The Guitar Player's Resource
Not sure if it's such a great idea to warn the listener to "forgive the recording quality", since it leads to loading the CD-R and a quick covering of the ears. OK, so Gunter Ostendorp's submission has demo-quality production values - but it's serviceable, and is a perfectly fine tool to showcase his developing thrash talents. Ostendorp is only fifteen, but his guitar abilities are already at the point where a lot of metal bands would be happy to have him. His 7-string solos are interesting, have a point to them, and are, at times, shredded to the point of exhilaration. Ostendorp also mentioned the songs were written with a singer in mind, but the band didn't have a vocalist yet. Maybe that's unnecessary (unless the vocalist is really the best musician in the band), since these tracks seem to work, for the most part, without one anyway. Best not ruin them with gnarly singing.
Gunter started playing at the age of 12, first on bass (to be like Mike Starr from Alice In Chains), then switching to guitar on the advice of his older brother. He has been playing for three years now, and currently takes lessons with Bob Margolis. Gunter recorded the tracks for his demo on a laptop computer, using Audacity, doing all the instruments himself. In the summer of 2004, he and drummer Sean Heintzelman started jamming; soon they formed a band called Knossis. Bassist and singer Nick Renshaw was recruited soon after, and it remained a 3-piece band until rhythm guitarist Justin McMillan was recruited in February of 2006. Rehearsals started with this line up, then Heintzelman was replaced with Alex Dewey.
Ostendorp's future plans include getting as good as he can on guitar, drums and bass, and trying to write the best songs he can. He would like to have a career in music, hopefully touring the world and putting out albums.
Gunter Ostendorp
United States
Web site: www.myspace.com/knossis