Satriani and Vai finally make a studio album together: The Sea of Emotion lands November 6
The pair's SatchVai project turns from a touring band into a record, previewed by the single Mayhem.
Sep 2, 2026
Credit: earMUSIC (via source)
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have announced their first full studio album as a duo. The Sea of Emotion arrives November 6 through earMUSIC, and the two guitarists shared the opening track, Mayhem, along with an official video on September 2.
The pair have circled each other since the 1970s, when Satriani briefly taught Vai in Long Island, and they toured together in 2024 and 2025 as SatchVai. Turning that into a record meant reconciling two very different working methods. Satriani has said the biggest surprise was how differently they write, while Vai framed the sessions as two friends finally playing together in an intimate way.
The ten-track album runs from the rock and roll of Mayhem and Bronco Freight Train to a three-part title suite, and it includes a guest spot from Glenn Hughes on a track pointedly called I Wanna Play My Guitar. It is being positioned as a snapshot of two players who spent decades chasing their own sounds and are now comfortable enough to share one record.
Credit: earMUSIC
Why it matters
Satriani and Vai are two of the most influential instrumental rock guitarists alive, and after 50 years of near-misses a proper studio album together is a genuine event for that audience.
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