Inviolate [LP Green Marble Vinyl Import]

Steve Vai - Inviolate [LP Green Marble Vinyl Import]

Over the course of his more than 40-year career, Steve Vai has systematically transformed something that seems impossible into something that is entirely possible... and yet also quite extraordinary. From his days as Frank Zappa's "stunt guitarist" to his more recent expansive and exploratory solo work, Vai has constantly challenged the notions of traditional guitar playing and composition on more than one occasion reshaped the instrument itself. Which he admits was not necessarily his intention. “I don't sit around and say, ‘Okay, what can I do now that pushes the boundaries?’” Vai says about his approach to the guitar. “What I do say to myself is, ‘Okay, Vai, what are you going to do now that's going to interest you, that’s going to fascinate you, and that’s different than anything you've done before?’” The answer to that question comes in the form of Vai's latest and 10th solo album, Inviolate, nine tracks that push the boundaries of instrumental guitar music, this time, Vai not only literally invented a new guitar, but also a new playing technique. At the same time, Inviolate presents his most focused, streamlined, and perhaps most uplifting music in years. “It’s very ‘Vai,’ whatever that means,” he says with a laugh. “Someone else might be better than me at explaining what that is. But it’s just very honest music. Because a lot of my records are long and there are a lot of concepts and playing around with stories. This one has none of that. These are nine pretty dense all-instrumental compositions that I wanted to capture and record so I could get out there and play them live for people.” 6