The Generation Axe tour took place in 2016 and features Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, ex-Ozzy Osbourne), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), and Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders). The tour reconvened in 2017, and a live album was recorded in Beijing, China.
Said live album, titled Generation Axe – The Guitars That Destroyed The World: Live In China, will be released on June 28, and you can hear the project's cover of Deep Purple's "Highway Star" below. Here's what Vai had to say about the cover to Guitar World.
“For me, I might say that our arrangement and performance of 'Highway Star' captures a good essence of what Gen-Axe is about. In this song we all came together and worked out a spectacular five guitar arrangement of this classic masterpiece, with an interplay of harmonies that is uniquely structured and potent.
"There are shifting solo sections tailor made for each guitarist, and a deep respect to the structure of wicked fast harmonies engineered around Richie Blackmore’s historic solo. And then there’s Yngwie’s powerful vocal performances on this track too. It has a high degree of rock and roll energy in it.”
