Jason Richardson wields John Petrucci's Majesty 8 signature in staggering new 7-minute single, p00mbachu

It’s been an eventful few months for instrumental prog virtuoso Jason Richardson, who already has two new-for-2022 singles under his belt: Upside Down, for which he was joined by Polyphia’s Tim Henson, and the gravity-defying Ishimur.

Now, Richardson has maintained the momentum by releasing his latest shred-heavy, chug-fueled track, p00mbachu.

Once again joined by his longtime collaborator and drummer Luke Holland, Richardson demonstrates why he was one of today’s standout progressive instrumentalists, curating a collection of mind-melting runs and genre-merging motifs.

Owing to its seven-minute run time, there’s no shortage of spectacular lead and rhythm work, perhaps especially epitomized by a particularly brain-melting exchange that starts at the 1:40 mark.

It's also an eclectic display of electric guitars, too, with Richardson wielding John Petrucci's Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty 8 signature guitar, his own Cutlass six-string and an eye-catching, blue-finished Cutlass seven-string, all in the space of one track.

You can check it out below.

Accompanying the release of p00mbachu is the news that Richardson and Holland’s long-awaited forthcoming album – which was teased a few months ago in a series of tweets – will officially be called II, and will arrive July 15.

When it drops, it will be the pair’s first collaborative studio effort since the release of I in 2016.

“This song is definitely one of the crazier ones on the album," Richardson said of p00machu. “It's got a few different genre tangents that it goes off in. 

“And if you're familiar with the first album,” he added, “this is part two to the song Hos Down, in a way, with its quirkiness and the different sections it has. This song is definitely a wild ride and the video is just as intense.”

The tracklist for II can be found below.

1. Tendinitis
2. Ishimura
3. Polyrhythmic Pug
4. P00mbachu
5. Sprrow
6. Threnody
7. Byronius of the 4th Order
8. XIV 2.0
9. Behold 2.0 
10. Goodbye… 
11. Upside Down (feat. Tim Henson) 

• II is available to preorder now ahead of its release on July 15.