Shouse

This is a so called Enhanced CD: Meaning this disc contains extra’s such as a video of the title track Alone On The Sun and in this case, also the guitar tablature so you can play the songs for yourself - if you are proficient in playing the guitar and can read it that is. These extra additions to the CD were put on to make the album worth every penny, I would say. Although the black cover with red lettering on the inside hurts my eyes and I find it difficult to read the text, may be because the words appear to have a sort of a shadow.

Let me take your attention to the man and his music. The man is Michael Shouse, a guitar player hailing from Kentucky in the USA. From what I have read and heard this must be his second solo album, for me it is a first acquaintance with Shouse. Main influences in Shouse’s music are great guitar players like; Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and John Petrucci. Co by naming these guys as influence and stating you could teach them a thing or two sets expectations high for the album.

Thus my exploration of the album starts. I must say the album starts surprisingly with a nice twist. We hear narration telling us the doctors are able to recreate the man called Shouse, make him better, faster i.e. sounds like the start of a television series from my earlier years, back in the seventies - The Bionic Man/Woman and not surprising may be then why the track is called Bionic. Apart from the nifty start this is nothing more than guitar shredding. After hearing this song, I was sincerely hoping I'd get to hear better stuff.

Second track on the album Man In Constant Sorrow is one of the two track that have vocals added - the rest is instrumental. Now there is no doubt that the musicians playing are all very talented and play their bits solidly, but I have to say that the vocal addition to the song did not improve on progressive rock sound. Man In Constant Sorrow appears to be nothing more than a standard, well played and composed Nu/Metal song. And I now start to have serious doubts as to do a track by track review of the album. Listening to the next track The Arabian made me definitely decide to not review track by track. Doing such a review would have me making the same remarks over and over again.

The complete album Alone On The Sun is not bad, no not at all, in fact it is a decent album. If you are a real lover of shredding guitars you must absolutely try it. It’s worth a go, but if you’re not in favour of shredding nor fast guitar playing you better not.

In realizing the album a whole can full of musicians were used: we have Gene Booth on vocals (track 2,9) – Charlie Zeleny, drums (1,4,6,10) – Joey Sanchez, drums (2,7,9) - Crum, drums (3,5,8) – Trip Wamsley, bass (1) – Sean Taylor, bass (2,9) – Scott Hubbell, bass (3) – Alun Vaughan, bass (4) – Kyle Honer, bass (5,6) – Byron Santo, bass (7) – Josh Kerr, bass (8) and Travis Nichols, bass (10). Michael Shouse plays all guitars and keyboards and does backing vocals.

Concluding, Alone On The Sun is a good listen but that is it for me. My expectations have not been met, but then I am not very much into this type of shredding. I like instrumentals, instrumental guitar music but I expect to be surprised or at least taken on an imaginative journey, which I was not.

Conclusion: 6 out of 10

-GERT HULSHOF (Dutch) www.dprp.net
- www.dprp.net

Mike Shouse is a guitarist from Kentucky. He has released this rather good new CD called 'Alone In The Sun' under the moniker of SHOUSE. The self financed CD features eleven tracks showcasing Mike's tremendous style. Track one is called 'Bionic' and borrows its theme from The Six Million Dollar Man, it’s a fast and furious affair. 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' features vocals and is a bubbly guitar driven rocker. The song is reminiscent of L.A. Guns crossed with Jerry Cantrell. 'The Arabian' is another guitar work out, I hear a lot of Satriani effects on this track especially with the slight Eastern influences, very good instrumental. 'Choices' is a slower track, more melodic based and has a Y&T meets Satch vibe. Next up is the neo-classical/melodic title track 'Alone In The Sun'. This is a temperamental memorable track. I love the ambience of the song and the way the entire vibe builds quite quick, the only let down is the drum machine clatter which makes it a little tingly sounding, a good solid track, possibly inspired by Joey Tafolla and Michael Lee Firkins. 'Shock And Awe' is more of a fun rocker, a really cool vibe on this track clearly inspired by Satriani's 'Surfing With The Alien' crossed with Mattias Ia Eklund from Freak Kitchen. 'You Can Fly' is a rock-solid jam number, very melodic and interesting where 'Dead In Memphis' let the side down being a little off-putting and not going with the flow of the other material, seems to slog along more than go for the gullet and in for the kill. 'Don't Remember Me' is the second vocal led track, the vocals here are more raspy, this again is pretty catchy and as the song builds, it has a vintage edge laced against a modern feel, without doubt the best of the vocal tracks. Last up is 'For Alex' is charismatic balladic ditty oozing heaps of melody. For an independent release the production is a little abrasive. I feel it would be interesting to hear a jam-packed vocal led album than multi instrumentals because lyrically the vocal led songs have potential.

- Nicky Baldrian, Fireworks Magazine, (UK). - Fireworks Magazine (UK)

Budotzi Productions
Music Reviews
Artist: Mike Shouse

At first you might think your on a ride at Disneyworld, when a voice from the past (Six Million Dollar Man) invites you to hear a bigger, better and faster Mike Shouse. The first cut from "Alone On The Sun" is a fret burning rendition of a song you may have heard before, but not quite like this. An obviously well practiced guitar man, Shouse makes a fine first impression.
With "Man of Constant Sorrow" we get a dose of a southern acoustic with a blast of 80's electric lead fills. It's a catchy groove that may rock a few bars down south. In "The Arabian" a Van Halen sounding guitar speaks to us over a "Kashmirish" backdrop. Again this song accentuates the clean and quick finger moves of Shouse. "Choices" starts off with a nice groove double octave lead. This is definitely lead guitar music. So if your a fan of Satriani, Johnson, Van Halen, I'm sure you'll dig the environment of this entire collection.
The title track "Alone On The Sun" demonstrates the lead guitar prowess of Shouse once more. Although I would love to hear a bit more vocal work in these songs, they are still thoroughly entertaining. "Shock and Awe" begins with a war going on, the sounds of gunfire with a deep chord structure underneath eventually grinding into an impressive strong performance on all levels.
Don't let the beautiful acoustic start to "You Can Fly" deceive you, more fret melting action is soon to be heard. Classy, and well produced there's not an inch of complaint. Followed up by "Dead In Memphis" a ZZTOP gone insane rocker complete with the flat tire drum beat.
Van Halenesque at first "Don't Remember Me" soon takes a hard edged life of it's own with strong vocals that match the composition. I'll re-echo my thoughts again, more vocals on all of these selections would be a positive.
It's obvious over the course of this album including the final cut (For Alex) that Mike Shouse is a masterful guitarist with a knack for well groomed arrangements and guitar tones.
Mike Shouse is a multi-instrumentalist, and all around entertainer in many aspects including the movie industry. Check out Shouse on sonicbids.com. I promise there won't be a wasted minute.

- John Tenting
- Budotzi Music Reviews

Metal Express Rating: 7.0/10

Alone On the Sun is Mike Shouse’s second Instrumental CD on an Independent label consisting of eight Instrumental tracks and two vocal tracks. One of the vocal tracks is a Rock version of a well known Bluegrass hit titled “Man Of Constant Sorrow.” Hailing from Lexington, Kentucky, it can be understood why Shouse decided to put the two vocal tracks he selected on the new album, especially “Man of Constant Sorrow.” After playing for twenty years and being versed in numerous styles of music to boot, this second Instrumental album by Shouse should be all the proof one needs to see how far Mike has evolved over the years. Mike opts to open his new album with a tune labeled “Bionic.” Luckily the third track “The Arabian” starts off better than its predecessors did. While clearly an Instrumental tune and nothing more, it has some substance to it and seems to go to different places throughout the entire tune. It has some pretty good guitar work by Mike in it as well. The bass and drums form a strong foundation for the tune and the repetitive nature of the bass line is one that sticks with you even after the song is over. “Choices” is a good track to follow up with and again shows the versatility of Mike’s guitar playing. This is a nice tune that shows many different styles of intricate guitar work backed up by some fine and solid drumming and bass playing. Some real nice guitar on that one definitely. The title track is next in line. When one listens to the title track of any album, one usually expects to hear something special or better than the other tracks on the same album. In this case “Alone On the Sun” isn’t that special that you can’t wait to hear it again nor is it much better than the other tracks. What is true however is the fact that more of Mike’s guitar work and style that hasn’t been touched upon yet shines through and blends nicely with some more fantastic bass and drum work. “Shock and Awe” opens right off the bat with a catchy guitar riff that is complemented with an equally persistent and deep pounding bass line that is a strong foundation or backbone of the tune. It allows Shouse to go off and wander with his six-string while a strong rhythm section holds down the fort. Mike has some more electric (no pun intended) moments in this one. One can hear some very soft yet effective guitar play leading up to the opening moments of the song that are way too cool to pass up mentioning. It’s nothing mind-blowing but it deserves notice. “You Can Fly” has a beautiful sounding acoustic opening that’s a lead in for Mike taking over with his electric. This track has a very strange and unique bass line that doesn’t just end there. The drumming and the guitar work also take a hit. This is just a very weird sounding track from the time signature perspective. It’s not a bad thing in any way but takes some time in getting used to. “Dead In Memphis” opens with a bang. It has you rockin’ in no time flat with its energy that is hard to miss. Mike’s playing is interesting enough that makes one curious to see what he will come up with next throughout this track. The closing track is titled “For Alex.” Unfortunately not knowing who Alex is or might be brings us to a dead end as far as the title is concerned. The good thing is that the song has a beautiful sound to it done with just the right amount of feeling, much slower and mellower than the previous nine tracks but done in a very tasteful fashion. A nice surprise for the finish indeed. This sophomore project of Shouse has him performing all of the guitar work, keyboard duties, and backing vocals. Shouse did all of the recording and composing at his home studio and used eight different session bassists along with three different session drummers from all around the world to aid him in the making of his latest release. The final product is what it is and will undoubtedly form different opinions by all who take the time to give it at least a once over. Is this record worthy enough that you must run to the store the day it is released…NO, but if you are a true Instrumental or guitar fan, it is good enough to pick up a copy for your collection. Happy listening!

GEORGE FUSTOS www.metalexpressradio.com - www.metalexpressradio.com

Mike Shouse is an “electric” guitarist in every sense of the word, charging out of the gate with the Six Million Dollar Man-inspired cooker “Bionic.” “Man of Constant Sorrow” features vocalist Gene Booth, who brings a Godsmack-meets-Chris Cornell quality to the piece. Shouse shifts gears for the Mediterranean-flavored “The Arabian,” and gets into hard-rocking bop mode for “Choices.”
The title track smacks of Joe Satriani, where a killer melodic hook is developed along tandem guitar and piano leads. Shouse later takes respite with the acoustic-tinged “You Can Fly.” This is a well-orchestrated tune that really shines a spotlight on the guitarist’s versatility. “Don’t Remember Me” is another strong vocal track by Booth, its cynical lyrics addressing personal fate.
Shouse handles all guitars, keyboards and backing vocals with a strong roster of contributors rounding things out. Fans of guitar shred and wide-ranging six-string fireworks will appreciate this player’s considerable talents.

- Eric Harabadian, Progression Magazine(US) - Progression Magazine

Shouse swings hard out of the gate with the power punch "Bionic" ( intro'd by a cool shout out to the great Steve Austin). Tracks to follow are equally hard and melodic. Case and point is "Choices", a bit mellower fare, still, this track rocks hard. Another guitar-iffic track is "You Can Fly", with killer riffs and rockin' drums. The artist shows a good ear for this blend of instru-metal music. It's all over his "Alone On the Sun" cd, worth much more than one listen.

- A&R Select Music Review (Hollywood, CA) - A&R Select

Alone on the Sun is reminiscent of a party that has long since ran its course, but leaving behind in its wake is some of the most impressive solo guitar work to ever come off the assembly line. This CD is a solid statement from start to finish and has a classic Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Jennifer Batten, Tony MacAlpine, rock feel to it. I would classify this music as Progressive Hard Rock with a strong emphasis on the guitar. You’ll find catchy melodies layered everywhere, & of course guitar solos that will make your head spin. Logging in at just over 44 minutes, the CD kicks things off with “Bionic” a dynamic intro piece that serves up dynamic progressive rock crescendo delivering aggressive guitars, driving rhythms, & sizzling guitar work from Shouse. Track 2 “Man of Constant Sorrow” shifts gears a bit with mesmerizing acoustic guitar intro, eventually lending itself to progressive rock explosion delivering full tilt guitar, sizzling bass lines, & Layne Staley type vocal delivery from singer Gene Booth. Track 3 “The Arabian” serves up more 80’s type rock rhythms complete with Eruption-type into with arpeggios that will put your jaw on the floor. The music has everything you would expect from a production of this flavor, including music that is rock driven but in itself very progressive, dynamic, & explosive. Shouse also brings to the table many impressive session players including 4 drummers, 7 bass players, which provide a lot of musical variety via the 3 piece standard. But getting back to Mike S. – note for note, song for song his guitar showmanship will command your respect, & is highly diverse, melodic, & served hot to the touch. Sometimes hitting hard, while other times delivering a classical progressive rock flair – he’s fearless & pretty much lets it all hang out. Make no bones about it folks Mike Shouse knows how to play guitar. From passionate “Alone on the Sun” to explosive ”You can Fly” to dark “Shock & Awe” to the bluesy “Choices” to dynamic “Alone on the Sun” & “Dead in Memphis” this CD pretty much has it all. The CD ends with a tranquil “For Alex” a peaceful melodic rock ballad waving you in for a safe landing.
“Alone on the Sun” has the aftertaste of a vintage 80’s early 90’s musical production. Perhaps it was released 20 years too late? The year is 2010, & although the music scene has changed dramatically over the past 20 years, there are still artists like Mike Shouse who somehow manage to re-invent himself amidst all the Guitar Hero hype & manage to pull it off somehow. I also don’t like the way the snare sounds on Track 1. All songs over 4 minutes tend to drag you to the finish line. I don’t like the way Track 3 fades out.
From start to finish “Alone on the Sun” CD is one hell of a ride. The strong suit is clearly the guitar showmanship, melodic delivery & overall musical consistency. This CD will be a joy for guitar enthusiasts out there who enjoy technically savvy guitar, shredding solos, & a classic 80’s late 90’s rock vibe. So if you like your guitar served hot to the touch, with solos that are fast and furious, "Alone on the Sun" belongs in your hands right now.

- Cyrus Rhodes, Indie Music Digest (www.indiemusicdigest.com) - www.indiemusicdigest.com

Album Title: Alone On The Sun
Artist: Shouse
Reviewers Name: Matheson Kamin
Rating:  5 stars (out of 5)
Title of Review: Band creates the complete package with the debut release.

 
Review:

Michael Shouse is a Kentucky-based guitarist who has been influenced and inspired by the likes of Vai, Satriani and Belew, among other instrumental rock guitarists. After taking notes from the guitarists who preceded him, Shouse now has the knowledge and ability to teach his predecessors a thing or two about guitar playing (when he isn’t actually busy teaching the next wave of guitarists to play).  

Just recently, Michael Shouse went into the studio and recorded his newest mostly- instrumental rock album. The newest release from Shouse is entitled Alone On the Sun. Like most rock guitarists who spend their time creating rock instrumental albums, Shouse creates his music by incorporating, not only rock, but also other genres into the songs, as well. The first track of Alone On the Sun, “Bionic” (along with containing a clever parody of The Six-Million Dollar um…….. Guitarist, as the intro), includes a few hints of heavy metal, as does “Shock And Awe”. And the songs “You Can Fly” and “For Alex” have a jazz-like vibe to them.

In the process of recording the tracks for Alone On the Sun, Shouse enlisted a group of eleven musicians to help create the release. Together, Mike, the three drummers, and eight bassists would combine together to create twelve unique trios (containing guitar, bass and drums), one for each track on the album. Having one unique musical outfit for each song ensured that each track would have its own unique sound and personality. This also guaranteed that each song would sound fresh, since no three musicians created more than one song on the album as a group.

While eighty percent of the album is instrumental, there are two tracks that feature vocals. For those tracks, Gene Booth joins Shouse on vocals. Booth provides the vocals for the power ballad “Don’t Remember Me,” and on the song “Man of Constant Sorrow,” the song most recently recognized from the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
With Shouse having grown up in Kentucky, it seemed only natural to have included just a little bluegrass flavoring to the album; although, with the arrangement of the song “Man of Constant Sorrow,” you’d hardly recognize the song as being a tune that has been recorded and performed by many bluegrass artists over the years. Shouse not only is a very good musician, but this track also proves he has the skills as an arranger, as well.

Shouse recorded the vast majority of Alone On the Sun while he was using an electric guitar. There are, however, a few quickly passing hints on the release where the guitarist shows his playing ability and technique on the acoustic guitar. You can hear all-too-few bars where the acoustic carries the momentum on “You Can Fly”. With “Man of Constant Sorrow,” the first ninety seconds of the song feature the acoustic as it creates the familiar structure to the bluegrass standard before Shouse changes the feeling of the song by adding the electric guitar to the mix.

The guitar is Michael Shouse’s instrument of choice. So, Alone On the Sun was created in a way to showcase Shouse’s strengths as a guitarist. However, there are some instances where you can also hear Shouse adding a few embellishments to the music by playing the keyboard on part of the title track. Although the brief time the keyboard is part of the mix, you can tell that Shouse is a multi-talented musician.

If the impressive body of music that makes up the album of Alone On the Sun by Shouse isn’t enough for you, the extras included as part of the CD-Rom part of the package should make the album worth checking out. As part of the computer side of the release, you get the video for the title track to the album, and you also get the charts to learn to play the songs that are included in the release. The tablature for the disc is almost like having one-on-one sessions with Michael Shouse himself.

Hard rock heavy metal, jazz, and even hints of bluegrass all help to help Michael Shouse to create a varied and entertaining new release. If rock guitarists make up a large part of your music collection (or even if they don’t), Alone On the Sun by Shouse is definitely worthy to be added into that collection.


Review by Matheson Kamin, Ariel Publicity - www.reviewyou.com(US) - www.reviewyou.com

Single critique by TAXI.com for “Man of Constant Sorrow” from the album “Alone on the sun.”

Style - "sounds to me like a combination of flamenco and grunge, which is an interesting way to present this wonderful old chestnut."

Melody - good music in verses and memorable "hook"
"The Melody line has a yearning quality that really tugs at the heart strings."

Structure - well written structure
"I like how your arrangement builds in intensity as the performance unfolds."

Lyric - first line makes me want to hear more, engaging, cohesive, good use of imagery, rhymes well, communicates emotion to listener, vocal helps to sell song
"The lyric is genius, and it's made more powerful by the fact that the vocal performance sounds so compelling."

Title - "I've always thought this song has a wonderful title. Its so incredibly evocative."

Overall Comments: " Michael - This is such an interesting way of arranging this classic old tune. The song actually lends itself well to a grunge style arrangement. I love that you've chosen to carefully build the dynamic as the performance unfolds. By the time the whole band is in the arrangement really sounds intense. Of course, it helps that the vocal is so convincing. It really inhabits the narrative. I believe what is sung, and that's important, especially since this is a cover song. In terms of technique, the instrumental performance seems pretty flawless. You've obviously surrounded yourself with some seriously talented musicians. The quality of the recording is also extremely professional. To be honest, there isn't anything about the track that doesn't seem impressive. Nice job!!

Rating overall - 9 of 10 - www.taxi.com

A mostly instrumental genre bender; shred guitar, metal, rock, and some blues all on one album! Michael Shouse pulls triple duty on guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals throughout Alone On The Sun. Shouse is joined by bassists Trip Wamsley, Sean Taylor, Scott Hubbell, Alun Vaughan, Kyle Honea, Byron Santo, Josh Kerr, and Travis Nichols. Drummers Charlie Zeleny, Joey Sanchez, and Diego "Grom" Meraviglia; and vocalist Gene Booth.

Shouse does an incredible job at taking shred guitar into new place... shred style blues anyone? And one better on Shouse, while showing shred guitar versatility with genre cross-overs most wouldn't expect, he does it well. Too many musicians attempt cross pollination but come off sounding half-assed. The only thing you'll find with Alone On The Sun is balls to the wall musicianship from Shouse and friends.

Choice cuts are "Bionic", "Dead in Memphis", and "Don't Remember Me".

Alone On The Sun gets a solid 4 out of 5.

Michael Meade www.tasteslikerock.com/reviews.html - www.tasteslikerock.com

Instrumental shred guitar albums are a lot rarer these days than they used to be and for good reason. At one point in time you couldn’t blink without seeing another shred album and eventually they all began to make each other irrelevant. 2010 is a good time to bring out an album such as this because as hard rock and heavy metal are going through somewhat of a commercial resurrection, shred guitar is all of a sudden back in fashion.

Mike Shouse has been playing in and out of bands of varying degrees of success for the past twenty years, and has only now decided to create and release something entirely his own. His obvious influences are clear enough, with ALONE ON THE SUN sending obvious cheerios to guys such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Pettruci and even Carlos Santana. There are obviously other musicians who have inspired elements of this album but those guys are the easiest to hear without trying too hard. There are a couple of little things on offer here to break up the monotony that these type of albums are usually criticized for, especially in the sci-fi influenced intro that really helps give the album some reason, also there are two songs that feature vocals contributed by Gene Booth, who I must admit is someone I have never heard of. Another point of interest novelty wise is the fact that three different drummers and eight different bass guitarists where hired for the sessions and all swapped around to ensure that no two songs on the album feature the same three musicians. I’m not sure whether this makes that much difference, but I’m sure it would have been a lot of fun in the studio.

As far as shred guitar albums go there really isn’t much to say other that most of the music here is done quite well if not a little robotic in nature at times. No doubt Shouse is a spectacular guitarist that is probably only a small bit behind the giants of the shred genre, but the actual songwriting is occasionally lacking and it does feel that technical ability was rated higher than song structure at times during the writing period. The more enjoyable aspects of the album are actually the occasional times that the foot comes off the pedal a little bit for some jazz or flamenco inspired guitar pieces, but that’s not to say that the shred assault isn’t welcome, as it most definitely is.

If you aren’t a fan of technical guitar showcase albums, ALONE ON THE SUN will certainly not change your mind and should be skipped, but for any budding guitarist out there, or any fans of Vai and Satriani, this album will certainly tickle your tastebuds and is easily worth the admission price.

Written By ZeeZee (myglobalmind.com) (Australia)

Rating : 7/10 - www.myglobalmind.com

Sounds like: Joe Satriani on steroids

The Artist I recently checked out the latest CD from guitar wizard Michael Shouse entitled Alone on the Sun. Turns out Shouse comes to us from Lexington, Kentucky. He is one of those composers out there that is instrument oriented – in his case the guitar. As to be expected the guitar is the focal point of this music.

The Band Standard 4 piece line-up which includes Shouse of guitar, Gene Booth on vocals & a barrage of session players. I would say he possesses above average to advanced rock playing abilities. Make no bones about it folks Shouse is a shredder delivering amazing guitar rhythms & solo guitar work that breaks the sound barrier. Timing is spot on within the hard rock grooves. Vocals from Booth are rock solid. The Music possesses a heavy metal to hard rock stigma. All in all great workout music. Definitely high adrenalin rock with a late eighties, early nineties flair. The Songs All pieces are progressive & dynamic delivering aggressive guitar attack against solid low end rock rhythms. The Vibe Overall dark, powerful, loud & at times explosive. Simply put - music that is in your face & full of musical curve balls & cool off time signatures type stuff. The Production is professional grade, though I gave Shouse a low mark here because it feels like it was released in 1988 or 1995. Though I liked it, this CD is not the most marketable record I've ever heard. The Good Honorable mentions go out to the above average playing abilities from Mr. Shouse & Company. Guitar enthusiast & gear heads will not only love the Mach 4 speeds, but the technically savvy playing of all the members involved. The Bad CD sounds like it’s stuck in the 80’s with a Hair Metal vibe that just isn't as popular as they used to be. There are powerful bands out there nowadays who have made the successful transition. The Ugly Souse should consider doing the same & modernizing his sound a bit for the next CD.

The Verdict From beginning to end Alone on the Sun will not only keep you on the edge of you seat, but will melt your face off in the process The Bottom Line If you need high octane music to work out to - look no further.

Markus Druery
Indieshark Music Critic
- Indieshark Music Critic

Lexington, Kentucky’s Mike Shouse fell for the guitar at the age of seventeen, seduced by the sounds of Joe Satriani. It wasn’t long before he also found Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and several other icons of the classic and alternative rock and heavy metal. Shouse dedicated himself to learning everything he could about the guitar. Along the way he also developed his skills as an artist and became an educator in art. These days Shouse teaches art, teaches guitar on the side and continues to write and play original songs. His latest offerings are in the form of Alone On The Sun.

Alone On The Sun opens with "Bionic", a dynamic guitar-led instrumental full of vicious licks and runs. Shouse introduces the song with a kitschy take on the opening monologue of The Six Million Dollar Man. Shouse blends the lyricism of Eric Johnson and the fire of Steve Vai here, veering toward the heavier side sound-wise. Shouse's pick work is almost maniacally fast here. "Man Of Constant Sorrow" is a heavy blues/rock take on the classic blues tune; an above average take built around great pacing and an almost disturbing harmony mix on the vocals. "The Arabian" is a guitar-led instrumental full of the tricks and traps of 1980's heavy metal. The song is contemplative in its own fashion but prone to explosive outbursts and longitudinal riffs.

"Choices" finds Shouse engaged in more of a pop/rock instrumental with a decent melody. For all of the focus on the lead guitar, there's a great deal going on here behind the lead for those who want to dig into it. "Shock And Awe" is as dynamic as the title implies. You could see this being used as the soundtrack to a wartime propaganda film on one of the major news networks, or perhaps even concordant to a flight scene in Top Gun 2. "You Can Fly" shows off Shouse's mellower side without losing a lick of energy. This quiet moment precedes the technical brilliance of "Dead In Memphis", which opens with a Memphis blues/rock riff and moves quickly into a straight-ahead rocker with influences courtesy of Eddie Van Halen. Shouse goes to town here, perhaps his greatest moment of abandon on the album. Alone On The Sun closes with "For Alex", a lyric instrumental that sounds like incidental music from a 1980's Rat Pack film.

Shouse proves his guitar chops on Alone On The Sun, a surprisingly engaging album considering its focus on primarily instrumental rock tunes with guitar lead. Such releases often are highly self-indulgent and self-referential. Shouse avoids this trap, staying centrally focused while nurturing each arrangement to its fullest potential without losing the guitar focus. That's not to say that Shouse excels at every step, but even the less exciting moments are eminently listenable.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
Wildysworld.com
- Wildysworld.com

On the back cover he looks like he’s burning in the fires of the almighty, but the music just smokes with God-given fury. We’re talking about the 2010 CD from Kentucky based heavy metal guitarist "Michael Shouse", entitled "Alone On The Sun". Shouse’s music is definitely instrumental hard rock / heavy metal but it’s done well and he’s clearly put some thought into the packaging, design and music concept. The album features some fine backing musicians and there’s even a vocal track to add to the fun. The CD also features an enhanced feature, including a music video for the title track, guitar tabs and more. Commenting on his release, Shouse adds, ‘I haven't played another persons music in 22 years. I did however decide to learn all I could about the guitar and to be an instrumentalist when I first heard Satriani's "Surfing With The Alien." I loved how he arranged and focused on the melody but was also creative. My faves are Satriani, Gilbert, Wylde, Petrucci, Malmsteen, Vaughn. I’ve never learned any of their stuff, but have gotten ideas from listening to them. Every lick on the CD is an original lick. I have been coming up with them over the last few years. There are things on there that have never been done or attempted on the guitar. That’s why I wanted to put the tab on the CD. The guitar on the back of the CD cover is a 7 string Carvin, like all my guitars. All I play is Carvin. The 7 string is strung differently, it has regular 6 strings and the first string is a middle E string. It gives me 2 octaves of E next to each other, which gives me the weird licks on "The Arabian". Find out more about other reviews and the musicians on the CD on my site.' www.mikeshousemusic.com

-Robert Silverstein www.mwe3.com - www.mwe3.com

This is a first class effort from the music to the CD packaging. This enhanced CD even features a music video and tabs to play along with the title track "Alone on the Sun."
The video was a little cheezy, but the CD more then made up for the video attempt.
Shouse reminds me of the world most noted shredder Joe Satriani. He even took on the same look with the shaved head, sunglasses. Shouse does play Carvin guitars not Ibanez, but who's keeping score? I didn't notice if he had on the sneekers. The one noticeable difference between Satch and Shouse is when the two tried to sing. While Joe attempted to sing on the "Flying in a Blue Dream" release, Shouse actually isn't attempting....Vocally, he can flat out bring it! (**) Combining elements of southern rock to his vocals takes a few of his songs away from the Satriani proto-type and gives some depth and relaxation to a music format that can be a bit fatiguing on the listener after 45 minutes of 30 notes per second arpeggios. Shouse even puts in the classic Satriani power ballad (which I might add was a great song). My personal favorite was "You can Fly" because it was so Joe.
Did the studio make the listening experience better? Did the studio make it worse? One thing Shouse never quite copied was the signature tone of Satriani. Shouse sounded great overall but at times I felt his guitar was a little thin in the mix. Vocals where excellent and the sound stage was spot on.
Final conclusion. Overall, this was the work of a true shredder. Shouse has the chops and isn't afraid to use them. This CD gets 4 1/2 stars. I took a half point off for how the guitar sounded in the mix on a couple songs, but it was hardly noticed by the casual listener. I highly recommend this CD. Especially since Satch has spent the last year doing that God awful Chicken Foot CD.
-Charles Harrelson (Founder of EVOR) www.evor.com - www.evor.com

Michael Shouse is a guitarist and composer from Lexington, Kentucky (USA) with 20 years of experience on his back. He is always studying new guitar techniques and is also involved in film making, sound editing, and writing for specialized magazines. On his first album, “Enter the Soul” (2001, Digitrax Multimedia Hazard, KY), he played everything from bass to vocals, helped by Jason Poff (bass on two songs) and Dwight Dunlap (drums and percussion). He also had a song - “Man” - included in the compilation “International Anthems: Vol. 1” (2002, CD Smash). For his second self-produced album - “Alone on the Sun” (2008) - Shouse employed an extensive list of session musicians (see below). Each one has a brief biography at Shouse’s homepage. As a man who was born and raised in old Kentucky (Southern USA), Shouse is deeply rooted in the musical tradition of his homeland, and his compositions are impregnated with folk, blues, bluegrass, and rock. But Shouse can see farther than his sunglasses will let him, and joins those old rhythms with new ones, cementing them together like bricks into a solid wall. The achieved sonority is a fusion of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Electrified Blues and Bluegrass, with some Spanish scales inserted here and there – with similar musical styles of "Stevie Ray Vaughan", "Paul Gilbert", "John Petrucci", "Joe Satriani", "Zack Wylde" and "Marty Friedman".

“Alone on the Sun” can be heard in a single spin. It brings 8 totally instrumental pieces and two songs that are brilliantly performed by Gene Booth – a man that incarnates the voice of the Southern Style. One is “Don’t Remenber Me” and the other is a new version of Dick Burnett’s “Man of Constant Sorrow” (1913). For those who watched the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” by the Coen brothers, this is the song that makes George Clooney‘s fake band to achieve a tremendous success. It could be worthless to include a song that has been recorded by almost everybody (including "Bob Dylan" and "Rod Stuart"). But Shouse rearranges the old classic in the most creative way, executing it with a surprising Heavy Metal verve that turns it into one of the best tracks of the record. On the instrumental tracks, Shouse exerts his technical virtuosity with the precision of a guitar Master, building scaffolds of riffs upon which he elaborates long and exuberant solos, beveled to match each piece with precision – as done by Instrumental Heavy Metal guitar players of the 80’s and 90’s – but never forgetting the old feeling of the South. The guest musicians follow the cues left by Shouse and contribute with a secure rhythm section, without missing a chance to add something of their own.

The best tracks are: “Bionic” (introduced by quotations of the old TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man”); “The Arabian” (with original use of bells); “Alone on the Sun” and “Shock and Awe” (with abusive use of pedal effects). Those who are fond of the Southern style will appreciate the equally good “Choices”, the ballad “You Can Fly” and the electrified boogie-bluesy “Dead in Memphis”. The album closes very well with “For Alex” - a neoclassical sad ballad.

As suggested by the title, “Alone on the Sun” is really hot - and tasteful as a plate of Kentucky fried chicken with coleslaw salad – you can have it daily without ever getting fed up. Shouse is really recommended for fans of "Steve Vai", "John Petrucci", "Joe Satriani", "Marty Friedman", and other heavy instrumental guitar players. Band members and collaborators involved in Shouses’s project are: Mike Shouse – all Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals; Gene Booth – Vocals on tracks 2 and 9. Bassists, in order of appearance: Trip Walmsley (track 1), Sean Taylor (tracks 2 and 9), Scott Hubbell (track 3), Alun Vaughan (track 4), Kyle Honea (tracks 5 and 6), Byron Santo (track 7), Josh Kerr (track 8) and Travis Nichols (track 10). Drummers, same: Charlie Zeleny (tracks 1, 4, 6 and 10), Joey Sanchez (tracks 2, 7 and 9) and Diego “Grom” Meraviglia (tracks 3, 5 and 8)... - www.progressiverockbr.com

In the world of hard rock instrumental guitar music you normally have those that can play with great technical precision, and those that write great melodies. It’s not too often that you get a player that can do both of those things, but Mike Shouse is definitely one that can.

Upon hearing the first track (“Bionic”) of Shouse’s second disc, “Alone On The Sun,” you might think that you simply have a shredder, but it turns out he can do so much more. When Shouse is not playing in a flashy shred style, he brings an almost lyrical way of playing to these great songs. Songs like “You Can Fly” and the title track, “Alone On The Sun,” will have you singing. Almost all of these songs have great structure and amazing technical expertise. You can hear Shouse running up and down the fret board, but it always sounds like it’s going somewhere. So many shredders make the mistake of throwing all the great licks out there, but they have no rhyme or reason, no structure. Shouse never overplays and seems to stay focused on each song.

My favorite track on the disc, “Shock And Awe,” is an amazing piece of work. I couldn’t begin to tell you how he gets the brilliant “wah-wah” effect (I would imagine it’s a pedal….) that sings the song, but it’s played to perfection. This song seems to have a couple of verses, a nice solo, and then a concluding verse. It really is a wonder the way this guy constructs these songs, and I think “Shock And Awe” should be a blueprint for all hard rock instrumental guitarists.

Many would compare Shouse to Joe Satriani, and that would be very fair. He is a lot like Joe, and to me that’s a wonderful thing! But make no mistake, these songs are all Mike Shouse, and there are a bunch of great ones on display here. - www.drmusic.org

"He sounds like 80s Steve Vai and he looks like modern day Joe Satriani (okay, so he sounds a little like Satch too). Southern-bred guitar instrumentalist Mike Shouse has jam packed his sophomore effort with catchy, toe-tapping, rock guitar inspiration. What was surprising and quite possible the best part of the album was the two vocal tracks (Gene Booth on vox) "Man of Constant Sorrow" and "Don't Remember Me." Both tracks mix gritty southern rock style with intricate and virtuoso guitar mastery Shouse's instrumentals are great, but his vocal tracks are that much better." - www.rock-is-life.com

There are a lot of ace guitarists out there lately, including a flock who mainly prefer to let their instruments do the talking, in the tradition of someone like Jeff Beck, who was giving fans vocals-free platters back in the Seventies. Over the years, some axe-slingers have made projects of reinterpreting familiar songs with their fingers – how about “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” for instance? Ah, but for many aficionados, one true test of a guitarist's effectiveness is whether he does a good job of coming up with distinctive new tunes that engage and stick with the listener. A Guitar Institute alumnus named Michael Shouse carries on in the tradition of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai and others, by delivering both the shredded lettuce of lickage and the meat-and-potatoes of good beats and melodies, rounding out a satisfying musical meal for the discriminating rocker. One bold move is Shouse's use of a flamenco-style intro to “re-invent” the bluegrass classic, "Man of Constant Sorrows." Shouse went with some stock martial sound-effects to start “Shock and Awe,” which also features a satisfyingly-chunky bass line, and solid drumming from Charlie Zeleny. Michael Shouse is a new-age guitar hero who definitely deserves a listen.


- www.allaccessmagazine.com

.........’Alone on the Sun’ rightfully deserves to sit alongside the works of the guitar gods of this world. No, I’m not being held up by gunpoint, because Shouse’s playing is truly immaculate, and well, he’s among the few instrumental guitarists who have finally ensured that the production and band musicianship has leapt from ‘supporting’ to ‘playing with’ the lead guitarist (a truly miraculous achievement worthy of celebration). Through this lens, hands down, Shouse has excelled at his craft, creating an album that any instrumental guitar purist will drool over for years to come. And as much as I hate to say it, it’d be indecent to assign anything less than a 9.0 out of 10 to ‘Alone on the Sun’. - www.musesmuse.com

"Mike Shouse is no newcomer and we can clearly hear that in this new album entitled 'Alone on the sun'. 10 very interesting and well structured tracks with a strong instrumental rock feel a-la Vai and Macalpine. Discrete production and good sounds. I will immediately mention 'Man of constant sorrow', sung by an excellent Gene Booth. A real rock song with Satch-like attitude. The melodic influences of Vai and Satch are also audible in the pleasant 'Choices' and 'Alone on the sun'. Excellent phrasings, never boring, please us with nice guitar lines instead of the usual super-virtuoso technical solos without feel. 'Shock and awe' is a great metal song, based on a very good riff. We also have a very entertaining boogie with 'Dead in Memphis' as well as the other vocal track 'Dont remember me', with the again excellent Gene Booth. What to say...an excellent record very well done, never boring and lifted by a true tasteful rock'n'roll. Bravo Mike ! Great album, a must have !" - guitar chef magazine

Kentucky guitar slinger Mike Shouse looks like a cross between vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Joe Satriani; thankfully he plays more like the latter and definitely doesn't sing. Reflecting influences which include Gilbert, Petrucci, Vai, Wylde, Vaughn and many others, Shouse has been at his craft for 20 years, and on his second independent release 'Alone On The Sun,' it certainly shows.

Shouse definitely has his chops down. He can shred with the best; fortunately for us, Shouse has some genuine creativity. Tunes like 'Choices,' 'Alone On The Sun,' or 'You Can Fly' demonstrate that he can craft a whole song developing a melodic arrangement and also blister up and down the fret board. Shouse also displays versatility: his guitar style can move between hard rock and heavy metal within a song. When he does this he keeps your interest for what's next rather than simply reminding you that he's a lick busting guitar hero. Most of the greats already know that we know that they know that they can play; Shouse never over indulges to the point of false humility. I think he knows we hate that stuff. Yet, with that said, for simply amazing kick ass and sizzling fret work you can't beat 'Bionic' (if you skip the ludicrous intro) and 'Dead In Memphis.'

Regarding the latter, realizing he's from down south Kentucky way, you would expect some of those southern influences in his music. It rises on 'Dead In Memphis,' 'Don't Remember Me', and on the best track, the reworking of the classic folk/bluegrass number, 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' (which dates back to 1913 and has been recorded by the likes of Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart).

Additional positives would include the outstanding supporting cast Shouse recruited as backup, with my kudos in particular to drummers Charlie Zeleny and Diego 'Grom' Meraviglia and bassist Kyle Honea. The only significant downsides were in the production which was mostly uneven and even horrible at times as on the opening cut 'Bionic.' If it were not for the promise of Shouse's guitar work ahead, I may have not made it past the opening track.

Overall, Mike Shouse's 'Alone On The Sun' is a solid expression of his experience, skill, and style as a guitarist. His compositions, though seemingly more of the same from another guitar virtuoso, demonstrate his ability to craft a complete melodic composition involving all participants and still soar on his guitar at the same time. Recommended!


- www.dangerdog.com

MIKE SHOUSE is the name of this guitarist, who sent me his CD ‘Alone on the sun’, which is featuring high quality instrumental guitar based Melodic Hardrock, although on 2 songs we can hear vocals. However, the main topic is of course Mike’s guitar. Mike is playing of course quite well, not shredding all the time like most players, but more creating melodies with his guitar. Must-have for the fans of instrumental guitar based Hardrock. Recommended if you’re into the LION MUSIC kinda releases. More info at: www.mikeshousemusic.com and email at: mike@mikeshousemusic.com


(Points: 8.0 out of 10) - Strutter Magazine

......The wonderfully-monikered Shouse is a little bit of each, standing like an enflamed Vin Diesel upon the cover of Alone on the Sun with all the shadowed, pseudo-intensity one expects from this genre. Lathered with a thick layer of self-serving frenzy, Alone on the Sun is quite appropriately titled, sounding as if the work of an isolated artist with little perspective on their pet indulgences. The result is an album of high technical proficiency and tricky jamming.......Shouse is actually Kentucky-based guitarist Mike Shouse, who, it should be noted, has more guitar talent than fifteen men combined. - www.muzikreviews.com