This engaging four-song EP is the brainchild of Hungarian musician/producer Akos Fazekas. A prime example of what a single person can achieve. Montivagus (the project’s official name) delivers three excellent tracks combining Djent-styled underlays, playful keyboards, and scorching fretwork, from an 8-string Ibanez no less. Montivagus’ rhythm and bass playing is coarse, punchy, and wonderfully unpredictable in its stutter stop-start approach. Playful keyboards tastefully dance alongside the guitars, becoming more of a companion than a voice of their own. When the lead guitars finally surface…this is where Montivagus shines the brightest. His fingers are one with his instrument. His playing is a vibrant and precise. A brilliant rainbow of sound set ablaze. Alas, it is nearly three minutes into each song before the guitar (the true star of the show) appears. The Djenty rhythms are good, but frankly, they are not the most original under the sun. But the lead work? More of this, please! Montivagus’ guitar brings fire and finesse and deserves far more time on this record.
The fourth track, “Renewal,” is a captivating adventure through majestic mountains and shifting skies. At just over six minutes, it is a perfect accompaniment for a peaceful, yet spirited journey. Equal parts gentle strumming and dainty leads, this song truly merits many listens.
The title includes the phrase “Route 1.” If “Route 2” can marry the fretboard pyrotechnics of the first three tracks with the elegance of “Renewal,” Montivagus will be untouchable.
