Simon Phillips returns on
drums along with guest appearances from Michael Schenker, Nuno Bettencourt,
Zakk Wylde, Steve Stevens and more.
World acclaimed
keyboardist Derek Sherinian, (Sons of Apollo, Black Country
Communion), one of the most significant keyboard players of the modern era, is
pleased to announce the new album ‘Vortex’, due out on July 1st,
2022 on InsideOutMusic. Returning alongside Sherinian is legendary drummer
Simon Phillips, who once again co-wrote and co-produced the album, as well
as Tony ‘The Fretless Monster’ Franklin, on bass.
Derek Sherinian
comments: “I am very happy to announce the release of my new album “Vortex”. Simon
and I always try and out do ourselves with every release, and I am confident we
achieved our goal.”
The follow-up to
2020’s The Phoenix, Vortex includes eight tracks built on his
signature chameleonic sound that blends rock with elements of funk, prog, and
jazz, which he started writing even before The Phoenix was
finished. “Vortex is a continuation of The Phoenix,”
Sherinian states. “However, I feel the composition is stronger on the new
album, and I would describe it as a modern day 70s style fusion record, but
with newer heavier tonality.”
When it came to
guitars, Sherinian recruited a who’s who of great players, some of whom he had
worked with before - Steve Stevens, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Zakk Wylde,
Sons Of Apollo bandmate Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal - and a few new allies, in the
form of Michael Schenker, Mike Stern and Nuno Bettencourt. “The choice of
guitarist works itself out in the writing,” he explains. “Also, like in
the case of Steve Stevens, we co-wrote the song together, so it was natural for
him to play on it.” Of his new collaborators, he says of Bettencourt, who
appears on the scratchy “Fire Horse”, “I have always been a fan of his playing,
and I am glad that we finally got to record together. He has the Van Halen
swing and swagger to his playing that I love. We were both born in 1966, the
Chinese year of the Fire Horse.”
According to
Sherinian, Schenker’s inclusion was a no-brainer. “Michael Schenker has been
one of my heroes for many years. He asked me to play on his Immortal album, and in
return, he agreed to play on “Die Kobra”. I wanted to write a great song
inspired by my favorite Schenker tracks. Zakk Wylde added some great additional
parts to the song, and Tony Franklin and Simon Phillips sound great, as usual.”
Tracklisting:
1 The Vortex feat. Steve Stevens
2 Fire Horse feat. Nuno Bettencourt
3 Scorpion
4 Seven Seas feat. Steve Stevens
5 Key Lime Blues feat. Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather
6 Die Kobra feat. Michael
Schenker, Zakk Wylde
7 Nomad's Land feat. Mike Stern
8 Aurora Australis feat. Bumblefoot
Keyboardist Derek Sherinian has more than made a name
for himself. After all, MusicRadar.com
deemed him “A true shredder, his virtuoso playing has seen him dubbed the
keyboard-playing version of Eddie Van Halen,” in 2020. Moreover, in 2021 he was
voted Greatest Keyboardist Of The 21st Century, and the eighth Greatest of All
Time by the same site, and Prog Magazine saw him voted the ninth Greatest
Keyboardist Ever. But then you don’t rack up a resumé such as his without some
serious chops, having worked with the likes of Dream Theater, Black Country
Communion, Billy Idol, Whitesnake - David Coverdale stated in 2020 “Derek
plays like the son of Jon Lord”, - Kiss, current band Sons Of Apollo, and Alice
Cooper - who in 1989 called him the “Caligula of keyboards”.
DEREK SHERINIAN online:
https://www.facebook.com/Derek-Sherinian-Official-361589234010473/
https://twitter.com/DerekSherinian
https://www.instagram.com/dereksherinianofficial/
INSIDEOUTMUSIC ONLINE:
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