Phil Vincent Controlled Insanity
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Controlled Insanity is the latest release from melodic metal’s own one-man-band, Phil Vincent. It seems that Phil is out once again to prove that one man can do it all – and he succeeds admirably. Not only does he play just about every instrument on the album, but also gets credit for the songwriting, engineering and production.
With roots originally as a songwriter, Phil Vincent quickly realized that he could use his talents and techniques in front of the microphone as well as behind the scenes. From that point there was no turning back. With multiple releases as a solo artist and with his own bands, Phil Vincent has proven himself to be one of the true Renaissance men of modern rock.
Controlled Insanity is a solid release with 11 AOR tracks. Unlike many multi-instrumentalists, Phil Vincent can sing as well as play, and is a fine songwriter. With a voice similar to Don Dokken, he delivers modern melodic rock and some not too intense metal with a great deal of enthusiasm, and the listener can easily tell that he is making music because it is what he loves to do. Besides the layered vocal tracks Phil also plays rhythm guitar, bass, drums and keyboards on all tracks – and plays all of them remarkably well. He does many of the lead guitar parts himself, but also gets some outstanding lead notes from guest musicians Steven Albanese, William Roux and Peter Walsh.
The CD contains a little bit of everything, from crunchy rhythm lines (“On Your Own,” “Something About You”) to pop-rock tracks (“Waiting”) to heavy but melodic rock (“Why?” and “Life Goes On”).
“Carry On” is a fine mellow metal epic with great keyboards that quickly give way to sweeping guitars and blistering lead breaks, and shows off Vincent’s songwriting sense at its best. “Part Of Me” gives Phil a chance to push his vocals to the limit as they carry most of the track, while “Should Have Known Better” is a light contemporary rock hit that would play well on almost any rock radio show. The final track, “Controlled Insanity,” is a mix of styles with a bluesy groove and heavy keyboards – and it sounds like Phil had a real blast recording it.
The production and engineering are very good, and Phil shows that he is equally adept behind the mixing board. All of the instruments are well balanced and clear, and Vincent has done a fine job with his multi-layered vocals. All of the songs are well crafted as well, and there is no filler material here.
Simple recommendation – pick it up if you like rock of almost any kind. Fans of just about any genre will be able to find something here that they will like. Anyone interested in hearing a truly multi-talented musician at the top of his game will not be disappointed.
Label: Phil Vincent Music (Indie)
Web: http://www.philvincent.com/cd_ci.htm , http://www.myspace.com/philvincentrox
Track Listing:
01. On Your Own
02. Waiting
03. Why?
04. Carry On
05. Something About You
06. Life Goes On
07. Part of Me
08. More Than Nothing
09. Should Have Known Better
10. Tell Me Again
11. Controlled Insanity
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8.5/10