Nita Strauss has had quite a summer.
The unexpected announcement of her departure from Alice Cooper's band in July was quickly followed by the news that Strauss had landed a gig as the lead electric guitar player for pop superstar Demi Lovato.
Now, Strauss has followed up those major career moves with a ferocious new solo single, a pummeling instrumental appropriately titled Summer Storm.
The follow-up to Dead Inside, a collaboration with Disturbed frontman David Draiman, Summer Storm is highlighted by brutal riffage and dazzling pentatonic fireworks, but also has a strong melodic element that shows the enduring influence of Iron Maiden (fitting, given that she's a veteran of the all-female Iron Maiden tribute band The Iron Maidens) on Strauss' playing. You can check out the song's music video below.
In a new interview with Guitar World, Strauss explained how the track is a perfect window into her playing, and why she picked it in particular to follow up the hugely successful Dead Inside.
“I feel like on both of my albums there’s one track that seems to encompass
everything that I’m about as a player," Strauss said. "For the first album it was Our Most Desperate Hour and for this one it’s Summer Storm... it really covers all the bases of my playing. Everything that makes me sound like me. It’s catchy, shreddy, emotional and a little chaotic (laughs).
“It tells a story," she continued. "After the success of Dead Inside with David Draiman, I think everyone else from my label to a lot of my fans expected another vocal song next. But I love surprising people and wanted to stay true to who I am as a player, which is why it was time for another instrumental.”
We still have no concrete details – beyond Dead Inside and Summer Storm – on Strauss' highly anticipated second solo album, but representatives for the guitarist say that more news on it will come "soon."
For now, keep your eyes on Strauss' website for more on the guitarist.
