PAUL GILBERT's 'Silence' To Receive U.S. Release Next Week

Paul Gilbert (ex-MR. BIG, RACER X) will release his new solo album, "Silence Followed by A Deafening Roar", in the U.S. on April 8 via Shrapnel Records. The CD, which was released in Japan on January 23, features "11 new tracks of my most ferocious, emotional, musical, and creative guitar playing ever," according to Gilbert.

"Silence Followed by A Deafening Roar"'s title is inspired by a recent move that Gilbert and his wife made from one house to another. "After two long months of packing, moving, and learning about the vast sciences of plumbing and electrical house wiring, I was very much looking forward to becoming a GUITARIST again," explains Gilbert. This CD is the result of that desire. "I suppose those two months without my guitar is the 'Silence,' and the sound of me happily reuniting with my favorite musical instrument could be the 'Deafening Roar.'"

Gilbert's extraordinary talent of arranging/composing lends to the new music's fresh melodies for songs that show his true diversity. Gilbert discusses some of the songs and how they came to light: "The first three songs on the album are sort of a bridge from the riff-and-solo style of 'Get Out Of My Yard' to my new discoveries in melody writing that come in the songs that follow. 'Silence', 'Eudaimonia Overture' and 'The Rhino' certainly have melodic elements, but from 'Norwegian Cowbell' until the end of the record, I use pure melody more and more. Many of these melodies were actually composed with my singing voice."

The musicians on the album are as follows:

Paul Gilbert: Guitar
Mike Szuter: Bass
Jeff Bowders: Drums
Emi Gilbert: B3 and Piano

Gilbert will follow the release of "Silence Followed by A Deafening Roar" with a show at the House of Blues in Hollywood on Wednesday, May 7, Gilbert will then tour the U.K. with Joe Satriani, with many more headlining shows to follow all around the world.

Video footage of Paul Gilbert's performance at this year's winter NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show, which was held January 17-20 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, can be viewed below (courtesy of "zrhero1").

Gilbert composes music in a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, metal, blues, jazz, funk and classical, but is perhaps best known for his versatility and speed, which helped him be named as one of the "Top 10 Shredders Of All Time" by Guitar One magazine. He is also considered to be one of the best proponents of alternate picking, tapping and string skipping.