Inviolate

Over the course of a more than 40-year career, Steve Vai has consistently turned seemingly impossible feats into achievable realities, all while maintaining an element of the extraordinary. From his early days as Frank Zappa's "stunt guitar" player to his recent innovative solo projects, Vai has continuously pushed the boundaries of traditional guitar performance and composition. He has even revolutionized the instrument itself on multiple occasions, although he admits that this is not always his primary goal. "I don't sit around and consciously think, 'How can I break boundaries?'" Vai shares about his creative process. "Instead, I challenge myself by asking, 'What can I do next that will captivate and intrigue me, something entirely fresh and different from my previous work?'" The culmination of this introspection is Vai's latest and 10th solo album, "Inviolate," a nine-track masterpiece that indeed expands the horizons of instrumental guitar music. In this album, Vai not only introduced a new guitar but also a groundbreaking playing technique. "An inviolate inspiration is one that arrives in its purest form," Vai elaborates. "It manifests almost entirely, and there's a profound sense of it being the perfect fit for you - unequivocally right. There are no justifications or illusions, only a resounding 'yes.' You then capture this essence in a manner that authentically reflects your unique creativity. Hopefully, that's what I've achieved with this record