There have been some strong instrumental guitar albums lately and you can add
this one to the list. Devils Slingshot are a supergroup consisting of Virgil
Donati (has worked with Planet X, CAB, Steve Vai, Derek Sherinian, Steve Walsh,
Mark Boals, plus many more), Billy Sheehan (Talas, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and
Tony Macalpine (Planet X, CaB, and Steve Vai). This is quite the instrumental
line-up and if you like your rock hard and heavy you have come to the right
place. Lots of intense riffing and power chords to go along with some blistering
solos make this a feast for guitar lovers. All three members are exceptional
musicians but that does not always make for an enjoyable listen. The music on
this release is very cohesive and it is like these guys have been playing
together for years.
The album opener, "Nederland", has everything a guitar lover would want:
excellent riffs and solos, plus a very competent rhythm section to hold it all
together. Another plus is the nice melody that goes along with the package. What
I noticed about this album is that it may take a few listens to fully
appreciate. At first I was not completely sold, but upon further listens the
subtle nuances of many of the songs started to take hold. There is a lot going
on musically, especially for a three piece band. Just listen to the almost jazz
like interlude during "Ballade de Bastille" where Sheehan's bass takes center
stage. This is one of the best bass parts I have heard in quite some time. "Def
Bitch Blues" has an irresistible riff that will almost make you want to dance.
To me, that is what makes this so listenable - melody combined with first class
musicians. It never seems over done or self indulgent but after listening you
are sure to realize just how good these guys can play. There is a definite
progressive nature to the music but mostly this is just good rock, albeit played
at a very high skill level like that demonstrated on one of my favorite tunes
entitled "Ocean". This has another really good melody with a well placed quiet
interlude followed by guitar pyrotechnics. Excellent stuff for sure.
Do I think you should buy this disc? Well, if you like guitar based
instrumental rock, played by fantastic musicians who have really seemed to gel,
by all means go for it. This one gets another solid four star rating.
Track Listing:
1) Nederland
2) Ballade de Bastille
3) Def Bitch Blues
4) Lay Off
5) Injustice Line
6) Ocean
7) Flamed
8) Hourglass
9) Aerial Perspective
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