There are a lot of good guitarists out on the highly competitive market, but virtuoso Scott McGill has no trouble keeping up with the competition. He is renown for his guitar work with the progressive rock band Finneus Gauge, but Scott has now released 'Ripe' with his fusion trio The Hand Farm, consisting of bassist Chico Huff and drummer Vic Stevens. The trio produces something that could be categorized as progressive fusion with Scott McGill's extraordinary style, exploring all directions.

Eleven tracks with a total playtime of 61 minutes with technical music, puts McGill on a podium. There are not a track lacking surprising elements from all members of The Hand Farm.

Tracks like 'Un Monde De Incertitudes' and 'Marcella' explores what you can do with an acoustic guitar. The groovy track 'Skwerbie' and the track 'Industrial Blowout' clearly show this trio's not human musicianship, the latter also features a drum solo. The progressive jazzy rock feel is eminent on the tracks, all diverse pieces of music.

The great production together with Scott McGill's Hand Farm's outstanding musical performance puts 'Ripe' among one of the best releases of 1999.