MicShazam

@Janszoon"I think they sound their most soulless when they slow it down and try to play with feeling honestly. I've actually been listening to a bunch of this kind of stuff recently (including that Vai album) and I've realized that I like these guys most when they're flying all over the strings. I can get caught up in the cool geometry of that and I think that's emotionally evocative in its own way. When they try to be soulful, not so much."

That's a good observation.

One can get blinded by the fireworks, I guess. It makes sense that sheer speed adds a feeling of energy which makes the music exhilerating to listen to. Lack of speed means something else is needed to make the music involving.

I've noticed that I like when aggressive bands play messily, though. It can make everything sound more frenetic/dangerous. This applies in the case of less melodic, more extreme music though, not shredders like Vai. Just wanted to bring it up.