Reviews
2002-09-15
True professionalism between musicians is tested by their live performances because that’s where all the pressure (and the money) is. Live recordings tend to have terrible sound, beat drop and all sorts of screw-ups. Apparently Planet X never got accustomed to that idea 'cause "Live from Oz" sounds like something that came out of Warner studios, probably thanks to Simon Phillips that mixed the album. Every instrument sounds crystal clear and the overall sound and the audience roars give the listener the feeling he's in Melbourne, Australia on July 2001 and Derek Sherinian (Platypus, Dream theaters ex-keyboardist), Virgil Donati (Tribal Tech), Tony Macalpine and guest bassist Dave La Rue rave in front of him.
The live album starts with "Ignotus per Ingnotium" from the upcoming new album "MoonBabes" and is includes mainly songs from "universe" and Sherinian solo album "Planet X" and 3 solo tracks by the progressive fusion trio that builds into one another. From Dereks spacey solo into the psychedelic "warfinger" and to Donatis technique solo that in turn leads wonderfully into "warfinger reprise" and from there to Macalpines solo that certainly demonstrates the capabilities of this amazing guitarist. The album ends with a few fast technique tracks such as "Her Animal" and "Pods of trance" that give the styles requested power. There's also a lethal unregistered bonus track that combines john lords style of heavy distortion organ of Sherinian with Donatis perfect Pearl MRX Masters Custom drum set sound.
I believe Derek Sherinian has defiantly succeeded in making his dream of the sickest instrumental band ever come true. For that he has to thank his couple of psycho associates for helping him in his evil scheme!
Tal Galfsky
