Favorite Shred Instrumental Album of 2012

Year 2012 passes away with tremendous input of guitar shred album. Here I compiled my most enjoyable and recommended shred album of 2012. From commercially success giants such as Steve Vai, hard rock legend Neil Schon, comes two extra ordinary albums. I am also pleased to find out talents such as Robert Rodrigo and Chris Bickley, among the well knowns, Kiko Loureiro, Jeff Loomis and Joe Stump alike. Don’t take the list as something serious, this is just merely a list of my collections. There must be millions interesting album out there as well.

0. Steve Vai - The Story Of Light (Hard Rock, World Music, etc.)

Review – Buy it Here

0. Neal Schon - The Calling (Hard Rock, Soft Jazz, Fusion, AOR)
Review – Buy it Here

1. Kiko Loureiro - Sounds of Innocence (Metal , Latin)
Review – Buy it Here

2. Daniele Liverani - Eleven Mysteries (Neo Classical)
Review – Buy It Here

3. Bob Katsionis - Rest in Keys (Metal, Progressive, Keyboard Shred)
Review – Buy It Here

4. Marco Sfogli - reMarcoble (Metal, Progressive)
Review – Buy It Here

5. Joe Stump - Revenge of the Shredlord (Neo Classical)       
Review – Buy It Here

6. Jeff Loomis - Plains of Oblivion (Metal, Progressive, Djent)

Review – Buy It Here

 7. Chris Bickley - Tapestry of Souls (Hard Rock, Metal)
Review – Buy It Here

8. Robert Rodrigo - Wrath (Metal)
Review – Buy it Here

9. Gretchan Menn – Hale Souls (Hard Rock, Soft Jazz)

Review – Buy It Here

10. Neil Zaza - Clyde the Cat (Hard Rock)
Review – Buy it Here

I can keep go on as I discover new guitar instrumental album that released on year 2012. These are addition to the list that I only manage to write after I listen to the albums in 2013.

OHMPhrey – Posthaste (Progressive Rock) - Buy it Here

OHMphrey, a jam band supergroup, which features three members of the prog rock/veteran jam band Umphrey's McGee (keyboardist Joel Cummins, guitarist Jake Cinninger and drummer Kris Myers), and OHM guitarist (former Megadeth guitarist), Chris Poland along with bassist Robertino Pagliari (a.k.a. "Pag").

The Crane and Fabian Project – No Limit (Progressive Rock) - Buy it Here

Eric Marienthal (saxophones), Mike Miller (guitar), Steve Hunt (keys), Lance Crane (drums), Frank Gambale (guitar), James Hogan (guitar), Christian Fabian (bass) etc.

The Michael Landau Project – Organic Instrumentals (Jazz / Blues Rock) - Buy it Here

Greg Koch - Strats Got Your Tongue (2012) - Here something I missed, but strongly recommended for one of best instrumental hard rock/blues/jazz fusion guitar album of 2012. Not only the guitars, but the bass attack also clear and virtuoso on its own. Buy it HERE.

Mike Kerr - The Fire (2012) - One more awesome instrumental guitar album that I missed in 2012. Mike Kerr is Brazilian guitarist living in Boston. Apparently The Fire seems like his debut instrumental album.  Although at first this seem like a blast neo-classical shreds, as we listen to first track The Fire, but the album gone into many various styles. There is my favorite cuts in funk called Funkstein. There is also jazzy AOR feel sweet ballad in My Love. An exotic scale theme in Treasure of the East. It's an album worth of 13 instrumental tracks, plus two bonus backing minus one tracks. Mike Kerr status is 'unsigned' and by far seems not many review available on this album. He was on tour as far as to Whisky a Go Go as per July 2013. On this little review / notes I want to assured shred fans that The Fire is an awesome package, 50% of the album are in neo classical stuffs and the rest are mixed styles. Buy it HERE.