Guitarist/keyboardist Tony MacAlpine really hits his stride on Maximum Security. While it's not all that different from his first album, Edge of Insanity, it's just much better. The album's captivating neoclassical/fusion forays are filled with plenty of beautiful melodies and hair-raising solos; MacAlpine simply lights up the fretboard – and the keyboard, for that matter. Opening with a stormy harpsichord motif, the album's leadoff track, "Autumn Lords," sounds promising from the start. The piece soars with dramatic classical precision and features some truly breathtaking guitar/keyboard interplay.