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"With "Sex & Religion", Steve Vai takes the risk not to follow the royal way which would have consisted in satisfying his fans with a continuation of "Passion & Warfare" and offers us an album of fusion metal of a very great wealth."
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5/5
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Three long years after the cultish "Passion & Warfare", the guitar-hero Steve Vai is finally back with a new opus. The Italian prodigy has added the services of Terry Bozzio with whom he had already collaborated on Frank Zappa's discography, the whimsical TM Stevens known for having worked with the greatest (Joe Cocker, James Brown, Tina Turner) and an illustrious canadian unknown of just 19 years old; a certain Devin Townsend...
Fans of instrumental guitar who were expecting a sequel to "Passion & Warfare" will be surprised. Steve Vai takes releases a risky and innovative opus in his discography. From the beginning with "Here & Now", we quickly understand that we'll have to wait for a new guitar album - which will arrive only in 1995 with "Alien Love Secret" - even if Steve Vai doesn't forget to show us all his mastery with vertiginous soli combining feeling and crazy technicality to disgust any guitarist like the sensational moment he offers us on "Rescue Me Or Bury Me" considered in its time (and still now) as an outstanding solo!
"Sex & Religion" is a work of avant-garde metal for its time, between compositions full of emotion and esotericism like the bewitching instrumental "Touching Tongues" and a majority of aggressive tracks with heady choruses like the fabulous "Down Deep Into The Pain" with the tentacular drums of Terry Bozzio who gratifies us with a powerful intro giving way to a frightening solo of Steve Vai... Without forgetting the omnipresent groovy bass of the slapper TM Stevens and finally the emerging talent of the already charismatic Devin Townsend who splashes with all his class this opus. The Canadian chameleon singer gives us a foretaste of his future career alternating melodic and thrash passages with a crazy talent... Crazy like his performance on "Pig" which will only be matched by his stage attitude when he sings this track only wearing a snout on his nose!
In the end, with "Sex & Religion", Steve Vai dares to take the risk of not following the royal road that would have consisted in satisfying his fans with a sequel of "Passion & Warfare". We have here a fusion metal album with a blatant musicality and a great richness. It's a pity that this little jewel didn't receive the success it would have deserved at the time. Fortunately, it is not too late to enjoy these timeless nuggets that have not aged a bit. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. An Earth Dweller's Return
02. Here & Now
03. In My Dreams With You
04. Still My Bleeding Heart
05. Sex And Religion
06. Dirty Black Hole
07. Touching Tongues
08. State Of Grace
09. Survive
10. Pig
11. The Road To Mt. Calvary
12. Down Deep Into The Pain
13. Rescue Me Or Bury Me
LINEUP:
Devin Townsend: Chant
Steve Vai: Guitares
Terry Bozzio: Batterie
TM Stevens: Basse
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
3.3/5 (3 view(s))
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STAFF:
4.4/5 (5 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH STEVE VAI
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT STEVE VAI
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