Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Satriani, Joe
Label: Sony Music
Release: 2018
Running time: 51:17
Rating: 4/5
Joe Satriani is a legend of the genre-coined “instrumental guitar rock”. The man who holds nearly the record for Grammy nominations without ever winning a single one has decided to heat up the early part of this year, and the winter along with it, with his trademark guitar temperament, and so he’s addressing us with his sixteenth studio album overall, titled »What Happens Next«.
On this album Satriani decided to simplify his style once more and go back to his familiar elementary self, or, to put it more »romantically«, to the days of carefree childlike naivety, the kind rock’n’roll once had too. I can’t remember Satriani ever working in the studio on new albums with such a pared-down lineup. In his whole long and rich career, no less. This time he invited just two musicians, but two prominent names who, on the world rock scale, are real giant slabs of rock. Glenn Hughes (Black Country Communion, solo, ex-Deep Purple, ex-Black Sabath, ex-Trapeze) on bass and Satriani’s Chickenfoot buddy and drummer Chad Smith, better known to everyone as an integral member of Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Smith knows Hughes very well too, having played with Glenn on Glenn’s solo studio albums. So there’s no hide-and-seek within the trio. The album unfolds very naturally, very loosely, very sincerely. Hypermusical, which is a constant when it comes to Joe Satriani’s guitar playing, but this time Satriani ditched every possibility of experimenting in his own music.
True, with his new album the man doesn’t say anything new anymore, but »What Happens Next« feels incredibly sincere, real, authentic, it speaks to you with bubbling optimism and carries the true sentiment of direct rock fire and glow. Everything that has always marked the musical career of this guitar grandmaster and that always tips the scales in his favor. Satriani once again tried out a few different rhythmic keys in the songs, which form the “typical chassis” for the new riffs, where the master of six-string guitar theory naturally thrills us once more with his specific guitar antics, led by a heap (the proverbially almost obligatory dose) of »whammy« wailing. »What Happens Next« is once again a vivid, idea-rich piece of work that keeps communing with that recognizable Satriani stance of endearingly mischievous teasing, which is part of his otherwise always cheerful character. There are plenty of tracks again. When aren’t there, when we’re talking about new Satriani albums? Let me finally be more precise. With the new album Satriani gets closer to the time of his albums from two decades ago, such as »Crystal Planet«. The stylistic turn that »What Happens Next« represents is thus logically closer to his early studio works than to the era of his two experimentally spiced predecessors (»Unstoppable Momentum« and »Shockwave Supernova«). Here’s a slightly spicy comparison for easier orientation. In terms of playing, the album »What Happens Next« would be hugely, hugely boring for a musician of Mike Keneally’s caliber. Satriani’s guitar language thus gets a full 100% of expressive room for his new confession.
On this album, then, Satriani has offered a palette of twelve new numbers that are written in a stripped-down rock fashion, keep up a note of directness and consequently speak to us with the glow of holy rock simplicity. In that respect Satriani also invited another producer along. That’s Mike Fraser, an old Satriani acquaintance, from that very »Crystal Planet« album. The guitar sound is once again more saturated, noticeably punchier in the production’s sonic picture. The guitar is thickened, in fact sonically given extra »fat«, which gives the album the groove kinetics of a direct rock stance and an almost live-show exuberance. The drums are played so simply that Satriani could have »banged them out« or programmed them himself. »What Happens Next« is once again as musical as can be and creeps into your ear in no time. Satriani remains incredible. He stays hugely focused, doggedly committed to realizing his new ideas and his new album. He’s not short on dynamite. Both in ideas and in composing. As for the playing, there’s no need to waste time and words. His fans already have this album at home, before they’ve even found this review online.
Line-up
Joe Satriani – guitar
Glenn Hughes – bass
Chad Smith – drums
Production
Mike Fraser
Track list
01. Energy
02. Catbot
03. Thunder High On The Mountain
04. Cherry Blossoms
05. Righteous
06. Smooth Soul
07. Headrush
08. Looper
09. What Happens Next
10. Super Funky Badass
11. Invisible
12. Forever And Ever
