Back in 1976 Van Halen thundered into the music scene with their self-titled debut album, which contained the incredible track, ‘Eruption’ – ever since an inspiration to electric guitarists the world over. Now Susan Aquila breathes new life into the nearly 50 year old track, and in a twist, plays a scorcher on the electric violin.
Susan Aquila has performed with the best, including Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin, Kanye West, and Metallica. Her talent is such that she has become the darling of musical directors, Broadway producers, movie scorers the world over, so she really has no need to show off to anyone. Nevertheless, her rendition of ‘Eruption’ is as if she’s hoping to impress the most powerful people in the music industry – she gives it her all as she condenses the already incredible track into a storming two minutes long that grab hold of the listener in such a way that it feels like shes never going to let go. Her electric violin takes the notes and turns them into a growling, snarling, effusion that completely immerses her audience in a tsunami of sound.
The music video for ‘Eruption’ sees Susan alone on stage, gently lit, with her bow raised and her violin under her chin, ready to go. We aren’t instantly privy to her facial expression, but once we are allowed to see her, we are made aware how much of herself she puts into her performance, and how much she enjoys what she does. Susan has everything an electric guitarist might have for a live performance – sound processors and foot switches, wah-wah, distortion, and whammy etc – but she’s using them on her violin, with a speed that is almost too fast for the eye to register. This is art and passion incarnate.
You can be enthralled by Susan Aquila’s immense talent by watching the music video for ‘Eruption’ below. You can also find out more about Susan and her music online on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
