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DEREK SHERINIAN
www.dereksherinian.com
Well known within the prog scene ever since his stint in Dream Theater during the late nineties, Derek Sherinian has recently returned to prominence as part of rock super-group Black Country Communion. However, he once again exercises his keyboard talents in a solo context with new album 'Oceana', his seventh to date. Also featuring a plethora of musical luminaries including some virtuoso guitar work from Tony MacAlpine, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Doug Aldrich and Steve Stevens, Jimmy Johnson and Tony Franklin's fine bass playing, with Simon Phillips' skilled drumming throughout (the Toto sticksman's also responsible for mixing 'Oceana'), Sherinian's latest is oozing talent of the highest calibre. But does such talent translate into a killer instrumental album? Well, yes, but the initial thing to strike me is its guitar-centric aesthetic which is a little surprising considering it's billed as a solo release under Sherinian's name. Sure, there are quite a few passages where Sherinian's keyboards take the lead but these are generally outweighed by the many sections where guitar virtuosity dominates. That said, keyboards are still prominently featured in the mix within well-balanced instrumentation on each and every track so the man evidently lets each musician flourish at key moments as and when the compositions require. There's a discernibly heavy vibe throughout most of 'Oceana' so allowing guitars at the forefront more often than not is obviously apposite for Sherinian's intended dynamic for the music on this release as they attain a heaviness more effectively than if keyboards saturated each and every bar. So the overall effect is by no means an ego trip for Sherinian to showcase his skills (unlike an Yngwie Malmsteen solo release, for example), rather it's very much a combined effort from all involved. When he does allow himself a solo spot, such as the jazz-style piano on album opener 'Five Elements', or the synth-shredding interposed between Stevens' fretboard acrobatics on 'Ghost Runner', it's always efficacious for the tracks and never sounds like a misplaced moments of "look at me, look what I can do on keyboards". Restraint should also always be a quality of any virtuoso player and Sherinian has full grasp of such. Style-wise, we're talking progressive throughout (in a generic rather than genuine sense) with a largely heavied-up rock/metal feel but also with moments of blues/jazz fusion. A solid release overall, although I'm certain that guitar-aholics will find much more to get excited about here than synth/keyboard lovers. So don't be misled by the Derek Sherinian branding of 'Oceana'. It's so much more!
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Music Theories Recordings
Album
OCEANA
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Review by Mark Holmes
RUNNING TIME:
47:01
RELEASE DATE:
5th Sept 2011
TRACK LISTING
1) Five Elements
2) Mercury 7
3) MulHolland
4) Euphoria
5) Ghost Runner
6) El Camino Diablo
7) I Heard That
8) Seven Sins
9) Oceana
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
USA
"...there are quite a few passages where Sherinian's keyboards take the lead but these are generally outweighed by the many sections where guitar virtuosity dominates...So don't be misled by the Derek Sherinian branding of 'Oceana'. It's so much more!"
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