Steve Morse Band | Triangulation Review

by Griff Stevens

Triangulation plays as a living map of Steve Morse’s musical instincts, where southern rock grit, fusion elasticity, bluegrass snap, Celtic spice, and baroque precision are woven into carefully shaped song forms. From the opening moments, Morse’s tone is unmistakable. His guitar distortion is clear yet warm, singing yet articulate, moving fluidly between single-note melodies and chordal figures to vary texture and weight.

Each piece develops through multiple sections and feels. Dave LaRue’s bass is a constant melodic presence, frequently stepping into the foreground with solos and textured lines. Van Romaine’s drumming keeps the pocket alive and transparent, guiding the music through shifts in rhythmic emphasis. Throughout the album, the three create conversations, bass and guitar locking into tutti lines that evolve into layered counterpoint, breakdowns punctuated by inserted harmonics, and baroque-rock passages where guitar, bass, and drums maintain distinct identities within a unified motion.

Steve Morse’s playing on Triangulation is outstanding in its musical balance. His tone is immediately recognizable as he constantly reshapes his sound to suit the function of each section through his volume, tone control, and right-hand placement. Morse moves fluidly through the textures of the compositions. His playing is always in the service of form and flow. Across the album, solos are lyrically focused, emerging naturally from the groove. Interludes reveal his gift for counterpoint and layered writing. Even in the most intricate passages, Morse’s phrasing remains grounded, melodic, and deeply connected to the band.

Dave LaRue’s bass work is central to the album’s identity, frequently acting as melodic engine and structural anchor. His parts are rich with texture that is comprised of upper-register lines, harmonics, slap and pop articulations, and carefully voiced counterpoint. All of this interacts continuously with Morse’s guitar. Rather than simply reinforcing harmony, LaRue often introduces thematic material, shaping the direction of the music from below. His sense of pocket is unwavering, allowing multi-part figures and shifting feels to remain grounded. Throughout Triangulation, the bass is supportive, conversational, and drives momentum while maintaining balance within the trio.

Van Romaine’s drumming provides the album’s energetic motion. His playing keeps the groove alive and transparent, even as the music moves through shifting meters, rhythmic displacement, and layered ensemble writing. Romaine’s touch is precise and fluid, allowing each section to breathe while maintaining cohesion across transitions. His fills are energetic and clean, particularly in build-up sections where they enhance momentum without obscuring the pulse. Whether anchoring a deep southern-rock groove or navigating more intricate fusion passages, Romaine’s drumming serves as the connective tissue that allows the band’s complexity to flow naturally.

Eric Johnson’s guest appearance on “TexUs” adds a luminous tonal contrast to the album’s palette. His smooth, singing tone and long, lyrical pentatonic lines blend effortlessly with Morse’s more articulated phrasing. Johnson’s use of chordal figures and sustained melodic arcs introduces a different sense of space, creating a dialogue with Morse and the band. The exchange highlights the compatibility of two distinct voices, unified by melodic intent and shared musical sensibility.

On “Triangulation,” John Petrucci brings a legato, more midrange-focused guitar voice to the title track, offering a compelling contrast to Morse’s distinctive attack. Hearing the two alternate melodic statements reveals subtle differences in articulation, vibrato, pick attack, and phrasing, turning the track into a study in stylistic nuance rather than technical competition. Petrucci’s technique is flawless, and his occasional adoption of Morse-like lines feels both respectful and transformative, reinforcing the collaborative spirit of the piece.

Scott Sim bass on “March of the Nomads” contributes a solid, articulate presence that integrates seamlessly into the album’s compositional framework. His playing supports the layered guitar writing with clarity and precision, helping to shape the interludes where bass and guitar build toward tightly voiced tutti sections. Sim’s tone and timing reinforce the track’s sense of motion while leaving space for the three-part counterpoint that emerges in the arrangement.

Kevin Morse’s contribution on “Taken by an Angel” brings warmth and intimacy to the album’s closing track. The nylon-string tone and lyrical phrasing blend naturally with keyboards and layered guitar textures, emphasizing melody and voice-leading. The resulting dialogue between guitars feels personal, providing a graceful conclusion that highlights the album’s fusion of classical structure, blues expression, and southern-rock sensibility.

Triangulation ultimately feels less like a showcase of technique than a demonstration of musical balance, where composition and performance are inseparable, and where the fusion of rock energy is inflected by the expression of many styles that speak in a voice that could only belong to Steve Morse and this band.

Artist: Steve Morse Band
Album: Triangulation
Label: Music Theories Recordings

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Release Date: September 9, 2025