1.This image somehow shocked me. At first I thought it was Malmsteen, but then I thought it was just someone dressed like him. Anyway, this is not all: he also plays like Malmsteen (well, there is some little difference) and his songs are very similar to those 90's songs of the swedish guitarist... but mainly sung in Japanese. Not a bad work, he plays in a band named Ark Storm and his name is Katsu Ohta.

But why? He prefeers to sacriface his own image to adopt someone's else aspect and playing style. Commercial reasons? Or he just loves YJM image and music to that very extent? If its a commercial resource, then neoclassic metal is doing what disco-pop tends to do: apply formulas to sell better.

2.Guthrie Govan is also a great guitarist, but when hearing his album "Erotic Cakes" I felt a little pissed off; very good songs and great playing, but from the middle to the end of the album, he resembles too much Steve Vai. It seems a Vai's continuing. Same resources, same style compositions, same tune in distortion and clean guitars. First tracks were more original and were awesome too. Why shifting to Vai? Commercial reasons again? (I don't think it so, but maybe...)

Check out the below vid of Katsu Ohta. He's got the Malmsteen thing going on big time here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPz9xMUAGE

I don't get why everybody wants to be exactly like Yngwie. He's good and all but why not explore yourself instead of being him.
This is why I listen to Jazz more than ever. A lot of the guys like Allan Holdsworth, Lenny Breau, Shawn Lane ect. are all different and they explore themselves instead of copying others. I do give tribute to my influence and friend, Jason Becker. Also with Marty Friedman and a few others.

I barely hear any similarities between Guthrie Govan and Vai, so I really don't get where you got that from.

Of course, he imitated Vai on that Who's Best? -track, but his playing on Erotic Cakes is simply unique.

The first three songs are quite original, but for exemple, the next three songs are pretty close to Vai and then the album stopped surprising me. Fourth track, "ner ner"... I hear a very similar tune, a very use of octaves, a very similar way of using lydian/mixolydian modes, some licks I heard in Vai... Next song, "Fives", begins with some phrasing again very close to Vai, similar rythm, similar use of octavator effect... "Uncle Skunk" begins with a phrasing which I bet anyone who hear it would think it's Vai; being the rithm of the song very close of that rythms used by Vai.

From then, almost any song lost the originality of the first three ones, but that's my way of perceiving it. I don't think it's a bad album; also, Katsu Ohta's "No Boundaries" (with his band Ark Storm) is a really good one too, very similar to "Fire and Ice".

I will listen to that albums again, but I still think they are too close to their idols... If something is not original (for me) but still is good, I appreciate it of course.

I honestly can't relate to that. Having listened to both artists more than what is healthy, I can't find many similarities between them. I'd say even Eric Johnson has more to do with Govan's style.

Well, it's unfair tho make him appear in a topic I named "Clones", but despite of what I wrote, his playing is more than awesome and I'd like to see him in G3. Still he is similar to Vai to me, more than to Eric Johnson or George Harrison.

I am with Muramasa in the opinion that trying to immitate another guitarists playing is reletively fruitless other than developing your chops. It is unlikely that anyone is going to do the given style better than the guy who originated it. I think it is fine to mix elements of guitarists styles to come out with something a bit different. Maybe this is what Guthrie Govan does as he is obviously very versatile as a player - but he has to be as he is a guitar instructor for much of the time, and needs to be able to teach a broad range of styles and techniques.

I agree that he has incorporated some of Vai's style into his own - I think he uses slides in a similar way to Vai as well as other elements. I think he also sounds a bit like Vai because of using extended arpeggios a lot - but I think you would do that a lot in a fusion setting any way.

Govan is definately not a rip off like that Yngwie Clone but you can hear Vai in his playing IMO.