Planet X - Moon Babies


Year of Release: 2002
Label: InsideOut Music
Catalog Number: IOMCD 106
Format: CD
Total Time: 55:02:00

Their "Aussie" live disc (the beautiful Live From Oz) was released only a couple of months ago, but it seems that the pleasant Derek Sherinian is on a rocket course with his Planet X, or otherwise I wouldn't be able to explain the immediate release of Moon Babies, the second studio album of the most technical, sick, and experimental band that is out there today in the music universe. Well, to be honest, this new album had a long and somewhat difficult conception that lasted 15 long months, but in the end the music composed by Derek and his friends (the mighty Virgil Donati at drums, the marvellous Tony MacAlpine on guitars, plus unbelievable guests on bass) is once again the welcomed mixture between fusion and obscure prog atmospheres previously offered with Universe, a sonic spectre located in the territories where Derek is reaping what he brilliantly sowed. But if you remember well, Derek already offered us a shining preview of the new album with the spatial "Ignotus Per Ignotum", given as a present to the Melbourne audience, and, in fact, that was a good hint for the band's future. So now I find myself inside the neurotic rhythms created by Virgil and the trio of bass players called in to play on the record (Billy Sheehan, Jimmy Johnson, Tom Kennedy), while guitar and keyboard outduel one another in an epic and endless battle made of hard riffs and syncopated solos. And if it's true that a couple of passages are somewhat uninspired (mostly for people who hardly absorb instrumental stuff), the intelligence with which are created some lines (take the melodies of "Ataraxia", for example) is something that's very hard to find nowadays. Plus you have to consider that I made all this talk without considering the excellent production crafted by "wizard" Simon Phillips ... so it seems that I have no choice but to prepare the baggage and leave as soon as possible for Planet X! Let me just catch the first spaceship out there!

Also released by InsideOut Music America (IOMA 2039-2)


Tracklisting:
Moonbabies (5:37) / The Noble Savage (6:12) / Ataraxia (6:15) / Tonaz/70 VIR*(4:00) / Boy With A Flute (5:56) / Interlude In Milan (4:38) / Digital Vertigo (4.22) / Ground Zero (6:00) / Midnight Bell (3:54) / Ignotus Per Ignotium (9:28)

*listed as 'Tonaz' on the InsideOut sites, but as '70 VIR' on the Planet X site.

Musicians:
Derek Sherinian - keyboards
Virgil Donati - drums
Tony MacAlpine - guitars
Billy Sheehan - bass
Tom Kennedy - bass
Jimmy Johnson - bass

Discography:
Planet X (1998)
Universe (1999)
Live From Oz (2002)
Moon Babies (2002)
Quantum (2007)

Genre: Fusion-Jazz Fusion

Origin VA

Added: July 1st 2002
Reviewer: Igor Italiani
Score:
Artist website: www.xplanetx.com
Hits: 1790
Language: english

  

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