After 15 years of relative quiet, Steve Morse (Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs) is plugging back into the cosmic grid. With Triangulation, the guitar legend returns with a record that walks the fine line between technical and warmly human, a reminder of why his name lands in every conversation about the greatest players to ever wield a six-string.

The album’s opening blast, “Break Through,” is Morse at his most deceptively playful with an upbeat, sun-charged groove where the guitar may light the fuse, but the bass ignites the melody. “This may start with a guitar riff, but the bass carries the melody,” Morse says. “It's just a great feel to play over, and a positive vibe to start the album.” It’s a statement that this isn’t just a shred-fest, but a musical dialogue, a three-sided conversation between master players.

Rejoining Morse for the journey is longtime friend and low-end wizard Dave LaRue, whose fluid lines have shaped everything from Dixie Dregs to Flying Colors. On drums, Van Romaine brings both fire and finesse, grounding Morse’s skyward harmonic flights with sharp, precision-engineered grooves. Together, the trio generate the kind of telepathic chemistry that only decades of shared road miles can produce.

But Triangulation doesn’t just rely on the core unit. Morse invites a handful of ringers who elevate the album into its own progressive constellation. Eric Johnson drops in with the kind of melodic majesty that made him a guitar-hero icon; Dream Theater’s John Petrucci arrives like a thunderstorm, unleashing his signature high-octane attack while still honoring Morse’s melodic compass. There’s even a family moment with Kevin Morse joining his father on “Taken by An Angel,” a song that adds even more depth to the album’s dazzling geometry.

Despite the guest firepower, Triangulation never feels cluttered or self-indulgent. Instead, it’s a reminder of what Morse has always done best; build melodies that sing, structures that breathe, and solos that feel like conversations rather than competitions. The record thrives on positivity, with that unmistakable Morse blend of intellect and heart.