Merry Axemas, Vol. 2: More Guitars For Christmas

Steve Vai takes the concept of pairing guitar shredders and Christmas classics one step further, putting another string of pickers on the tree with a little less spectacular results than on his first outing. Which isn't to say that this album is a lump of coal. There are some riveting moments, especially when Steve Stevens dry-gulches "Do You Hear What I Hear," first lulling the listener into reverential submission with an almost medieval rendering of this time-honored classic, then shifting gears and jetting into Christmas future with some unconventional note-bending. Ted Nugent's "Deck the Halls" reminds one why the Amboy Dukes and Damn Yankees were appealing, before the Nuge filled himself full of hot air. An added plus is Robin Trower's rather restrained "O Little Town of Bethlehem." One complaint: the players tend to lose the melody line in their efforts to tart up Christmas classics into something experimental. --Jaan Uhelszki