Joe Satriani - Shockwave Supernova (2015)

The instrumental land scape has changed fairly drastically in about the last decade or so, seeing a bunch of bands blooming out, trying to take it as far as possible with complex rhythms, technical playing, and reinventing the genre again and again. Fortunately, there is at least one thing with the genre that has stayed the same since the 80's, and that something is Joe Satriani. The American guitar virtuoso has been working in a steady pace throughout his career, releasing new material every other year, and shows with each release that he not only masters the guitar like no other, but also know exactly how to make a great instrumental album come to life.

Judging from the cover and the name of the man's 15th studio effort, I almost thought that "Shockwave Supernova" would be a very different Satriani album, a more powerful and heavier effort. But no, he fooled me there. It is the same Satch boogie that has been dazzling us for years, with a broad range of inspirations from the worlds of jazz, blues, rock and more. This broad range can be tough for some listeners who has limited taste in music, but it definitely shows just how well diverse the man really is.

There is an overall nice flow to the album, but I did wish that it had some more personality to it. The overall structure is awfully similar to the one in "Unstoppable Momentum", making it seem like Joe just used a "paint by number" approach to the whole song creation process. But in the end, it is the quality of the craftsmanship that really matters, and you know that Joe will bring out a stunning display.

There are a couple of songs that stands out from the rest of the pack in this album. The opening title track has a really good flow, almost telling a story without uttering a single word. Then we have "On Peregrine Wings", that is just a stunning track where Joe is showing off a bunch of different techniques and styles, but still manages to make the song sound like one whole piece. And that beautiful riff on the "chorus" is just magic. "A Phase I'm Going Through" shows just how good of a shredder Joe is, giving us the most technical riffs and solos he has done in years. Also listen to the beautiful "Lost In A Memory", the crystal clear "Cataclysmic", and the sweet cruising "If There Is No Heaven".

Yep, Joe Satriani has created another well constructed effort here in "Shockwave Supernova", a album with great variety and fantastic showmanship. But there is something with this humongous variety that bugs me, because I want to see Joe create a full album that focuses on one main style, instead of just showing his whole tool box album after album. We know you are a well rounded artist Joe, and that is fantastic, but now I want to see some concepts, a album filled with songs that steers in the same direction. Can you do that for me please? Of course you can, I believe in you, but it is ultimately up to you if you want to do it or not, and to be honest, I am fine with it either way, just do your thing and bring out some stunning music.

Songs worthy of recognition: On Peregrine Wings, Lost In A Memory, A Phase I'm Going Through

Rating: 7,5/10 Scarborough Stomps

Joe Satriani - Unstoppable Momentum (2013)

The world have seen many guitar virtuosos come and go, but no one is more respected then Joe "Satch" Satriani. Not only has he learned big names like Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett to play, but he has also a own signature guitar called the Ibanez JS Series. His skills on the guitar are only matched by his amazing ability to catch the listeners attention with his marvelous melodies and riffs. He can play cool songs, slow songs, fast songs and several other types. "Unstoppable Momentum" is Satriani's 14th studio album and his latest effort, "Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards", was a delight to listen to (even though I felt that it was a bit uneven in the musical department).

Just as the title hints, "Unstoppable Momentum" holds a stable momentum through the album that does not stop entirely. It keeps on truckin' until the very end. Now, this album may not be a new "Surfing With The Alien" where Satriani is pushing himself to the limit, but sometimes is simplicity better then fast shredding. What really matters is how good the end product sounds and "Unstoppable Momentum" sounds very pleasing overall. One great example of the simplicity is in "A Door Into Summer". Soothing tempo, soft riffs and beautiful solos. Just enough to create a good song.

Most of the song has the same tempo and style, but the duo "Jumpin' In" and "Jumpin' Out" has some sort of Fusion Jazz style that both seems weird and enchanting. The main reason why I like these two songs is that they are shifting in shape several times which makes them very interesting and not so dull. But the high point of the album is the following song "The Weight of The World". It is a beautiful song that has a distinct and memorable riff that you can hum all day long. And even though the keyboard sounds sligthly weird, it still gives you the sensation of that you are playing a classic game from the 90's. So the nostalgia factor is the reason to why you should listen to this song.

Strange enough, some of the songs in "Unstoppable Momentum", like the title track and "Can't Go Back", actually reminds me of Buckethead, another awesome instrumentalist. I do not know if it was meant to be a celebration to the man with a KFC bucket on his head or an influence or if it is a pure coincidence, but either way, it throws me off a bit and it ultimately does not feel like something Satch have done by himself. So it does not matter that it sounds good, it feels like plagiarism, but it does not mean that I wont still listen to it.

All in all, this album is still a blast to listen too. Satch shows once again why he is one of the best guitarist and instrumental song creators on the planet. Joe does not have to shred like a maniac to show off his skills, he has already done that and can instead focus on improving his song writing technique, which is already good. So even though this album has some problems with identity issues, "Unstoppable Momentum" is sure to be one of the best instrumental efforts in the year of 2013.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Weight of The World, Unstoppable Momentum, Jumpin' Out

Rating: 7,5/10 American Dreamers