Victor Gann

Victor Gann's self-titled CD is a collection of instrumental songs that feature Victor's excellent guitar work. Victor shows his versatility on these songs, which range from full band hard rock (Four on the Floor, Just Another Day, and Not Now) to more subdued tracks, such as the melodic song Migraine, and the beautiful Shannon with Child. Victor's guitar playing on the tracks is very clean and impressive. The backing band is very tight and the recording sounds great. If you enjoy guitar virtuosos such as Joe Satriani, you will enjoy this CD. Pick up a copy today! - RadioIndy.Com

Full of chops blended with catchy melodies best describes Victor Gann's self titled 5 song cd. All 5 songs are very strong and demand the listener to listen over and over again, my personal fav's are track 4 SHANNON WITH CHILD and track 2 JUST ANOTHER DAY. What’s nice about Gann's style is that its about the song first not just guitar wizard insanity that plagues most instrumental albums. I highly recommend this disc for fans of good solid rock!
8.0/10
- Metal Net Radio

A rocking five song e.p., the self-titled debut CD from Dallas guitarist Victor Gann is a solid introduction to his hard-hitting instrumental rock fusion sound. A recognized guitar teacher in the Dallas area, Gann has worked with numerous bands over the years, and as a G.I.T. grad, he’s studied with guitar heroes like Andy Timmons, Scott Henderson, Jennifer Batten, Joe Satriani and more. Teaming with drummer Alex Gerst, Gann’s 5 track CD is a taster that leaves you wanting to hear more. Gann stands ready to take his sound nationwide. - 20th Century Guitar Magazine

Victor Gann is an obvious artist to feature in this article. As an instrumental guitarist, he has studied with greats such as Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert and Nuno Bettencourt. Of course, his self-titled EP, released in 2006, is still making waves to date; and after selling 1,500 copies, it’s easy to see that it has been an underground revelation. The second track on the EP -- Just Another Day -- proves Gann’s love of rock giants AC/DC, which makes one ponder upon whether Gann could do with a partner in crime. However, it isn’t all about sleazy rock ‘n’ roll for Victor -- his hard work ethic under instructor Thad Bonduris is what he puts his readiness for G.I.T. down to. As a graduate of G.I.T., Victor is professionally endowed with virtuoso guitar skills, and experiences that other featured artists would die for. He has played live on MTV, and it’s not a wonder that the February 2008 edition of 20th century Guitar Magazine had him down as ‘one of four guitarists making waves in the musical world’.

When I said that Victor Gann is not about sleazy rock ‘n’ roll, I meant it. Without resorting to ‘dumping his trick bag’, Victor Gann is a restrained virtuoso guitarist whose work is very much fundamentally based on strong song-writing foundations. Playing his custom Ibanez, equipped with Screamin’ Demons, Gann plays rough rock ‘n’ roll songs such as the emphatically named, Not Now!, without forgetting his human side. Victor’s Shannon With Child, which features some of the most tastefully appropriate guitar playing I have heard in a long time is a great testament to Victor’s greatest influences: Joe Satriani. With that, I leave you to discover Victor Gann’s music for yourself: you will not be disappointed.
- Ultimate-Guitar.Com

After a successful 5-song EP release two years ago, Dallas based guitar virtuoso Victor Gann is back with a full length release that travels the same roads with a tighter more robust feel to its production. Trained at the famous Guitar Institute, Gann received degrees in Professional Guitar and Music Harmony & Theory. He has studied under greats such as Satriani, Paul Gilbert and Jennifer Batten and has a style that is based squarely in rhythmic hard rock and heavy metal. He also is a highly successful guitar instructor with approximately 70 students under his wing.
The new CD is entitled The Devil's Been Busy and features ten entertaining, heavily melodic tracks.
The emotional roads traveled through here feature tributes to Gann's wife and daughter through the two tracks "Shannon & Victoria" and "Lullaby for Victoria."
These are the completion of the "Shannon with Child" cut from the EP (and the baby was obviously named Victoria). The first of the two is a sweet slow and emotion filled cut with poignant notes and production which allows us to hear Victor slide his hands across the fret board, a really genuine effect. The second is as stated a lullaby that starts off with a baby crying. With so many instrumental releases focusing on speed and showy technique it is refreshing to see a man bare his soul and share so much of himself with his audience.
Three of the best tracks are "06/06/44" a tribute to World War II's epic D-Day (Allied invasion of Nazi Occupied France), "Out Past Midnight" and the album's title track. The latter two are clean, powerful, and rich in melody and resemble Joe Satriani's best work. The former is a thick rich power packed walk down a painful memory lane.
For those that want heavier dirtier metal riffs there's the bad ass cut "Black Gold." Here Victor uses aggressive deep dark notes ala 1983 Dio (Holy Diver) or 1991 Judas Priest (Painkiller) and really shows his range.
"Beyond the Sun" sees the most guitar hero techniques and speed but the reason it is the best cut on the album is the powerhouse phrasing. The distinctions built here with big sustained notes are wonderful.
Folks the first listen "don't do" this record justice but it is so damn addictive that the 26th (in the first week you buy it) just might.
This is a winning CD and should appeal to all fans of hard rock and metal.
- HardRockHaven.Net

Here's an instrumental album from yet another nimble-fingered fellow who lets his guitar do the talking. Not so much inclined to “fusion” or “experimental” tangents, Gann is just a guy who has melodies and riffs in his head, and has to let them out, and lucky for the listener, it's pretty much straight-ahead rock, with both power and melody. Listen to A.R.O and hear how Gann takes a primal rock progression and pairs it with licks he's cribbed from Chuck Berry (like everybody else, so there ain't no shame there!) -- and then he builds on the foundation, getting feet tapping and keeping interest high. And he follows that energetic pulse-pounder with the sweetly harmonious "Beyond the Sun," evoking the kinds of feelings also elicited by an emotion-channeling track such as Joe Satriani's "You're My World." Then again, he’s also expert with acoustic play, as heard in “Shannon and Victoria.” Yeah, this Victor is in some good company, as you should recognize when you hear him exploring the difficult reaches of his guitar's neck, bringing the trills and arpeggios home alive for you, the lucky listener. "Black Gold" goes for a crunchy, alternating-speaker intro, followed by a sinuous secret-agent journey up and down the frets. And back to the title track, -- well, the tune drives so vigorously that you know that Victor’s own fingers are probably never idle, so therefore he’s just keeping that busy devil at bay with his own inspired music. You just have to admire a guy who lists his two main influences as Joe Satriani, fine, and Angus Young, woo-hoo, horns up. - All Access Magazine

When you read in a guitarist's bio that he's a G.I.T. graduate you expect quality, when he lists Satch among his main influence you expect digestibility, and when you learn that he uses almost the same equipment you do you raise your eyebrows and get very curious. This is exactly what happened to me with Victor Gann's "The Devil's Been Busy".
It was quite obvious that there won't be any technical problems here, the sound quality is also very good for an independent release so the only question was the songwriting. Well, the album does not lack on that part either. The songs are easy to digest, melodies are memorable, and fretboard acrobatics do not overshadow songwriting. The Satriani influence is obvious from the first track of the album and I mean the "Extremist"-era Satch, not the high-tech space freak one of the 21st century. Actually "A.R.O." sounds a lot like a poor man's "Satch Boogie".
Victor is one of the few instrumental guitarists who believes simplicity is sometimes more entertaining than complexity and less can be a lot more sometimes. Rightfully so. Tracks like "Shannon and Victoria" or "Lullaby For Victoria" prove that well. My personal favorites were still the ones with various guitar sounds and a big bunch of memorable melodies like "Beyond the Sun" or the soulful "A Walk with God". All in all this is a very strong independent effort, a mature album with obvious influences but enough originality and songwriting skills not having to rely on flashy technicalities only. Recommended indeed.
- RockUnited.Com

'The Devil's Been Busy' is the title of Texas-based guitarist Victor Gann's first full-length release. But it's Gann who's been the busy one. His self-titled debut release (2006) was reviewed here about a year ago, and has since seen more admiration by more reviewers and his peers. Also, Gann has been honored as one of the Top Unsigned Artists of 2008 by Ultimate-Guitar.com. I remember saying that this is one artist that should not go overlooked. Well, now you have a second chance to check on this first rate guitar hero. You will not be disappointed.

If Victor Gann sounds like he could be in league with Satriani or Gilbert, you are correct. The influences are obvious. Yet, what makes Gann unique, and what I makes me a fan of his fret work, is his precision and passion. Gann's precision is not like others; there's still a certain earthy rawness to his riffs and licks as found on 'For Love' or 'Black Gold.' On the other hand, his accuracy can marvel the smoothness of a young Santana on the title track (Carlos was never this heavy) or the immensely pleasing 'A Walk With God' (possibly my favorite cut).

As for his passionate playing, Gann's emotions drip like drops of blood on many pieces. Again, his family, particularly his wife and daughter, form the basis for his writing. 'Shannon and Victoria' picks up where 'Shannon With Child' left off. This is a beautiful, soft and complex song that captures Gann's love for his wife, daughter (and child on the way).

Another passionate piece is the aforementioned 'Black Gold.' The composition includes some heavy melodic rock/metal riffs mingled with focused and intense licks. I wonder if Gann had the roughnecks of Texas oil country in mind because the music defines the intensity of their work. Yet, not all emotion is serious: when Gann cuts loose, he has some fun. 'Out Past Midnight' is a rowdy and rollicking ride.

Finally, mention should be made of Gann's back up band. This crew is impressive: steady and tight. Take note of the fine bass (Thomas Hopper) and drum (Bruce Ryan) work on 'Beyond The Sun' as one example. Gann could not have a better canvas to create his work.

'The Devil's Been Busy' is a first class work from Victor Gann: solid and creative guitar work from a musician genuinely passionate about his music. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough.
- DangerDog.Com