This is a first class effort from the music to the CD packaging. This enhanced CD even features a music video and tabs to play alone with the title track "Alone on the Sun."

The video was a little cheezy, but the CD more then made up for the video attempt.

Shouse reminds me of the world most noted shredder Joe Satriani. He even took on the same look with the shaved head, sunglasses. Shouse does play Carvin guitars not Ibanez, but who's keeping score? I didn't notice if he had on the sneekers. The one noticable difference between Sach and Shouse is when the two tried to sing. While Joe attempted to sing on the "Flying in a Blue Dream" release, Shouse actually isn't attempting....Vocally, he can flat out bring it! Combining elements of southern rock to his vocals takes a few of his songs away from the Satriani proto-type and gives some depth and relaxation to a music format that can be a bit fatiquing on the listener after 45 minutes of 30 notes per second arpegios. Shouse even puts in the classic Satrinai power ballad (which I might add was a great song). My person favorite was "You can Fly" because it was so Joe.

Did the studio make the listening experience better? Did the studio make it worse?
One thing Shouse never quite copied was the signature tone of Satriani. Shouse sounded great overall but at times I felt his guitar was a little thin in the mix. Vocals where excellent and the sound stage was spot on.

Final conclusion.
Overall, this was the work of a true shredder. Shouse has the chops and isn't afraid to use them. This CD gets 4 1/2 stars. I took a half point off for how the guitar sounded in the mix on a couple songs, but it was hardly noticed by the casual listener. I highly recommend this CD. Especially since Sach has spent the last year doing that God awefull Chicken Foot CD.
Charles Harrelson
Founder of EVOR