Review By Reverend Eye - Metal Ages (U.S.A.)

Intro: Torben Enevoldsen. That's right, most of you are saying to yourselves "Who"? Well, remember the name, because this guy has talent that should ensure that he will be hanging around the Metal scene for some time to come. His playing style is somewhat unique in that he doesn't just sit there and shred as fast as he can on the guitar, but rather makes a point to say, "Hey, this isn't just a solo I am playing here, this is a SONG". I enjoyed this album a lot, read up!

Play by Play: This album starts out as good as it can get! heavy, chunky and grooving! I love the opening structure of "Heavy Persuasion". The only downfall of this tune is it sets a high standard for the rest of the album! As I listen I am hoping the rest of the album is even close to being as cool and edgy as this is. The production is very good on this as well, that's noticeable from the opening riff. All in all this tune is what instrumental tracks should sound like! Desert Groove doesn't disappoint as a follow-up to "Heavy Persuasion". Great riff, great guitar playing and Torben shows that you don't have to be shredding the entire time for an instrumental song to be good. By showing emotion and skillful playing he is able to give the listener a pleasant time throughout this tune. "Cloud Nine" cements my impression of Torben's playing. I am almost guaranteed that the rest of this album will flat out rock as much as these three opening tunes have. The songs are skillfully written to not only stand alone by themselves with rhythms alone but they are also structured to perfectly lay the foundation for some great solo playing. "Cloud Nine" reminds me a little at times of some George Lynch riffing.  There are also some solo runs that are slightly hidden in the background in different parts of this song that add a lot to the listening experience. "Another Page" has some "Vai like" elements to it but stray far enough for Torben to be considered any kind of clone. He continues to masterfully play at a slowed down pace and create very enchanting, groove tunes. I love the guitar tone on this album. The bassist (Flemming Hansen) takes a stand on this tune with some very moving bass chord lines. Definitely a nicely added touch to this song. Just when I think I am in for a some standard riff playing on "Go Figure", Torben throws me for a loop with some killer acoustic interruptions that add a haunting vibe to this song. I love it! "Temple of Hope" comes rolling out of the gate with some nice semi-shred playing. I love the contrast of the neo-classically oriented solo playing over thick and heavy single note rhythms as on the beginning of this tune. Once the transition on this tune takes place Torben again brings in a haunting sound of acoustic chording (or maybe keyboard?) in the background. This definitely takes this song to another level. This is without a doubt another highlight track on the album. "Spacewalk" again reminds me of the writing style of Steve Vai, at least in parts. Very cool structure in Torben's guitar writing style. "Heads Up" is an aural assault on the senses. Aggressive rhythm on top of the, now signature, acoustic melody on top of everything. Continuing the tale of Torben comes "About Time", that once again brings forth a classic example of his playing style. Ah yes, as I was hoping, Torben selects to close the album with the same power it began with.

Conclusion: If you don't came away looking to hear more from this talented guitar player then you are out of your mind! Now I have to look for his first album! Enough said!

Review By Ronny Elst, Featured in Emerald Factory Magazine (Belgium)

This is the second album of Danish guitarist Torben Enevoldsen. His debut album "Guitarisma" was released in 1998 and it was very well received by the international music press . He now released his new album through Lion Music and it contains ten instrumental rock songs who sound very exciting and catchy .

Some instrumental cd's begin to bore after a couple of songs , but Torben Enevoldsen plays very diverse songs , ranging from neo-classical to progressive to melodic . His technique is almost perfect but he can also write real songs . I cannot name a personal favourite , because I like all the songs very much .

Fans of instrumental rock influenced by Eddy Van Halen , Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Satriani will love this album. 80 out of 100

Review By Chris Jamele, Featured in Manifesto Magazine (U.S.A.)

On his second full length effort, Heavy Persuasion, guitarist Torben Enevoldsen embraces a more progressive metal sound than Guitarisma. With great production and all the instruments evenly distributed in the mix, prog-metallers and instrumental guitar fans are going to love this. From the more technical/progressive Satriani grind of "Desert Groove" to the neo-classical metal-flavored "Temple Of Hope", good musicianship and strong melodies are far and wide. Experimenting with rhythm and heavily-insfluenced Dream Theater instrumentation, the incredible "Spacewalk" is one of the types of songs on Heavy Persuasion that sets it apart from a lot of other guitar instrumental discs. Another excellent tune is the the title track, a monster of a cut with a crushing main riff and technical precision. The groove-laden "About Time" is probably one of the borderline tracks that are undoubtedly progressive, but have a hard rock sense of melody and plenty of well-placed shredding. The rest of the tracks here are of the same quality and establish their own mood with ease.

Review by Henry Bocanegra, Featured in the House Of Shred (U.S.A.)

Danish guitar hero Torben Enevoldsen returns with his latest release Heavy Persuasion, and unlike his previous release Guitarisma, this one's a totally instrumental, mind-blowing shredfest. Torben's style is very unique and his tone is impressive. Equally impressive is that Torben manages to stand out in such a demanding genre of music. Check out his leads on "Desert Groove" and the title track "Heavy Persuasion" - they're nothing short of amazing.

Torben is a very diverse guitar player and it shows, "Spacewalk" is a perfect example on how to use electronic beats to complement (and not ruin) a song, and "About Time" experiments successfully with latin percussion and acoustic guitars. Torben is a good songwriter as well - "Another Page" is a perfect example of how to write a good instrumental.

Heavy Persuasion shows a more mature Torben Enevoldsen; a guitarist, songwriter, and artist that's just coming into his own. I for one am looking forward to following his musical journey. 8 out of 10

Review By Joe Kositsky (U.S.A.)

Heavy Persuasion is record #2 for Denmark's premier guitar whiz who serves up ten tracks of instrumental ecstasy. Enevoldsen, backed by the formidable rhythm section of drummer Mickey Hurricane and bassist Flemming Hansen, deliver an album of aggressive yet melodic hard rock/metal tunes showcasing Enevoldsen's progressive and classical influences. Enevoldsen, the principal songwriter possesses a strong sense of both composition and melody, qualities which many of his peers seem to neglect. His melodic lead playing and brawny riffs easily compensates for the absence of vocals. That's not to say that Enevoldsen lacks technical ability, on the contrary, as his playing technically surpasses many of his peers. Stylistically, his writing is reminiscent of top flight shredders like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen however, the former players are not as heavy as Enevoldsen. High points include the aptly titled Desert Groove, the Malmsteenesqe Temple Of Hope and the closing track Off Limits . It is solid instrumental records like this, which dispel the silly notion that technical ability is passe and can not be employed tastefully in the context of a song. With distribution deals firmly in place on both sides of the border, Nightmare Records in the U.S.A. and Unicorn Records in Canada, Heavy Persuasion should garner Enevoldsen a number of new North American fans. 8.5 out of 10

Review By Teddy Jonasson - Featured In Level 11 (Sweden)

A very talented guitar player from Denmark. I first heard him already five years ago, on a demo he sent me. I was very impressed by Torben's great feeling, catchy melodies and nice harmonies. Instrumental records are often a bit boring and often losen the grip of the listener after a while, but not this album. It's keeping my interest through the whole album. Do you like good guitarists, check this out... 7 out of 10

Review By Brian Coles - Featured In "electricbasement.com" (U.S.A.)

Danish guitar whiz Torben Enevoldsen unleashes his follow up to 1998's  Guitarisma, a well received debut throughout parts of Europe. His second effort, assisted by Flemming Hansen on bass and Mickey Hurricane on  drums, is aptly titled Heavy Persuasion. It combines the elements of chugging power chords and playful musings like a melody machine.  The album explodes out of the gate with the title track, which wiggles  up to the listener, then darts about in turbo mode just as things appear to settle. Somehwere between Yngwie's technical proficiency and Satriani's fluidness, Torben presents a series of adrenalizing rockers with effortless changes and timely intricacies. Thing's slow for "Another Page", a dreamy number that may just be the most impressive piece on the disc. Dashing and stalling, then cutting left and right underneath a plodding undercurrent of percussion. Masterful indeed. "Temple of Hope" has a similar elegant rush to Blackmore's ultra medieval version of "Still I'm Sad". "Space Walk" yanks us out of the past and flings us in a future chock full of good vibes and feisty riffs. If there is a drawback, it would be that Torben would probably sound more amazing with the right vocalist and a healthy spread of keyboards. However, instrumental fans will be impressed with the way the music moves. It's hard to believe anyone couldn't be. 3.5 out of 5

Review By Torben Askholm - Featured In Metal and Hard Rock Area (Germany)

2nd album from the Danish guitar wizard, Top notch songwriting, great production and hot playing. This is definitely something for every fan of the heavier side of Satriani and Vai with a dash of Neoclassical. Since the release of his first album "Guitarisma" Mr. Enevoldsen has become more mature in the songwriting department leaving out the vocals, focusing on writing more aggressive without sacrificing the melodies in any way! Featuring a brand new line-up consisting of Ex. Bad Monday bassist Flemming Hansen and Ex. Merzy drummer Mickey Hurricane laying down a solid foundation for the maestro himself especially Mickey's powerful drumming gives the band a stronghold on which to built on. The whole album is more riff orientated than the debut spurring some brutal thrash riffing in places its' almost like they were going for a Prog metal feel, still Neoclassical tendencies shows up in "Temple Of Hope" and "Off Limits"(This song is very diverse with some Dream Theater like riffs and Torben shreds fiercely), "Desert Groove" quickly turned out to be one of my fave tracks very much Metal in feel and with some fine guitar work from Torben and the nice Satriani like piece "Spacewalk" which has some classical metal riffing in-between. Finally the winner "Heads up" with its Awesome riffs and some both beautiful an brutal solo pieces. This album is a definite winner in my book even if I could use a singer in the band!