The Official Steve Vai thread - new album announced!

[RodrigoAltaf]

Steve Vai will release his new album, "Inviolate", on January 28, 2022.

Vai's 10th studio album — his first in six years — will feature nine songs, including the previously released "Knappsack" and "Candle Power". Vai wrote and recorded "Knappsack" with just one hand at a time when he was recovering from trigger finger surgery while "Candle Power" saw him demonstrating a new technique he's been developing that he calls "joint shifting". He previously described "joint shifting" as

 "where you bend a note while fretting another, but I wanted to do this technique with a combination of double and triple stop single note bends while fretting other notes and releasing bends."

Vai announced the follow-up to 2016's "Modern Primitive" in a social media post, writing: "Yup, it's ready. And it drops on January 28th, 2022. It's called Inviolate. Enjoy the ride."

"Inviolate" track listing:

01. Teeth Of The Hydra
02. Zeus In Chains
03. Little Pretty
04. Candle Power

05. Apollo In Color
06. Avalancha
07. Greenish Blues
08. Knappsack
09. Sandman Cloud Mist

More info here: https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/steve-vai-to-release-inviolate-album-in-january/

[wolfking]

Will check it out.  Story of Light was decent but I don't even think I checked out Modern Primitive.

[RodrigoAltaf]

I actually heard the album, and there are some killer songs in it. It's not the final installment of Vai's Story of Light trilogy, it's more a collection of songs that are not related to each other, but it's really good, and it has some groundbreaking songs. I spoke with Steve two weeks ago about the album, but the interview won't be published until January, because his PR wants it to come out closer to the release date.

[wolfking]

I actually heard the album, and there are some killer songs in it. It's not the final installment of Vai's Story of Light trilogy, it's more a collection of songs that are not related to each other, but it's really good, and it has some groundbreaking songs. I spoke with Steve two weeks ago about the album, but the interview won't be published until January, because his PR wants it to come out closer to the release date.

Any heavier numbers?

[devieira73]

Glad to know about the new album! Rodrigo, the band that recorded it is the same for the tour?

[RodrigoAltaf]

I wouldn't say Avalancha and Zeus in Chains are heavy, but they have some absolutely crazy leads that fans will love. Teeth of the Hydra is cool - he developed a new guitar with a steampunk look and multiple necks with a weird configuration, which he showcases on this track.

There are some guest spots on the album - Billy Sheehan and Terry Bozzio play on a few tracks. The band he'll be touring with has Jeremy Colson on drums and Phillip Bynoe on bass, both of whom play on the album as well.

[Kwyjibo]

I will definitely check this out and I'm glad that he's finally putting something new out, but I haven't the highest expectations.

I love his playing, and all his records have some great tracks, but the last really good record was Fire Garden imo, and that is from the 90s.

[wolfking]

I will definitely check this out and I'm glad that he's finally putting something new out, but I haven't the highest expectations.

I love his playing, and all his records have some great tracks, but the last really good record was Fire Garden imo, and that is from the 90s.

I tend to agree, however Alive in an Ultra World had some real gems.

EDIT:  Actually, I forgot about the Ultra Zone, I really liked that one.

[Max Kuehnau]

yeah I love all his albums, but he definitely hit a home run from Flexable up to Alive In An Ultra World (thanks in no small part to Machini), with Fire Garden up until Alive being my eternal three by him (to date). Hope I'll at least like Inviolate too (apparently featuring Terry Bozzio on it too, should be cool innit)

[RodrigoAltaf]

I didn't listen to the second part of his trilogy - which is yet to be completed - but The Story of Light is really cool and ambitious.

[Volante99]

3 of the songs have already been released; and two of them are dreadful. But I will still give this one a chance. From about 1985–1990 I consider Vai the greatest guitarist on the planet but for whatever reason I can’t get into anything he has done after Passion/Sex & Religion.

I actually LOVED Modern Primitive but that’s all material written in the 80s…go figure.

[Max Kuehnau]

yeah, Modern Primitive is great, absolutely

[WebRaider]

I understand the disconnect in a way from the work prior but I think Real Illusions was GREAT and there was some good stuff on The Story of Light.

[bl5150]

I was a massive Vai fan (and still have my original JEM77FP  )  but the weird/cool ratio got out of hand for me after Alien Love Secrets/Fire Garden.  Sounds like I should check out Modern Primitive!   But this new one reminds me of his peak era

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8H4wRglcbE

Not as well organised as most of the P&W material but I like the sound - brings back cool memories. 

[Kwyjibo]

Well, Modern Primitive has a three part suite called Pink Blows Over, that‘s as weird as it gets, even by Vai standards.

[devieira73]

I think Modern Primitive is a great album, although I don't like Pink and Blows Over pt. 2, because it's really too weird for me. But this is the general rule for almost all Steve Vai albums from Fire Garden on, there's always something a little too weird for my taste, but it never harms too much the better parts of his albums. By the way, I love The Story of Light and I can't remember any song on it that I don't like. And Jonh the Revelator/Book of Seven Seals are incredible!
I really like the 3 songs released so far from the next album - Knappsack is excellent, Little Pretty is good and Candle Power is not bad, but I think it's a bit generic.

[MinistroRaven]

European tour:

Confirmed appearances include:
04 June             Glasgow, UK                                          o2 Academy
05 June             Manchester, UK                                     The Ritz
07 June             London, UK                                            Palladium
09 June             Bristol, UK                                             o2 Academy
10 June             Dublin, Ireland                                       Academy
11 June             Belfast, UK                                             The Limelight
13 June             Paris, France                                          Le Trianon
14 June             Strasbourg, France                                 La Laiterie
16 June             Oslo, Norway                                         Rockefeller
17 June             Bergen, Norway                                     USF Verftet
18 June             Gothenburg, Sweden                              Pustervik
19 June             Stockholm, Sweden                                Fållan
20 June             Copenhagen, Denmark                           Amager Bio
22 June             Lille, France                                           Splendid
23 June             Clisson, France                                       Hellfest
24 June             Bordeaux-Cenon, France                         Rocher de Palmer
25 June             Nimes, France                                        Paloma
26 June             Lyon, France                                          Transbordeur
28 June             Nuremberg, Germany                             Hirsch
29 June             Linz, Austria                                           Posthof
01 July              Udine, Italy                                            Castello
02 July              Macerata, Italy                                       Sferisterio
03 July              Bari, Italy                                               Teatro Petruzzelli
04 July              Firenze, Italy                                          Ultravox Arena
05 July              Gardone Riviera, Italy                             Anfiteatro del Vittoriale
06 July              Zurich, Switzerland                                 Komplex
08 July              Berlin, Germany                                     Columbia Theatre
09 July              Weert, Netherlands                                Bospop Festival
10 July              Antwerp, Belgium                                  OLT Rivierenhof
12 July              Toulouse, France                                    Le Bikini
14 July              Sancti Petri, Spain                                  Concert Music Festival
16 July              Valencia, Spain                                       Jardin de Viveros
17 July              Vigo, Spain                                            Auditorio Mar do Vigo
19 July              Barcelona, Spain                                    Teatro Tivoli

[Kwyjibo]

I really like his new one. Probably his most "standard" record, the weirdness factor is very low.

[devieira73]

Truly an amazing album IMO, only with the exception of Greenish Blues and Sandman Cloud Mist that are "just" very good songs.

[devieira73]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46qjDJ0lLdE&t=26s

Personally I had never seen something like that. Spectacular.

[Lowdz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46qjDJ0lLdE&t=26s

Personally I had never seen something like that. Spectacular.

I saw him play the triple neck heart guitar live and that was incredible. This? Genius.

[wolfking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46qjDJ0lLdE&t=26s

Personally I had never seen something like that. Spectacular.

That's possibly the most impressive thing I've ever seen.

For him even to mime all that for the video is a feat in itself.

[Architeuthis]

That was super cool, thanks for the link!