This is PAUL GILBERT's first ever-instrumental record and we have definitely been waiting for this one very anxiously for sure. Here we get a chance to listen to PAUL's effort to spread his wings a bit further this time and try to gain more audience and more world wide acceptance  by offering us a sole instrumental record in contrast to his previous work  Space Ship Number One  which also combined vocal lines in a really cool and up tempo rock manner.
PAUL has recently stated about the album: I hope to record the most frightening guitar work I've ever done, and scare everyone within hearing distance with a towering monument of glowing guitar metal intenseness. In fact the first 38 seconds of  Get Out Of My Yard  are impossible to play. But I played them.  We could not agree more with this statement of PAUL's - and in fact if you listen to this album closely enough you will realize why it is almost semi - terrifying innovative but also flows in a very nice melodic way.
The question - which could be possibly raised here is  Well is this a typical clone of Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen way of composition, or does PAUL really offer his mark and signature here?  As a matter of fact PAUL manages to get away from this sonic trap - which the majority of his fellow guitarists seem to fall in and offers his compositions in his own unique style. If you consider yourself as a MR. BIG or RACER X fan this album definitely appeals to you. Maybe a couple of songs prove to be the belly of this album but on the whole it flows quite interestingly especially for the trained guitarist's ear.
On the whole this is undoubtedly what you would expect from a guitarist of PAUL's style and attitude. GILBERT has gained a reputation as being one of the most melodic, but powerful guitar players in the rock arena. PAUL has released many successful solo albums in the past, which confirms his position as one of the premier rock guitar players in the World. His compositions offer many fast tempo moments (which are my personal favourite), quite a lot af neoclassical elements- especially in song s such as  Haydn Symphony No. 88 Finale  plus many melodic cool passages in a mid - tempo rock or heavy rock way. You may not maybe listen to this album with such passion and anxiety after many years - but a couple of its compositions will catch your interest and remain worthwile for a long period of time.
Highlights of this album can be considered - amongst the other - the following ones:  Curse of Castle Dragon ,  Marine Layer ,  Echo Song,  My Teeth Are a Drumset  and  Haydn Symphony No. 88 Finale .