5 Stars
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Derek Sherinian is the go-to keyboard player of the rock world, taking over the mantle from Don Airey, who has found a permanent home in Deep Purple to combine with his solo career.
Derek Sherinian broke into the big time of rock music when he became the keyboard player for Alice Cooper in 1989, where he stayed off and on until 1994.
He then became a full-time member of progressive/metal rock superstars Dream Theater until being replaced in 1999 due to internal conflict.
During this time, Derek Sherinian kept up working as a session musician but his departure from Dream Theater allowed him to launch his solo career.
Since then there have been eight superb albums. Keyboard orientated, but also featuring a host of the best guitarists in the world.
guitar men and a true wild man. Wild by name
and nature.
Mixing in with his solo career, he has taken time out to form Black Country Communion with Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa and Jason Bonham. Then Sons of Apollo with Mike Portnoy (by 2017 also a refugee from Dream Theater), Billy Sheehan, and Jeff Scott Soto.
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He toured with the instrumental supergroup of Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Sherinian, playing Bangkok in 2012. Derek Sherinian also played Bangkok on the Generation Axe tour in 2017, having been asked to play the keyboards by guitarists Zak Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt, and Steve Vai. Supposedly a guitar night, Derek Sherinian was given plenty of space to solo during the songs as well as a very well-received solo spot.
He has toured and recorded with Kiss, recorded with Whitesnake, and organized and played at a benefit show for the ailing Tony MacAlpine.
So it’s hardly any wonder that it had been ten years between solo albums (Oceana in 2011.)
But as soon as Derek Sherinian roars into action on the title track, ably assisted in a raiding pack of Zak Wylde on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, Armen Ra on Theremin and Simon Phillips on drums, you know things are red hot as ever. Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Ron Thal, Kiko Loureiro, Tony Franklin, Jimmy Johnson, and Ernest Tibbs also join in the fun on tracks for ‘The Phoenix.’
All Derek Sherinian albums have an underlying heaviness, with the speed and agility of the playing leaving you mind-boggled. The music roars, swaggers, duels and batters on its way through. An air guitar/keyboard player’s highest-octane dream.
The paw comes off the peddle slightly to allow Steve Vai to bend some sonic notes all over ‘Clouds of Ganymede’ before it all goes wildly again.
Buddy Miles’s ‘Them Changes’ is dragged out and played in tribute with Joe Bonamassa storming the solos, and even adding vocals for the only time on the album.
An amazing collection of tunes made me want to play it for the rest of the pack as soon as I heard it first time round.
My only slight moan is the rather mundane album cover (a picture of the man at his place of work). Before, the album covers really grabbed your attention, like Blood of the Snake or Black Utopia. But if you need a picture of Derek Sherinian, fill yer boots.
Although the album gained worldwide critical acclaim, sadly it did not fare so well in the sales department, only making very small dents at the bottom end of the album charts. One listen to this music and you will be wondering at the injustice of it all. A fine album that deserves far greater attention.
Written in wonderment by Mott the Dog on Pattaya’s Darkside.
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Previous album covers with excellent artwork
