When it comes to instrumental guitar music, my three main references are and most likely always will be Satriani, Vai and Oldfield. And when the unavoidable comparison is made, the Italian guitar hero Massimo Izzizzari comes closest to the sound and feel of the first-mentioned. Izzizzari’s style is funky and suave, however with the many semi-aggressive fiddlings that are so characteristic for Satriani.

And like the grand old master, Izzizzari has kept things very basic: guitars, bass, drums, an underplayed synth here and there. The playfulness with beeps, voice boxes and alien sounds Steve Vai uses is not to be found here.

The playing is flawless, perfect down to every note, the sound is laid back, warm and round. The sound is very…well, early Nineties because it is so closely tied in with sound Satriani used when he got big.