Joe Satriani Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards
by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer
Relentless in his output of groundbreaking material throughout his 25-year career, Joe Satriani is taking his game a notch higher on his new release Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards. Satriani’s formidable technique may have always been about conveying a sensation and serving a compositional purpose, but on this release the urgent intensity of his fretboard pyrotechnics often gives way to introspection, showing that virtuoso chops is just a means to achieving a higher aim. If anything, this new record is all about expanding his compositional latitude and experimenting with form.
Standout “Pyrrhic Victoria” showcases Satriani’s constantly evolving compositional approach perhaps better than any other track with its contrasts and juxtapositions of ideas, narratives, textures, and moods. Snappy, instant-grip hard rock riffs, perfectly orchestrated ear candy interludes, impeccably phrased, raunchy solos, and the main theme which is never linear and keeps developing throughout the song would be enough for a lesser composer to base an entire album on, but Satriani puts it all on one single track.
But while such meticulously constructed pieces confirm Satriani as a remarkable composer, other tracks show that it’s not all about rigor of purpose. The hauntingly cosmic “Dream Song” which transmits outer space signals down to Earth, and “The Golden Room” with its Arabic free-form extrapolations both show the deeply intuitive, numinous side to this record, and a mystical aspect to Satriani’s gift which becomes more transparent with each passing year.
Big, but accessible ideas, a desire to embrace a constantly expanding scope of moods, styles and states of mind, as well as combination of self-discovery with brilliant entertainment again prove Satriani not only as a guitar giant, but a musical giant of vast musical intelligence. On Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards he upholds the highest standards of his craft, but also ventures into territories which demand nothing short of miraculous flights of imagination.
Musicians:
Joe Satriani – guitars, bass guitar, keyboards
Allen Whitman – bass guitar
Mike Keneally – keyboards
Jeff Campitelli – drums
Track Listing:
1. Premonition
2. Dream Song
3. Pyrrhic Victoria
4. Light Years Away
5. Solitude
6. Littleworth Lane
7. The Golden Room
8. Two Sides to Every Story
9. Wormhole Wizards
10. Wind in the Trees
11. God is Crying
Online: www.satriani.com
Label: Epic / RED
Hardrock Haven rating: 10/10