Valarius
It took him long enough, but after 20 years in the music industry John Petrucci, one of Prog’s most prolific guitar players, finally came around to releasing a solo album. While it didn't turn out to be what everyone would have hoped for (and what exactly they expected from the guitarist of Dream Theater, I'll never know), I for one really enjoy this album, and would rate it very highly as one of those guitar/instrumental albums.
As a diehard Dream Theater fanatic, and a guitarist myself, I couldn't have been more thrilled when Petrucci released this, and knew I just had to have it straight away. What surprises me though, is how most people expect this to be something other than what it turned out to be. Hello! It's John Petrucci! Of course there's going to be tons of shredding and technical playing! What else would it be?!
However, there is more to this than 'mindless speed for speed's sake'. Of course, there are heavy tracks like 'Jaws of Life', but Petrucci also demonstrates his ability to play different styles, from a soulful Jazz to some nice, exotic licks. Then there's the classic 'Glasgow Kiss', and possibly my favourite instrumental guitar song, the madly underated 'Tunnel Vision'.
These are all fantastic songs which wouldn't quite fit on a Dream Theater record, but shows exactly why John Petrucci is the best guitarist alive today.