Search - Guitar Garden :: Secret Space

If you like serious progressive rock, then Guitar Garden is for you. On its second CD, SECRET SPACE, the volume is cranked up and the beats are heavier, making for a powerful and highly melodic instrumental experience from Guitar Garden. "After the 2005 release of the China Rose album, I spent a lot time listening to vintage and new progressive rock bands, notably Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Flower Kings, The Tangent, and Peter Gabriel," says lead guitarist Pete Prown, also a noted music journalist and author of instructional-guitar books (Shred: The Ultimate Guide to Warp-Speed Guitar and Gear Secrets of the Guitar Legends). "That music is so melodic and cleverly arranged that it drove me to push Guitar Garden in that proggier direction," he continues. "At the same time, I was also listening to vintage '70s jazz-rock, like Return to Forever, Pat Metheny Group, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Those bands still blow me away. All of the this gives SECRET SPACE its unique sound...prog-fusion, for lack of a better name." Key tracks on the new album include the ferocious guitar rocker, "Evolution X," which pays homage to great players like Al Di Meola and Carlos Santana in a series of blistering solos from Prown and guest guitarist, Rich Maloof. SECRET SPACE also involves a few surprise tracks, like the country-flavored (and wryly titled) "Proggy Mountain Breakdown" and also "Mandolin Blue," a refreshing track featuring an angelic mix of mandolin, echo-laden electric guitar, and lush acoustic melodies. Fans are especially thrilled with "War Echo," which bears its space-rock influence on its sleeve (à la Pink Floyd), and builds to a dramatic crescendo and guitar solo. It?s already being called one of the best prog tracks of the year.