It is probably best to discuss each Dan's songs in groups organized by each Dan. However, let it be said that the "Handz Of Danz" CD is sequenced wonderfully even though no single artists appears on consecutive tracks.

Daniel Wentworth struts his stuff on three songs. Wentworth comes closest to sounding like Joe Satriani with the surfing "Flyin' Down 94," the measured stomp of "Ten Feet Tall," and the angry, slow-burn of "Falling Down."

Project 7, featuring Dan Begelman, unloads a furious extended jam on "The Last Night" that encompasses everything from atmospheric washes to studious swaths of melody for the compilation's most demanding and potentially most rewarding song - I can easily hear a Shawn Lane influence. Begelman's other contribution , "Six Fingers," encircles the hard rock/boogie stomp of Dixie Dregs and recent Chris Poland. 

Dan Shimmyo's three tracks blaze in a more traditional guitar-slinger fashion, but somehow manages to provide contributions with their own identities. "Extemporalis" is straight from the Eddie Van Halen school of six-string boogie with Vai-flavors thrown in to the mix. "Sixty Cycle Hum" brings the future to the present with a mechanized tone and bristling backing track. "Reflections" is a schizophrenic number not unlike Joe Satriani's apocalyptic songs; "Reflections" also wins the award as my most favorite track on this compilation. 

Dan McAvinchey, the moving force behind "Handz Of Danz," only gets two songs to showcase his skills, but he showcases his skills with aplomb.  "Fingerz & Handz" is a hard rock tour de force that stomps its way through a series of charging rhythms. "River Danz" brings Gaelic melodies to the forefront for a nice detour of hard rock madness. 

Danny Masters sticks a sweet melody on "Vienna" that has a definite European-vibe to it although I highly doubt Masters drew his inspiration from any European artist. Masters swings with an extended blues jam on the live track "Texas Wind" that echoes blues great Stevie Ray Vaughn and country-rocker Junior Brown. 

Dan McInerney has got the "funk" as his music bounces and sways underneath his vibrant noodling on "Mabton Gateway To Bickelton" (extra credit question: does anybody have any idea what that title means?). Furthermore, McInerney shines on the country-rock-jazz-soul fusion vamp of "Cha Chaw". McInerney is the most Jeff Beck sounding of the six Dans. 

All in all, a pretty damn good guitar disc for all of you who like guitar instrumentals - and highly recommended for all guitar freakazoids.

"Handz Of Danz" was produced by Dan McAvinchey. 

The styles on "Handz of Danz" range from fusion to hard rock to metal, ensuring that guitar fans get a nice variety of music. Particularly enjoyable are the opener, a driving, shredding rock monster called "Flyin' Down 94" by Wentworth; Shimyo's "Extemporalis" which mixes the qualities of a classic hard rock anthem with some touches of prog and even fusion; McAvinchey's "Fingerz and Handz", at times a driving shredfest, and at other times, a plaintive exploration of the instrument's softer side; McInerney's "Mabton Gateway To Bickelton", which sounds like a lot of very cool improvisation over the top of a great little rhythm; Wentworth's "Ten Feet Tall", which has a very 80's Metal groove and the "wah" to go with it; the prog-rock shred-a-thon with the dark edge that is Dan Shimmyo's "Sixty Cycle Hum"; Project 7/Dan Begelman's spacey, airy 11 minute epic, "The Last Night", which features some solid drumming in addition to the excellent fret work; Danny Masters' amazing blues/jazz piece, "Texas Wind (Live)" (which suffers, incidentally, from an abrupt change in the sound quality about halfway through - no big deal though); and Wentworth's emotion-laced "Falling Down", which uses held notes to really convey the feeling.

There's really not a bad tune on this disc. The talent of each of the guitarists is clearly exhibited - they are all worthy of their spots on this compilation, and not just because they're named Dan. As can be expected with any compilation such as this, the production varies from track to track, although not as much as one might expect. Overall, "Handz of Danz" is an enjoyable and recommended listen for instrumental guitar fans, or for those looking to expand their musical tastes into the instrumental guitar genre.

Shred Pick - a toss-up between Shimmyo's "Sixty Cycle Hum" and Wentworth's "Flyin' Down 94".

One of the most interesting metal CDs to reach my battered ears in recent months comes from an independent label called Guitar Nine Records.

"Hands of Danz" boasts quite an unusual gimmick. Six bands get two songs each on the album. The leaders of these six bands are all named Daniel or Dan or Danny. Weird, but anything to sell a few more of those shiny little disks.

Compilations aren't usually recognized as stellar products, but "Hands of Danz" just might cause headbangers of the world to unite in enjoying some accomplished if not exactly overwhelming.

The variety of bands, however doesn't lead to a variety in the music put forth. One common denominator is that all these guys are talented and play with a certain amount of skill.

Now it's been argued for decades that metal monsters don't necessarily need talent. As long as they can play the basic three chords of rock while dressed in funny outfits and making sure the knobs are turned all the way to the top level on every speaker a band can afford. More than with any other genre, metal mavens demand a uniformity that sometimes leads to a lack of imagination.

To fans of the metal trade, the lack of vocals on this album may be cause of concern. Having heard enough bad singing to last several lifetimes, I find "Hands of Danz" refreshing in its willingness to rely on music and to dispense with warbling that often sound like the death throes of a farm animal.

The opening track "Flyin' Down 94" is provided by Daniel Wentworth, and offers up some fire-breathing four on the floor in your face guitar ala Satriani. This is a well produced track with a tight production, some fun guitar playing, and a cool kick-off track.

Next up is "Project 7" from Dan Begelman, a grinding shuffle with a nice 'inside/outside' melody and some creamy guitar harmonies. Some of his track 'drop-ins' are very cool - managing to play in and around the tune... He also adds just a few touches of jazz flavoring here and there... very nice.

Dan Shimmyo offers up "Extemporalis" - a 16th note triplet feast, before diving into the main bulk of the song, which has an almost 'instrumental UFO' quality to it. He breaks it up nicely with a brief stint into 7/8 before offering up his main solo.

Our main-man Dan McAvinchey follows with a vicious track called "Fingerz & Handz" - a very tasty slice of instrumental metal that dips and weaves in and out of cool guitar harmonies and a subtle use of dynamics. The song has both a dark, edgy quality to it as well as a rich melodicism.

Danny Masters jumps on board with "Vienna", which has a... well... nice Vienna-type sound and feel to it! Fans of Neo-Classical guitar slingers will certainly love this one. It's well performed and hits the spot right where it counts!

Dan McInerney follows with "Mabton Gateway To Bickelton", a very cool funk meets rock groove thing with some real nice guitar ideas... sort of like Jimmy Page meets Eric Johnson in an original display of musical ideas. An excellent addition to the mix here. This was a stand out track for sure.

The first Dan is Begelman, a New York guitarist whose style has been described as jazz/fusion with a ferocious edge. "Six Fingers" is a composition from a 1992 release which is aggressive and powerful. Begelman’s other track is the lengthiest on the disc. "The Last Night" begins slow, but explodes wide open with odd rhythms and scorching guitar. Dan Begelman can be found heading a band called Project 7.

Our next contestant is Dan (McAvinchey). Dan’s solo release is entitled GUITAR HAUS. "Fingers & Handz" demonstrates the advanced techniques that McAvinchey has been writing about on his website - the link is below. This metal/shred tune mixes acoustic with electric guitars to create an ugly side. Cool tune. "River Danz" is the most eclectic composition. The guitar sounds more like a bagpipe than a guitar, making those of Irish decent proud. Also, add some blazing solos.

Next we have Danny (Masters). Masters combines a neo-classical style with finger tapping to one titled "Vienna". "Texas Wind" has a Robin Trower type of feel that quickly shows it’s true melody. The bluesy tones of Stevie Ray Vaughn shine brightest in this fitting tribute.

This brings us to…you guessed it, Dan (McInerney). "Mabton Gateway To Bickelton" mixes soaring leads with a bass vamp to create an interesting composition. "Cha Chaw" is one of the more jazzy tracks on the disc, and competently shows off his talents. Speaking of talents, McInerney was voted best rock album for his disc, MACHINERY, and one track was featured on the compilation for Guitar Player Magazine’s 30th Anniversary disc. Congrats!

Next in line is Dan (Shimmyo). Another New York guitarist, Shimmyo brings a rock flavor to the guitar in the composition "Extemporalis" This one turns into a hard rock journey with many different elements. "Sixty Cycle Hum" has the same flavor, but the hard edge of this one is even more adventurous, especially when things speed up. The final track on the disc has Shimmyo starting out with something that sounds like a harp and piano mixture. From there, power chords give way to a shred style guitar. Additional keyboards add to the melody and give the composition a nice break.

The final Dan is actually a Daniel (Wentworth). "Flyin’ Down 94" starts out like Blondie, but quickly settles into a more Satriani-ish vibe, heavy on the wah pedal. "Ten Feet Tall" features a screaming guitar and a heavy vamp of power chords and two-handed tapping. Wentworth’s final track is a moody piece called "Falling Down." The three songs give the listener a taste of the different styles flying around in Wentworth’s fingers.

The Handz Of Danz is a powerful and diverse 14 tracks that amaze as well as rip your face off. You can find more information on The Handz Of Danz as well as each of the individual Danz at www.guitar9.com.