Metallica's Kirk Hammett recently told this writer that when his former guitar teacher Joe Satriani broke through, he effectively created a genre all his own.
Satriani has been making his ‘strange, beautiful’ instrumental music for nearly four decades now, and his niche yet sizeable audience is in for a treat with The Elephants Of Mars, his nineteenth album.
His strongest album since 1998’s Crystal Planet, The Elephants of Mars is 14 compelling tracks with Satch totally in the zone – his playing is at its most beautiful, experimental and fiery, with tones other guitarists would give an index finger for.
Spine-tingling melodies abound (Faceless, 22 Memory Lane, Desolation), some soundscapes are exotic (Sahara, Doors Of Perception) and others sci-fi (the title track, Sailing The Seas Of Ganymede, Steve Vai’s favourite track on here). Excursions into funk (Blue Foot Groovy) and Miles Davis-nodding jazz rock (E 104th St NYC 1973) are stylish and consummate.
At 65 Satriani is still spearheading his genre, and pushing its boundaries.
