STEVE VAI has officially announced an August 14 release date for his new album, The Story of Light.

It is his 16th solo album and will be released via his own Favored Nations label.

The album will continue a narrative arc that began on Vai’s 2005 effort, Real Illusions: Reflections.

“I’m always pursuing knowledge, I’m a seeker of spiritual equilibrium, and music is a big part of that,” says Vai of the album’s theme, which focuses on a character who has been driven mad by grief.

“I’ve been obsessed with these kinds of ideas for years.”

The 12-song album is largely instrumental, of course, but features vocal performances from Beverly McClellan and Aimee Mann, who duets with Vai on a track called 'No More Amsterdam.'

The Story of Light has been a long time coming – it was first slated for release in early 2011.