“Joe Satriani said,‘Every time I do an album, I feel like the first song I have to prove that I can play guitar’”: Why Paul Gilbert thinks it’s important to practice restraint when it comes to shredding

Paul Gilbert press photo for his album WROC.

It’s been 10 years since a Paul Gilbert album featured vocals, and the stalwart shredder says he’s back behind the mic because it helps him resist the urge to litter his music with too many backflips and arpeggios.

He's released four albums since 2016's I Can Destroy, including an acrobatic Dio tribute, and the most virtuosic Christmas album we're likely ever going to hear. For a guitarist whose reputation has been on testing the limits of what the electric guitar can do, he admits it's far too easy to get carried away.