The days between the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s were marked by the appearing of the virtuous guitar players. The commercial success of “Van Halen” (of VAN HALEN) and “Blizzard of Ozz” (of Ozzy Osbourne) brought to the media’s attention the technical skills of Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, and the age of the shredders begins. Many bands had virtuous and fast guitarists back then, to a point where a feature arose: bands created solely to show the technical skills of dome guitarists, and others where the songs were more important (even with the technical aspect on the guitars being explored). Not as known as many, Chris Impellitteri created a solid career (to the point of being voted as one of the fastest guitarists of all time in 2008 by the magazine Guitar World, and being inducted into the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame in 2023. But here he is once more with his band (that carries his name) with its 12th full-length, “War Machine”.

Unlike a great part of the so-called shredders (that prefer to stay into Hard Rock or Glam Metal), the work of the band is a form of Heavy Metal/Traditional North American Heavy Metal, or in other words, it’s a work based on a very good technical care on each musical instrument, influences inherited from 70s’ Hard Rock (heard clearly on “Out of My Mind (Heavy Metal)”), and precious melodies. The fans will receive the album with open arms, because it’s in the same vein of what IMPELLITTERI offers since its beginning, having Chris’ long time partners Rob Rock and James Pulli (that shows some very good technical parts on “Superkingdom”), but with a new name on the band’s ranks: Paul Bostaph (yes, the same one of FORBIDDEN, SLAYER, EXODUS and others) on the drums. It means that weight isn’t a problem, making the listening to the album extremely tasteful. Produced by Chris Impellitteri himself on NRG Recording studios, Studio B, with Mike Plotnikoff and Jun Murakawa taking care of the recordings, and with everything being mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, the songs bear a clean sonority that allows the fans to understand what’s being played clearly, but with a bone-crushing weight that can cause pains in the ears of non-used fans.

For those that still don’t know IMPELLITTERI’s music, don’t things here are unbalanced. No, not at all, because the band’s music isn’t done on a ‘hey-see-how-technical-I-play-so-applaud-me’ way, but works as a solid unity, as heard on “War Machine” (a blockbuster and heavy song with many very good guitar riffs and arrangements, and what lovely melodic hooks), “Out of My Mind (Heavy Metal)” (that carries influences of 70s’ Hard Rock on the guitars, with catching melodies and a great singing), “Superkingdom” (a modern traditional Heavy Metal with oppressive weight and very good rhythmic shifts, and fine bass guitar lines), “Wrathchild” (excellent 80s’ feeling in some moments, and with a very good work on drums’ artillery), “What Lies Beneath”, “Hell on Earth” (great double bass parts on the drums can be heard here), “Power Grab” (again elements from North American Hard Rock can be heard), “Beware the Hunter”, “Light It Up” (wow, what lovely melodies on this accessible song), “Gone Insane” and “Just Another Day”.

“War Machine” is here not only as ‘one-more’ album of IMPELLITTERI, but states as the band is alive and ferocious 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻.