Who is Joe Satriani? A virtuoso? A sci-fi obsessed super-guitarist? The hard-rocking riff lord of Chickenfoot? He’s all of these things and more, and, over the course of fourteen albums, he has successfully carved out a niche for himself that most artists would envy, let alone instrumental artists. It’s a hard genre that Joe has chosen to occupy, and yet such is the skill of the man and such is his ability to build songs that allow, not only for displays of technical ecstasy, but also for memorable melodies, that Joe Satriani is yet to release an album that does not lodge itself deep within the memory of his many followers. That Joe remains one of rock’s more approachable and instantly likable figures thanks to the obvious joy that he gets form performing also helps a great deal and so it is with no small amount of excitement that I approach Joe’s fifteenth album, ‘shockwave supernova’.
Opening with the title track, it’s immediately clear that Joe is indulging himself in the sort of heavily progressive, sci-fi influenced geek rock that has become his calling card, producing a piece of music that could just as easily play over the opening credits of a hi-tech, high concept space movie as in a packed concert hall. It’s a super-charged opening and it sets the pace of the album at warp speed, with Joe playing with all the grace and intensity that his strongest proponents attribute to him. Opening on a more subtle note, ‘lost in a memory’ is powered by the warm thud of toms and some gentle synth over which Joe plays a jazzier role, as if scoring a scene in a late-night bar or, perhaps, a simmering love scene. Like most of Joe’s music, the track offers the listener the opportunity to paint their own mental image, the pace and tone simply suggesting a vibe with which to connect, and Joe’s playing here is truly sublime. That jazzy feel continues on the percussive weirdness of ‘Crazy Joey’, a tense piece that sees Joe’s probing guitar flickering over Marco Minnemann’s inventive and impressive drumming. Things take a blusier turn for ‘In my pocket’, a swaggering number that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early Aerosmith album thanks to the band nailing an easy groove over which Joe daubs his tremolo-laden guitar. Heavier is the kick ass riffing of ‘On peregrine wings’ which sees Joe unleashing some blistering power chords before tearing into a more metallic track than found elsewhere on the album. This being a Satriani album, there’s still a strong progressive element to the heaviness, but it’s good to hear the band cutting loose on a track that positively crackles with energy.
Although not as hungry as ‘on peregrine wings’, ‘Cataclysmic’ cruises into view on the back of a tough riff with an Eastern inflection and Bryan Beller’s meaty bass line. A mesmerising trip, it’s one of the album’s highlights and the perfect demo material for anyone unsure of Joe Satriani’s ability to write instrumental tracks that show both technical proficiency and melodic bite. Offering up a more relaxed blues number, Joe and his crew head to ‘San Francisco Blue’ and serve up the sort of sunny-day blues that you can imagine going over perfectly with the Crossroads audiences. Respecting the medium, Joe eases off on the technicality here and delivers solos that draw the melody forward, showcasing a more sensitive, soulful side to his playing. It’s a great track and one that shows that Joe is always willing to expand his sonic palette. As the title implies, ‘Keep on movin’’ is a caracking number, a snappy, fast-paced jazzy piece that isn’t afraid to add a touch of spice with some heavier riffs in its later sections. ‘All of my life’ employs world music rhythmic elements and some of Joe’s most restrained guitar work to build a rich, opulent mood before ‘A phase I’m going through’ kicks in with a taut funky groove that is entirely impossible to resist. Joe Satriani on top form? You better believe it. With the clue, once again, in the title, ‘Scarborough stomp’ is exactly that, a short, stomp nailed to a repetitive beat that gives way to the brief, unrestrained beauty of ‘Butterfly and zebra’, a sub-two-minute piece that sees Joe edging into Gilmour territory. A swift moving proggy piece, ‘If there is no heaven’ is a spritely track with some of the album’s most exquisite guitar work although it has close competition from the thoughtful ‘Stars race across the sky’ which sees the album approaching its end, the brief coda ‘Goodbye supernova’, which effectively lowers the curtain on the disc.
Overall it is hard to fathom just how well Joe Satriani has mastered his art. With flashing fingers and a wild grin, he’s a guitar hero, a legend who appears in a multi-colour blaze of light to dizzy all with his unambiguously stunning playing. Moreover, he is capable of building a real emotional bond with his audience for, despite the lack of vocals, the music is cinematic in scope, ebbing and flowing across genres as Joe and his band explore different moods in search of new canvasses upon which to daub their colours. It is arguable that those who have yet to be inspired by an entirely instrumental album will not change their minds now, but even so ‘shockwave supernova’ is a cut above most instrumental albums, and it ranks highly even by Joe Satriani’s own impressive standards.
