Derek Sherinian - Blood of the Snake
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Free Music Notes for Blood of the Snake
Free Music Review: What if he called it the Derek Sherininan Project?
Hit: 4 Stars
Would that make you feel better about all of the incredable musical talent Derek has assembled to play on his latest CD? There seems to be a lot of chatter about how Mr. Sherinian is putting all of these talented peolple on his album to make him sound better or something. You know, I don't hear anyone bitching when Sting does it! The same goes for so many solo artists who don't have their own band. It is a no-brainer that he would want the best talent he can find. I believe he has once again created a very enjoyable album with a solid group of players. This may be my new favorite from Derek. The only downside for me was the so-so cover of Summertime, but it may be an improvement over the original and Derek placed it on the CD last so it doesn't interupt the flow of the rest of the album. I have to say that Tony Franklin channels Jaco Pastorious on this disc and I will be following his career as well. The difference between Derek Sherinian works and so many other solo artists is Derek takes a more team approach. There are plenty of self-serving albums out there which bury the sound of the other players in the mix or the spotlight never goes off on the ARTIST and the result wears out the poor listener. I was pleased with the recording of this CD as I feel some earlier offerings had opportunities for improvement. I highly recommend this album to fans of rock, metal, prog rock and even some jazz fusion. Well done Derek and I also like yours friends too! - CiaoFree Music Review: Sherinian is a master of his instrument
Hit: 4 Stars
The Good
"Czar of Steel" is everything you've come to expect from a John Petrucci/Sherinian collaboration; funky effects heavy guitars and elaborate keyboard runs. Zakk Wylde brings along the heavy riffage as well as his throaty vocals on "Man with No Name." There's a beautiful string and piano section that breaks up the thunder. Emotional guitar bends dominate "Been There Before." They completely consume most of the song as the rest of the instruments come in for the emotional parts. Night Ranger's Brad Gillis helps compliment Wylde on this one. "Blood of the Snake" employs lots of progressive keyboard tones. Wylde provided the speedy yet steady riffs. Who could that be on lead guitar? There's no doubt that it's Yngwie J. Malmsteen playing that same damn A harmonic minor solo he plays on everything. "On the Moon" is a great marriage of cool saxophone and romantic piano. "The Monsoon" hits you just as hard as the actual storm would with Wylde and Malmsteen teaming up again for the guitar onslaught. For more of this dynamic duo's monstrous assault, be sure to catch "Viking Massacre."
The Bad
The cover of "In the Summertime" is so out of place with the rest of the album. It's not really a song that Billy Idol should be trying to pull off. They could have pumped it up a bit more instead of just the ending.
The Verdict
Blood of the Snake is another winner for Sherinian. Some instrumental albums get boring after a while, but not with any of his recently. Sherinian is a master of his instrument and brings in some of the best metal guitarist to blow the roof off of this puppy.
Free Music Review: Under estimated talent at it's best !!!!!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This album again showcases this keyboardist's talents. What makes this recording different is the help he recruited. The likes of Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, former band mate John Petrucci, and the legendary Billy Idol are just the icing on the cake. This was the first time I have ever heard his recordings and I was BLOWN AWAY !!! The back-up artists embrace his talent( just listen to Track #8 where Wylde and Malmsteen trade licks). Even though Derek Sherinian is not a household name, the talent for playng the instrument should definetly be appreciated with this album. Free Music Review: 6.5/10
Hit: 3 Stars
Reviewgium - Volume I, issue X
Here is the latest offering from keyboardist Derek Sherinian, known primarily for his work with Dream Theater, and also for his work with such acts as KISS, Billy Idol, and Alice Cooper, as well as many side projects including Platypus and Planet X. This album, as his previous albums, features an impressive lineup of guest musicians. This time he has called upon the assistance of the ever-present Zakk Wylde, as well as Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, and interestingly Billy Idol and x-GN'R guitarist Slash.
Frankly, I think this album sounds really great, but is nothing genuinely spectacular. It is not too entirely different from anything else Sherinian has offered in the past, but it is still interesting, and has a certain level of diversity. The album starts off pretty formulaic, with the Sherinian-Petrucci duel of "Czar of Steel." (Before I read the liners, I actually thought it was Yngwie playing this track.) Atypical to his past endeavors, this album features some vocals, particularly "Man With No Name," sung by Zakk Wylde, and the cover of "In the Summertime," sung by Billy Idol with guitars by Slash. The former could easily be a Black Label Society song, and the latter is, well, odd: an unusual song to cover, and seems almost misplaced on the album. It is obviously a tongue-in-cheek addition to the album, with an old-timey-ragtime sound to it, and a bit of voice box thrown in, but it just does not seem to work, and I think the album would have been better off without the song. It seems to me to be a mere excuse to give Idol and Slash something to do since they are really not suited for Sherinian's usual brand of prog metal. Of course you get your typical shredding from Yngwie and Wylde on most tracks, but they still manage to keep things interesting throughout. A bit of sax-laden jazz fusion sneaks into the album on "Phantom Shuffle" and the mellow, groovy "On the Moon," the latter of which probably wins my vote for album highlight, though both of these songs are very good. "The Monsoon" is kind of a downer. It has an unusual and uncomfortable sound to it that I just cannot seem to appreciate. "Viking Massacre" makes up for it though: another album highlight, featuring a pounding rhythm section and a shredtacular Yngwie performance. Also on the album is the song "Been Here Before," an "alternate version" of the Dream Theater song "Anna Lee." Interesting.
As for my recommendation, if you are buying this album just for Billy Idol and/or Slash, one word: no. They only perform on "In the Summertime," and it's not even really a good song. If you are interested in a good instrumental album, well honestly, there is much better stuff to be found out there. On the other hand, if you like Sherinian's previous works, you will probably like this album. Black Utopia is probably still my favorite of his solo albums, but this one is not without its charm. Oh and also, the album cover is hot.
Free Music Review: Very Poor, Spend Your $$ on Something Else.
Hit: 1 Stars
I really liked Mythology and Black Utopia, though the engineering / mix on BU was poor. But this album is even worse. Musically it goes no where. Almost like he was trying to copy previous attempts but ran out of ideas. The "Featuring Billy Idol and Slash" thing is an absolute joke. Some how he got these guys to do an absolutely horrible version of In The Summertime. It's so bad it's hard to believe any one would put it on a CD other than to draw attention and sales from the names. Too bad, I had higher expectations from this guy.