There are certain artists whose music take you back to a certain period in your life. One such artist for me is Steve Vai. I remember being in 4th grade and listening to Passion and Warfare (1990) over and over and over on my little CD Walkman. At that tender age, I was already well versed with the likes of Hendrix, Van Halen, and Rhoads, all of which are still favorites to this day. But once I heard Vai and his longtime close friend/mentor Joe Satriani, it was game over. I begged my parents for an Ibanez that Christmas and got it, alongside a copy of Vai’s Where the Wild Things Are live DVD. In the 13 years that have passed since then, I’m still not a tenth as good as Vai or Satriani (who is?), but one thing that remains the same is my sense of wonderment whenever I listen to either.
Even though I’m a few days shy of 23, Vai’s latest studio album, Inviolate, took me back to being 10 all over again. The guitar heroics are a-plenty, guaranteed to scratch the itch of fellow guitar geeks the globe over. The difference between listening to Vai then and now is that now, I’m able to decipher the various creative nuances within, or the method behind the madness. Whereas 10 year old Joe would’ve heard a lightning fast passage and thought, “Holy shit, that’s crazy!”, 23 year old Joe hears the same passage and thinks, “Holy shit, that’s crazy! I’m hearing shades of 70s jazz fusion here.”
Indeed, the zany and intrepid stylings of Jeff Beck and Allan Holdsworth are present throughout this release. They’re predominantly showcased on the frantic “Knappsack” (which was recorded one handed while Vai was recovering from shoulder surgery), and the trippy “Apollo in Color”, whose balance of melodic bliss and avant-garde adventurism make for quite the experience! However, old school jazz fusion is merely the tip of the iceberg for Inviolate.
Over the course of 45 minutes more or less, Vai touches upon elements of blues, smooth jazz, and his signature brand of shred infused prog metal that put him on the map roughly 30 years ago. The opening “Teeth of the Hydra” is an exercise in this approach, contrasting electronically driven world music with Vai’s spin on modern prog metal guitar. Dare I say there are tinges of *ahem* djent? The full throttle speed of “Avalancha” is bound to get heads banging, as is my choice cut, “Zeus in Chains”. While everyone is quick to praise Vai for his intricate soloing and innovative techniques, there aren’t enough who recognize his ability as a riff-master as well. “Zeus in Chains” is built upon said masterful riffs, which tow the line between hooks and heaviness ingeniously.
While part of me feels Vai could do no wrong (and he can’t), another part of me feels this is his strongest and most cohesive release since Real Illusions: Reflections (2005). There’s something about this collection of songs in particular that resonate with me on another level, just like Passion and Warfare did all those years ago. Perhaps Vai’s wizard friend Pomposh has me under one of his supernatural spells (read my interview with Vai for more info on that anecdote).
8 out of 10
Genre: Hard Rock
Label: Favored Nations Entertaimment
For fans of: Joe Satriani, Buckethead, Paul Gilbert