Search - Masi :: Downtown Dreamers

State of Rock

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 08/23/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even though he's spent plenty of time working with some of the bigger names in hard rock and metal, Italian guitar hero Alex Masi also has a considerable amount of solo material under his belt.



It's impossible to talk about virtuoso guitarists without mentioning Yngwie Malmsteen, so let's get that out of the way. Malmsteen is clearly a more technically proficient shredder, and can no doubt play a lot faster than Masi. Masi on the other hand can actually write songs that serve as more than just a vehicle for self-indulgent guitar wankery. He's a hotshot guitarist, but he doesn't show off at the expense of the actual songs, which puts him way ahead in my book.



1988's Downtown Dreamers was Masi's fourth album, and featured David Fefolt (Hawk) on vocals. Despite being a Metal Blade release, Downtown Dreamers is more of a straightforward hard rock album that has more in common with bands like Foreigner and Honeymoon Suite than with what you'd find on the average Metal Massacre disc. It's a solid album, though it seems more than a little bit dated now. Actually, I imagine it seemed a bit dated in 1988. From the cover art to songs like State of Rock and Undercover (Rock & Roll Lover), the whole album seems like it should have been released circa 1984.



If you're looking for pretentious guitar theatrics, you may want to skip this one in favor of a Malmsteen disc. What you'll find with Downtown Dreamers is a fun hard rock album with excellent guitar work that should have you pining for the glory days of the 1980's in no time."

Great sound of 80's L.A. metal.

S. Ok | 09/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It was around 1988 when I heard this album. I loved the sound they had, it was a classic L.A. metal sound that was true and heavy. In other reviews they should have been big in the 80's. David Fefolts voice is perfect for this album. The music is crisp and clear. If your a melodic metal fan you will probably like this. Nothing is distorted like some heavy metal albums. They must have had a good producer, this band was a hidden gem at the time. If only they continued with follow up albums they may have had more success. This album reminds me of the times, once on the Sunset strip and Hollywood Blvd during the metal scene."