Derek Sherinian
"Inertia"
Inside Out Music
By Vinnie Apicella The latest work from keyboardist extraordinaire Sherinian sees him joined by seemingly a cast of thousands in creating "Inertia," his first foray into previously uncharted solo terrain and one that fans and critics alike may have a hard time hiding their exuberance for. The all-instrumental opus features an all-star cast of highly regarded musicians all lending their individual talents to the mix. and while the earlier suggestions of a cast of "thousands" is obviously a stretch, the playing here is indicative of a lot more than what is actually shown in the credits-or to put it simply, several gifted talents all extending themselves beyond the point of expectations. Sherinian, of prior Dream Theater, Platypus and Planet X fame, found an interesting if not upfront obvious choice of players to aid him in his quest for the musical ring. Beginning with the opening title track, a wild and wielding texture that signifies the opening of the door into this vast landscape of worldly imagery, features the guitar work of Steve Lukather, previously of Toto fame and widely respected instrumentalist, and the legendary Simon Phillips handling the drums, who also co-produced the album as well as co-writing half its songs. While names like Phillips, Lukather, and Tony Franklin prevail for much of the record, other contributors, equal in their importance in showcasing not only their own skills but the level of diversity Sherinian seeks to achieve, also include guitarist Zakk Wylde, previously of Ozzy fame and currently of his own Black Label Society accomplishments. Right off the bat his presence is an obvious one as we hear only one song in with a cover of Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein," a dynamic yet brooding interpretation in a lower key of the grand original and certainly through the use of Derek's dexterous nature on the keys, one that's as colorful and vibrant enough to breathe new life into a long standing classic. On parallel lines, "Evel Knievel," written solely by Sherinian, recalls again the heavier extreme to his personality and with the Wylde guitar riffs blasting through, like a classic muscle car roaring thunderously upon ignition, all parts are operating in fine tune particularly during the execution of guitar and drums, a hard-charging and complementary piece that easily stands as a defining moment on the record-as well, listeners will want to stick close for the one tune where Lukather and Wylde appear simultaneously, "What a Shame." We can go all throughout the entire list here for the entire ten songs and hear something unique and dynamic-"La Pera Loca," "Goodbye Porkpie Hat," borrowing from the pages of Beck, and so forth but all with Sherinian's definitive stamp and accentuated with those he's chosen to surround himself with. "Astroglide's" another favorite of mine, with its Deep Purple like richness from the ominous beginning to the nearly Jazzy surroundings it saunters into. or "glides" as the case may be. "Inertia" offers an introspective look into musicianship and outstanding instrumentation which all play the key role here, while the songs as a whole possess enough uniqueness and color so as to leave enough of an impression on even the most inattentive of listeners.
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