Paul Gilbert

"Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar"

Guitar Instructional DVD And Shred Annex

Label: Mascot

First of all, let’s clarify that this disc this is a guitar instructional DVD and not a concert DVD, even if it contains 3 songs videotaped live in Korea as part of the bonus material. Therefore, this release is marketed towards Paul Gilbert’s guitar playing fans.

As you can tell by the title this DVD is weighted towards Gilbert’s latest release, “Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar”. Consequently this is still a much more specific release since it is not a run-of-the-mill instructional DVD but one that is focused on the songs that are on the album of the same name.

The DVD begins with an intro that is heavily reminiscent of a B-rate Kung Fu movie. On the one hand this shows that Paul has sense of humour and on the other hand it also shows that the spotlight is on the teaching aspect and not on the production. As mentioned above this release concentrates on the Gilbert’s latest album. However, instead of taking you through each track note for note, Paul directs his and our attention to specific parts in each track. This is done by Paul playing either central or his favourite riffs and licks from each composition, first at regular speed, then slowed down (so you can actually see his fingers) and then at normal speed again. At the same time, apart from the playing aspect, Paul also let us in on a few secrets, such as how each song is structured and what each part of the song brings to the composition as a whole. Apart form the tracks on the album Paul also features mini lessons on techniques such as legatto, arpeggio, fast picking and phrasing. And for the shred-fanatics out there there’s also the Shred Annex, where you get to see his favourite fast licks, playing with his same fast-slow-fast method.

Despite all this, this DVD is not just for Paul Gilbert’s die-hard fans. And is this because even you don’t have a dying wish to learn the tracks on “Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar” you can also draw a lot of information and inspiration from what you see and hear. And in contrast to most instructional videos by other guitarists, this one appears to have been made with a lot of enthusiasm and interest by Paul himself.

So, though you need to be a guitarist in order to enjoy this release, you don’t have to be a shred-head. This is one instructional DVD that will be seeing the inside of my player at least more than once. And that says a lot …