DEREK SHERINIAN

Excellent addition to any guitar lover... and yes, it's a keyboard solo project...!!!

Derek Sherinian has been doing maybe more than what it needs since he was kicked off from Dream Theater. His goal is very evident: making the wildest music he can bring out to prove he was on the level of the top musicians of our time. Well, with his 6 solo albums and his 3 Planet X albums he shows us that he wants to be heard and this album is not the exception. A complete legion of wonderful musicians joined him in his most recent work.

The first three songs seem to be a Planet X introduction. The great and underrated drum player Virgil Donati rejoined with guitarrist Brett Garsed and brings out three complex, dynamic, heavy songs with a lot of soloing going on. The jazz fusion elements and groove parts leads to a great mood in the overall. But from the song 4 it really starts, the metal thing. The heavy riffing is courtesy from the master Zack Wilde who really reigns in the songs he is involved. It's and avalanche of solos and unisons from keys and guitars. Just great. Frozen by Fire is maybe the most catchy and heavy song at the same time. The songs flow very well from one to another. There's a piano ballad to relax a little bit the mood of the album and then becomes the main song of the album Molecular Heinosity, a great track, entertaining, acrobatic, moody. The last song is a very dark one, even singed by Wilde with his trademark dramatic and very metal voice.

This album is for those who enjoy metal and instrumental music in the style of Planet X or Liquid Tension Experiment. The difference with the latter is that this album has a better taste in songwriting and less soloing and improvisation, but, don't be wrong, there's a lot of show off hear... it's just that is very tasty and focus. The solos works for the songs and everything sound quite well together. The production is great and the cover, well, Sherinian has a lot with the purple tonalities, all his albums are like that. The material is short, not more than 40 minutes, which is OK for and instrumental album. I'm still waiting for an album from him with complete songwriting, I mean, instrumental albums are great but it would be nice to have lyrics on it and maybe he will gain the respect as a complete songwriter.

Don't ignore this album, this is one of the best musicians in the last decade, very prolific and quite underrated. I know anyone who enjoys metal and jazz fusion can appreciate this kind of work. 4 stars... it's and excellent addition to any album collection.

As an album i would rate this one 3.5/5, most of the songs here are really top notch but what lets this one down is the fact that this feels like an album of leftovers or more like an EP and less like a cohesive unit start to finish. The first three tracks are just amazing, they feel like tracks kept out of planet x's quantum because they we too "happy", as usual brett garsed shines here like a diamond would, using is skills to deliver the most amazing crunchy riffs and liquid-fluid solos. Next goes Wings Of Insanity displaying zakk wylde style, that means heavy riffing, amazing screaming harmonics and hugely wide vibrato, a very nice track. Frozen By Fire is the most vulgar track here, it's ok but it doesnt really sound original or overly exciting. The three tracks in wich Taka Minamono plays are nice and make a cool combination between derek's ambient sounds and Taka's yngwie-clone style, again nothing really original but pretty good quality-wise. The album finishes with the pretty dreadful So Far Gone in wih zakk displays his terrible singing.

1. Antarctica (5:26) 5* 2. Ascension (2:14) 5* 3. Primal Eleven (7:56) 5* 4. Wings Of Insanity (3:50) 4.5* 5. Frozen By Fire (5:21) 3.5* 6. The Lone Spaniard (3:08) 4* 7. Molecular Intro (1:03) 4* 8. Molecular Heinosity (3:28) 4* 9. So Far Gone (7:24) 2.5*

Third Derek Sherinian's solo album is made in the tradition of previous one: even more participated guitar heroes added in. If debut album was ambitious and experimental but raw one with team of unknown musicians, strarting from his second album, Sherinian plays with music stars all around.

Second album was real success, mainly because of new drummer Simon Phillips and perfect session guitarist Steve Lukather participated on it. Using the same formula for his third solo album, Sherinian made some mistakes, in my opinion.

First of all, just physical growth of star musicians participated can't guarantee high standard of music automathicaly. So, Yngwie Malmsteen is very fast guitarist for sure, but his Kalashnikov- style solos destroyed musical structure of this album. Zakk Wylde plays his usual Ozzie Osbourne's style heavy metal, which is not bad if used in right place.Even Lukather was pushed to play as fast and heavy as he can. Acoustic piece played by Al Di Meola is nice, but out of place again. All album sounds like sountrack of guitar heroes technique demonstration championship ( if you still remember, it's a keyboardist solo album!).

The total result is eclectic collection of very competent but fast,heavy and very formal guitar instrumental pieces ( in many cases it's difficult to name these compositions as songs, it's more guitar technique demonstration).

So, after really successfull second album, third one missed that high musical level ( still saving high technigue level). It's a good album for axe-heroes fans, but it gives not too much to music lovers.

Still 3, because of high musical technique.

Derek Sherinian's debut album was full of ambitions, but very raw work. Attractive idea of melting prog-metal with jazz fusion in real life became just pompastic instrumental album,driven by thunder-drums and very average guitar solos, with some Sherinian's keyb's passages. And I think unsuccessfull sound engineering ( what a reason was to put heavy drumming on the first plan?) totally destroyed the impression.

Started with second album, I waited for many bad things again. But happily here I found much more music in it!

OK, to be honest, second Sherinian's solo album just left the idea of melting prog-metal and jazzy rhytms and structures in one mix for the history, and returned back to more usual instrumental prog-rock. Heavyness in the name of heavyness is gone ( for the good), compositions became slower ( for good as well) and much more different and complex.

Main reason for all positive changes is for sure new line-up: Simon Phillips is great drummer, and for album's sound this change was most important! Steve Lukather ( once Toto guitarist) is very competent session guitarist, he brings soul and perfect sound balance in all music. Zakk Wylde is well-known by it's work with Ozzie, he gave heavy metal flesh.

Jerry Goodman (violinist and still Mahavishnu Orchestra live legend) is a last spice in album's music. And if now it's difficult to speak about metal-jazz-fusion, you have here prog metal of high quality ( with some jazzy traces).

Less experimental than the debut, this album contains great music instead of debut's chaotic noise. Again, it's a bit strange sound for keyboardist's solo album, sounds more like strong album of guitar hero. Anyway, huge step after weak debut.

Here we have an album with only one short expert/collaborator review and plenty of 5-star reviews from fans. What is the matter?

Let's check. This is the debut album of Derek Sherinian, one time keyboard player of Alice Cooper and ex-member of Dream Theater. And this album is placed under the "jazz- rock/fusion" label. So - do you think it's a new Chick Corea with Neo-Elektric Band?No way! Even far from Herbie Hancock!

In fact we have here quite interesting experiment using some jazz/fusion elements in instrumental prog-metal.And I think it's a strongest point of that album. All other things aren't so attractive.

Keyboardist is fast. Guitar player knows all most important heavy metal guitar solos. Drummer are very fast in moments and always very pompastic ( in bad ELP's Palmer style). Compositions are heavy and long ( in fact-looks long when you are listening). If first or second song still can attract your attention, other songs sound just as continued first or second.

The common music is strange as for keyboardist solo effort. Main instruments here are thunder-heavy drums and average soloing metal guitar. Ok, I forgot some synth-sound in the beginning of one of the songs.

All in all the album sounds as average album of average guitar hero. Nothing more, nothing less. I am not a big fan of Dream Theater, but even they sound better!

And for sure it is very big question if this is jazz-rock or fusion! More correct name of the music played is "instrumental progresive metal with experimental elements".

If you're not Beavis or Butthead, don't think you will love it much.

Derek Sherinian was kicked out of Dream Theater? Their loss. This album to me is bettar than any Dream Theater release.

On this release, Sherinian plays with different guitarists throughout the album, all formidable shredders. Zakk Wylde gets a mention on the outer sleeve of the disk, and while is does a great job on his two tracks, he is outshined by the other three guitarists. Sherinian burns up the keyboards himself, playing with more emotion than you can usually hear squeezed out of synthesizers, easily blending in with the raging guitars.

My favorites here are the opening trilogy, Antarctica, Ascension, and Primal Eleven, where guitarist Brett Guarsed sounds like a heavy metal Allan Holdsworth, and the title track, Molecular Heinosity, a track worthy of its name.

Heavy, dark and interesting.

Once again key-wizard Derek Sherinian has managed to churn out an album of excellent instrumental music with a couple of twists and turns. This time the jazz elements are a little bit more shrouded by the more metal side of things, but the ratio of metal to jazz is actually one of the album's strongest points. Combine that with tight playing, some wicked solos, memorable riffs and all around excellent composition and you get quite an album. One may think that this is going to sound exactly like the last Sherinian projects, or maybe even exactly like the Planet X albums, but that is far from the truth. Put to even a direct comparison this album is not simply ''more of the same,'' it's a fresh spin on the writing style of an emerging Jazz/Metal Fusion master.

Sherinian always uses a multitude of guests, and this album is no exception. Zakk Wylde is back once again, laying his heavy hands back on the strings to turn out some of the heaviest riffs imaginable, and also to give voice to the final track. There are some who don't give the man a lot of respect these days, but when you hear him in the context of this album you'll see why Sherinian uses him time and time again. Also appearing on the album is Planet X counterpart, Virgil Donati, (which is probably why talks to reunite that band have sprung up) who does a killer job of keeping time, as one can imagine. Many other credits have to be given, but one of the most notable is the collaboration with guitar player Rusty Cooley that produces the excellently heavy and frantic Frozen By Fire, which could very well have been used as a single, where that the purpose of the music on the record.

As said before, one of the best parts about the album is just how heavy it is. If you had a tough time getting into the Planet X albums because they were too light at the core of their songwriting, then this is the album for you. Right off the bat with Antarctica a chugging riff from Zakk Wylde lets you know that this is not going to be any kind of joyride. The song punches along for a moment before bursting into full speed. This tune is linked with the next two in a kind of suite thanks to the brief Ascension that acts as an intro to the lengthy Primal Eleven. The next group of songs are all a bit shorter, but perhaps more memorable than the openers - the fury of Wings Of Insanity with its blistering guitar solos and riff that just won't give up, the previously mentioned Frozen By Fire, another song with a killer set of guitar and keyboard wizardry. The album only comes to a brief slowness to allow the mournful The Lone Spaniard to play out before it takes off again at full speed with the title cut, Molecular Heinosity. Wrap it all up with the only song on the album with vocals in the form of So Far Gone and you've got yourself a very memorable disc. The final track is actually a very welcome addition, it breaks up the monotony of simply having an all instrumental disc, without breaking the momentum that the other tracks build up.

The cover art and production are another nice thing to note. While the art really nothing to do with the music the molecular construction of skulls is quite an appealing way to start your time with the album, and it really sets up well for how the album is going to sound. The production, as can be expected, is top notch and helps to add to the imminent darkness of the album.

If you've held off on Sherinian's solo work or have never made the effort to hear anything he's done since Dream Theater then now would be a good time to start. This is an excellent disc that deserves repeated listens. If you want to hear virtuosic playing toned down to a level of listenability for us 'mere mortals' put to some of the heaviest riffs you've ever heard then give this one a shot. 4 stars for a killer album.

One of the better heavy albums I've heard as of late(the other being from Iranian/Canadian guitarist AGAH BAHARI...which does feature Derek Sherinian and not yet listed on progarchives.com...Google AGAH BAHARI). Anyway...wow! What an opener on this CD in the metal/jazz _Antarctica/Ascension/Primal Eleven_. It's an insane tighly crafted masterpiece reminding one of the heavier parts on Gongzilla's SUFFER(without the vibraphones, of course). Dark and ominous - a 15 minute masterpiece. After this one though, the album takes a bit of u-turn with the Zakk Wylde guitar tracks on _Wings Of Insanity_(Zakk Wylde - a very talented guitarist, but not my cup of tea most of the time). _Frozen By Fire_ and _The Lone Spaniard_ are standard PLANET X-like instrumentals. Very good. The other minor masterpiece here is the title track _Molecular Heinosity_. Derek describes this one as a Yngwie Malmstein/Meshuggah inspired track. Hard to argue that, but you might want to throw in some Jon Lord too! Just amazing...turn it up to 11. The album concludes with _So Far Gone_. A great vocal track done by Zakk Wylde meets Planet X/Stone Temple Pilots, reminding me that perhaps Derek Sherinian and Zakk Wylde should record an entire album of this kind of material to covert the masses. A solid 4 stars.

This is a good album by Derek Sherinian, but unfortunately it nowhere near lives up to what it could have been. As other reviewers have said, the worst thing about this album is that it is essentially a guitar shred- fest with Sherinian merely providing backing keyboards.

Now, as a fan of heavy music, and as a guitar player myself, I'm a big fan of shred music. Unfortunately, a lot of the solos here are provided by Yngwie Malmsteen. Though I have no problem with Malmsteen, and can listen to a lot of his solo records, his contributions to this album (solo-wise anyway) are very stale and uninspired.

Thankfully, there is a positive counter to the rather dull solos, and that is the incredible riffing that's going on. Some of these songs have such amazing riffs that it makes up for the lack of interesting solos. The Sons of Anu is an incredibly heavy song with some great, exotic sounding melodies in it. Axis of Evil and Starcycle have some great metal riffing going on, and the title track, Black Utopia, is a great head banging anthem.

Overall this isn't a terrible album, it's just not brilliant either. It has it's great moments and it's totally forgetable moments. If you like Progressive Metal then there's some stuff on here that'll put a smile on your face. Otherwise you're probably better off skipping this album, unless you can find it cheap on Ebay or something.

Wow, how utterly dissapointing this was for me. Here I was expecting to get some good keyboard-charged Fusion music froma n undeniably great ex-DT member, and instead I get this. I mean, seriousely, there is nothing progressive about this. It's just a bunch of guitar wankers with some input from Sherinian, but really, this is a guitar album, and I am very dissapointed by what I heard. Not only are the keyboards nearly non-existant, but there is absolutely no soul whatsoever to this music. Can it even be called music, is my question? Yes, there are some moments on the record that got me bopping my head, I'll admit, but at the end of the day, what it progressive about this? It sure isn't true Jazz/Fusion. It's just Sherinian hiring a bunch of crappy guitar 'legends' to play every single note known to man as fast as possible while he backs them up. Sorry, but that isn't my idea of good or original music.

Such a shame, as I really enjoyed Derek's work while he was with Dream Theater. Ah well, you can't win 'em all, I suppose. This album may grow on me over time, but one thing is for certain: it will never be a 'progressive' record in my eyes. Too much thrashing and not enough heart. This is straightforward metal trying to be something more, and it fails. Sorry, Derek fans, but this just isn't my cup of tea. I'll be lucky if I listen to this thing once every five years. Sadly, another dust-collector on my shelf. This one's only for the most dedicated of fans.