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emotion and passion at a high level of execution . Tracks “ High and Hellbound ” and “ The Words That Enslave ” are equally impressive by taking those powerful melodies and soaring vocal harmonies to new heights . Mixed and mastered by King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque , the band ’ s progressive metal dynamics are highlighted , while also giving the tunes a heavy-handed punch . On The Speed of Dreams , Fierce Atmospheres has created a brilliant concoction of modern power / prog metal with a mix of ’ 70s prog rock .
– Kelley Simms
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RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Unlimited Love
( Warner Records )
When interim Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer saw a photo of Flea hanging out with John Frusciante at a Lakers game he knew his time in the band was coming to an end . Even Josh knew that the classic lineup that created the alt-rock blockbuster Blood Sugar Sex Magic and the late ‘ 90s monster hit Californication was poised to be reunited after 15 years . Something special happens when Anthony Kiedis , Flea , Chad Smith , and John Frusciante go into the studio with Rick Rubin and roll tape ( Flea recently stated on Twitter “ For all the audiophiles out there , the new RHCP album was mastered directly from the tape we recorded it on , no computers no lame compression or limiters ”). “ Black Summer ” the first taste of the reunited quartet slowly creeps up on the listener with a sea-shanty vocal melody and straightforward structure . While the track grows on you with repeated listens and the lyrics “ Been a long time since I made a new friend ” seem to conjure the pandemic , it seems like an odd choice not only for a first single but to open the 73-minute long album . “ These Are The Ways ” would have been a better choice with its pummeling Chad Smith drums and Quadrophenia-esque refrain . “ Aquatic Mouth Dance ” returns the Chilis to the sound of their second album Freaky Styley with its funky horn stabs and mesmerizing Flea bassline . “ Here Ever After ” has a catchy melody that buries itself in your brain over pounding tribal drums . The band saves the best for second last with the penultimate “ The Heavy Wing ,” a complex Anthony Kiedis-sung verse that explodes into a raging Frusciante-sung chorus and some particular meaty guitar work .
At 17 songs long the album overstays its welcome just a bit and hits a mid-tempo soft R & B rut mid-album . However , when this band locks in it ’ s still a beautiful thing . You can tell these four guys are true friends and that brotherhood comes through in spades on Unlimited Love .
-AndyDerer
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JOE SATRIANI The Elephants of Mars
( Edel / earMUSIC )
It has been 35 years since the wildly catchy and dazzling rock instrumentals “ Surfing with the Alien ” and “ Satch Boogie ” catapulted Joe Satriani into the public consciousness , surpassing colleagues and virtuoso shredders like respected G3 companions Steve Vai and Eric Johnson in capturing something closer to household name status than what is afforded to most guitar-slingers . In the decades since , Satriani has created music to thrill electric guitar aficionados with a taste for technical excellence while nurturing parallel appeal among fans of innovators within the pop market like Eddie Van Halen . Working alongside Sammy Hagar in Chickenfoot helped to maintain Satriani ’ s profile among mainstream rock audiences . The Elephants of Mars finds Satriani at peak playing form in service of his own muse while summoning textures , sounds , and voices to stump mere mortal guitarists . The album ’ s 14 songs form solid bones for Satriani to establish mood and melody before engaging his dizzy fingers for maximum “ wow ” factor and sonic fascination . There ’ s no denying the fun of songs like the exotic and arid “ Sahara ,” which evokes the isolation of a nomad ’ s journey whether it ’ s among barren dunes or navigating the concrete jungle alone in a crowd . The album ’ s title cut provides an adrenalin rush while nodding toward John McLaughlin ’ s whirlwind passages on Mahavishnu Orchestra ’ s “ Birds of Fire .” Satriani ’ s playing is fluid and his touch seems effortless on even the most challenging passages . The guitarist gets delightfully weird with elastic and distended figures during “ Tension and Release .” Satriani gives room to his bandmates on “ Pumpin ’,” with a funky analog synthesizer lead and nimble , skittering bass that leads toward a bluesy and euphoric coda . The acoustic-based “ Doors of Perception ” is spiced with Middle Eastern motifs and tabla percussion . There ’ s no reason that fans of studio-polished player ’ s players like Steely Dan shouldn ’ t adore Rai Thistlethwayte ’ s and Eric Cadieux ’ s glistening keyboard passages as they shimmer throughout “ E 104th St NYC 1973 ,” while Satriani improvises and makes his guitar talk in varying degrees of calm and agitation . The band crafts a loping blues vibe for the easygoing bliss of “ Blue Foot Groovy ” and a heavy swing during the Led Zeppelin-esque “ Dance of the Spores .” If there ’ s any criticism to be found , it ’ s that these otherwise impressive sonic sculptures and immersive moods don ’ t include another soundtrack song for good times and gatherings like “ Surfing with the Alien ” in order to help Satriani ’ s guitar to recapture the general public ’ s imagination . This album also features a very different approach than Peter Frampton ’ s recent Forgets the Words , for example , which found Frampton using his Les Paul dubbed “ Fenix ” as a voice to render familiar and broadly accessible melodies . The closest companions here would be the lyrical and emotive “ 22 Memory Lane ” and the mournful closing ballad “ Desolation .” “ Faceless ” is an epic