H R H - R E V I E W S

Juan Carlos Coronado
Renewal Independent

Comments: Voted one of 2005's Top Ten Guitar Heroes by Guitar Player Magazine, Juan Carlos Coronado has flown under the radar for many years outside of his native country of Columbia. Coronado has enjoyed a national level of success fronting the alternative rock band Emma Hoo as well as La Universal, a band that embodied cultural influences from a wide variety of genres.

Renewal is Coronado's first solo release that came to fruition after he moved to Toronto, Canada. The album is described by Coronado as his effort to find his "true voice" on the guitar and features elements from progressive, blues, rock and fusion as well as reflecting his Latin ancestry.

Coronado past musical experiences make Renewal's 13-songs a diverse and inspiring listen. His use of varying textures and elements keep the music fresh. This being his first solo instrumental release it is certainly refreshing to hear the music not get bogged down into a specific genre that only reflects one side of the artists.

His bluesy touch mingles in with his flare for speedy-energized riffs which can be heard on the title track "Renewal" and "Stripped." His Latin roots are apparent in "You & I." Coronado takes up the microphone on "Thinking About You," an acoustic driven number that obviously derives its inspiration from someone close to Coronado.

Renewal is a balanced effort that strongly reflects the heart of the artist. It is nice to hear an instrumental CD release where the influences of the artist are not stamped all over the music. Coronado certainly has his own musical style and proves even with the skills to light up the fret board that restraint from over playing can lead to inspiring musical compositions.

Band Members:
Juan Carlos Coronado all Acoustic & Electric Rhythm & Lead Guitars, Bass, Drums, Sequences, Keyboards.

Track Listing:
Renewal
You & I
Primal Call
Flower Flight
The 8th Floor
Dreaming Gutterflies
Clique
Animal
Republica
Stripped
Hammer the Steel
Thinking About You

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.4/10