Tony MacAlpine is your classic overachiever.
He is not only an excellent classical pianist, but also one of the better guitar shredders to emerge after the Yngwie Malmsteen invasion.
Like previous releases, he gives the listener short piano pieces that offer an inkling about his ability behind the ivories, but the main focus is on heavy metal instrumentals.
The session tends to be very monotonous with less than memorable melodies and little variety in his guitar sound.
MacAlpine's speed is impressive, and drummer Deen Castronovo is excellent throughout, but the predictable song structures limit the possibilities of the music.
"The Violin Song" and "Inflection" are the most interesting moments, mostly due to the presence of former Malmsteen sidekick Jens Johansson.
The latter tune actually has a fusion feel rather than a metal one, and is an area they should have explored further.
Despite the self-indulgent playing, MacAlpine definitely gives his shredder fans a release they can sink their teeth into.
For those who were expecting something fresh from this talented musician, Premonition offers little progression from his earlier releases.
A slightly better than average release in a tired genre.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opus 28 #18Tony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 00:49 | 1 MB | 3 MB |
| 2 | The Violin SongTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 06:00 | 13 MB | 41 MB |
| 3 | Ghost of VersaillesTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 4 | Tower of LondonTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 04:15 | 9 MB | 30 MB |
| 5 | RusalkaTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 07:15 | 16 MB | 49 MB |
| 6 | Gila MonsterTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 03:37 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 7 | The CzarTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 05:22 | 12 MB | 37 MB |
| 8 | InflectionTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 05:13 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 9 | Opus 28 #3Tony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 00:53 | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| 10 | AnimationTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 05:05 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 11 | Winter in OsakaTony MacAlpine | Tony MacAlpine | Play | 04:37 | 10 MB | 32 MB |
| 12 | Rondeau Partitia # 2 | Tony Macalpine | Play | 01:22 | 3 MB | 5 MB |
| 13 | Maestro Di Capella | Tony Macalpine | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 53 mins | 122 MB | |||||
| 53 mins | 356 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deen Castronovo | Drums |
| 2 | Tony Franklin | Bass |
| 3 | Jens Johansson | Keyboards |
| 4 | Tony MacAlpine | Composer, Guitar, Keyboards, Primary Artist, Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |