For anyone who came to Steve Vai through his work with Alcatrazz, Whitesnake and David Lee Roth in particular, his new album, Vai/Gash will feel like a homecoming to the glory days of metal, when the song was king.
Every track boasts an anthemic chorus, numerous memorable melodic hooks and short, shred-laced solos. Recorded by Vai in 1991, the album sat on his shelf for more than 30 years. At the time that he recorded the songs, Vai was immersed in the world of biker culture, enjoying the freedom and adrenaline rush of riding powerful bikes with a bunch of like-minded pals.
One of those friends was Johnny “Gash” Sombrotto, a unique character with strong opinions, a devil-may-care approach to life and, as it turned out, a truly exceptional voice. At times reminiscent of the best singers Vai had worked with — particularly Roth and Graham Bonnett — Gash’s voice had something extra that took things to a whole other level. Vai had wanted to create music he could listen to on long rides with his biker cohorts, and to that end he wrote and recorded eight songs over a couple of weeks. But when he tried to sing them, he quickly realized he couldn’t give the songs the something
