Gus Drax has returned to the instrumental shred game with "Theories of  Imperfection," along with an ultra-talented crew of session guitarists, bassists, drummers, and many more. Sixteen years have passed since the release of his debut "In Search of Perfection," and apparently, he's gone from searching for perfection to theorizing about imperfection. I suppose it's better than theorizing about perfection and searching for imperfection... right?

I'm usually apprehensive when it comes to reviewing instrumental albums for a couple reasons, the most prominent being a lack of engaging material. I get bored easily when each track is nothing but a masturbatory shredfest. "Theories of Imperfection" is admittedly 50% masterbation, but the other half is simply amazing. The lack of lyrics clearly doesn't hinder Gus from creating a breathtaking, eight-part symphony of guitar-centered virtuosity. Gus is simply a beast, firing off note after note with such mind-blowing proficiency, but it's not overly self-indulgent or flashy. From the blistering opening sequence of "Sentio Ergo Sum" to the energetic, uplifting tones of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright," I was constantly entertained. Gus shares the spotlight generously with George Charalampidis' lovely bass, especially in "Nocturnal," George Kollias' top-tier drumming, and the gaggle of session musicians. It reveals a lot about Gus' character; not one to dominate and overshadow his fellow players.

My favorite session musician had to be Lefteris Pouliou and his saxophone on "Ethereal Resonance." He riffed harder on the sax than half of the guitar solos, and it hit me like a lovely truck. It's rare I physically react to music, but  Lefteris is only one of the reasons why the LP sticks out in the instrumental metal world. Most records spend their forty minutes noodling, but Gus and the gang waltz through bombastic orchestrations, soar through power metal-inspired melodies, and wade through pleasing atmospheric passages. The pure sonic variety of "Theories of Imperfection" has propelled it above a million projects that strive to achieve its level of uniqueness. I dubiously dove in with the hope that this album has a sliver of identity, and instead of a sliver, it's the whole friggin' slice.

Gus Drax has ceased musical hibernation, and while the album is far from perfection or imperfection, I'm glad he gave me a reason to give instrumental metal another chance. He's provided a strong, laudable example of the genre, with equal parts power and panache.