You can say one thing about Joe Satriani; he knows how to keep busy. After a successful tour last year with his super side group Chickenfoot, Joe Satriani came off the road only to suffer the loss of his mother, Katherine, shortly before the new year. While coping with his loss Joe was already scheduled to tour as part of the Experience Hendrix Tribute which saw him play along side Billy Cox, Eric Johnson and Doyle Bramhall II among others. While on the road supporting the Experience Hendrix Tribute, Joe was hard at work writing new songs and instrumental material using his Iphone to get the ideas down for when the time came to lay down the tracks using in his newly updated home studio.

When the time came to lay tracks for the album, Joe choose to contact his long time friend and drummer Jeff Campitelli, and two artists with whom he's never worked with before; Alan Whitman on bass (From San Fransisco based band "Mermen") and Mike Keneally on the keys (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Screamin' Jay Hawkins). If you think that two unfamiliar players would change the sound of a Satriani album, think again. While the bass is mostly working with the drums to keep the rhythm, the synth talents of Whitman really work to compliment Joe's vocal-esque solo phrasing. There's even several songs on the album which Alan Whitman gets to strut his stuff as a solo keyboard player, while Joe covers the harmonies on guitar.

The album begins with "Premomition". This song sets the tone for the rest of the album as it begins with ringing church bells that lead into the signature Satriani guitar work over a solid rock groove. The synth works well in that it easily compliments Satriani's vocal phrasing style and really helps the overall mix of instruments in the song. The chorus hits you hard with a sweeping synth covering the chords, and guitar licks that float and soar through the air like a bird in mid flight.

"Pyrrhic Victoria" is a prime example of how far Joe's song writing skills have come in the past couple years. The verses are build on top of a steady rock beat while Joe lays down the groove with a straight ahead rock solo style on the guitar, which works to build the songs momentum towards the huge chorus. This chorus can only be described as epic. Joe's guitar soars over the carefully chosen major chords and retro sounding arpeggiating synth, as the feeling is evoked that the listener is flying on the back of Falkor from the Never Ending Story tales. Dramatic? Yes. Effective? You bet!

A synth crescendo leading into a solid rock groove marks the beginning of "Light Years Away". With gritty sounding guitar riffs to catch the listeners attention in the verses, Joe sets us up for the dynamic changes of the song by pulling most of the instrumentation away for a moment while the lead guitar builds momentum again towards the chorus. This is another track in which the synth works well to compliment the parts of the lead guitar as they cover the same melody. Towards the end of the song, Joe shows us that he can still flex his shred muscles as he solos with a sharp two handed tapping pattern mixed with screeches and squeals from his guitar.

"The Golden Room" is a welcome change of pace as it's one of those songs that completely stands out from the rest of album. Having a heavy East Indian influence, the traditional East Indian percussion sets the mood for an international excursion. While the rhythm guitar chords are heavy enough, they leave space in the song for Joe's amazing scale work as he floats up and down the fret board with strong Egyptian overtones. The guitar and synth work together to deliver a catchy and playful relationship in the choruses.

"Wormhole Wizards" begins with dark and ominous synth chords which build momentum to a straight rock beat and a song that sound much like the Satch of old. Fans will recognize that "old Satch" feel when the solo hits and we're bombarded with a fury of shred that Joe Satriani once build his name upon. The solo is followed by a bridge that bring the dynamics down and works to accent the louder parts, but being more quiet. This song not only showcases Joe's shredding skills but also Alan Whitman's as he flies through the scales with amazing speed and precision towards the end of the song.

The closing track "God Is Crying" is the most melodic song Satch has written to date as the melody is carried out by not only the lead guitar but harmonizing guitar and synths parts as well. The melody soars during the pre chorus to give contrast to the heavily effects driven guitar work on the chorus. Some fans may be surprised in Joe's sound as it closely resembles that of Buckethead where effects and tone are concerned. Of course, being the last song on the album.

While Joe Satriani has had to overcome the grief of his mothers passing late last year, it seems he's done so by focusing on his work and song writing skills. The result? The most well rounded and sonically enjoyable album of his career. While the song compositions and accompaniment have improved greatly, nothing stands out on this album as much as the raw emotion that can be heard all throughout the album from the shred guitar solos to the melodic solos and even in the phrasing of certain chords. Joe Satriani has once again proven that he's not only master of his instrument but a talented songwriter and emotive musician as well.