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BIO + GALLERY + ALBUMS + INTERVIEW #1 - INTERVIEW #2 - INTERVIEW #3 -

this guy is no more an unknown artist in metal sceene. Beyond his musical & guitaristic talents, David T Chastain is also a great producer. At a times he was playing in 2 bands :his own solo project & CJSS. CJSS is created in 1984. the band name came from the first letter of the member : C - Chastain ; J -Jenkins (singer) ; S Skimmerhorn (bass) ; S-sharp (drums). CJSS only recorded 2 albums & 1 compilation. (see review). Chastain (the band) issued albums sometimes with female singer Leather & sometimes instrumental albums. David T chastain is more than a guitarist. He is also a fine composer & a truly metal fan. that makes a great difference between him & other guitarist. David has got his own style, his own sound (which is rare).The last difference between David & the others is the way he structure his songs. Even when he makes an instrumental album, music behind solis are quite complex. It proves that David is not only one of the best guitar player in the word but also a great composer (listen rythm parts in Chastain’s songs featuring in Counterpoint) .

Chastain’s CJSS « World gone mad » :

One thing sure with Chastain is that he loves Heavy metal. For him, a song is not only a long solo with musicians behind. In CJSS, it’s real song with great musicians & good voice. On this album, CJSS makes a cover of Led Zep song « Communication Breakdown ». there’s only ne instrumental one the album & this one (purgatory) make a cross with the next song. All songs are different from each others : sometimes it’s near from speed, sometimes it’s slow with arpeggios & progressive violence. With this first lbum, CJSS impressed lots of people. But the second one will confirm that CJSS was really a great band

Chastain’s CJSS « Praise the loud » :

This album is made like « world gone mad » but all parts are superior. Production, singer, songs, ...all is better. this was really a surprised ‘cos the first album was really impressive. On my aim, CJSS makes the ultimate & absolute songs with the tittle « Citizen of hell » with its oriental guitarparts & his fantastic sing parts. Russel Jinkens adds anger in his voice. this put more relief in songs. David ‘s works is still great. With this album , he imposes his unique style. The CJSS’s masterpiece!!

Chastain’s CJSS : « Retrospect » (issued in Europe by Black Dragon records):

With this compilation issued in 90, Black Dragon records brings the best of CJSS ‘s carreer : 6 tracks from the first album & 4 from the second. It’s a good resume of what david & his band was able to do
 

Elegant seduction » :

In the bio , it’s said that in this album, Chastain, shows all the things he likes in music. His influences are near from Jazz rock. . David said he wanted to make something aggressive but with the mix of different styles. With David Harbour on the bass (see Counterpoint)& rick Porter on drums David develops some rock/fusion songs. As some of the tracks are recorded in Counterpoint, i ‘ll tell about those i know. « Menage à 3 » is a violent metal songs where each musician makes his own solo. « Schizophrenia » is the song wehre David mix all his affectioned style. So it sounds like Jazz fusion with rock & metal parts. There’s also good metal songs like « Trapped in the void », played loud & fast but with David’s touch. To resume the thought of David when he makes this album, he said that he wanted to make an album that metal fan all musicians that we are could also appreciate. The sure thing that we can say is that he succeeds.

Album : Acoustic visions

I don't think i have to present David T Chastain, one of the most important guitarist that appears in the 80's. He has recorded several album sunder different names : CJSS ( 2 albums), Chastain or David T. Chastain ...From 1983 to today, David Proves several times that he is one of the most prolific & inventive guitarist worldwide. This time again, David proposes something completly new for aheavy metal guitar hero. He records with 'Acoustic Vision' the first acoustic heavy metal album ever released. Once again, it's a total surprise & it's really different from all that he did before. For this album, David used 2 guitars : a 6 & 12 string ones. There is no overdubs : one man, one guitar playiong on a DAT recorder. 11 tracks were composed & played. Somes sounds like spanish folklore ( Set), some sounds like classical music piece (Appassionata minore, Cadenza in a harmonic minor, ...) One of my favorite tracks in this album is surely 'STC' where David shows a unique feeling. He's really one of the last guitarist able to create such sensible emotions ( with maybe Uli Jon Roth ). There's no pretentious demonstration inthis album. It's just a matter of feeling , subtleties, emotions & sensibility. Some songs remains & sounds very sad. You really need to be as open mind as possible to appreciate this album 'cos it's no more metal music. But if you want to have a special feeling & discover a new way of music, this album is really great. Not any guitarist than David T Chastain was able to create such an incredible masterpiece & such a surprising album.

Album : 2 4 1 - Style : Heavy metal

2 4 1 is not the new album of CJSS, the famous 80's heavy metal bands of David T. Chastain, one of the most prolific & talented US guitar player. This is "just" ( "Just" is really not the good word for it!) the re-issue in one CD of the 2 CJSS' albums: World Gone Mad & Praise the loud. CJSS was formed by David T. Chastain in early 1984 with other members of his first band Spike : Les Sharp on drums, Mike Skimmerhorn on bass & Russel Jenkins on vocals. After a best of issued in Japan & another one 'Retrospect' issued in Europe, the 2 CJSS' albums were enver reiussed. Now it's done ! & it's a real gift made by David. CJSS was a superb heavy metal band. David T. Chastain appeared in 1984-1986 as one of the best new guitar player. With both an excellent technical level & anextreme ability in composing metal hymns, CJSS never disappointed its audience. Tracks like "Hell on earth", "World Gone Mad", Run to another day with its subtle intro, "Out of control", "Land of the free" with its infernal guitar parts, "Metal forever", .; are so many hits titles written by David & the band. But facing pure heavy metal , CJSS was also able to write more ambiant dark songs like the excellent "Citizen of Hell" , "Welcome to Damnation". CJSS was not a guitar oriented band. Most of the composing effort was on songs, even if the band was making som emusical experimentations like on the fantastic "The Bargain" which is probably one of the most attractive & innovative song composed by CJSS. Despite a 80's production, CJSS' songs never sounds obsolete. I'd say more : these songs can still compete with any heavy metal albums released nowadays. 2 4 1 is a fantastic gift to all CJSS fans & they're numerous but it's also a lesson in metal for all young metal bands.
 
 
 

Counterpoint « Live, wild & truly diminished!! »

This album was recorded live in 1991 when the 2 guitar master Chastain & Harris tour together. It’s not only a tour with guitars. The rythm section is not here to only make musical parts behind. With David Harbour on bass & Greg Martin on drums, it kills. Production is phenomenal. this album propose live version of Chastain & Harris songs. (coming from Elegant seduction & from « defense mechanisms » of Harris). Couterpoint is really a reunion of virtuosi. what’s great with the 2 guitars players is that sometimes, they let the place to the bass or the drums (hear menage à trois+1, 827, BOF & Dynamo, ...). This brings songs to a new dimension. If you’ve read what i say before about Chastain, you know that when the band plays one of his songs, you recognize his own style & his way to structure the rythm parts beyond solis. But Counterpoint is more than an instrumental album. It’s not only metal music that you can hear. David & Mickael are also inspired by jazz rock. So when they turn in this way, the musicians become excellent. Then, there’s different surroundings in this live album. You travel from violent heavy metal to jazz & rock. Sometimes, they slow tempos & play a calm music where the feeling of musicians can express itself. This album is a resume of all that you can make with a guitar (when you’re talentuous one). A second tour is awaited!!
 
 

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