Listen: Kenny G.’s Son Shreds the Guitar with Prog-Metal Trio The Mantle

There was a period in 1992 when my mother pretty much played Kenny G.’s Breathless and Annie Lennox’s Diva around the house, pretty much on repeat, 24/7. I was ten, and all I wanted to listen to was Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and Ozzy. As you can imagine, it was a very trying period in my life, and as a result, I automatically go into a frothing rage the moment I hear even a note of “Walking on Broken Glass” or basically any muzak sax.

Which is all a long way of saying I really wanted to hate The Mantle, the instrumental prog-metal trio featuring Kenny G.’s son, Max Gorelick (he’s the one on the left in the above promo photo). But they’re actually really good. If you’re into the current wave of prog-minded young bands (e.g. Periphery, Scale the Summit, etc.), you will dig this.

It’s not a secret that Gorelick can shred, but The Mantle proves that the can also compose. So, basically, he’s superior to his dad in every way except record sales and ridiculous hair. I wonder if that makes family gatherings awkward or not?

ANYWAY, you can, and should, check out The Mantle’s debut album below. You can download it for free right here.