Philip Sayce - Influence album review

It would be bold of me to say, but I truly believe that in Philip Sayce we have a guitar God among us. His debut, 2009's Peace Machine, was, if anything, an attempt to replicate Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn for 15 tracks - rather than an original effort. It demonstrated his ferocious, fuzzy, wah infested, screaming, raw blues tone, and immediately catapulted him onto a pedestal with the best players ever. That said, it wasn't a particularly diverse piece of work. Five years on we have 2014's Influence - the Electric Ladyland of Sayce's discography if you will - a masterful performance of stratospheric proportions.

As the title alludes, Influence has a few covers; Ed Lewis and Prisoners' Tom Devil, Graham Nash's Better Days and Green Power by Little Richard. These tracks add the diversity that was arguably missing from Peace Machine, but there's still plenty of what Sayce's fans love him for; heavy riffs, screaming distortion and fluttering vibrato. Miles Miller and Chris Powell, on drums and bass respectively, compliment Sayce to such an extent, it isn't too far off feeling like you're listening to The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Out Of My Mind, I'm Going Home and Light Em Up, in particular, are majestic exhibitions of perfect chaos and intense rackets - vigorous riffs finished off with implausibly exceptional solos.

Sayce - like Hendrix with Little Wing - also shows that he has a softer side. The guitar on Fade Into You flanges beautifully with a tonne of reverb, almost dreamily, building and building, before Sayce launches into the best solo I've ever heard on a Sayce album. Triumph is similar although in instrumental form.

It will be very difficult for Sayce to out do this album - it represents his blossoming maturity as both a musician and guitarist - but whatever he comes up with, no doubt it'll be out of this world.

Rating - 9/10