More than 30 years into a wildly eclectic career (hey, the guy played with Poison and bass god Stanley Clarke), Richie Kotzen is no longer that pre-grunge shredder. With Nomad, he again proves himself a multifaceted, nuanced musician with chops and a killer voice – and also plays slammin’ drums on most cuts.

Kotzen’s musical foundation is heavily in the funk/soul realm, and that infuses many tracks here, including “Insomnia.” Behind the Philly Soul chorus there’s an insane jazz-rock solo – Kotzen is genuinely a funky, hard-rockin’, fusion-ready guitarist. Even so, this is only the tip of the iceberg. “Cheap Shots” could have been a Kiss anthem, deploying a hook-filled chorus and Ace Frehley-on-speed guitar solo. The title track has a slithering Lydian-mode theme, but also a dead-clean solo with sweeps and speedy runs, again revealing more versatility.

The best track is “Nihilist,” which is so harmonically sophisticated it’s hard to know where to begin. But again, it’s a mistake to paint Kotzen with a simple brush; he can jump from fusion and funk to tasty jazz, and shred on a dime. Without doubt, Nomad is an impressive offering. Underestimate Richie Kotzen at your own peril.

This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.