BLACK UTOPIA

For me, this album is just perfect. It's heavy and instrumental, in a similar vein to Liquid Tension Experiment. Surprising that even though Derek Sherinian is a keyboard player, he has let the guitarists take the lead on this album and it is the guitarists that give each track their form. The Yngwie Malmsteen tracks are fast guitar shredding. The Zakk Wylde tracks are heavy and rythmic and very much like his playing on Ozzy Osbourne albums. Al DiMeola's playing on "Gypsy Moth" sounds like Spanish guitar. Jerry Goodman plays violin on this album but I have real trouble picking out the violin sound, which is a shame.

This album is pure prog metal fusion. It has no connection with jazz fusion except that it's totally instrumental. There are no weak tracks on this album. If you like Liquid Tension Experiment then you might well like this too.