Sherinian, Derek - Molecular Heinosity

Year of Release: 2009
Label: InsideOut
Catalog Number: IOMCD 308 SPV 28142 CD
Format: CD
Total Time: 39:50:00

After leaving his talented Dream Theater brethren, Derek Sherinian's abilities have only improved over time. Not to mention, he now works regularly and exclusively with musicians at the top of the food chain. The circle of friends found here includes Tony Franklin (bass), Virgil Donati (drums), and Black Label Society's Zakk Wylde (vocals & guitars). Other world-class but lesser known shredders are in the mix as well.

As for Sherinian, he plays in much the same fashion as Daryl Stuermer. The only difference is that he wiggles his fingers on keys and not on fretboards. Even so, he is a connoisseur of guitarists and has links with some of the best crosscutters in the field. Regrettably, Stuermer is one of few fusionists from the hand clan who isn't present for the fete.

Anyhow, Sherinian's compositions, whilst shrilly and rangy, are mostly speechless. However, his treble ops allow for a little wordsmithing from time to time - as evidenced in "So Far Gone". Staying on task, we'll return to that particular dissenter after a brief commercial break.

What's peculiar is the fact that the initial furlong loosely borrows from Dream Theater's Metropolis series. Instead of being a carbon copy, a high percentage of its pulp is laced with Sherinian's multi-genre-fused essence. So it's definitely in line with the quality of prior solo outings. It's just that the opener, called "Antarctica," covers the entire spectrum of his output; taking us back to old school days when he could be found smoking synthetic pipes in the studio or on stage with the boys.

Next on the totalisator, "Ascension" and "Primal Eleven" follow patterns that are similar to the icebreaker. To that end, Sherinian transitions without a single fissure in his stone cold cuts.

Keeping with current trends, more goodies come in threes. In the company of this subsequent short list, "Wings of Insanity" showcases Sherinian's skills on the keyboards whereas "Frozen by Fire" has some unbelievable chops on bass and guitars. Then again, it's hard to tell where one instrument ends and the other begins; Sherinian's devices often sound like his amped-up chums. Whether he's mutating his equipment's pitch or empathetically aping other people's gear, his expertise on the ivory stylus seems limitless (and he types at least eighty words per minute on model eighty-eight).

In general, Sherinian's songs are of the Heavy Metal variety but "The Lone Spaniard" shows a more tender side in the vein of a voiceless "Misunderstood" meets "Peruvian Skies." This is further proof that the pony has no fence around his tricks. Anyhow, that completes the second parimutuel bet.

Also of interest, the title track is sworn in by a separate, leading hymn. It so happens that the precursor rolls out the red carpet for the headless horseman. With that said, the antecedent song is relatively passive while the nefarious one dissonantly cackles and shoots sparks from nostrils before stampeding.

Like "Summertime Blues" in the previous engagement, the last dizzying ambit is the oddball of the bunch. "So Far Gone" isn't a composition in the literal sense. Unless you're into jams, the loose juices of this unbridled ditty may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Still, it wouldn't be fair to call it Montezuma's revenge and by this; I'm not referencing the Egyptian king.

Ultimately, Sherinian wins more points than he loses, which in turn should earn him a unanimous decision among judges and peers. Aside from sparring with an elite class of axe-wielding maniacs in the gym, his artwork is absolutely mind-blowing. In other words, he's connected to clever artisans in more ways than one. Or to put it another way, the cover features several branches of glowing crystal skulls. Yet, the sequencing of his material ? apart from the nondescript twist ? is a hell of a lot more intuitive than Indian Jones' final installment. Neither better nor worse than Blood of the Snake, Mythology, or Black Utopia ? as those were excellent in their own right ? Molecular Heinosity shows that Sherinian is moving onward and in the right direction. Likewise, if the album were a gauge, it would undoubtedly indicate that he's operating on a full tank.

Tracklisting:
Antarctica (5:26) / Ascension (2:14) / Primal Eleven (7:56) / Wings Of Insanity (3:50) / Frozen By Fire (5:21) / The Lone Spaniard (3:08) / Molecular Intro (1:03) / Molecular Heinosity (3:28) / So Far Gone (7:24)

Musicians:
Derek Sherinian - keyboards
Zakk Wylde - vocals, guitar (4, 9)
Taka Minamono - guitars (6, 7, 8)
Brett Garsed - guitars (1-3)
Rusty Cooley - guitars (5)
Tony Franklin - fretless bass (6, 9)
Rob Mules - bass (4, 5, 7, 8)
Jimmy Johnson - bass (1-3)
Virgil Donati - drums (1-3)
Brian Tichy - drums (4, 5, 8, 9)
Tina Guo - cello (6, 9)

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-Power Metal

Origin US

Added: April 19th 2009
Reviewer: Joshua "Prawg Dawg" Turner
Score:
Artist website: www.dereksherinian.com
Hits: 2650
Language: english