Richie Kotzen is not only a very talented shredder, but also a gifted songwriter, who happens to have a good voice as well. On 'Return of the Mother's Family Reunion' he shows that his style is not all about finer technical points, this is more about emotional and soulful guitar playing than about showing off...

Blues and soul inspired retro rock is the name of the game, and Richie Kotzen proves that he belongs among the frontrunners in the genre, and this fine collection of rock songs have the depth and simplicity to raise an eyebrow or two along the way.

Solid craftsmanship from one the best rock guitarists in the game, with lot's of cool parts for the die-hard fan as well as your 'normal' retro rock fan, who just wants to be entertained and listen to some emotional and honest rock music.

'Return of the Mother's Family Reunion' is a well produced and well played album with it's ups and downs, where the brighter spots shines the most... And Richie Kotzen's brilliant guitar work shines above everything else, he is a true master on the guitar and proves it often and with style and class.

This is not your regular shredder album, even though most of the songs only get interesting because of the sheer brilliance of Richie Kotzen's leads, which are plenty and varied. The guitar extravaganza is what keeps this album afloat, because some the song writing does sound a bit uninspired.

But songs like "Fooled Again" (with it's awesome lead part), "Faith", "Bad Things" (nice bluesy tune), "Chase It" and "Feed My Head" (let's get funky) and "Can you Feel It" make up for it, and Richie Kotzen proves that it is possible to deliver an album, which appeals equally to rock fans as well as shredder fans...