Published on Jan 3, 2002
Any time a keyboard virtuoso, especially one in the prog-metal
vein, takes on a solo career, I greet each album they release with
excitement and a twinge of anxiety. The excitement comes from
hearing someone who can turn a keyboard into a true lead
instrument; the anxiety comes from the fear that the release will
turn out to be so much musical noodling.
In the case of ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian,
Inertia, his second solo disc, falls into a unique category.
I never thought I’d say this, but there’s actually too
little noodling on the keys when it comes to this disc. A
few wonderful selections keep this album’s fat out of the
proverbial fire, but there are moments where one has to wonder what
Sherinian was thinking of.
First rule of solo careers: If your name is on the CD spine, you
should be the one calling the musical shots. Far too often, it felt
like some of the musicians Sherinian brought into this project were
taking things in the directions
they wanted to go. Granted, a project leader who steps into
the background at times is an admirable position to aim for… but
in this case, I place more blame on the sidemen than I do on
Sherinian. Zakk Wylde’s guitar work absolutely wrecks whatever
resemblance “Frankenstein” had to the Edgar Winter original – is it
a prerequisite that well-respected musicians have to try to cover
this track? And the shambles that is the opening title track – I’m
not sure whether to lay the blame on guitarist Steve Lukather or
electric violinist Jerry Goodman for really turning this one into
the train wreck it became, but
someone has some questions to answer.
Fortunately for all involved, things do tend to settle down, and
Wylde even turns in some beautiful work on “Evel Knievel” and “What
A Shame,” the latter featuring some stunning acoustic guitar work.
Other tracks, such as the free-form style of “La Pera Loca” (at
least in the opening) and the loving cover of “Goodbye Porkpie
Hat,” renew my hope in this disc.
Yet Sherinian’s presence is almost second for a good portion of
Inertia – something I guess I’d have expected had this disc
come out under the moniker of Planet X, Sherinian’s side group.
Instead, it’s artists like Wylde, Lukather and drummer Simon
Phillips who often seem like they’ve got the lion’s share of the
spotlight – and when Sherinian does step forth to claim portions,
the importance of his contributions almost feels muted. (To
Sherinian’s credit, he doesn’t often go into the
thousand-note-a-second solos that so many prog-rock keyboardists
tend to do, just to show they can play fast. When his work does
shine, control is the key word, and that’s something to be admired
in this genre.)
It’s a shame, really… for a keyboard-oriented album,
Inertia places precious little importance on Sherinian’s
keyboard work. And while there are songs on this disc which are
well worth your time to check out, it’s not the keyboard tour de
force that Sherinian’s fans expect… and deserve.