No one ever expected flamenco guitar to rock so much. Duo Rodrigo y Gabriela bring their best fiery guitar stylings to their latest album 9 Dead Alive, taking inspiration from eight people and one piece of Mother Nature.
Starting off the foot stomping “The Soundmaker”, which really exemplifies everything Rod y Gab. Gabriela takes charge of an entire rhythm section, slapping the body of the guitar as a percussion instrument, while still strumming and keeping the flow of the song going. Rodrigo’s lead playing is glorious, half Segovia, half heavy metal guitar shredder. The album continues with metal influenced “Torito”, the carefully crafted, body swaying rhythms of “Misty Moses”, and, probably the biggest highlight, “Fram”, with its in-your-face attack and assault on your ears, reminiscent of their earliest work.
9 Dead Alive is Rod y Gab’s take on a “tribute” album, listing inspirations for each song; Harriet Tubman for “Misty Moses”, Antonio de Torres Jurado, dubbed the most important Spanish guitar luthier of the 19th century for “The Soundmaker”, and even noting “animals and nature” as the inspiration for “Torito”.
Rodrigo y Gabriela are of course master-classmen on the guitar, but their songwriting is what really stands out, making their music attainable by music lovers, not just guitar lovers.