The Fate of All Mankind — Notes
I’ve always loved and respected great guitar performances. From Jimmy Page, Alex Lifeson, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ace Frehley—you name it—I’ve been inspired by so many players. I remember hearing Steve Vai play with David Lee Roth’s band and instantly becoming hooked. His debut album Passion and Warfare blew me away.
Much of Steve’s playing can be a little “out there” for me (check out “Pig” with Devin Townsend), but I’ve always admired the creativity. With Meat Thunderstick, I tried to capture just a hint of what I love about his style—layered with a modern twist that makes it feel true to what I’m building.
The riffs started on my Yamaha MO8, written on piano sounds before being translated to guitar. From there, they were pushed further—AI’d into guitar parts I could never play myself, then rearranged, remixed, and re-AI’d into what you hear now.
Don't read too much into the title. I was trying to remember the line from the movie National Treasure that was actually, "The debt that all men pay". By the time I got around to checking, The Fate of All Mankind was already engrained in my head.