“Some people Larry might see my Hydra guitar and think, ‘Vai, what a joke!’”
There has always been an otherworldly quality to Steve Vai’s guitar playing. Although he caught his big break in the Frank Zappa band before stints with Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake, it’s his solo albums that well and truly cemented his crown as the grand master of shred – a virtuosic player with an unrivalled imagination for the deeply unconventional.
His new album, , showcases yet more breathtaking musicianship and wild reinvention, with Vai using instruments he’s never been seen with before, playing one song completely one-handed, and even inventing a new technique he refers to as ‘joint-shifting’. And that’s not all. He’s also been with collaborating with Ibanez owners Hoshino on a new instrument featuring three necks (a seven-string, a 12-string and a semi-fretless bass), floating and hardtail tremolo systems, sympathetic harp strings and more, as heard on the album’s opening track . While there are plenty of surprises on this album, it’s also to be expected – breaking personal boundaries has been
