ALIVE 
- album reviews - 

"I’ve been taking a break from my blog for a while now since I’m working on other writing projects, but once in a while I come across music that is so good that I have to talk about it. This musician is named Igor Lisul and he’s from Kikinda, Serbia, a small city near the Hungarian and Romanian borders. He’s been playing guitar since a young age and he specialises in art/prog rock guitar instrumentals inspired by guitarists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. A lot of people listen to music for the lyrics or vocals, but I’m someone who has a big appreciation for the guitars and instrumentals and instrumental rock is a very under appreciated genre of rock music, but the truth is these instrumental songs of the early 60s were important in shaping the classic rock we know and love. So many British baby boomer guitarists call The Shadows’ “Apache” one of those life changing songs and one of the first songs that inspired them to play guitar and one of the first they learnt to play.
I love all instrumental rock music from the early 60s stuff like the Ventures and the Shadows to more psychedelic jams to jazz and classical influenced prog rock to heavier instrumental rock of the 80s. It’s all amazing and I love to see musicians from my generation keep the genre alive. Side note: if you want me to write a blog post about my all time favourite rock instrumentals, leave a comment. I want to write things that my readers will enjoy reading.
Alive is Igor’s latest album, released on 21 October 2022. It’s a short album at just six songs long with all being around 3 minutes, but it’s a great album that showcases his talents as a guitarist. The instrumentals are something that speak to the soul and conjure feelings of nostalgia for a time you may not have been alive in, if you’re a millennial or zoomer. The title track is reminiscent of the 80s and I visualise neon lights and retro-futuristic aesthetics when I hear it. “Strong Spirits – Guitarra Virtuossa” is a bit heavier. “Running Free” has a free-spirited feel. “In Your Arms” is more of a slower instrumental. I also love the closer “Amazing Journey” and it’s a perfect bookend for the album, with its sound reminding me of the opening track/title track. It’s an album you can easily fall in love with if you’re a fan of instrumental hard rock with prog characteristics. It makes great music for studying or relaxing. I find I can relax easier when I listen to instrumental music.
It’s not his only release this year. The hardworking musician released Magical Dreams just months earlier in August. He’s been releasing music since 2020 and he composes all the music himself. That’s incredible! He also does a lot of the work on the albums himself and I always have so much respect for creators who do everything themselves – DIY is something I love seeing a lot in music."

- Angie Moon, www.crazyonclassicrock.com - 


"Igor Lisul is far from your average guitar player. Not content to rehash six-string clichés, he endeavors to push the boundaries of his instrument. His latest EP, Alive, is a collection of six instrumental tracks that feature guitar as the melodic centerpiece. The 38-year-old Serbian produced the EP himself and performs all the accompanying instruments as well.
First up we hear the title track, Alive, an upbeat rocker with a joyous melody that is characterized by a heavy use of slides. Underlying synth textures give the song a dreamy quality and Lisul kicks into another gear during the bridge section; unleashing a barrage of technical virtuosity. Despite the speed of his playing, however, there is no compromise on musicality.
He shows a softer side on track four, In Your Arms. It’s a slow, romantic groove, but is again, big on melody. Sweet, expressive bends whisk the listener away and provide a nice contrast to the fast pace that dominates the rest of the EP.
Igor Lisul approaches his songwriting the same way a classical pianist would. There’s no mindless, pentatonic noodling here; Alive features playing that is nuanced, thoughtful, and awe-inspiring. Guitarists need to hear this man play!"

- The Ark of Music, www.tharkofmusic.com - 


"Absolutely blowing us away with his compositions and guitar stylings, Igor Lisul has reached euphoric heights with his new EP, Alive. Keep reading as we give our thoughts on the record, as well as a background on this immensely talented artist.
Kicking off his journey in learning guitar at the young age of 10 years old, Igor Lisul has been perfecting his craft for nearly 30 years at this point. On his 4th full length album of 2022, which is an insane feat, all of that work and sheer passion has come through on Alive. Riveting from the opening notes and taking the listener on a melodic journey through style and sound, it’s a masterclass in instrumental music. Of course, we are urging everyone to crank this up and get listening as soon as you can.

Through six songs that span right around 20 minutes in length, Igor goes in immediately, barely even giving the listener a chance to chill over the course of the runtime. For a fully instrumental record, in our personal experience it usually takes so much to hold our attention. With that being said, he had our interest piqued from start to finish as he directly infused a great deal of passion, soul, and his unique guitar-based delivery. So he has said, he puts an accent on the melody of his music, which comes through beautifully as you can continue to listen. Even though there’s no lyrics, he claims that his guitar “sings about love, soul, childhood, nature and other beautiful things”. We fully back up that claim as you’re continuously experiencing pure musicianship and artistry consistently.

Serving as his fourth record of the year as mentioned, it’s outrageous to think that one person has that much creativity bursting inside of them. In fact, this is just an EP compared to the other full lengths, but this is 100% a great jumping off point to explore the other records. Alive gives you such a nice taste of what to expect, but in a tasteful way that doesn’t feel overbearing. It’s been so long since a guitar led piece like this has made us feel drama and suspense, which is why again we’re recommending everyone click the play button!"


- We Write About Music, https://www.wewriteaboutmusic.com/​ -


"Serbian solo artist Igor Lisul’s latest release is the rock album ‘Alive’. Igor began playing guitar at a young age of 10, and it’s the back bone of the music he creates. He’s one of those unique guitarists, like Hendrix, that plays with the left hand and the reversed string order, a unique technique that creates a spectacular sound. He’s also mastered other instruments such as the piano and even accordion, but his true love is the electric guitar. He’s trained on the guitar extensively over the years, truly mastering the craft while also developing a sound all his own. He’s already released over 20 albums over just a little over 10 years, since 2011. 
​The new album ‘Alive’ features 6 original tracks by Igor Lisul. The guitar virtuoso shines in this instrumental album. The beautiful melodies he makes on the guitar express more than lyrics could. As the name would suggest, the album is uplifting and vibrant. You can feel the love and emotion Igor puts into every soaring note he plays on the guitar. Listen to it below and enjoy the ride!"

- MuzicNotez.com , https://muzicnotez.com -

"This song was different from any review I have ever done. This was an entire instrumental, but as someone who was in band all my childhood, I really appreciated this track. The electric guitar is the star of the song and truly makes you feel alive. The first thing I thought while listening was an intro to a really dope anime show, or possibly a song that may play during a really cool battle scene. Either way, Igor should work on getting some tv placement with this song. I'm no expert on this type of music, but I enjoyed it. If you enjoy rock, instrumentals, some really dope guitar shreds, then this song is for you. Rock on fam."

- https://www.ftwvibeco.com/ -