Guitarist Niall Mathewson has been an integral element of Pallas for more than 30 years, and with his first solo outing he serves up a little treasure trove of diverse songs and instrumental tracks taken from years of writing for the band, for himself and for commercial projects.
Almost everything is played, sung or programmed by Mathewson himself here, with a smattering of contributors such as blues singer Gerry Jablonski, who takes the lead vocal on straight-ahead rocker One Step On. Mathewson explores a range of guitar sounds and styles – his riffing is frenetic on Creep, then he turns to slide guitar and lyrical Gilmour-esque soloing on Undiscovered Land. His self-confessed interest in cinematic work can be heard on The Last Horizon, the haunting Mortis (all the sounds for which were created on guitar) and the equally eerie Harry Potter-esque musical box lilt of The Girl In The Attic. Directors and producers take note – Mathewson is willing and able. An album of real variety, Eclectic Electric Volume 1 reveals an artist who has wide-ranging musical interests and a depth of talent and creativity which goes beyond his day job. Roll on Volume 2, we say.
