“I never would have dreamed that I would hear this song performed by two of the guitar gods who inspired it”: Joe Satriani and Slash team up for anthemic riffs and “super-intense” solos on wild rock concept epic

Emmy-winning composer and musician Bear McCreary has recruited Slash and Joe Satriani for his new single Escape from the Machines, which premiered today exclusively on Guitar World.

The two electric guitar heavyweights have joined McCreary for the latest preview of his “epic, mysterious, and furious” conceptual rock album, The Singularity, which arrives digitally on May 3.

McCreary describes The Singularity as “an expression of my complete creative self”, and calls it “the result of three decades of exploring narrative, symphonic cinematic scoring, and hard rock that melds everything I love about music, storytelling and art”.

Escape from the Machines is a song he first wrote when he was teenager. Now, it’s finally been released with the help of two of McCreary’s biggest heroes.

"I wrote this song when I was 15,” McCreary tells Guitar World, “and never would have dared dream that one day I would hear it performed by two of the guitar gods who inspired it." 

The single is as epic and operatic as you’d expect from a rock concept record featuring Slash and Satriani, largely in part thanks to Satch’s spectrum-sweeping solo that his fellow guest guitarist describes as “super-intense”.

Even that is something of an understatement: that mind-melting lead line at 1:40 – performed while Slash holds down the riff – is absolutely wild. The final 30 seconds is equally awe-inspiring, loaded with wild bombastic bends that wouldn’t sound out of place in the climax of a Christopher Nolan epic.

Of his own contributions, Satriani tells Guitar World, “I loved playing on this killer track! It inspired me to be hyper-dramatic to match the power and intensity of the song.”

“This is my fourth appearance alongside the always-iconic Slash,” he goes on. “Oddly enough, we never get to hear each other’s contributions until the tracks are released!”

Interestingly, McCreary revealed the original 30-year-old cassette demo makes a cameo on the record, before Slash reinvigorates it with “a new interpretation”.

"This is another great composition from a record loaded with great compositions from Bear,” Slash notes. “This riff was right up my alley. But some of the syncopated melodies I got to play throughout the track are pure genius McCreary.”

As well as Slash and Satch, The Singularity features a huge range of additional guest stars, including Serj Tankian, Corey Taylor, Jens Kidman, Buck Dharma, Kim Thayil, Scott Ian and more.

It will be the latest release from McCreary, whose resume includes scoring work on Battlestar Galactica, The Walking Dead and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

McCreary will share the stage with Slash and Buck Dharma – and a handful of other guest musicians – on May 12 at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles for a live performance of The Singularity Live. Tickets for the show are available now.

• The Singularity will arrive digitally May 3, and on CD and vinyl on May 10. It is available to preorder now.