pace—while appearing to be morphing into some kind of “Dystopian Future”, at best.
I couldn't think of two better themes to incorporate in this piece in order to instrumentally expresss my reaction to the aforementioned Chaos.
It took some months of thought, trial and error before I came up with the work posted here.
Some notable highlights: I transposed both songs into the key of B (one Major and the other Minor—an octave down), and cross-faded the end of the first into the beginning of the second. The “white noise” that overwhelms the second part was recorded with a somewhat unorthodox—but very effective--”live looping method”. (As always, I'm responsible for all aspects of concept, performance and production involving this track!)

In the end...I got the sound I wanted...and was at least a little surprised by the end result! – Thrust

The Beat Goes On...but its gettin HEAVY (ToThe9s Version) - Rock instrumental by MMountain Offensive

As The New Year gets underway, I think it's fair to say that most of us would like to see advancement in the direction of "World Peace and Harmony". Beyond our control, however, we seem to be headed further in the opposite direction.
This song really captures the emotion of all of this...and does so without words - a method of communication that I definitely tend to favor.
As always, I'm responsible for all aspects of this posting: Including Arrangement, Performance, Recording and other Production Tasks.

Working hard to be part of "The Solution", and looking forward to doing so during The New Year. - Thrust

For The Love of God - MMountain Offensive - instrumental inspired by Steve Vai

Once upon a time (as I was learning Guitar on my first Steel-String Acoustic) I was kinda into the "Modern Folk, Easy Listening, Soft Rock" Thing (America, Bread, The Carpenters, Cat Stevens, etc.).
As things progressed, I became more interested in "Spirited, High-Energy" Music (Jeff Beck, Bowie, Hendrix, Van Halen ...and of course Zeppelin, among others).
What DID stay with me from those "Mellow Years" were some of the enduringly well-written tunes!
Here for your consideration is a Rock Interpretive Instrumental take on a classic David Gates/ Bread number. As always, I am responsible for all elements of Arrangement, Performance, Recording and other Production Tasks!
While the Bread version WAS "edgy" in comparison with the rest of their output, it didn't really come close to where Electric Guitar-Oriented Music could - AND DID - go!

...so I just HAD to go there, too! - Thrust

(Click on the link to hear my singleVersion posted on Howard Thrust SIDE 1)
https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust/guitar-man-shredbread-singleversion-rock-guitar-instrumental-by-ab-dicchus

Guitar Man (shredBread Version) - Rock Guitar Instrumental by a.b. dicchus (Gary Moore / EVH)

Once upon a time (as I was learning Guitar on my first Steel-String Acoustic) I was kinda into the "Modern Folk, Easy Listening, Soft Rock" Thing (America, Bread, The Carpenters, Cat Stevens, etc.).
As things progressed, I became more interested in "Spirited, High-Energy" Music (Jeff Beck, Bowie, Hendrix, Van Halen ...and of course Zeppelin, among others).
What DID stay with me from those "Mellow Years" were some of the enduringly well-written tunes!
Here for your consideration is a Rock Interpretive Instrumental take on a classic David Gates/ Bread number. As always, I am responsible for all elements of Arrangement, Performance, Recording and other Production Tasks!
While the Bread version WAS "edgy" in comparison with the rest of their output, it didn't really come close to where Electric Guitar-Oriented Music could - AND DID - go!...so I just HAD to go there, too! 

This one is dedicated to the memory of "Beatle" Bob Wagstaff - Thrust  

(Click on the link to hear my longer version posted on Howard Thrust SIDE 2)  https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-2/guitar-man-shredbread-version-rock-guitar-instrumental-by-ab-dicchus-gary-moore-evh

The Guitar Man (shredBread singleVersion) - Rock Guitar Instrumental by a.b. dicchus

Considering the multi-faceted problems facing humanity, I really didn't have any trouble coming up with yet another dystopian take on all of it - highlighting the RAPIDLY accelerating AI Technologies...especially as they relate to Music Composition and Performance.
I'm using one of my previously released Instrumental tracks as a foundation for this release - in which I've now incorporated a reading of a passage from George Orwell's "1984" at the appropriate time!
Additionally, I'm playing a riff based on the marching chant of the Winkie Guard (from "The Wizard of OZ") over a reversed chord progression for the verse section of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", with a marching rhythm I coaxed (ok, more like "beaten") out of my Danelectro Hodad electric guitar (an "oddball" instrument, which has proven itself quite adept at performing in such roles) by raking a serrated metallic implement across the strings! I'm improvising in real-time over that "loop"--including the crazy special effects heard toward the end of the piece. 
As always, I'm responsible for ALL sounds and production tasks that went into this effort. THAT'S RIGHT:  NO "Versificators" were used in THIS production!  - Thrust

Meanwhile, Under The Rainbow... (Orwell Versificator Version) - Thrust-O-Logue

As with all of the postings on "Howard Thrust Radio" (see the link to these broadcasts in my "Profile" section), this show has previously aired on the radio; but is posted here purely for educational purposes.
This particular show features some Howard Thrust musical highlights (culled from my "Man Alone" work over the past couple of years) in celebration of ESCAPE VELOCITY's TWO-YEAR Anniversary "on the air"!
The fact that "Cotton" is the material associated WITH a 2-Yr. Anniversary explains the subject of the selected "Avatar Image".

Thanks for listening! - Thrust

ESCAPE VELOCITY with Howard Thrust - EP 52 - THEME: 2-Year Anniversary Show (H Thrust Greatest Hits)

A Joe Frank "celebration" of Memorial Day from the show I'm Not Crazy.

I'm Not Crazy

Buy the full show

Ode to War

One of the advantages of doing interpretive instrumentals, is that it's much less restrictive in terms of choice of material and sonic direction. For instance: I can't imagine ever being able to do justice--in terms of vocal quality--to a Cranberries tune.  Even if I were a proper female mezzo-soprano, it would be hard to lay down something truly worthy, in comparison to what Dolores O'Riordan (R.I.P) did with the band's original recordings, so good they were.
Not so when it comes to using the guitar (my Koa Fender Telecaster, in this case), and some well-positioned electronics as my "voice". 
I did some rearranging of the tune (as I often do with instrumental interpretations) to highlight what especially strikes (and has struck) me about it.
As usual for all of my loop-oriented works (and just about all of the other tracks posted here on the illustrious soundcloud site), I'm responsible for all arrangement, playing/sounds, recording and production work.

Dreams (interpreting) - The Cranberries Tribute - Instrumental by filicityStunt

As with my interpretation of some other iconic "standards" I have posted here, it took a great deal of time with the original (in this case, from the Brubeck Quartet) tune bouncing around my conscious and subconscious before a fresh take could reveal itself.  
While not wanting to "modernize" the feel of the original, I wondered if it could actually sound like a proper "guitar" piece, and beyond that, one that would accept some very "modern" tones and effects that might convey a legit message that would have worked as well back then as right now.
On top of that, I felt that there might be more to say thematically, as well.
So, what I wound up doing was "taking five"--that is, taking a (more or less) five-minute break through a variety of soloing approaches, including playing major scale lines over the minor chord progression.
To enhance the weirdness of it all, I felt it only proper to use a sufficiently weird axe (my Danelectro Hodad), and played in a style not so popular in 1959, but soon to explode on the music scene thereafter.

Take Five (Hodad Funk)- Dave Brubeck Modern Instrumental Guitar Cover - a.b. dicchus

Howard is a guitarist, writer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, live performer, producer, studio engineer and online/onairwaves radio host; emphasizing musical communication through instrumental interpretation in various forms--at times employing spoken word, storytelling, reading or other audio sources in complement or contrast.
His solo live performances feature real-time multi-instrumentalism employing live recording and synching of loops and subsequent improvising over them.

Check out "Howard Thrust - SIDE 1" https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust/tracks for past, recent and future postings here on soundcloud.
Check out "Howard Thrust - SIDE 2" https://soundcloud.com/howard-thrust-2/tracks for more recent and future postings here on soundcloud.
Check out "Howard Thrust Radio" @howard-thrust-radio for complete Music shows, also here on soundcloud!
Check out "Escape Velocity with Howard Thrust" on KRHV every other Monday from 9P - 10P @ www.mammothfm.com or @ KRHV 93.3 FM in the Owens Valley, CA.
Check out "Howard Thrust" on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@howardthrust/videos !

AND NOW (massive drum-roll, please): You can visit my WEBSITE by going to www.hthrust.com

Thanks for looking and listening!

Meanwhile, Under The Rainbow... (Orwell Versificator Version) - Thrust-O-Logue

Howard Thrust

Related tracks