Keyboard great Derek Sherinian has just launched his fifth solo CD, “Blood of the Snake”. Sherinian unleashes a true metal CD with an underlying progressive song structure that seems to enforce level ten playing from his famous comrades. Put out by the famous Inside-Out Music Company, Sherinian enlisted help from the best players in the industry. Guest appearances by Billy Idol, Zakk Wylde, Slash, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Tony Franklin, Brad Gillis, Brian Tichy, and the great Simon Phillips push these songs to a height no regular band could play.
Derek Sherinian himself seems to bring more than his superior keyboard playing, song writing, and production credits. It seems the atmosphere he created in the studio changed the consciousness of these already great players. Just imagine a musician coming to earth from another planet with far advanced skills. This is what Sherinian brings to the table. He has brought out the best in these great players and forced enough nervous energy in these songs that one listen you will be hooked.
This CD offers the listener a mix of instrumental genius as well as a reality check with songs like ?Man With No Name?, featuring Zakk Wylde on vocals, and ?In The Summertime? featuring vocalist Billy Idol. Perhaps the song that would reach across gender lines and age group would be ?On the Moon?. This is the best song on the CD and gives us a glimmer of what great music will come from Derek Sherinian in the future. But most importantly, you can see the unique personality Sherinian must have as the underlying keyboard playing will cross the entire musical plane and is pleasant to all. The only player on this CD who seems unaffected by its diversity is drummer Simon Philips. This veteran of the progressive drum kit compliments Sherinian?s playing as he seems to add his fair share of punishment to any musician who listens to this CD.
As a life-long trained musician, the resume this man brings is second to none. As the keyboardist for Alice Cooper, Kiss, Dream Theater, and his own Planet X, the built-in influences are endless. Blood of the Snake offers a top heavy (metal) venomous bite with insane progressive undertones few would understand. The killer guitar attack on most of these songs seems to dominate on first listen. However, the more you listen to this CD the fluent playing of Sherinian and the picture perfect rhythm section surpasses the guitar playing of the worlds best and fastest players.
I have listened to quite a lot of Sherinian?s work in the past but this seems to be his best. His previous work with his own ?Planet X? band was a true act of brilliance but his fellow band mates Virgil Donati and Tony MacAlpine seemed to play at his level with no intimidation factor present. Blood of the Snake features a mix of monstrous organic textures and influences. From the majority sick metal edge, jazz, and cool groove, this CD will unfortunately force most musicians to hang it up. To compete at this level would require a doctorate degree from ?The University of Planet X?. Perhaps the best CD I’ve heard all year.
