TMMP’s Guide To The Aristocrats [Feature]
Our culture is obsessed with superheroes, ordinary people gifted with beyond-human powers. The X-Men, the Avengers, and their peers dominate minds and screens across the Western world. Small wonder, then, that the Aristocrats have achieved such popularity in so little time.
Formed following a fateful and rapturously received jam at a NAMM show, the Aristocrats are guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller, and drummist Marco Minnemann. Beyond the band (named after a dirty joke you can read more about here), each member has paid his dues via a star-studded solo and sideman career. Govan and Minnemann both currently back up Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson during his solo excursions, while Beller and Minnemann keep Joe Satriani’s rhythmic foundations stable for the duration of his career-defining latest, Shockwave Supernova (reviewed on TMMP here).
Add in individual creative outbursts (Govan’s acclaimed album Erotic Cakes (2006); Minnemann’s long line of idiosyncratic releases, including TMMP favourites EEPS (2014) and this year’s Celebration; Beller’s own View (2003) and Thanks In Advance (2008)) and a quick look at more past collaborative work (Govan with GPS and Asia; Minnemann holding things down for Adrian Belew and Necrophagist; Beller sharing stages with Mike Keneally, Dethklok, and Steve Vai), and the message is clear. The Aristocrats are a band of virtuosi capable of satisfying any musical requirement, from tastefully restrained grooves to superheroic feats of derring-do.
That’s all well and good if you’re looking for world-class guns for hire – but when the Aristocrats combine their powers, the results are truly spectacular.
The Aristocrats are now three albums into a career supported with evangelical zeal by fusion fans worldwide. Hurdling the “Difficult Third Album” barrier, latest album Tres Caballeros is a beautiful slice of prime instrumentalism that never fails to hit stirring emotional spots even while leaving listeners stunned in disbelief. Past pair of studio efforts The Aristocrats (2011) and Culture Clash (2013) never slack off either, consistently brilliant and evocative in both emotional and visual terms (especially on TMMP favourite Desert Tornado, from Culture Clash).
Scroll down to the links and players below to begin digging deep into the Aristocrats’ treasure trove of finely-honed notes. You’ll be glad you did.
Links / Music / Video
The Aristocrats official website.
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Header image © Mike Mesker.
Tres Caballeros was reviewed on TMMP here, and can be purchased via the Aristocrats webstore here.
Culture Clash Live! was reviewed on TMMP here, and can be purchased from the Aristocrats’ webstore here.
Culture Clash can be purchased from the Aristocrats’ webstore here.
The Aristocrats can also be purchased from the Aristocrats’ webstore.
Still craving more? Here’s some juicy live footage:
A lesson from Bryan Beller on how to play Steve Vai’s none-more-terrifying Freak Show Excess:
The first in a series of videos from Marco Minnemann, telling the stories behind the songs that lie within his latest solo album, Celebration (reviewed on TMMP here):
And a classic showing from Guthrie Govan, running through Erotic Cakes tune Fives:
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading. Head to TMMP’s Twitter page for future updates from the world of world-class music.