THE ARISTOCRATS

First of all, we now have an eloquent piece of evidence that the real music is alive and well, despite the ongoing efforts of the pop industry to promote the "elevator prozac", so aptly described by Maestro Wilson in In Absentia. The Aristocrats definitely makes me feel quite a bit better about the future of our human culture. Good music is extremely important for the spiritual health of a civilization; more important than some people realize.

Aristocrat members showcase the outstanding talents of Marco Minnemann, Guthrie Govan and Bryan Beller. To my shame, I had never heard (about) Bryan Beller, so I am still trying to figure him out, kind of "tune into" his brainwaves.

All in all, this album is very well made. It is intense, exquisite and duly complex, but not pompous or "overdone" in any way. The sound quality is flawless, by the way. I have listened to it while driving, at my desk via a SET tube amp and older Klipsch speakers, and through the "proper" music machine in the living room ... sounds good no matter what. Don't know who recorded, mixed and mastered them, but they sure did a professional job.

BOTTOM LINE: As they say, do yourself a favor and buy this album. After some deliberation, I will assign this album 4 stars (rounding down from 4.5, which would be more accurate).

A SMALL CAVEAT: I don't know if we can expect these musicians to continue working in the Aristocrat configuration for long. Most of the Minnemann's, Guthrie's and Beller's resume entries are from collaborating with all kinds of important idol figures like Vai, Zappa, Asia (I think), and, more recently, Wilson. I guess we shall have to wait and see.

It's been six long years since Guthrie Govan released his debut album. With no solo activity since then and some disappointing collaborations with Asia and GPS I had almost given up hope on this phenomenal guitarist.

But then along came The Aristocrats, a three-piece instrumental outfit consisting of Govan, Bryan Beller on bass, and Marco Minnemann on the drums. The band was formed after a single performance at The NAMM Show lead to more gigs, and ultimately this debut record, which features three tracks from each member

Despite being entirely instrumental and containing elements of jazz rock, 'The Aristocrats' is not 'Erotic Cake Part 2'. The sound is quite different, it seems to be more focussed. In terms of guitar, there is not such as broad spectrum of styles, but it remains creative and engaging throughout. That's not to say that it's completely tied down though, I am reminded of Jeff Beck or Trey Anastasio at times, whilst the slower paced Flatlands has an Eric Johnson vibe to it.

Guthrie Govan has a reputation for his fast playing, and whilst there are moments of shredding on 'The Aristocrats', they come in tasteful, short bursts. But that's enough of Govan, I make it sound like the other two are his backup band! Far from it, Bryan Beller is an outstanding bassist who has played with the likes of Mike Kenneally and Steve Vai, whilst Marco Minnemann was about two hairs away from joining Dream Theater. Individually, they sit amongst the best musicians around, but its what they achieve together which is so important here.

The chemistry is just incredible, simple riffs lay the foundation for cohesive improvisation. At times busy, but never claustrophobic. Killer hooks aplenty, but not immediately accessible. The sparse interplay on tracks like I Want a Parrot is absolutely captivating, this is not something you can stick on in the background and hope to appreciate, it really demands attention.

The Verdict: An extremely fun, slightly challenging album that evolves with every listen.

"Boing!. I'm in the Back" Distorted guitar and an odd rhythm adopt a quirky drive in this opener. Eventually, it boasts a bit of progressive surf rock. I appreciate the softer side the band takes on during the middle passage.

"Sweaty Knockers" Interesting title aside, the music here switches from aggressive rock to smooth jazz in a matter of mere moments. The guitarist gyrates through heavy metal shredding and country rock twang.

"Bad Asteroid" Velvety guitar begins this calmer venture. It's rather similar to "Walking the Plank" by Celtic rockers Bad Haggis.

"Get it Like That" This fourth piece stays in that laidback jazzy mode, but there's more of an urgency about this one.

"Furtive Jack" The band offers a degree of variety on this Caribbean-inspired excursion. It blends silky jazz with grittier leads. There's an excellent bass solo to be found here.

"I Want a Parrot" Slow and swinging, I find this lengthy tune to be somewhat similar to material from David Gilmour's On an Island. There's plenty of screaming guitar and grooving bass here to go around. The judicious drummer does an incredible job giving the music precisely what it needs, even if it means sitting it out for a bit.

"See You Next Tuesday" Initially of an avant-jazz-rock piece, this one tends to be harder to follow until it settles into a heavy groove upon which the guitarist has a field day.

"Blues Fuckers" This unfortunately titled piece is just all over the place and is only really bluesy in the beginning and the end.

"Flatlands" The final piece is clean, slow-paced blues that is reminiscent of some of Eric Johnson's smoother work- a placid ending to an otherwise frenetic album.

Marco Minnemann is an amazing drummer. I didn't know that he's so good at jazz drumming, but he is. And he also contributes highly to the harder sound of the album, where the music goes rock/metal from jazz. Bryan Beller is also great. His melodies sound unique, and work so well with the sound of the album.

With all this great players, one don't expect a synergy like this. But these three talented men are made for each other! They love and dream the same music. They put out an incredible piece of jazz/rock fusion. Highly recommended.