Crystal Vision

AMG Review of Crystal Vision

Greg Prato
All Music Guide

When Eric Gales first arrived on the scene, he was being heralded by some as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix. Well, it didn't exactly work out that way, but Gales continues to issue albums, and his playing is still full of funky Hendrix-isms, as evidenced by his 2006 release, Crystal Vision. Longtime Shrapnel Records head Mike Varney lends a hand throughout -- co-producing the album with Gales, and co-writing nearly all the songs with him -- which results in the exact type of stylistic album you'd expect from the guitarist. This is certainly apparent on such selections as "Are You My Friend" (on which Gales' vocals are the spitting image of Doug Pinnick from King's X), the slow and bluesy "Freedom from My Demons," a cover of "Hush," and the album-opening "Retribution," which sees Gales go the Zeppelin route. Bluesy, Hendrix-y, and funky -- sounds about right for a new Eric Gales release.