Saturday, April 09, 2005 CD REVIEW: By - "Jester" Well, The CD's were great. I loved every bit of it. Each track was diffeent from the other so you could tell your on a new song but its all good. The Music stayed very consistant never a true to itself. I love the shredding, its amazing how good you are. I have listened to them plenty of times. The vocals are not great but not bad I like it it is different and the music in some way or another harmonizes greatly witht he vocals. I really like the tone of the guitar. It sounds perfect for the style. The vocals compliment it well like you have such bright yet dark tone and you have the scratchy dark vocals it seems perfect together the way you play it. Keep rocking and I'd love to get more cds ^_^ I don't know what else to say other then YOU ROCK ^_^. Stringed Vengeance -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vengeance On Strings!!!!!! By: M. Britten StratFire Magazine 890-009-451 Tues, April 2nd, 2004 Travis Smith's phenomenal, linear style guitar playing has set fire to many ears that have heard him. His full attack, shred pumping, string pounding antics have catapulted him to the realm of guitar hero status. The repertoire of music that he has created spans over 15 years of dedication to his craft. Travis is self trained, well rounded, brutally fast, and extremely inventive. He is loud and aggressive in the vain of Yngwie Malmsteen, Chris Impelliteri, Dream Theater, Michael Angelo, Dave Chastain, Nocturnus, Cacophony, Paul Gilbert, Andre Segovia and many other guitar masters. He has performed and recorded with 4 bands.. 1. Blood Thirst Enemy - Travis' "pissed off bumble bee" speed, linear phrasing, violent shred, and graceful classically influenced playing hyped this band up immensely in the Elizabethtown area. They played out and recorded a demo cd. Due to Travis' personal faith in Christ he moved on from this band.. pursuing the lords will for his music. 2. Destiny's Web - A band where Travis played keyboards when he was much younger. The music was dream theaterish, catchy, and very powerful. Travis' main long time influence Kem Hess was lead guitar. Blending heavy, advanced, tight rhythms with Travis' classical style of piano/keyboards.. this band broke up not too long after they got together 3. Melodies Last Wish - An acoustic side project where Travis wrote most of the music and sang while his acoustic guitarist belted out the music. This group setting was a way that Travis could express his vocal abilities, play out often, and make some decent cash. After a period of time writing, performing, and recording they stopped playing due to scheduling and personal directions. 4. Stringed Vengeance - The name Travis uses to 100% display his own vision, drive, and direction. Stringed Vengeance is 100% Travis doing everything he wants to do. All music, arrangements, instrumentation, vocals, and lyrics are done by him. Below is his complete collection of what he has recorded, performed, and produced. Face Of Golgotha Concerto's For Electric Guitar & Piano Opus .1- Neoclassical fury! This cd is extraordinary. Fusing his virtuoso, classical piano playing with lightning fast guitar shred... each concerto on this cd delves into some of the most incredible music ever created. This cd is extremely unique, ground breaking, and displays Travis at a level ahead of most well known NeoShred Guitarists. This cd in my opinion is a master piece. If your into classical music, guitar playing, Bach, Mozart..etc etc you must have it! Close To Misery- Arrangements were tightened, guitars shredded to the maximum point of insane, and Travis' soulful voice creating the signature style he's well known for. Heavy, well structured rhythms cascade to the dancing melodies that Mr. Smith has devised for this album. The guitar playing is brutally fast, sonically clean, and speed oriented with deadly precision. A Travis Smith classic. DragonShred- Travis shreds like a dragons claws tearing threw 6 strings! brutal vocals with searing power, more of those insanely wicked solos, catchy rhythmic songs, all weaved into this cd recorded after Close To Misery. If your into heavy, death, pulsing neoclassical metal... you gotta check this out. Shredtasia Concerto's In Shred Minor For Electric Guitar & Violin Opus .2- A companion to Face Of Golgotha and equally breath taking. This time Travis plays those devilishly complex solo's to classically oriented violin. Bach, Mozart, Paganini hyped up 1000 times with pure neoshred playing. This is a masterful display of musicianship. Excellent beyond words. Dark Overture- Neo- Style solo's accommodating wickedly heavy rhythms. All in the style of the great composers but composed by one of the masters himself... Travis Smith. A brutal montage of heavy music... Belting out one superve song after another!...and again... how does he play like that! lol Moonlight Shred Sonata- More guitar/violin shred by the master. New exciting movements, caprice's, concerto's... you name it. A must for serious neo-style fans. Absolutely breath taking. Stringed Vengeance- After you think he can't possible do anymore.. Stringed Vengeance rips threw the speakers with deadly precision. This guitarist is addicted to speed, excellence, furious picking, and incredible compositions. SV is a cd that keeps tearing your ears apart each time you hear it! Shred Symphony- A symphony of deadly shred. 6 strings, Travis' fingers... no other words are needed lol Shred Theater- Sit down, relax, but be warned... you won't need popcorn in this theater. How a man can play with such a feel and command of his instrument astonishes me. Neoshred master Travis Smith delivers with a vengeance!!! and yes... he did it again! amazing... Requiem- More power, more passion, more shred!!! Violins, cellos, classically influenced chord structures, scales, & arpeggio's. All to Travis' extreme over the edge, razor sharp, insanely fast guitar playing. Demo sampler cds are available for free! if you'd like one sent to you... email Travis at ShredSymph@aol.com or his fiance' at Bear4Spot@aol.com Email Travis at: ShredSymph@aol.com Special thanx to Timmy, Stephanie (I Love You!!... My Faithful Woman...for standing by a frustrated young musician who is trying to follow his path for Christ... you are the breathing force of my musical desires, hopes, and dreams), Peco, Zana, James, Justin & Dana, Gina Zamperelli, Mandy Lion, Kubrick... my faithful fan and friend, Paul Autry (SpotLight Magazine), Strat Fire Magazine, CEI Entertainment (Illinois Office) all my friends and fans all over the world! Stringed Vengeance - Lyrics: Words & Music By: T. L. Smith (Note: I have included as many songs as i could on this page..) SKINLESS Its sweet dark Poisoned the light that soothes me Into my scars whisper the lie that used me Into my death Into my breath consuming Branded a man Branded a thing thats human Couldn't make a mess of me Branded hollow as a man Step into my misery Breathing skinless as i am Nailed into a bitter pool Pouring outward all his life No he wasn't just a fool Cuz' his name was Jesus Christ I could live inside his thorns Find out what it means to be Walk inside his open wounds Failing from the light to see Giving all he had to give Written in the book of life All of this so i could live And his name was Jesus Christ! Into the dark Skinless the fire finds me Drink of my scars Into the death that binds me Gavel cracks hard Sentenced by all mistreated Facelss and marred Into myself retreated Couldn't make a mess of me Branded hollow as a man Step into my misery Breathing skinless as i am Nailed into a bitter pool Pouring outward all his life No he wasn't just a fool Cuz' his name was Jesus Christ I could live inside his thorns Find out what it means to be Walk inside his open wounds Failing from the light to see Giving all he had to give Written in the book of life All of this so i could live And his name was Jesus Christ! All father for you.... Fall into death Without Christ Skinlessness Without breath Please heed my words He'll return Blind will see I will breath........... Couldn't make a mess of me.......... Save Me........... Save me Save me Jesus Christ save me Save me Save me Jesus Christ Save me Save me Jesus Christ Save me Save me Jesus Christ Save me Save me.......... HOLLOW MAN Beheaded for the world to see In midnight eyes inject disease The serpents sting eternally In skull and dust is where i sleep Ill show you what i am Into my faith its made of sand Where i am chained inside I am a hollow man Ill show you who i am Breathing the scar Obsessed by dark Tongue shrivelled up into the cup Licking my poison made of lust Hindered to see my only lord Jesus..... The coffins edge lies silently The spiders dance for me to feed Inside my ribs a lair of worms They whisper while i burn Ill show you what i am Into my faith its made of sand Where i am chained inside I am a hollow man Ill show you who i am Breathing the scar Obsessed by dark Tongue shrivelled up into the cup Licking my poison made of lust Hindered to see my only lord Jesus..... Im a hollow man (Ive had enough) Of your moaning Of your lieing Of your whispers Just let me be (Ice had enough) Of your Groaning Of your Lieing Of your Whispers Born in negativity (Ive had enough) Of your heartache Of your faking Of your sorrow Just leave me be (Ive had enough) Of your Torment Cuz' your boring Of Your sorrow Just let me be Im a hollow man.... STITCH Empty space inside my head Where the screw fell out of me Stitched together from my eyes So that lies could only see Of broken bones and nasty cuts where the venom Spelled my name Pulled together made of flesh So that i could breathe again What i feel - Inside my head Nothings real - Inside its dead Emptiness takes all it wants riding on a snake Spreading harm Jesus pray for me That ill awaken from a dream Fear of the dark Closer eyes burning in my heart In my dreams spreading harm to me Set me free!!!!!!! Pulled apart for all to see a nightmare made of me Injected poison in my soul the truth of growing old Turn my switches made of dust until i finally rust Of all the things you made of me i am a death machine Nothings real inside my head What i feel inside is dead Emptiness takes all it wants riding on a snake Spreading harm Jesus pray for me That ill awaken from a dream Fear of the dark Closer eyes burning in my heart Jesus knows and prays for me That ill awaken from this dream.... CROWN OF THORNS In the dark threw your eyes played with misery Pulled inside twice desquised still you follow me Crown of thorns in your skin where u set me free Your the one let me in cuz' your all i need Lies- Its how i feel inside Cry- My only way to hide Dead- Ive been since i was born Brea my songs Thursday, April 07, 2005 Stringed Vengeance - CD REVIEW by: Nick Stringed Vengeance (2 cd set) - CD Review by: Nick The CD reminds me of Iron Maiden. Not musically except perhaps a little in the vocals. I mean in staying true to the sound. You can tell and reconize what each song is, without it sounding like anything else. It stays true to it's real sound in all the songs, and your still able to tell the diffirence among them. All the tracks are extremely original with of course truely amazing guitar. My favorite tracks are un-decided, but I am partial to number 5, and number 2. I have perhaps listened to it maybe 10 times or so. The guitar is very virtuoso like. It is shred, but nothing like I have ever heard before. Sort of how Zakk Wylde's shred is country like, that it has a feel that you can reconize instantly when you hear it, these tracks have that. It's more based around lead guitar and not as many riffs, although the riffs are good, and harmonize or match with the vocals a lot, which sounds good. The best feature on the CD is of course the guitar. It is very very very good. I still cannot comprehend how anyones fingers can move that fast and still have the music be musical, but this does accomplish that. The style stays the same and remains diffirent within each song. It is truely original shred, and very original music. It is very calm, yet at the same time, heavy. I can not place what it is about it, it is kind of demonic. So intense, and fast, yet, soft. I think the guitar tone has some of to do with that. Which is very clean, with a little crunch, I think perhaps this gives the music it's original feel. The guitar tone. Keep up the amazing work, and get your music out there. Great CD's. They have gone into the rotation of my CD player. Thanks for the CD's man. My compliments on the recording and the dedication you must have. review #2 Travis Smith - All Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals, Drum Programming, and full assault shred!!!!!!!!!! the band