SEAN MERCER

Artist's Website
Contact Artist
USA

Warranties and Disclaimers

"Sean Mercer began playing acoustic guitar at age ten. It took five years before he got his first electric guitar a used Morris Strat copy.  Around this time Jethro Tull, Eric Clapton and Santana were Sean's early inspirations. He spent time learning their licks and riffs.  After playing in high school bands He performed in both duo and four-piece top forty bands while studying electrical engineering at the University of Cape Town. All this in the early 1980's. Given his less than enthusiastic appreciation for the standard rock vocal outfit, Sean Mercer was not entirely displeased when fledgling attempts at vocal
orientated rock failed due to his well, exacting requirements.  In the late 1980s, Sean Mercer perfects his technique. To this end, his practice routines now run for several hours a day. To better harness his creativity, He undertakes the study of music theory and composition with a private tutor. Working as a recording engineer during the early
1990's enabled Sean's to record the original neoclassical instrumental compositions. He has engineered commercial recording sessions and has occasionally worked as a session guitarist. He maintained a full roster of private guitar students for several years and performed clinics at his alma mater, the University of Cape Town, as well as at several events organized by local music stores.

In 1993 Sean gives a clinic with bassist Johan Buys right after a workshop by Frank Gambale - not an easy act to follow! After hearing his compositions, Mike Varney chose, in October of 1991, to feature Sean in Guitar Player Magazine's prestigious Spotlight Column.  Once again, I didn't expect to hear at the musical scene today a young
high-quality guitar player, of course his style is filled with all the possible Progressive Rock ingredients also contains powerful and fast guitar solos, basic and very important element of the Progressive Metal style, however sometimes the guitars sounds become highly melodic, very elegant and full of technical harmonies. Including the keyboards sounds where the musicians create a spiritual atmosphere around the arrangements.
The style are very reminiscent of, or better comparing with "Yngwie Malmsteen", "Marty Friedman", "Vinnie Moore" and "Rod Morgenstein", if you like the guitars solos of bands as: "Nightwish", "Within Temptation", "Edenbridge" and "After Forever", of course Sean Mercer is one of the choice, probably soon he will be among the famous guitars players. "Electric Storm" is the first album, with 12 songs on the CD. The instrumental was mastered by Grammy winning mastering engineer Gavin Lurssen at The Mastering Lab during August September 2002. My special and particular attention to the songs: "Elation", "The Festival", "Reflections", "Electric Storm", "Holding Back" and "Opus
2".  Excellent and indispensable work, highly recommendable." - Carlos Alberto Vaz Ferreira, Progressive Rock/Progressive Metal

"Guitarist SEAN MERCER comes out of the US State Washington and his CD ‘Electric storm’ is a high-class instrumental AOR/Melodic Rock/Prog album that comes dangerously close to YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. 12 songs are included, and the musicianship is of a very high level. Highlights are “Elation”, “The festival”, “Electric storm”, “Holding back”, “Mushrooms of fire” (hello MALMSTEEN!) and “Opus 2”. Without any doubts, if you’re into quality instrumental rock music, this CD brings you as much pleasure as listening to a MALMSTEEN record." - Gabor Kleinbloesem, Strutter'zine

“The American guitarist Sean Mercer has had a very strange career. He was discovered years ago by the distinguished Mike Varney, and was then consigned to oblivion for over a decade. You'll remember that the American producer decided to forget about metal instrumental works for a period, in order to devote himself to blues guitarists. Mercer, however, didn't give up, and
has come out with "Electric Storm," his first fully instrumental work, which will surely be well received by those who like Vinnie Moore and such neo-classical guitarists with a similar sound. The CD's sonorities are typical of the late '80s sound, with truly melodic harmonization and a distinct technical mastery. My premonition is fully supported: Because Mercer doesn’t have that coldness typical of other guitarists in the genre, I'd venture that Varney was wrong not to produce so skilled a guitarist, at least
in such a historical period as the last twenty years." - Roberto Guarnieri, Millerecords Reviews

"He's been playing guitar since he was a kid back in his native South Africa and after hearing his solo album it's obvious that it's paid off for guitarist Sean Mercer. Mercer's solo debut Electric Storm is filled with a dozen blazing guitar instrumental tracks that sound quite inspired by legends like Steve Vai and Tony MacAlpine.  Mercer sets his Kramer Guitars on fire on Electric Storm and the result is superbly composed and performed instrumental guitar album that combines muscular hard rock playing with thought-provoking, neoclassical compositions. He receives support from a number of players, but the center spotlight is clearly on Mercer's soaring electric guitar performance." - Robert Silverstein, 20th Century Guitar (Feb 2003)

"Sean is in that class of ever-growing popularity of doing everything yourself. You know, the engineering, writing, composing, producing, etc.. Sean is a precisional musician and despite greatly influenced by Malmsteen, he is not a carbon copy of the famous Swede and even has his own unique sound...how unique? About as original as the sound you hear from one of Martone's albums. The CD itself is 12 tracks and Sean is just amazing on guitar and not to forget his keyboard expertise; he may not be the next Jordan Rudess, but he gets the job done emphatically. The music reflects some Neo meets Blues meets Fusion and has been quoted by the likes of Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney as "reminiscent at times of works by Tony MacAlpine". Sean is just yet another player to sneak up onto the hugely growing scene of guitarists and deserves some press. You may also check him out on my upcoming CD compilation release, Fret-essential." - Wayne Klinger, Quintessence