Discovery: Mike Milan Dedic - Energy

Metal was never part of my past, and it's not particularly high on my list of go-to genres. Nonetheless, I notice backgrounds and ambience in heavier music others would otherwise miss. Be it the cascading industrial sounds of Have a Nice Life, or the chaotic minimalistic torturous Earth - the dark arts are a divided anomaly only topped by the cheap genre known as 'world' music.

Toronto's Mike Milan Dedic is phenomenally skilled at playing the electric guitar - so much so that his Fender Strat cries out in pain. Unlike the more (and Christ, this is a slight exaggeration,) co-ordinated music of Earth, Dedic's styles stray from all zones of heavy metal, to a more specific pigeon holed, shredding. Though immensely talented, and the evidence is there for all to see on YouTube, and hear on "Energy"; Dedic's recorded music lacks a distinct direction in overall sound. This unfortunately won't be achieved by himself in this setup. Even the most talented and world renowned shredders couldn't get me to listen to their shredding while the background is a step away from simply backing music. "Energy", though filled with sparks of talent I could never, ever achieve, is held back by some limitations.

Ed Gibson