Few have been able to sustain such a roller-coaster ride of a career and remain relevant, like guitar whiz Chris Impellitteri. His initial eponymous EP, back in '87, opened eyes/ears, but the Stand In Line full-length (a year later, with Graham Bonnet, vocals, Chuck Wright, bass and Pat Torpey on drums) earned instant credibility. 

With musical tastes changing, as the decade ended, Impellitteri was doomed to almost two decades of trend chasing anonymity (apart from Japan, where he augmented his profile with his Animetal offshoot). With singer Rob Rock still in tow, since 2009 there's been a steady stream of hard hitting platters (with Chris' trademark speed, up and down the fretboard) and periodic live appearances.

Enter War Machine (former Slayer/Testament/Forbidden drummer Paul Bostaph now in the fold), studio release #12 under the Impellitteri moniker. The eleven cuts barely eclipse 43 minutes, so there's not a lot of room for embellishment: just get it down (preferably) very quickly and hammer it home. At 4:28, "What Lies Beneath" sports the longest running time. Hardly Yes' Tales From Topographic Oceans! 

There's a Teutonic "clickety-clack" to a number of the speedy tradition/power metal minded material, backed by Rock's soaring voice. When not laying down a driving guitar rhythm, Impellitteri sweeps, or pulls wildly on the whammy bar, in a series of divebombs, often with Bostaph bashing out the skins at a similar velocity. Good stuff.

While the guitarist obviously shreds, this isn't one of "those" albums, preferring to keep his talents within the context of melodic metallic songs, albeit with dexterity and a dose of histrionics. The disc actually opens with the spirited title track: a showcase of Impellitteri's chops, with a distant undercurrent of keyboards and double bass pummeling, courtesy of teh ex-Slayer man. 

There's a bouncy urgency to "Out Of Mind (Heavy Metal)", Chris' fingers getting a serious workout. More effects (almost jazzy) to begin the AI (Artificial Intelligence) inspired "Superkingdom", something of a lost Cacophony (styled) tune. "Wrathchild" is not an Iron Maiden cover, but rather a quick-hitting original, with something of a late-arriving, orchestral flare.

Sprinting out of the gates is the aforementioned "What Lies Beneath", a heavier, staccato stomp. Clean, modern and Germanic, comes "Hell On Earth", with Rock's highest, piercing vocal peak. First single "Power Grab" is a Van Halen style rocker, with requisite guitar break. Plenty of punch (and more Bostaph legwork) on "Beware The Hunter", while "Light It Up" also bears hallmarks of those 70s/80s West coast brothers/band. 

Sort of a doomy dirge introduces "Gone Insane", but the guitar tempo enlivens quickly: "You hear the crazies with talk of UFOs", relates the mental aftermath of an alien abduction. Finale "Just Another Day" ends in a flurry of six-string riffs and a snippet of electronically modulated Rock vocals.  

High intensity workout soundtrack. It rocks!