An instrumental super group is probably the
easiest way to describe Devil's Slingshot. When a band
line up consists of drummer Virgil Donati (Planet X,
Ring Of Fire, CAB), acclaimed solo guitarist Tony Macalpine
(Planet X, CAB) and bass legend (Mr Big, David Lee Roth) you
are pretty much guaranteed an excellent virtuoso display. Yet
all this musical talent is worthless if the final product is
just pure musical wankery. Luckily the trio debut release
“Clinophobia” displays its fair share of melody within accessible
song structures and the three combine nicely in a well constructed
package coming as no real surprise given the number of the gigs
the three did together with Steve Vai. But the chemistry
here is quite apparent and cannot be argued with.
Musically the album is a nice blend of a
number of styles beginning with the metal tinted “Nederland” before cruising into rock fusion for “Ballade de Bastille”
which features a very nice main harmony line from Macalpine.
“Def Bitch Blues” begins with a drum workout from Virgil
before settling into aor rock/fusion waters for another strong
melodic piece which features some great guitar once again from
Macalpine who knows when to play is straight and then throw
in the technical stuff. “Lay Off” is a heavy slow riffer
which has an air of Vai about to these ears and I could see
this one working very well with vocals, as it is it is another
strong track. “Injustice Line” sees a more modern vibe
enter with an ambient type groove from Donati before heading
into a riff slightly reminiscent of Soundgarden or Helmet, for
the lead textures Macalpine prefers to concentrate more on sustained
single note lines and it isn’t until the midway point that the
track that some degree of more excitement enters the track.
“Ocean” offers up more excitement with its more traditional
rock sound, here guitar harmonies work well with each other
yet I still get the feeling that Macalpine is holding back –
this certainly isn’t the lead guitar fest of an album I was
expecting. The track then morphs into a nice ambient section
before leading into another segment where Sheehan gets to expose
his bass chops. “Flamed” is a 7 string riffer based
around a drum groove by Donati and is home to some nice riffs
which again would be a strong basis for some vocals to work
over. “Hourglass” sees the band stretch out into rock
fusion territories and is another highlight yet you still get
the impression something is missing. “Aerial Perspective”
is where Macalpine shows off a little more fleeting fretwork
and its more enjoyable for it. It still not a killer captivating
instrumental though and does the leave the album hanging somewhat
with an air of what could have been.
“Clinophobia”
is an album that is good in terms of musical ability, but knowing
what these musicians are capable of it does come across as a
little flat at times. Perhaps this new band has been put
together to exercise another side of these musicians, but I
do get the feeling that the guys are holding back at times for
the sake of it. The three members have certainly been
involved in more rewarding projects for me, but fans of these
three musicians should find this an enjoyable enough experience.
As it stands Devil’ Slingshot is more than capable in terms
of ability but the finished article often lacks that special
something to push it into a higher mark.
Rating – 75%
