Anyone who visits HardRockHouse regularly may recall that Paul Gilberts last album “Get Out Of My Yard” scored a perfect ten so this, his latest album “Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar”, has a lot to live up to, and thankfully it does that in spades.

I openly admit I am a Gilbert fan but please be assured this reviewer isn’t practicing idolatry but has come to this score due to the fact that this album is another slice of some of the most tasty guitar playing you are going to come across here anywhere on planet Earth (or maybe that should be universe). To be honest I really wanted to give this album 11 out of 10 as, after the smoke from the last burnt out Marshall valve settles, the bottom line is this album just pips “Get Out Of My Yard” to the post.

For a lot of people Paul Gilbert's playing is synonymous with being too technical and maybe a little bit too mathematical in the way he uses note patterns and I’ve heard a lot of people say with all the notes he can fire off his style doesn’t “speak” to them. Well if you are one of those people please stick with this review as I have something extraordinary to tell you. If you thought Gilbert’s playing has no soul think again. If you thought melody was thin on the ground, think again. Finally if you thought Paul’s playing had nothing to say, most emphatically think again.

I would agree that there is some truly terrifying guitar playing on this album which at times will induce dribbling at the mouth and the urge to hide behind the sofa for a lot of practicing musicians. However the new album also balances the technical virtuosity with huge swathes of melodic playing that are lyrical and actually make you want to sing along with the songs. There are some truly wonderful moments to be found here and, if I had to pick out some highlights, “Eudaimonia Overture” would be one due to its wonderful mixture of stunt tapping guitar at the start blending into straight ahead radio rock before ending in a stunning classical influenced section. Likewise “The Rhino” screams fun as Paul’s guitar riffs away with a cheeky swagger before going off on an “out there “solo complete with some nice ray gun guitar sounds that will raise a smile on any Steve Stevens fans who get to check it out.

“I Cannot Tell A Lie” is one of the tracks where Paul just wrings and squeezes every note form his guitar. The melody is exquisite and you just knows that live this song will be a killer. It may very well be destined to become as important to Paul’s repertoire as “Always With Me Always With You” is to Joes Satriani. And then there's “The Gargoyle” which recalls Gilbert’s work in Racer X thanks to the double bass pedal drumming and dual harmony attack. Things get crazy here as Gilbert ups his solo speeds to true shred levels and beyond. Finally there's “Still Have That Other Girl”, the album's most emotive track with some of Paul’s most straightforward playing. Saying that his string bends are right on the nose and the way he lets his notes bleed into feedback is just fabulous. Like “Suite Modale” this wasn’t written by Gilbert, rather it came from the pen of Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach. Once more though you can sense that this song is going to be a wonder when played live.

With eleven tracks on the album there is so much more for the listener to discover than what can be written about in this review. It’s amazing to think that this is only Gilbert’s second instrumental guitar album but when one compares it to “Get Out Of My Yard” it truly feels that a player who is known for being a virtuoso has actually moved forward and developed his playing even more. That’s some major achievement for a player of Paul’s stature.

Let us know your views on Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar

Track Listing

Silence followed by a Deafening Roar
Eudaimonia Overture
The Rhino
Norwegian Cowbell
I Cannot Tell a Lie
Bronx 1971
Suite Mondale
The Gargoyle
I Still have that other Girl
Bultaco Saturno
Paul vs. Godzilla