“The Awakening” is a truly amazing song that is action packed with superhero like licks, arpeggios and melodic harmonies. The main melody line has a great hook and it really sets up for what’s to come. Shredders beware the wrath of this German born shred machine.

“Dreams” opens up with some exquisite metal guitar riffin’. German uses some great odd chord combinations through this section that aren’t easily missed. Then finally at around the two minute mark he zooms in and shreds his butt off! Schauss smokes the fretboard with a very tasty neo-classical lead. German was defiantly going for something different with this song, because his rhythm playing was the main focus. The lead played a minor role compared to the rhythm. It’s not everyday you hear shred players back off the nitro to let another style dominate the track.

“The Dawn” is a prime example of what neoclassical shred should sound like. He whips out plenty of arpeggios and pedal runs to last you a life time. Schauss’s technique is simply breath taking. Sure the world is filled with millions of neoclassical shredders, but how many of them can play at light speed and still keep a melody line going? Well German is one of those players. He’s packed with soul and you’ll hear it with every note that pours out from his hands. “The Dawn” has plenty of cool licks, runs and sweeps that are executed perfectly and with the utmost melody in mind. I especially liked the lead phrasing at 4:01 that carried on until the end of the song. It was a great harmony and the choice of notes was priceless.

“The Final Showdown” begins with some super fast and heavy riffin’ that leads into the onslaught of hyper speed shredding. German defiantly goes for the dark and evil shred approach in this one, blending melodic speedy harmonic minor runs and pedals. Pay close attention to the main melody line in this song, its very catchy and will have you rewinding it over and over.

“Fire” is a very different when compared to the rest of the cd. It has a very upbeat guitar nature that reminds me of the old school Savatage tunes. Don’t ask why, it just does. This song is another great rhythm based one that is just consumed with passion and fury. German will defiantly keep you banging right along! Then enter the main lead line. Can we say tapping from hell?!? German executes a super tight and shred-o-riffic finger tapping phrase that will have your mouth dropping to the floor. Yes, I said floor.

“Freedom Metal Dance” is the shred fest from hell to say the least! German doesn’t back off the gas pedal for even a second during the intro. From first note to last, he barrels through it with superior technique and clarity. Then the song hoops into a progressive jam with some very interesting riffing selections. After that, Schauss dips back to the blazing neoclassical induced fits of rage. Hell I don’t think my metronome could keep up with him! Overall this is a great tune and offers a lot to players who enjoy raw speed.

“Chasing the Dragon” is the singing star on the cd. German pulled out all the stops and devised an extremely melodic shred classic. The song has endless melodies that just weep with soul. His main melody line established a tight vibe and he builds upon it throughout the whole song. I really enjoyed the arpeggio selections that German used throughout the song, because they locked in and didn’t sound out of place. They matched the rhythm sections perfectly and will steal in the listener’s attention away. I’d also like to point out his creative use of keyboards. Schauss used angelic like effects on the keyboard to emulate a choral like tone. I could really imagine myself soaring through the sky while listening to this masterpiece.

“Sunset” brings the demo cd to a close with a very soulful jam. The guitars are mainly clean leaving German with plenty of headroom to work with. This song was one of my personal favorites, because it showed the other side of a shred demon. So we know he can shred his pants off with the greatest of ease, but can he play slowly and with melody. And the jury says, GUILTY! “Sunset” is filled with emotion and passion. German poured his soul into this song and you can tell with every note. He created some of the best melody lines I’ve ever heard in an outrageous shred cd. I’ve reviewed truck loads of cds, and its not every day that a player really moves you with a melody line. I would really like to commend German for his god like performance in this song. It is truly a master piece, and I can’t wait to hear more tunes like this come from his hands.

All in all what else can I say otherwise that this cd is amazing, breathtaking and a must own for any fan of shred with soul. Classic shred masterpieces like “Chasing the Dragon” and “Sunset” will defiantly hit home hard. German Schauss is no stranger to being an educated player. He graduated from the Berklee School of music and studied under guitar heroes like Joe Stump. Schauss is a guitar player to keep close tabs on, because missing a new song is truly a loss to mankind. Along with that if you’d like to hear some new stuff, stop by www.Esoteriqaband.com, Schauss’s new band. Esoteriqa are a Boston based Funk / Rock / Metal band that are certainly attracting a lot of attention. German I give you four out of four stars for this killer demo, you deserved it! Please stop by German’s Mp3.com website to hear some audio samples from this demo.