Doug Doppler, a protégé of Joe Satriani, has formed rather interesting band (back in 2002)... The band is called Doppler, Inc. and as the title of their debut album suggests, they play Nu Metal influenced Instrumental music, which is rather new genre. The San Francisco based group has decided to "bridge the gap between nu metal bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Saliva, old school metal acts like Metallica and Exodus and instrumental artists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai." So if you can imagine what that could sound like, you may have a some sort of idea about Doppler's music.

The Joe Satriani influence is very obvious on this album, but there's nothing bad at sounding similar to Joe Satriani... actually that's rather good accomplishment as such. However, there's a lot more to Doppler, Inc. since they've mixed nu metal sounds and those beautiful guitar leads in the vein of Satriani and Vai. That ensures this album's appeal to both yonger metal audience as well as the guitarists, who are looking for mind-boggling guitar virtuosity. Besides, there are guest performances from Billy Sheehan (Steve Vai, David Lee Roth), Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani) and Brad Gillis (Night Ranger/Ozzy Osbourne).

Nu Instrumetal was produced by Doug Doppler and Pete Karr (Michael Bolton/Backstreet Boys/Jennifer Love Hewitt), and the result is quite good. All the sounds are rather fitting and atmospheric. Nonetheless, the cymbals could have been mixed better. Pete Karr is mainly responsible for the samples on this album that provide a nice breath of fresh air (and make this record sound more like a nu metal album).

The songs are good and catchy, not much more to ask from a record falling to this genre (there are even some ballads to even out the heavy material). In addition, this album is crowned with good production and tight playing, which definitely supplies Doppler, Inc. as one of the most promising new instrumental acts I've heard in a while.

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- MAGE (April 23rd, 2005)

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LINE-UP:
Anur, Atma: Drums Doppler, Doug: Guitar Sarina, Steve: Guitar Duffy, Uriah: Bass with Sheehan, Billy: Bass on "Bring It on" Gillis, Brad: 2nd Solo on "Bring It on" Hamm, Stu: Bass on "Five Hi"
Producer:	Karr, Peter & Doppler, Doug
Mixing by:	Unavailable
Mastering by:	Cuniberti, John

	TRACKLIST:
	01. Fat Lip 02. Fire Down Below 03. Wicked 04. Grind 05. Wrecking Ball 06. Funky Armadillo 07. Like Father, Like Son 08. Starcrossed Lovers 09. Bring It on 10. Bumpin' Grind 11. Five Hi Length: 54:26