After a three-year hiatus, guitarist RANDY ELLEFSON has announced he will release two acoustic guitar instrumental albums on September 14th. Full track listings, album art, and free mp3s are available now at his website. While not a double album, the two discs, Serenade Of Strings and The Lost Art, are related music with similar covers.

Serenade Of Strings marks a triumphant return to the acoustic guitar for Ellefson, who lost his playing to severe tendonitis in 1996 and was unable to play the more challenging instrument for nearly ten years; his first two albums were hard rock and performed almost exclusively on the electric guitar, which is easier to play. Half of the songs pre-date the injury and inspired the long-delayed album, which includes a rare performance of ‘Dee’ by the late Randy Rhoads of OZZY OSBOURNE fame. Jeff Moos reprised his role on drums while Ellefson handled all guitars, bass, and percussion.

The injury was caused by his Bachelors of Music in classical guitar, earned in 1995 after only two years of strenuous practice. Just months later, Ellefson recorded 19 of the pieces for personal use, not realizing he’d release them 15 years later as The Lost Art, so named because he’s still unable to play the style. The Lost Art was prompted by Ellefson’s inclusion of one of the 19 songs, the original ‘Fantasia Etude’, on Serenade Of Strings.

Ellefson comments: “I consider The Lost Art a bonus disc. since you can’t make a career out of something you no longer do. I could play the easier pieces, but even my own ‘Fantasia Etude’ is just too much for my arms. I haven’t played that in 15 years.”

Members of Ellefson’s free Demo Club can download an additional four tracks, including a Villa-Lobos prelude at his website.