Joe Satriani: Unstoppable Momentum - Thoughts

When Joe Sat released his previous album Black Swans And Wormhole Wizards in 2010, I was very impressed and told myself it deserved a review. Right from the opening track I loved the classic Joe Sat sound, and felt right at home. Three years later in the first week of May 2013, I learnt of the impending release of his next studio album, Unstoppable Momentum. After eagerly waiting for a little over a week, I ensured to snag a copy for myself on the day of release, and give it a listen.

• Artist: Joe Satriani

• Album: Unstoppable Momentum

• Release Date: May 7, 2013

• Genre: Instrumental Rock / Guitar Rock

Key Credits:

Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards : Joe Satriani

Keyboards : Mike Keneally

Drums : Vinnie Colaiuta

Audio Mixer : Mike Fraser

As you hit play and the opening track kicks in, expect to be sucked in and enjoying the undeniably characteristic Joe Sat sound. It took me less than 10 seconds to be in love and in a place that felt familiar and fond. The opening track titled Unstoppable Momentum is lively, liberating and empowering. I can totally picture myself listening to it, and speedily driving into the horizon, to take on what the world had in store for me. If there ever were a sound or feeling to epitomize Unstoppable Momentum, this is indeed it.

Expect to hear a wide range of harmonies as the album plays out, with the more intense songs like Jumpin’ In, and the ballad sorta melodies like I’ll Put A Stone On Your Cairne. There are also a few which are a blend of casual and intense, like Three Sheets To The Wind; but irrespective you can safely assume to have fun with this album. Expect to be reminded of his past tracks from albums including his exceedingly popular The Extremist, and the more recent Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards.  That said, fear not as Unstoppable Momentum is neither repetitive nor replicative.

After listening to the album, I’ll have to admit that Satriani has once again proven that you don’t need an orchestra, band, or an engaging vocalist to create standout or memorable music. After hearing the closing tracks Weight Of The World and Celebration, if you aren't sold on the album, it’s probably time to get your ears checked. If you love Joe Satriani or just enjoy good instrumental guitar music, you’ll find Unstoppable Momentum to be a fabulous addition to your collection. It’s hard to find fault with the album, as there are no real weak tracks; what it is, is a collection of hits!

My Recommendation: Hear It + (Unstoppable Joe Sat… 4 decades and counting)

Riddick - Thoughts

Riddick is quite easily my most anticipated and awaited movie of 2013. There are several franchises I’m fond of and follow, but not having known there will be a third installment, and the sudden news of it a few months ago, made it that much more thrilling. Add to that, information about it being closer to the original Pitch Black from 2000, and starring Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Gallactica fame, took the excitement factor up several notches. In this third installation, Riddick finds himself again stuck on a planet, with little semblance of human presence beyond that of a deserted mercenary outpost. What follows is his battle with both the converging environmental elements, and the bounty hunters out for his head.  

Unlike the all-out commercial blockbuster that the second movie in the series was, Riddick starts of slow, and gradually gives away bits of information, letting audiences make connections and understand the current setting unhurriedly. Without giving away too much, let me just say that the way the world around him slowly goes from deserted with dangers, to nothing short of menacing, is pretty cool. The narrative does feel very similar to Pitch Black, sharing a lot of common elements; but an area the original did better was the final plot, and the various stages of complexity the characters had to deal with to overcome it. Though Riddick was similar, the end struggle just didn’t feel as daunting. Perhaps the slow build-up and character development of the new characters consumed way too much of its 2 hour runtime. That said, sci-fi action buffs will not be disappointed. Similarly franchise fans will also find enough here to relate to. Riddick is dark, and estranged like Pitch Black, only that Pitch Black shocked and awed audiences, while Riddick just mirrored Pitch Black. Being an R rated movie, as per the request of fans, expect some intense carnage, and some violent bloody body dismembering.  With the high expectations I had, I will admit that I was a little disappointed, but that’s not because the movie was bad, and probably was because I wanted to be blown away, as I was with Pitch Black.

It should come as no surprise that Vin Diesel owns and lives the Riddick character. After all, Vin Diesel is the face of the Riddick franchise, and the Fast & Furious franchise, and he plays pretty much himself in the lead roles of both franchises. So in his own skin, it’s no shocker that he totally does justice to the two characters. Lookup his filmography and you’ll notice that his primary focus has been these two projects. Katee Sackhoff plays Dahl, an oozing attitude, hard-ass, similar to her role as Starbuck in Battlestar Gallactica, only grittier. As in, now the punches get bloody, when before all there was, were punches. The rest of the talent was pretty decent, with Jordi Mollà and Matt Nable playing the heads of two bounty hunter crews, each coming with very specific traits and characteristics, and portraying them effectively; Dave Bautista of WWE fame played Diaz, also doing an okay job of his fairly limited role.  

With all the excitement and anticipation, I had to go see this one quick, which meant at the theatre. The presentation was good, a straight forward non-3D, non-Dolby Atmos, 35 mm experience. Picture was clear, with color tones clearly favoring dusty baked mustard of the desert during the day, and a dark bluish black in all the dark sequences. There are no brilliant, reds or greens, in keeping with the desolate and dark theme of the movie. There were a few scenes that were cut, which needless to say was a disappointment. Sound was good, and I did notice some positional sound in various sequences. From a tech perspective, the special effects were nice, and the CGI was totally believable. That said, it all worked, but I can’t speak of anything standout.

My Recommendation: Watch It (Old school Riddick, Pitch Black style)