The guitar is a marvellous instrument. No matter whether an artist is playing either an acoustic guitar or an electric one, if said artist is gifted enough, then the guitar will be able to transport the imagination of the listener to any place in the world that may look unreachable to us, thanks to the inner power of that guitar playing.
Somebody that knows very well how to create the aforementioned sensations through his remarkable talent, as a guitar player, is the Italian Virtuoso Matteo Mancuso, an artist whose career, especially in the last three years, has reached already some impressive peaks of appreciations from media, fans and fellow artists too.
The 29-years old Sicilian artist is due to release a brand new album called Route 96 later this month, the second in Mancuso's career to date, a record that epitomises perfectly, in its title, the kind of journey that Mancuso is taking his many fans on, through an imaginary sonic highway where every destination is worth the trip that the Italian artist is taking the listeners to.
Throughout the 9 instrumentals part of Mancuso's new record, one can really appreciate not only the enormous talent of the Italian artist on both acoustic and electric guitar, but also the way that Matteo Mancuso deviates effortlessly from pure Rock'N'Roll, by adding different variations to his compositions, adding a real tasty sonic feeling to them.
Supported by a rather impressive Rhythm Section made by Riccardo Oliva (bass) and Gianluca Pellerito (drums), Mancuso's new pieces includes layers of Surf (Solar Wind (Feat. Steve Vai), The Great Wall, In The Morning Light), Space/Rock (Black Centurion), Jazz/Rock (Warm Sunset), Latin/Rock (Isla Feliz (Feat. Antoine Boyer), Fire And Harmony) and even Funk-spiced Rock (L.A. Blues One and the amped up and album closer The Chicken (Feat. Valeriy Stepanov)), displaying an artist that is showcasing all his remarkable skills as a guitarist and, at the same time, clearly having the time of his life, by delving into the music he loves at 360 degrees.
Route 96 is one of those rare records able to project a cinematic appeal not only to those working in the film industry, but also to everyone that loves hearing great guitar playing, providing a blanket of escapism from the troubles of everyday's life. A sonic tonic for the soul.
Route 96 is due to be released on 24th April 2026 via Music Theories Recordings
