Steve Vai and Ibanez have revealed “The Hydra”. This one-of-a-kind instrument is the realized vision of a collaboration that’s been five years in the making. It is a beast of an instrument - a one-bodied, two-headstock-ed, three-neck-ed creature that encompasses, among other things: 7 and 12-string guitars; a 4-string ¾ scale length bass; 13 sympathetic harp strings; half-fretless necks; single-coil, humbucking, piezo, MIDI and sustainer pickups; floating and hardtail tremolo bridges; phase splitters; and much, much more.

Director Garson Yu and his team at yU+co were brought on to capture a deep look in to this magnificent creation which can be screened below.

Vai offers, “We absolutely respected this instrument by having the brilliant Garson Yu and his team at yU+co create this phenomenal Hydra reveal video. The guitar geek in me is stunned every time I see it. This video captures the splendour and mystique of the Hydra in intimate detail. The conception and construction of the instrument was a monumental feat of creativity by a whole group of inspired people, and I could not be more happy with the way this video came out. Imagine being a half an inch tall and exploring the Hydra as an adventurer. It would be like exploring an alien planet. Sign me up!"

yU+co’s Garson Yu shares, “When I first saw the instrument at Steve’s studio, I was stunned. I thought this was a creation that didn’t belong here on earth— it looked Extraterrestrial to me. When Steve played a track that he composed with the Hydra, I told him that it sounds so transparent and open, complex and spiritual on many levels. When we were filming, I put the guitar on the turntable and looked through the lens: It looked like an alien spaceship. It’s epic. I told myself we need to create a video that has the same transcendent feeling of this instrument. My team and I are honored to be part of it."

Ibanez Artist Relations Manager Mike Orrigo states, “’The Hydra’, as Mr. Vai has appropriately dubbed it, started off as a concept that Steve approached Ibanez with several years ago. While it was understood then that the task to turn Steve’s vision into reality would be a tremendous undertaking, we were undeterred by the challenge. Fueled by Steve’s inspiration, our team of designers, engineers, and luthiers worked tirelessly together in order to create a truly one-of-a-kind instrument, remaining as true to the initial vision as possible. This incredible reveal video, produced by yU+co, perfectly captures the same feeling of awe and amazement that this magnificent beast of an instrument imparts on to all who are able to witness it in person!”

On January 28, the day of the release of Vai’s new studio album Inviolate, a One-Of-One NFT of the Hydra reveal video will be auctioned via OpenSea. The highly coveted collectible features the video, plus unlockable bonus content that will be revealed to the buyer. Additional assets will be added over time for the winner to access. The opening bid has been set at 1 ETH. Once the auction is live, interested parties can access to bid here.

This is Steve Vai’s first foray in to the NFT space. There is consideration to broaden offerings in the future encompassing a deeper initiative to continue collectible drops focused on his vast collection of iconic instruments played throughout his career. Keep an eye on Vai.com for more detail.

“I feel this instrument has the potential to be historical. It’s unique in various ways and its construction is inspired. And there’s a song that was written on it that honors the potential of the instrument. This “Hydra reveal video” is the first video made that intimately details many of the unique aspects this guitar embodies.” says Vai.

Over the course of a more than 40-year career, Steve Vai has routinely transformed what would appear to be outrageously impossible into something very, very possible… and still also pretty outrageous. From his days as Frank Zappa’s “stunt guitar” player to his more recent expansive and exploratory solo work, Vai has continually challenged notions of traditional guitar playing and composition – and on more than one occasion even reimagined the very instrument itself.

Vai’s newest and 13th solo album, Inviolate, is a nine-song opus that pushes the boundaries of instrumental guitar music. The body of work presents his most focused, streamlined and perhaps invigorating music in years. “It’s very ‘Vai,’ whatever that means,” he says, and then laughs. “Someone else might be better than me at explaining what that is. But it’s just very honest music. Because a lot of my records, they're long and there's a lot of concepts and playing around with stories. This one has none of that. This is nine pretty dense all-instrumental compositions that I wanted to capture and record so I could get out there and play them live for people.”

Steve Vai has postponed his planned tour of North America until the fall.  The first US leg of dates will now begin on Wednesday, September 28 in El Cajon, CA and wrap the first week of December.

The itinerary will now feature performances in 52 markets as opposed to the initial plan of staging 54 shows. All ticket and VIP purchases will be honored for the rescheduled date.

Vai’s performance in Atlanta, GA will now take place at the Variety Playhouse instead of The Eastern and due to scheduling conflicts, the Milwaukee, WI and Billings, MT shows will no longer be a part of the tour.

Approximately one year ago, Vai underwent shoulder surgery to repair an injury. That procedure was successful, enabling him to record the upcoming studio album release of Inviolate. In preparing for the tour, it became clear that a new injury emerged that requires another surgery prohibiting the tour to be staged as announced.

Vai shares, “I’m gutted that we have to move this tour, but I also know it’s in the best interests for us and the fans that we do.”

New tour dates:

September
28 - El Cajon, CA - The Magnolia
30 - Riverside, CA - Fox Performing Arts Center

October
1 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
2 - Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
4 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Rockwell at The Complex
5 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
7 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
8 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
9 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre
11 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theatre
12 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
14 - Birmingham, AL - Lyric Theatre
15 - Macon, GA - Hargray Capitol Theatre
16 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
18 - Clearwater, FL - Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
19 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - The Parker
20 - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live
21 - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
22 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
23 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore Charlotte
25 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
26 - Harrisburg, PA - TBD
27 - Port Chester, NY - The Capitol Theatre
28 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
29 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
30 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount

November
1 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall
2 - Providence, RI - The Strand
3 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur
4 - Rochester, NY - Kodak Center
5 - Albany, NY - The Egg
7 - Greensburg, PA - Palace Theatre
8 - Warren, OH - Packard Music Hall
10 - Detroit, MI - Masonic Cathedral Theatre
11 - Morgantown, WV - Metropolitan Theatre
12 - Nashville, TN - CMA Theatre
13 - Louisville, KY - Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
14 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
16 - Chicago, IL - Copernicus Center
18 - St. Paul, MN - Fitzgerald Theater
19 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
20 - Kansas City, MO - The Uptown Theater
21 - Sioux Falls, SD - The District
22 - Des Moines, IA - Hoyt Sherman Place
23 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Theatre
25 - Bozeman, MT - The ELM
26 - Missoula, MT - The Wilma
27 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
28 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
30 - Turlock, CA - Turlock Community Theatre

December
2 - Napa, CA - Uptown Theatre Napa
3 - Los Angeles, CA - Theatre at Ace Hotel

Steve Vai and Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group have released an official visualizer for “Zeus In Chains”. The composition is featured on Vai’s upcoming studio album, Inviolate, which will be released digitally and on CD January 28. The LP will follow on March 18.

Steve Vai shares, “The title for this track ‘Zeus In Chains’ was told to me by the track when I was listening back and asked it… ‘What’s your name’?  This happened during the heavy guitar breakdown with the dissonant high note that happens right before the solo. It sounded like Zeus in Chains. Hey, it’s art. You can make up anything you want and it’s legitimate.”

Over the course of a more than 40-year career, Steve Vai has routinely transformed what would appear to be outrageously impossible into something very, very possible... and still also pretty outrageous. From his days as Frank Zappa's "stunt guitar" player to his more recent expansive and exploratory solo work, Vai has continually challenged notions of traditional guitar playing and composition - and on more than one occasion even reimagined the very instrument itself.

Vai’s newest and 13th solo album, Inviolate, is a nine-song opus that pushes the boundaries of instrumental guitar music. The body of work presents his most focused, streamlined and perhaps invigorating music in years. “It’s very ‘Vai,’ whatever that means,” he says, and then laughs. “Someone else might be better than me at explaining what that is. But it’s just very honest music. Because a lot of my records, they're long and there's a lot of concepts and playing around with stories. This one has none of that. This is nine pretty dense all-instrumental compositions that I wanted to capture and record so I could get out there and play them live for people.”

In essence, it all comes down to finding your own voice, and then having the courage and conviction to follow your musical and creative instincts wherever they may take you – something Vai has never been shy about in his playing. “One of the great things about the guitar is you don't need to be a virtuoso to express your creative vision,” he says. “I mean, Bob Dylan plays the guitar perfectly well for his expression. So does John McLaughlin. You just need to decide how much technique you want or need to get there. For myself, I came out of the chute wanting and needing it all. When it comes to my music, I don’t feel like I have to prove anything or conform to anything. I just love to think up creative ideas, and then use whatever skill I have to manifest them.”

“An inviolate inspiration is one that comes to you completely pure,” Vai explains. “It appears almost in its completeness, and there’s a recognition of it as being right for you – perfectly right for you. There’s no excuses in it. There's no fantasy in it. There's just a recognition of ‘yes.’ And then you capture that in a way that’s authentic to your unique creativity. Hopefully, that’s what I’ve done with this record.”

Inviolate, available on January 28, is available for pre-order in various formats, here.

Tracklisting:

"Teeth Of The Hydra"
"Zeus In Chains"
"Little Pretty"
"Candle Power"
"Apollo In Color"
"Avalancha"
"Greenish Blues"
"Knappsack"
"Sandman Cloud Mist"

"Little Pretty" video:

"Candle Power":

"Knappsack"