Very quietly – or not so quietly, Nels Cline has become the crown prince of avant-garde guitar. His constant gigging, recording and undying spirit have made him the leader of a genre that, by its very nature, is doomed to ride the outskirts of the music biz. Their loss. On Instrumentals, Cline roams freely in the guitar, bass and drums format that allows him to fully do his thing: freaky looping, dissonant shard of notes, speed metal rave-ups, and a killer bluesy excursion on the tune “Lowered Boom.” Hell, with a list like that, you’re probably asking yourself, “What’s not to like?” My sentiments exactly.
Guitar Player Magazine
May, 2002
