Five years after their previous record, G.O.D. (GUITARISTS ON DEMAND) release G.O.D.V on October 25. Its thirteen contributors each bring an instrumental composition to an album lasting almost an hour—an unusually spacious proposition in the age of short guitar clips.
Founded in 2013 by guitarist and composer Masahiro “Godspeed” Aoki, the Japanese collective now has eighteen members. In a personal note on the new album, Aoki explains that the five musicians absent from this recording are busy with their own careers. Rather than wait until everyone is available, he wants G.O.D. to remain a place musicians can step away from and return to.
The published tracklist spans Pop Rock, Jazz Fusion and Metal. Opening piece “Fragments of Soul,” composed by Aoki, features ANGRA musicians Bruno Valverde on drums and Felipe Andreoli on bass, alongside keyboardist Derek Sherinian. The album is available digitally and on CD, with wider retail distribution scheduled for November 18 according to Aoki. The collective’s Bandcamp page offers all thirteen pieces in one place.