Tower of Babel, Joe Stump‘s band, has unveiled the video for “Alone in the Desert,” a Ritchie Blackmore-inspired track from their album Days of Thunder, released on the legendary guitarist’s 81st birthday as a tribute to his immense influence on hard rock and heavy metal. Watch it now.

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“Alone in the Desert” is composed in the spirit of the iconic Dio-era Rainbow masterpieces “Stargazer” and “Gates of Babylon.” Founding member and guitar virtuoso Joe Stump explains: “I wanted to create something epic and grandiose with that Ritchie Blackmore snake-charmer-induced Eastern flavor. I also wanted the listener to feel transported back in a time machine to early Rainbow live at the Hammersmith Odeon or The Beacon Theater in New York.

A period when track times and solo lengths weren’t so heavily monitored, and music fans actually listened to entire albums. How fitting that this video is being released on Ritchie Blackmore’s 81st birthday. A celebration of the man himself and his immense influence on hard rock and heavy metal, and, of course, on me.”

Known throughout the rock and metal scenes as the lead guitarist of Alcatrazz and as a shred specialist and associate professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, Stump brings together a formidable lineup for Tower of Babel: Jo Amore on vocals, Mark Cross on drums, Mistheria (aka The Maestro) on keyboards, and Nic Angileri on bass. Together, they deliver ten glorious slices of riff-driven, Rainbow- and Deep Purple-inspired anthems across Days of Thunder.

The album was produced by Mark Cross, mixed by George Aspiotis and Mark Cross at Studio Aspiotis in Greece, and mastered by Ade Emsley at Table of Tone Mastering in the UK.