What is the more proper description for
Planet X? Is it the first solo album from Derek Sherinian,
the former keyboardist for (among other bands) Dream Theater? Or is
it the first album from a new group led by Sherinian?
If it’s the latter, there’s no doubt that the keyboard virtuoso
has logged enough time as a sideman (counting among his credits
Alice Cooper and – for a short stint – Kiss) to qualify for leading
his own group. And judging the way he allows other instruments to
take the lead, instead of hogging the limelight as he would have
every right to do, this feels like more of a new band’s birth cries
than the first confident step alone in the musical world.
But for all this, there is something that
Planet X is missing: one voice leading the way. Without
this, the journey hits a few bumps along a mostly enjoyable
road.
For this project (which, if memory serves me correctly,
Sherinian was working on while still officially a member of Dream
Theater), guitarist Brett Garsed, bassist Tony Franklin and drummer
Virgil Donati augment the group, and each member brings along more
talent than one could imagine. The interplay between Garsed and
Sherinian is incredible; there are times I honestly couldn’t tell
which one of them was handling the lead. Donati’s trap work is
simply magnificent, while Franklin’s bass lines (which occasionally
get the chance to step out into the spotlight) act as an anchor
drawing all the music together.
The songs on
Planet X all draw heavily on a progressive rock background a
la Dream Theater, with more than a pinch of metal’s punch thrown in
for good measure. Tracks like “Day In The Sun” and “Space Martini”
all show the mastery each man has with his instrument, and how well
they all can sound together.
But two things strike me about
Planet X as being a bit odd. First, while Sherinian and crew
do keep things short, there are times where I wonder if some
musical ideas are being cut off in their prime. Tracks like “Crab
Nebula” and “Brunei Babylon” all seem like they could have been
stretched out a little more – a strange thing for me to be saying,
seeing that often I am complaining that some prog-rock seems to
stretch far too long.
Second, there seems to be one focal point missing in
Planet X, something that draws all the musical contributions
together into something that transcends just a simple band
performance. I referred to this as a voice; that doesn’t
necessarily mean adding a singer. When Sherinian contributed to the
side project Platypus, all the music seemed to gel together thanks
to some unseen, often unheard force. It’s very hard to explain, but
you know when it’s there – and when it’s not. If the hair on the
back of your neck is standing up with joy, that force is there.
Sadly, that magic isn’t with this band… yet. (Maybe time will
improve things.)
There is enough on
Planet X to celebrate, and it is an enjoyable album overall.
And if things click just right for Sherinian and crew, they might
even have the power to dwarf another band that Sherinian once was
in. They’re just not there yet.
