As a lot of you know by now, having read some of my previous reviews, I am not big on instrumental albums as a whole. Sure, I absolutely LOVE the insertion of an instrumental track on a release now and then such as “Mr. Scary” off of DOKKEN’s “Back For The Attack” or, of course, probably one of the most emulated and influential instrumental recordings in history; Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption” off of “Van Halen I.” but unless it’s like a really, REALLY good movie soundtrack, full instrumental albums are not for me.

That being said, a few weeks back I got an email from a guy named Todd “Vinny” Vinciguerra asking me if I would be interested in reviewing the new VHF release featuring himself, the master of the fretless bass Tony Franklin (THE FIRM/ BLUE MURDER) and a man who needs no introduction, Joel Hoekstra (NIGHT RANGER/ TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) on guitar. Without knowing all that much about what I was getting myself into, I immediately replied “sure!” I mean with a line-up like that, how could you go wrong? As it turns out, what I received from Vinny was indeed an all instrumental album entitled “Very High Frequency.” But regardless of my past aversion to instrumental releases…this album turned out to be overall quite impressive and enjoyable (although I must admit I don’t always “get” some of the unconventional arrangements).

So here’s what I mean about not quite “getting” some of the arrangements at times… the opening track “Shattered Insomnia” starts off rather strangely as the mid-tempo melody is over layered with some heavily synthesized leads and the occasional insertion of some underlying spoken word which I can’t quite decipher (sounding almost like a cross between some kind of alien voice and a chipmunk!). From my perspective this “addition” to the song was unnecessary…but right around the 2min 15sec mark, the song completely changes gears transforming itself into a more straight-forward rock instrumental where Hoekstra’s expertise takes center stage highlighted by some amazing guitar leads and solos. However, I was just a little disappointed that after this high rush of adrenaline and musical skillfulness, the song fades itself out for almost a minute leaving the listener feeling a bit like they were trapped in some kind of a Martian wind-tunnel!

Similarly with the next track “Whispers of the Soul,” I was (at first) not too crazy about this tune. Having an initial predominantly middle-eastern/ almost Egyptian-like groove, it took some getting used to but after a few listens, I really got into the churning bass and drum rhythm and was able to settle in and appreciate some more of Joel’s outstanding guitar work. Really cool track which again, like its predecessor, transforms itself about half-way through into a more prevailing, conventional rock sound which I love.

I really enjoyed the next track “Suspended Animation” as well. This electric/ acoustic driven track has a touch of a Latin mystique about it as well as an almost Tommy Shaw/ STYX influence at times. Very well done and sets the stage for “Conception To Death (For 8 Guitars).” This, again, is by far not your “typical” instrumental arrangement as the musical tone varies anywhere from a very cool MARILLION “Cover My Eyes” sound to having a bit of an organ-esq, Catholic Hymn feel to just plain and simply… weird noise!  And at only 2min 09sec in length, I really wish they could have kept up that MARILLION sounding section a while longer.

“Invisible Thread” reverts slightly back to that spacy, synthesized sound but the more richly aggressive underlying rhythm enhances the more traditional, dynamic guitar work masterfully. Then “Back Side Of Your Eyes” has a haunting, ghoulishly-clever quality about it and is the only track with any sort of decipherable lyrics (although they are more whispered than actually sung) but you’ll find this only adds to the overwhelmingly macabre atmosphere of the piece making it one of my favorites on the release. And finally, after a long-soft intro with fragments of guitar similar-sounding to that of what could only be comparable to “whale-song,” “All Is Written” stays in a droning, low-octave range spotlighting Franklin’s remarkable prowess on bass. But even so, I like explosive endings and I just don’t like how this one sits as an album ender. A more up-tempo, fuller sounding track would have benefitted the CD a bit more here in my opinion.

This review was a little difficult for me. While most of the time I really enjoy the brilliance of Hoekstra’s guitar work and can really appreciate the intricate and inventive rhythms of both Franklin and Vinciguerra, there are some parts of “Very High Frequency” that leave me asking “what the hell was that?” Maybe I’m just too “old school” to really “get” all the rather off-kilter arrangements but it’s always a pleasure to hear what musicians of this caliber can come up with. So if you appreciate instrumental albums or are maybe looking for something a little more obscure or off the beaten path, you will want to add “Very High Frequency” by VHF to your collection.