- Audio CD (26 Aug 2008)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Mascot
- ASIN: B001CITQHM
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 664,824 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Now some people bandy the phrase supergroup around when a bunch of no-marks you've vaguely heard of get together to try and resurrect a barely consious career, so in order to suitably address Devil's Slingshot, it becomes necessary to utilise the phrase superdupergroup. Because ladeez and gennulmen, I bring you on guitar, Mr Tony MacAlpine, on bass Mr Billy Sheehan and on drums, Mr Virgil Donati! Blimey.
As anyone with even a passing interest will know, Tony MacAlpine has had a two decades long solo career, as well as working with the likes of Planet X and Steve Vai. Amongst other things, Billy Sheehan began with Talas, joined up with Diamond David Lee Roth when Roth still had his own teeth and formed multiplatinim poodles, Mr. Big. Virgil Donati is a proper drummer, the one that musos head for when they need more than a bass pedal and a hi-hat. Hence his work with Steve Vai, Derek Sherinian, Mick Jagger and, yes, Joss Stone! And now they've got together to fire out some instrumental pyrotechnics.
They actually all got together playing gigs with Steve Vai and all got on well enough musically to stick together as a trio for this album and tour. And it works very well, if the thought of aggressive but melodic fusion is something that gets you a wee bit hot under the collar. Obviously if you're looking for versue - chorus - verse, you're in the wrong place, but there's some good tunes and heavy riffing rattling around here with the ponderous 'Lay Off', a mountainous highlight and the seventies rock vibe of 'Ocean' a treat, especially for bass fans. But it's 'Flamed' that got my rawk juices stirring, so if you want to hear a sample, that's the one to head for.
It's not as techy as you might think, as the trio generally keep things trimmed to around the four minute mark, which will actually disappoint all the prog freaks out there, who will be drooling in a rather unsavoury manner at the thought of this album. It's not as goos as the best that the three have come up with separately, but it has enough to keep you going the whole way through.
As anyone with even a passing interest will know, Tony MacAlpine has had a two decades long solo career, as well as working with the likes of Planet X and Steve Vai. Amongst other things, Billy Sheehan began with Talas, joined up with Diamond David Lee Roth when Roth still had his own teeth and formed multiplatinim poodles, Mr. Big. Virgil Donati is a proper drummer, the one that musos head for when they need more than a bass pedal and a hi-hat. Hence his work with Steve Vai, Derek Sherinian, Mick Jagger and, yes, Joss Stone! And now they've got together to fire out some instrumental pyrotechnics.
They actually all got together playing gigs with Steve Vai and all got on well enough musically to stick together as a trio for this album and tour. And it works very well, if the thought of aggressive but melodic fusion is something that gets you a wee bit hot under the collar. Obviously if you're looking for versue - chorus - verse, you're in the wrong place, but there's some good tunes and heavy riffing rattling around here with the ponderous 'Lay Off', a mountainous highlight and the seventies rock vibe of 'Ocean' a treat, especially for bass fans. But it's 'Flamed' that got my rawk juices stirring, so if you want to hear a sample, that's the one to head for.
It's not as techy as you might think, as the trio generally keep things trimmed to around the four minute mark, which will actually disappoint all the prog freaks out there, who will be drooling in a rather unsavoury manner at the thought of this album. It's not as goos as the best that the three have come up with separately, but it has enough to keep you going the whole way through.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
You would expect the musicianship to be of the utmost highest order considering the people involved. You would be slighty disapointed in the slightly flat production values though. Most of the drums sound dull and lifeless and the guitars often sound distant. Does not stop the album being a worthy purchase, though, especially if you are a fan of any one of these guys.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Excellent
3 Dec 2007
Format:Audio CD
This album has the best Tony Macalpine guitar playing in years. His soloing is compact, very fluid. The song structure is similar to the Planet X material. Billy Sheehan plays awesome and Virgil does is signature odd tempo drumming. I was pleasantly surprised with this production.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Let it Grow on You...
7 Jun 2008
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I first heard this album, I had just put down Chromaticity and Premonition, and I had to say, this album threw me a curve ball at first. It's NOTHING like any of Tony's earlier work, which is both a good and bad thing.
It's great to hear someone go in a new direction and honestly not sound like they're repeating themselves. The songs did this in particular when it came to the time signatures they were written in. Right now, I'm listening to "Injustice Line" (for like the thirtieth time) and the main riff still gnaws at me (it's in 10/8 time and is very challenging to listen to).
Basically, you should expect a lot of odd time signatures. Also, Billy didn't rip like he usually did. In fact a good primer for this album is the Steve Vai Live in Astoria DVD. You'll notice that Tony's style of playing on that DVD was really abstract and a bit of indication on where this album was going.
Like I said in the title however, once it grows on you, you'll really like it, but you gotta listen to it more than once.
My favorite tracks are:
Nederland - very heavy riffs in 6/8. no real melody however...
Def B*tch Blues - great lydian solo!
Lay Off - great heavy stuff
Ocean and Hourglass - uptempo rock with quirky time changes..
check it out!
It's great to hear someone go in a new direction and honestly not sound like they're repeating themselves. The songs did this in particular when it came to the time signatures they were written in. Right now, I'm listening to "Injustice Line" (for like the thirtieth time) and the main riff still gnaws at me (it's in 10/8 time and is very challenging to listen to).
Basically, you should expect a lot of odd time signatures. Also, Billy didn't rip like he usually did. In fact a good primer for this album is the Steve Vai Live in Astoria DVD. You'll notice that Tony's style of playing on that DVD was really abstract and a bit of indication on where this album was going.
Like I said in the title however, once it grows on you, you'll really like it, but you gotta listen to it more than once.
My favorite tracks are:
Nederland - very heavy riffs in 6/8. no real melody however...
Def B*tch Blues - great lydian solo!
Lay Off - great heavy stuff
Ocean and Hourglass - uptempo rock with quirky time changes..
check it out!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
it would be hard for these three to put out a turd
8 Jun 2008
Format:Audio CD
Somewhat like a stripped down keyboard-less Planet X, Devil's Slingshot manages to straddle the line between progressive metal and fusion gracefully thanks to these incredible talents. The requisite tasty and chromatically tinged riffs are back from MacAlpine, while Sheehan does an admirable job of adding some melodic ideas as well as low end. And enough cannot be said about Virgil Donati... truly the greatest drummer I know of. A unique and solid effort from these three, with a very basic production that gives equal sonic space to all of them. If you like music to be harmonically and rhythmically unique, or if you like fusion (especially the heavier side of it), this album is a no-brainer.
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