Sir Stephen of Dudley - 2025 - Sir Stephen of Dudley

(39:15; Melodic Revolution Records)






















I have no idea why multi-instrumentalist Stephen Speelman (Unified Past, Chief Big Way) chose this particular name for his latest adventure, but for me Dudley will always be the town between Wolverhampton and Birmingham which forms part of the Black Country and is full of great people, wonderful beer, and lots of industrialisation. This instrumental album is very much a rock release with some progressive tendencies where it is all about the electric guitar, taking us back to the days when the likes of Vai and Satriani were creating a huge impact. I must confess to always being nervous when confronted with a new guitar-led instrumental release as while some are excellent and thoroughly enjoyable, others are exercises in ego and technical ability as opposed to musicality, so what would this one be like?

I am happy to confirm this is the former, and while there is no doubt that Stephen is a master of his instrument there is always a reason for what is taking place, not just showing off. I always state a fine example of this is the “Stars” charity single pulled together by Ronnie James Dio – just check out the solo by Eddie Ojeda against the one by Yngwie Malmsteen. One is the garish guitarist in Twisted Sister and the other is a shredder recognised for his speed and ability yet there is no doubt who is the master as Eddie listened to the underlying melody and then adapted to it and provided something really musical. That is what we have here as Stephen can shred when he wants to, yet the lead melody line is musical, harmonious and enjoyable as opposed to just an exercise in proving how quickly he can move up and down the neck. Yes, he can do that as well, but only when it makes sense to the piece which means the listener stays invested throughout which means I feel this is closer to some of Vai’s work such as ‘Passion and Warfare’ as opposed to the ego trips we are often subjected to.

This is a guitarist’s album where he demonstrates huge self-control, ensuring the melodies and harmonies combined with technique ensure the listener gravitates towards the speakers and happily turns it up as opposed to being blasted away with music which has no meaning but is more of an exercise. Definitely one for lovers of guitar-driven and guitar-led music where the album delivers that in spades. 

Kev Rowland, June 2026

Links:
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https://mrrmusic.com/

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