Not so cut and dry...
Probably the most asked questions I get... either by people who have never heard my music or when subitting tracks for publishing, various online platforms, etc.... "what is your style and inspiration?" Well, my style is derived from many different groups or individual artists I have listend to over the years that cross many different genres. I only write instrumentals after giving up backup singing long ago, so one would think it is easier to adhere my "writing style" to other instrumentalists. Don't get me wrong, growing up and in junior high and high school, there were plenty of instrumental metal acts that I listened to, as well as non-metal ones such as Stanley Jordan who is a phenominal jazz guitarist who plays a two-handed tapping method on the neck. However, I actually listen and am inspired by more groups or singular artists that have lyrics in their songs. I mean, I love a quality instrumental that drives your thoughts and pushes you in particular directions. But, I tap along and sing poorly like many others to songs that catch some aspect of my personality or values.
The "new wave of British heavy metal", as it became know in the 1980s, pretty much held the pole position in what I listened to growing up. Iron Maiden was near the top of that list and their 1984 album and subsequent world tour for "Powerslave" were the first songs I learned on the guitar and the second concert I ever went to... the first concert being Aerosmith's Back in the Saddle tour. But for Maiden, I liked the Blues-stylings of guitarist Dave Murray, as well as the more technical playing of Adrian Smith. So, I sort of glommed on to both.
Other popular quasi-metal acts at the time, such as Savatage who have since gone on to become Trans-Siberian Orchestra, also had a major influence and in some regrad, is probably the closest known band that my style leans against. Predominantly due to the piano-heavy/rock opera compositions that often tell a story when strung together like a concept album. Speaking of concept albums, Queensryche's, Operations Mindcrime spent a long time in the top slot of the CD player, as well as their earlier efforts such as Rage for Order and The Warning. Underground thrash came into play as well while in school.
Adding to the rock and metal stylings of various bands I came across, other artists were introduced by my older brother of 10-years via his 8-track tape player in his 1967, 396 SS Chevelle such as Deep Purple, Triumph, Boston, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, Kansas, Toto, Eagles, Fog Hat, Foreigner, Night Ranger, and Yesterday & Today (Y&T) among many others. Additional types of music also began to raise an eyebrow. Classical and jazz, funk and ambient followed at varying points. Infamous composers such as Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. Romantic era and in some regards, anti-classical compers such as Franz Liszt and modern classical composers such as Samuel Barber who wrote The School for Scandal and who's work Adagio for Strings has gone on to become one of the most used and recognized adagios in movies and other media. Pulling in momentous soundtrack composers such as John Williams or Hans Zimmer who's ambient/new age stylings also fit into numerous soundtracks. Then add in a shake or two of top-40, hip hop, house, country, etc., etc.
My brother once called my style of music "Neathery dramatic" which has a certain ring to it but isn't really usable since it's an inside joke and not an officially recognized thing. I have also been associated as sitting squarely in the "rock opera" genre but I have a bit of a hard time with that one, since my songs are sans vocals (with one exception titled The Patrol and dates back to 2005, having yet to be released). If the intent is to describe sweeping soundscapes that are designed to take you on a ride as if someone was belting out an operatic chorus, then I suppose it somewhat fits. Because I cross many genres when writing, I am not easily dumped into any particular bucket. I suppose that isn't the greatest in some respect and in another, it might be just the thing that causes listeners to make there way through different songs to be exposed to another side of my personality and inspiration.
Tell me what sort of styles you enjoy or look for when listening to certain styles. Do you look for something that will lift your spirits, drop you down a well or perhaps something that you can simply relate to in some manner, nodding your head or tapping a finger?