Joe Satriani The Elephants Of Mars 180g 2LP (Orange Vinyl)

It moves, it swings, it rocks! Satriani and his touring band, who all recorded remotely in separate areas of the world during lockdown, deliver an album-length journey that never dulls. The Elephants of Mars crackles with an exciting new energy, briskly traveling through stylistic roads that feel freshly updated, viewed through new eyes.

The guitarist had an aim to create a "new standard" when it came to crafting an instrumental guitar record. He strove to openly challenge himself to move away from what he describes as "the classic rock" tone of the past few albums, replacing that with a new platform of his own design. "I do want to show people that the instrumental guitar album can contain far more complexity of creative elements than I think people are using right now."

From the gripping, sci-fi madness of "Through A Mother's Day Darkly," to the isolation felt in a decaying urban landscape, as depicted in "Sahara," to the general endorphin levels that peak as the elephants finally roar in the title track, The Elephants of Mars will stampede across your mind, leaving a sonic imprint that doesn't fade.

Thanks to the pandemic removing all time constraints, The Elephants of Mars truly represents the album that Satriani himself hoped he could deliver with his band. And, ultimately, The Elephants of Mars stands as one of the most intriguing and interesting albums of Satriani's career.

"We did everything. We tried the craziest ideas. And we entertained every notion we had about turning something backwards, upside down, seeing what could happen."

Recorded slowly and patiently at his home studio while the COVID-19 pandemic kept him from touring, The Elephants of Mars highlights Satriani's imaginative approach to instrumental guitar rock, twisting his already versatile guitar sounds into new forms of warped, fantastical, and often fun-loving compositions. .. The Elephants of Mars is in keeping with the powerhouse technical ability Satriani has been a master of since the '80s, but the extra time he took to completely explore every idea makes the album more interesting and offers a deeper look into the guitar god's active psyche.