Below are live show reviews
(Click on thumbnails to read review)
Music Connection, Vol XXII, No. 4, 3/1/98, Amy De Zellar
" Guitarist Damir Simic-Shime is shredding in the footsteps of Yngwie, Vai, and Satriani"
Rock City News, Vol 16 No. 4, 2/19/98 - F. Kingay
"The performance, which also featured the intricate rhythms of Ricky Riccardo on the bass, the double bass barrage of Keith Graham on drums, and the rich textures of Eric Ragno on keyboards, blew my mind!"
Below are CD reviews from various magazines
(I've added links to their sites also)
SFK - STRIKTLY FOR KONISSUERS 4-13-98, Kurt Torster, Editor
DAMIR SIMIC-SHIME - THE QUEST (80% ) Metropolis, 1998
For the record, guitar instrumental albums are hardly my bag. I usually find them to be nothing more than a guitarist's excuse for masturbating over his instrument. Solos are usually emphasized over any sort of song structure and in the end becomes quite boring over the course of 50 or so minutes. SO, it's very refreshing when something like "The Quest" hit my player. Damir can certainly play with the best of them as some of his leads are extraordinary, but it's the songs that really grabbed my attention. Like the best of Satriani or Eric Johnson, these are some quite memorable tunes where the guitar is simply part of the mix instead of beating you over the head. Tunes like "She's Gone", "Welcome To My Noise" and the 'hammerific' "Doodley Doodley Wrongway/Treason Without Reason" are catchy and you can almost find yourself 'singing' along with the guitar (much like I do with EJ's "Cliffs Of Dover" or Satch's "Summer Song"). Though he did lose me on "Sometimes I Feel" and a few others, the standout tracks make more than make up for the occasional ego stroking. Guitar fans...this is a must buy, but even us casual fans can find plenty of like here. Look for guest spots from Tony MacAlpine and keyboardist Eric Ragno (who shines on the Jon Cain like "Lights Of Agoura").
"OUAS" Discussions About Music That Matters
Issue #Fifty-Nine; Wednesday, April 15, 1998
OPEN UP AND SAY ... Wes Royer, Editor-in-Chief
Damir Simic-Shime "The Quest" 1998 Metropolis Records (39:27)
(1) The Quest (2) She's Gone (3) Never Say Never (4) Randevouz (5) Welcome To My Noise (6) Joker (7) Sometimes I Feel (8) Lights Of Agoura (9) Going Home (10) Doodley Doodley, Wrongway (11) Treason Without Reason (12) What A Day (13) Reflections Of The Surfer (14) Sultans Revenge (First Beginning)
Grade/rating: A ... As an amateur musician myself, instrumental albums that come across my review desk are judged fairly different than your run-of-the-mill rock or metal release, often more harshly. So, when Shime's (that's pronounced SHEEMAH) latest quest landed in my hands, I had to refocus my ears and become that dreaded critic once again. Well, as it turns out, there's little to criticize on Shime's three-chapter epic that states is "to be continued."
Hailing from Croatia, this twenty-something came to Los Angeles, California (USA) with hopes of bringing the virtuoso guitar sound back to the states. And he does just that with help from one of his idols, Tony MacAlpine on four tracks: "Never Say Never," "Welcome To My Noise," "Joker," and "Treason Without Reason." And as if duel guitar grinding wasn't enough, Shime enlisted the talents of keyboardist Eric Ragno, who gets his own solo track with "Lights Of Agoura," and MacAlpine's drummer Mike Terrana, who also played with Yngwie, for three tracks. Tally all that with the strength of bassist Ricky Riccardo and drummer Keith Graham, and "The Quest" proves to be a memorable guitar album -- memorable being a rare thing with some of these types of releases.
Tracks 1 thru 6 form "Part I: Dreaming" of this album, showcasing some of the catchiest groove licks to emanate from a fret board. Shime manages to hold tight the quality of melody, to the point where you imagine hearing lyrics on top of the music. That is what proves a soloist's worthiness. "Part II: Reality" brings a more heartfelt, almost sympathetic tone in tracks 7 thru 11, especially with Ragno's ambient keys. And then tracks 12 thru 14, "Part III: Hope," end the entire overture, but leave the listener begging for another twenty minutes of entertainment. If instrumental is your bag, this disc is of the essence. Enough said...
THE ATOMIC CHASER'S ROCKERS AND ROLLERS, April 98
The first informative web page on Heavy Metal and Hard RockMusic!
THE QUEST by Damir Simic Shime.
Smashing debut release by guitarist Damir Simic Shime. If you like Joe Satriani, Tony Macalpine and Steve Vai. You are definitely going to love this cd. Display grace and power Shime has proven that he is a major force to be reckoned with. Brilliant stuff. Featuring the tracks, "Sultan's Revenge" and the hypnotizing title track.
