Strings 24 are a new project created
by Frank Caruso, Stefano “Sebo” Xotta and Gianluca
Ferro. These three axemen coming from different musical
experiences decided to mix their styles into a new band
dedicated to guitar, with the aim to raise its musical expression
and compositional potential. The bands name comes from the
three guitarist’s use of 8 string guitars (3x8=24).
The three musicians have a pedigree
of being in the music business for many years. 24 Strings,
their new project immediately gathered broad attention from
Italian record labels, magazines, radio and TV networks
along with attention of Lion Music. Their self titled debut
album is unashamedly full of virtuoso rock guitar across
12 identifiable tracks and will appeal to fans of Vai and
Satriani as well as those into newer guitar virtuosos such
as Rusty Cooley and Marco Sfogli.
The three guitarists of Strings 24
have identifiable styles. Sebo is a typical rock player,
very pentatonic oriented with a passionate vibrato coming
from the Gary Moore, Zakk Wylde, Marty Friedman school of
thought. Frank is a perfect blend of Ritchie Blackmore and
Yngwie Malmsteen, very precise with solos and really powerful
with riffs! Gian’s style is best defined as “liquid”,
because his arpeggios and licks are really like water coming
out from a bottle. Very prog metal influenced, Gian’s
composition style is really complicated, but in a very musical
way. These three variations on rock guitar are important
in bringing a different style and touch to the songs, creating
the unique Strings24 style.
The trio began writing songs for
the album at the end of 2007 before selecting the material
to feature on the album in the summer of 2008. Each of the
three guitarists have home studios, so they started composing
and sharing the projects, adding new parts in the different
studios and putting them together. All the drum parts were
initially done drum software, before the real drums of Roberto
Gualdi (Glenn Hughes) were tracked at Damage Inc. Studio
in Ventimiglia. IT. Roberto’s drum work added a lot
of dynamics and musical ideas, giving the album a new punch.
Finally the album was mixed at Fran Caruso’s Phantom
Studio, and the mastering was shared with Luca Pilla, a
very talented Italian sound engineer.
