Surrounded By Mirrors - Single (2011)
"Surrounded By Mirrors" is an epic, 8 minute instrumental in the style of classic prog-rock heavyweights Rush. In the same vein as ealier Rush concept albums, "Surrounded By Mirrors" takes the listener across rock, metal, and blues genres while maintaining memorable themes and riffs. Fans of Rush, George Lynch, Hendrix, King's X, and Whitesnake as well as guitarists and musicians will dig Chris' new song. iTunes is offering the song for under a buck so check out the extended preview on both iTunes and the Chris Manning Band home page.
Press
Coming soon
Symmetry (2009)
Symmetry is Manning's third release and represents his best work to date. Always a master of balancing technique with melody, he expands his sound yet again to produce a true instrumental rock release. It is a culmination of many of his influences, which range from Joe Satriani and George Lynch to King's X and guitar god Jimi Hendrix. Symmetry is a great mix of hard rock, metal, and of course melodic riffs.
"Devildogs", a song dedicated to the U.S. Marines, opens the disc with ferocious drums, a thunderous bass groove, and shredding guitar solos. "Purple Funk" features the funk element present in later incarnations of Deep Purple, and was co-written with Doug Raines. "Walking With the Dead" is the heaviest track on the disc, and has a Black Sabbath meets Alice in Chains vibe. Chris puts a modern twist on the classic Kiss song "Strange Ways", which is the lone vocal track on the disc. "I grew up on Kiss, and like many players my age, Ace Frehley was a huge influence". "Waiting" is a haunting tune written about the experience of waiting for a loved one to return from the war in Afghanistan.
Press
"I REALLY liked this album. Excellent production, slick artwork and packaging, and a deft hand on the guitar, and writing, made each track stand out. Not a weak one in the bunch".
- Joel Pirard, EvO:R Entertainment
"Good instrumental rock albums only get produced once-in-a-while. One of the most recent additions to that list of albums is Symmetry from Chris Manning".
- Matheson Kamin, RockandRollReview.com
CDs are available for $10.00 + $2.00 domestic shipping. Please inquire about international shipping charges.
Forever November (2004)
Forever November is the follow up to Chris' successful debut The Road Back. This CD has a "Satriani meets Chaquico" vibe and once again features the keyboard talents of Christopher Sanderson. Forever November showcases Chris' unique electric guitar style via the classic strat sound.
Press
"Forever November is an impressive release that will be enjoyed by fans of highly melodic instrumental rock in the vein of guitar heroes such as Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson." - Rodney and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team
"Only on discs by Phil Keaggy and a rare few other instrumental guitar albums have I found such emotion to the playing and to the songs." - NoLifeTilMetal.com
"A Phenomenal musician who's latest album Forever November offers progressive/new age instrumental guitar music in a manner that is extremely listenable." - Blastbeats.com
CDs are available for $10.00 + $2.00 domestic shipping. Please inquire about international shipping charges.
The Road Back (2000)
His first release The Road Back was an immediate success, combining unique instrumental textures with reflective melodies to paint exotic musical images. The old mp3.com was the place to go to hear independent artists and Chris took advantage of that, landing two songs, "Mystic Dreams" and "Once in a Lifetime", in the top 20 in the New Age charts. Shortly thereafter, Chris was chosen as the featured artist of the month on InstrumentalMusic.com, and The Road Back was also featured. Rave reviews continued with Chris featured on Guitar Nine Records' "The Undiscovered Talent", a spotlight for up and coming guitarists. The review stated: "The guitarist never overplays; his outbursts of speed (as found on "Mystic Dreams", among others) are purposefully limited and timed to deliver maximum emotional impact." Nashville musician, Christopher Sanderson was another key element to it's success, performing all keyboards as well as contributing to song writing as well.
Press
"This is a beautifully wistful song, built upon a bed of undulating acoustics. Manning exhibits great restraint-and good musical judgement-by limiting the guitar riffs, and letting a haunting piano carry the melody." - Michael Molenda, Editor, Guitar Player Magazine
"The guitarist never overplays; his outbursts of speed (as found on "Mystic Dreams", among others) are purposefully limited and timed to deliver maximum emotional impact." - Guitar Nine Records
"This is an this an outstanding instrumental album and is a major one of this year. An album not to be missed." - European Progressive Rock Reviews
CDs are available for $10.00 + $2.00 domestic shipping. Please inquire about international shipping charges.