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June 30, 2009 |
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The upcoming new album "The Dawn Of Time" by George Bellas will be mixed in early August. The material on this album is a stylistically diverse collection of shorter 3-5 minute songs, some of which are complex, and others that are more traditional in a true neoclassical style. An extreme amount of attention went towards obtaining the highest quality sound for each instrument. The guitar, bass, drums and keyboards all sound awesome. And once again, Marco Minnemann recorded some absolutely phenomenal drum performances. |
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May 30, 2009 |
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April 21, 2009 |
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Step Into The Future
On sale now at: Album Reviews"When I casually glanced at the new album on the Lion Music download center I noticed that this Bellas album only had one track available for download, and thought to myself that it must be a promo song for his upcoming album or something which is not uncommon to see in the music business. After the download started I walked away and came back several minutes later and it was still only about 10% done. "Hmm, Surely it would have been done by now. I do have broadband," I said to myself. It was then I realized that there was something special here, because after going back to look again track 1 on the disk was 75 minutes long! What could it be? Did Lion Music compress the whole album into one download for convenience? No, their other albums aren't like that. What is it then? Did George Bellas really write and record one song that's 75 minutes in length? My curiosity was piqued..." "But an album with one 76 minute song on it means several things to me. One, that they have definitely stretched some musical boundaries, especially in the world of instrumental guitar albums. And two, that they are intellectually capable of writing such a song. He has my attention..." "Sounds pretty intriguing, and indeed the album really is. Thankfully it is not chock full of some guy playing 64th notes and arpeggios as fast as humanly possible the whole time. There's real song structure here writing in the prog epic style, with lots of dynamics and plenty of imaginative ideas, odd time signatures, and slow and fast-paced passages. There is musical genius here, that much is clear..." Read the full review at: http://progrockin.blogspot.com/2009/01/whats-it-gonna-take-to-get-noticed.html "One song – one track, no division, meant to be heard in it’s entirety – ambitious you say; well for axeman George Bellas it comes as no surprise that he can undertake this type of musical endeavor and execute it well. The stuff that he does with the six strings is nearly impossible – as if his last record (Planetary Alignment) exposed just how far he could go; well ladies and gentlemen, he takes it a step further with this seventy-five minute opus... ...it exposes not only Bellas’ abilities as one of the most innovative axemen, but also one who can clearly communicate with his instrument in way that so few shredders know how to; he knows how to make speed work to make it sound appealing to the ears instead of just playing lightning speed arpeggios for the sake of being technical. It’s only January and one of the first contenders for instrumental guitar album of the year has already arrived." Read the full review at: http://www.ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1499 "The range of influences at play from the opening section to the last note are astronomical, and actually even include some references to composers known for writing intergalactic sounding anthems. Jazz ballad section and abrupt references to mixed meters trade places with violin-like volume wells and blurring flurries of arpeggios and speed picking. Neo-classical and world music references come in and out, occasionally resembling tribal drum choruses with otherworldly Middle Eastern thematic material from the guitars and keyboards, at others switching up between Bach preludes and Beethoven piano sonata references. At certain key points the synthesizer atmosphere conjures up images of triumphant prog. rock bands like Yes and Asia, while the thematic material within these ambient lines occasionally resembles music from the “2001, A Space Odyssey” soundtrack..." Read the full review at: http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=225135 "If 75-minute instrumentals are your thing, guitar virtuoso George Bellas has done a heckuva job catering specficially to your tastes with Step Into the Future. What Bellas has cooked up here is a full course meal. There are countless treats for any metalhead with functional taste buds to sink his teeth into on Step Into the Future: It has great, varied beats, ever-changing moods and around three million solos on both the guitar and keyboard. No matter where one decides to take a bite--be it nine minutes in, where the action is slowed down and the solitary keyboard is accompanied by female chanting, or near the 37-minute mark, where one's mind will promptly be bent and sent into outer space--the ingredients are all quite tasty..." Read the full review at: http://www.metal-revolution.com/plugins/content/content.php?content.1992 "Although I would personally rate this as a bold and extremely entertaining listen, your average metal fan will probably have a little trouble getting past the time required for one complete listen. It could be called a sort of instrumental metal gnosis, only being available and understandable to those with the desire to dig deep and to ponder over things longer than your average listener. But regardless, George Bellas is one of those amazing instrumentalists that have been reminding the world that America can still produce musicians with the ability to play more than 3 or 4 lousy chords. If you’ve got the time to spend, and you are not one to be straight-jacketed by the concept of progressive music having to fit a certain stylistic template, this is something to check out..." Read the full review at: |
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February 17, 2009 |
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Now Available! |
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December 4, 2008 |
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The new album by George Bellas will be released on January 23, 2009 |
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August 31, 2008 |
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Coming in January 2009Step Into The FutureThe album "Step Into The Future" by George Bellas will be released in January 2009. This new album consists of one song that is 76 minutes long. The album will be available worldwide on Lion Music. For more information visit: |
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June 8 , 2008 |
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New Album Complete!The new album "Step Into The Future" by George Bellas is complete and in the final stages of production. This new album is the most massive body of music that George will have ever released. It was composed in an intense frenzy of inspiration between December 9th, 2007 and January 12th, 2008. The writing process took place every single day with George frantically composing note by note with only paper and pencil. The album once again stretches the boundaries of the composer's prolific abilities and utilizes compositional elements not found on any of his other releases. "Step Into The Future" is ultra-modern and progressive in style and very elegantly displays a vast dynamic range of sound. There are melodies on the album that are pin-drop soft, subdued and spine-shivering, and then there are moments of bombastic explosiveness that reveal an entirely different madman type character. There is a big surprise to the album that will be revealed just prior to it's release and will instantly set it apart from the current trend.
"Step Into The Future" will be released worldwide on the Lion Music record label. For more information visit: |
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May 30 , 2008 |
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Planetary Alignment
On sale now at: Album Reviews"Maestro George Bellas departs from the neoclassical excursions he is best known for on his latest release PLANETARY ALIGNMENT, a mind-boggling exercise in advanced musical concepts that simultaneously frustrates and inspires. Bellas is scary good, with a comprehensive knowledge of music theory making him a veritable human compendium of obscure chords, scales and rhythmic ideas, and on PLANETARY ALIGNMENT he introduces the listener to a startling array of them. Check out the drama of "New Worlds Discovered," the creatively explosive "Parallel Universe," the space trip-out "Gravitons," or the intense "Supersymmetry" for samples of George's prowess..." Read the full review at: http://www.georgebellas.com/MainSite/Pages/Reviews.html |
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April 20 , 2008 |
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Planetary Alignment
On sale now at: Album Reviews"The point that I’m trying to make here is that, with the release of “Planetary Alignment”, George Bellas has to be seen as one of the virtuoso guitarist/composer’s of his generation. The music on this release isn’t just melodic rock soloing over rock steady drumming and standard rhythms, it’s exactly the opposite and, as a result, is a totally refreshing listen. Even to my ears that like their regular dose of Satriani style playing there comes a moment when you wish someone would just be brave enough to take all those techniques they have learnt and mould it into something different. For many that would mean leaving the comfort zone and doing something that might see them fall flat on their fret boards. To be honest the ability to do that would also involve someone who is harmonically trained, someone who knows the rules and is therefore aware how to break them, that’s how music moves forward." Read the full review at: http://www.hardrockhouse.com/NewReleases/GeorgeBellas.htm "It appears that guitarist George Bellas is determined to keep the electric guitar virtuoso scene alive, his last few releases have seen a steady pushing of the envelope and setting new personal standards for not only his performing skills, but an elevated standard in sophistication for compositions as well. This latest release - Planetary Alignment sees Bellas taking his compositional direction into the most progressive standards I have heard him do, while his last project - Palace Terrace offered a nice take on Neo-Classical progressive metal, what he has done with this cd is much more." Read the full review at: http://www.proggnosis.com/MUSIC_DBCDInfo.asp?txtCDID=26021 "It is without a doubt, almost a certainty, that one needs to listen to and explore the musical aspects and content of this new release many times over before one can appreciate it for what it is -- a masterpiece of individual and complex pieces of art (in the truest sense of the word). Only then will Planetary Alignment come into focus and let your mind explore the treasures found within it. This album is not for the faint of heart or the musical listener who likes to rush through an album without actually taking the time to let it speak for itself. For those who truly love the guitar sound and really appreciate virtuosos who really are just that, this is a must buy. If you aren’t in that category, you might want to listen to a friend’s copy first to see if is right for you." Read the full review at: http://www.metalexpressradio.com/menu.php?main=reviews&id=2529 "This has to be the hardest working guitarist on the planet (pun intended). Just under a year ago, he released his project Palace Terrace. Now, he’s back with a new solo offering. I have heard this man perform on many artists records as well as his own and I have to say that he has managed to outshine himself here as he has gone out to create a record that simply makes you say…WOW! I must admit that the whole neo-prog metal scene is getting quite boring now and even as much as I love Yngwie, his music is even redundant after a while. So, what must be done to keep things fresh or try to put a different spin on the scenario? Simply add attitude and intensity while you are sincere at the same time." Read the full review at: http://www.live4metal.com/reviews-595.htm "Whilst “Planetary Alignment” may not be as immediately “understood” as other instrumental releases reviewed this month (Marco Sfogli, Paul Gilbert) don’t let that put you off as George is more unique and definitely has his own sound going. Granted you can hear a little Uli Jon Roth and at times Brian May in here, but Bellas has carved out a sound, technique and method of writing that is so unique is impossible for it to not attract your attention. Just be prepared to sit down with this album and absorb it over numerous spins. The epic 8 minute opener “Colour By Numbers” kicks the album off in a very progressive manner and from here on it George introduced other themes, subtleties and ideas throughout the rest of the album." Read the full review at: http://www.virtuosityone.com/reviewroundup0308.htm |
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February 15 , 2008 |
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Now Available!
Planetary Alignment The new instrumental album by George Bellas is arguably the most progressive album yet from the world renowned guitarist and composer. Uniquely crafted, be ready to expect the unexpected. On sale now at: |
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November 30, 2007 |
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Now Available!
Flying Through Infinity Progressive neo-classical rock from George Bellas. Palace Terrace is Bellas' first vocal project full of soaring vocals, rich harmonic passages, complex arrangements with a virtuoso symphonic approach. On sale now at: |
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September 29, 2007 |
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The new album by George Bellas will be released on February 15, 2008
Planetary Alignment The album will be released worldwide through the Lion Music record label. Visit the Planetary Alignment Website |
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August 19, 2007 |
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The new album by George Bellas will be released on November 16, 2007
Flying Through Infinity The album will be released worldwide through the Lion Music record label. Visit the Palace Terrace Website |
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July 17, 2007 |
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July 16, 2007 |
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George Bellas will be conducting a Guitar Clinic and Open Counseling sessions at GIT on November 15th, 2007. GIT is located at: Musicians Institute 1655 North McCadden Place Hollywood, California 90028 (323) 860-1161 |
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June 30, 2007 |
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Album UpdateThe debut album "Flying Through Infinity" by George's new band Palace Terrace is complete. |
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June 29, 2007 |
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Album UpdateGeorge's new instrumental album "Planetary Alignment" will be mixed, mastered and completed by July 31st. |
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May 15, 2007 |
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Masterclass in SpainGeorge's Masterclasses at the ACADEMIA DE GUITARRA located in Malaga, Spain are confirmed for the beginning of June 2007. Reserve your time for a Masterclass by calling ACADEMIA DE GUITARRA at 952-32-88-40. George will also be doing some impromptu live appearances while in Spain. 
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