Devil’s Slingshot – Clinophobia

artist website

publisher

impulse buy

Mascot Records
Produced by Devil’s Slingshot

Devil’s Slingshot is an instrumental trio comprising guitarist Tony MacAlpine (Steve Vai/Ring of Fire), bassist Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big/Steve Vai) and drummer Virgil Donati (Planet X/Soul SirkUS). They began life on a European tour last year, then decided to record an album and do another tour this year.

The live shows were unbelievable. The technical ability demonstrated by each man was astonishing and they played off each other with incredible ease. It was the kind of show that leaves any budding musicians in the audience with the thought “I might as well just give up now”. It’s fair to therefore expect that the same amazing ability will be prevalent on record as well.

There are undeniably cool riffs abound, and some great melodies, but where are the solos? There are nowhere near as many displays of musical prowess as you’d expect. You’ve got three of the finest virtuoso musicians in the World playing on one album and you’ve got to wait until track six to hear a guitar solo. That’s not right. The first bass solo doesn’t appear until track eight (and isn’t even Billy Sheehan, it’s a guest appearance from Bunny Brunel). And there are no drum solos to speak of.

There’s a good guitar one in Flamed, but it sounds as out of place as a solo transplanted into a song from St Anger would sound (incidentally the drums sound terrible as well). The only track that comes close to achieving what the album should is closer Aerial Perspective, with guitar solos galore amidst the over-repeated main riff.

I had high hopes for this after their electrifying tour last year, but it is a real let down. Maybe it was there intention to focus more on rhythms and melodies than infusing those with solos at the risk of detracting from the songs. But if it was, it was a bad decision. Get a MacAlpine solo record or two instead, they’re much more interesting and much more impressive. Or better yet, get the Ring of Fire records. You get MacAlpine’s wizardry, some serious drumming from Donati and the always-wonderful vocals of Mark Boals.

“ where are the solos? ”

Tracklist: Nederland / Ballade De Bastille / Def Bitch Blues / Lay Off / Injustice Line / Ocean / Flamed / Hourglass / Aerial Perspective

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Hard Rock, Instrumental, Devil's Slingshot