Sherinian, Derek - Inertia


Year of Release: 2001
Label: InsideOut Music America
Catalog Number: IOMA 2023-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 46:55:00

Inertia is Derek Sherinian's latest attempt to subdue the fans of instrumental limb-bending music. After turning his last solo release titled Planet X into a full band (together with Tony MacAlpine and Virgil Donati), who would have thought that Derek still hasn't found his artistic outlet? Nevertheless, when listening to Inertia one gets an immediate sense of alertness and freshness. If anyone has been following Derek's career from Dream Theater through to Kiss, Alice Cooper, Platypus, Planet X and all the countless projects in between, you will be pleased with this release.

The album contains 10 songs that could be autobiographical for the master-keyboardist's career. Derek only wrote one song by himself ("Evel Knievel") but invited Simon Phillips, Steven Lukather, Zakk Wylde and Tony Franklin to contribute to the written material. He has also included a couple of covers on the album in the form of "Frankenstein" (written by [Edgar] Winter) and "Good Bye Porkpie Hat" (written by [Charles] Mingus). Derek represents other styles of music in songs such as "La Pera Loca" - jazz fusion, DT style progressive metal with "Mata Hari," some really heavy guitar orientated stuff with "Evel Knievel" written by Derek with Zakk Wylde's playing style in mind, some real music acrobatics with "Astroglide" and some slowish, romantic material with "What A Shame." Al Pitrelli and Virgil Donati have been credited with some contributions for songwriting, but unfortunately they didn't get to play on the album. Simon Phillips played all the drums on Inertia and co-produced the album together with Derek Sherinian.

On a final note: Inertia is a very finely recorded and produced album and the fact that you can hear Derek's selflessness by allowing all his guest musicians to bring their own flavour of music to the album, makes it just so much more diverse and exciting.

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]


Tracklisting:
Inertia (4:20) / Frankenstein (3:31) / Mata Hari (6:21) / Evel Knievel (3:17) La Pera Loca (5:06) / Goodbye Porkpie Hat (6:23) / Astroglide (4:35) / What A Shame (5:01) / Rhapsody Intro (1:41) / Rhapsody In Black (- [Untitled] ) (6:40)

Musicians:
Derek Sherinian - keyboards
Steve Lukather - guitars (1, 3, 5, 6, 8-10)
Zakk Wylde - guitars (2, 4, 8)
Simon Phillips - drums
Tom Kennedy - bass (1, 6, 10)
Tony Franklin - bass (2 - 4, 8)
Jimmy Johnson (5)
Jerry Goodman - violin (1, 7)

Discography:
Dream Theater - A Change Of Seasons (1995)
Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity (1997)
Dream Theater - Once In A Livetime (1998)
Planet X (1998)
Platypus - When Pus Comes To Shove (1999)
Planet X - Universe (2000)
Platypus - Ice Cycles (2000)
Inertia (2001)
Planet X - Live From Oz (2001)
Planet X - Moon Babies (2002)
Black Utopia (2003)
Mythology (2004)
Blood Of The Snake (2006)
Planet X - Quantum (2007)
Molecular Heinosity (2009)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: January 31st 2005
Reviewer: Peter Fundeis
Score:
Artist website: www.dereksherinian.com
Hits: 1615
Language: english

  

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