History & Biography Guitarist Rick Renstrom released the Future Intense demo in 1999. He handled all instruments himself and included Classical music. The Fire Within was the next demo. Several of the demo tracks were heard on the sole record, which was released by Mascot Records.Guests included singers Wade Black and Rob Rock (Renstrom was Rob Rock’s guitarist), as well as drummer Richard Christy who was part of Tiwanaku and Leash Law. Renstrom had introduced Christy to Death main man Chuck Schuldiner as the latter had engineered his band Wicked Ways’ album. Renstrom himself would be heard on the Leash Law album Dogface next. Thrash Corner Records reissued the record for the USA.
Renstrom was diagnosed with a congenital birth defect of his upper extremities and had to overcome this in order to function or to play guitar. Rick was inspired to play the guitar after seeing Yngwie Malmsteen on television. His first band was called Shattered Innocence while still a teenager. He was also heard on The Guitar Odyssey: Tribute To Yngwie Malmsteen and Warmth In The Wilderness: A Tribute To Jason Becker.
Reviews RICK RENSTROM - UNTIL THE BITTER END - MASCOT
Rick Renstrom is a new guitar-shredding, axe-wielding, note-assaulting musician who like his hero - the once-venerable Yngwie - lives in Florida. Although Until The Bitter End is his first album, Renstrom has been active in several bands in the past and is currently also playing with Rob Rock. Rock, along with others like Mat Sinner, Wade Black and Richard Christy, appears on the CD. Yes, this very much follows the pattern of a Yngwie CD. The guests come and go making cameo appearances, but the constant here is the soloing. The CD is one long solo. Renstrom can play and he is not about to hide his talents. He can play the notes and play them with incredible speed, but he somehow never loses control. The proceedings are always under control, which can be a good or a bad thing. After all, he should throw caution to the wind and just blast once in a while. He is good enough to pull it off. As things stand, Until The Bitter End is an entertaining and awe-inspiring album with a variety of material ranging from heavy metal to Classical adaptations. There is a reason Renstrom rhymes with Rainstorm after all! - Ali "The Metallian"
Interviews
|
