THE STORY OF LIGHT

Under rated guitar virtuoso and solo artist Steve Vai offers us an exceptional listening experience with the diverse, thoughtful, and exciting Story of Light. It's ambitious without feeling bloated, artistic without pretense, and enthusiastic without instrumental excess. While Vai is perhaps best known to readers here at the Archives as a supporting player during Zappa's final era, he's earned is place as a solo artist to our attention thanks to a collection of consistently fine - to outstanding - solo releases, and this one may be his best to date.

Story of Light opens in grand, dramatic fashion with the highly layered and impeccably produced title track. While I can't find a translation to the Russian narration that drifts in and out of the foreground, we can assume that they're dealing with the album's concept of enlightenment and truth (per interviews with Vai). What's more interesting to me is the stellar guitar and synth playing. Vai's soloing is complex, crisp, snappy, and highly polished. For many, this kind of playing is the reason for listening, and Vai doesn't disappoint.

We get more balls to the wall guitar showcases during the heavy chugging and thoughtful tempo breaks in "Velorum," and in the heavy, sassy, "Gravity Storm." Vai will crush you with walls of sound that are complex and engaging and thoughtful all at once. Some of the best playing on the album and pure guitar bad-assery.

The boogie-woogie-metal-rock-gospel combination of "John the Revelator" and "Book of the Seven Seals" is an unexpected surprise, and is just plain a blast to listen to. It's an eclectic diversion that is just perfect; it makes you say, "what the heck is this... holy cow, what's happening... holy cow this is amazing!" It lasts just long enough to leave you wanting more, which, when combined with a handful of lush, down-tempo jams that round out the album, is exactly how I feel about Vai's music in general.

Story of Light is a ton of fun and shouldn't be missed by any guitar fan interested in some artistic razzle-dazzle the spice up their hard rock!

Songwriting: 4 - Instrumental Performances: 5 - Lyrics/Vocals: 3 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4