The Aristocrats is the eponymous debut album from instrumental rock/fusion’s rowdy new power trio featuring guitarist Guthrie Govan (Asia/GPS, Dizzee Rascal) bassist Bryan Beller (Steve Vai, Dethklok, Mike Keneally), and drummer Marco Minnemann (Adrian Belew, UKZ, Necrophagist). Featuring three compositions from each band member, the album showcases a uniquely explosive band chemistry, translating each individual’s well-known virtuosity into an aggressive, melodic, and sometimes even cheeky group dynamic…in which anything goes.
The band was formed practically by demand after a wildly enthusiastic response to a single performance at The Anaheim Bass Bash during the Winter NAMM show in January. With just one rehearsal the night before the gig, the trio unexpectedly floored the audience – and themselves – with near-telepathic interplay and boundless musical energy, leaving heads shaking in disbelief that it was their very first gig. “The chemistry was so great,” recalls Govan, who was just featured on the cover of Guitar Player, “that when we came offstage we all said to each other, ‘This is working. We should record this.’”
