This album earned
Masi a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Rock Instrumental Album. That is an interesting nod considering that not the entire album is instrumental. The opening track, "Under Fire," includes vocals by
Jeff Scott Soto. Other guests featured on this recording include
Frankie Banali (
Quiet Riot), David Michael Philips(
King Kobra), Kuni, and
Allan Holdsworth (one of
Masi's heroes). There are plenty of albums released by the guitar virtuoso set (
Malmsteen,
Satriani, and others). One of the things that sets this release apart from the majority of those is the variety of music present. Indeed,
Masi contributes cuts ranging across the musical spectrum to cover blues, jazz, and metal. That same variety, though, also tends to lead to a bit of a lack of direction. However, that only hurts the album so much. It should appeal to fans of the guitar-hero type instrumental music, but even those who are not sure about that genre might want to give this a try. It certainly showcases a wide variety of what the genre can have to offer and might make a good introduction to the musical form. ~ Gary Hill