Cosmic Events On Planet X And Beyond
by Martin Popoff

While the manic panic tour for the band's second album Universe continues unabated, plans are afoot for all sorts of new music from the Planet X boys into the new year.

Keyboardist Derek Sherinian, for example has a high-flying, star-studded solo album nearly completed. "Right now, I'm 70% done with my next solo record. It'll be done by the end of the year and released in spring 2001. It's with Simon Phillips on drums, Steve Lukather on guitar, Zakk Wylde on guitar and Tony Franklin on bass and special guest Jerry Goodman from Mahavishnu on violin, and it's going to be mixed by Kevin Shirley, who I met during the Dream Theater days. And it's a heavyweight album. I know it sounds really expensive. I'm not going to make any money on it, but it is my best work, absolutely. I figured if I was going to take my best shot, I may as get the best band I could. These are the very best players in the world. These are all really big name dudes."

What's the style or direction of the album?

"It's going to be progressive, obviously, but it's going to have a lot more groove than the last couple of records I've done and it's going to be, a little bit, I want to say heavier, but it's going to be different. The tracks with Zakk are really heavy, like progressive metal, but totally heavier than any progressive metal I've ever heard (laughs), and then the stuff with Lukather its very fusion-y, Jeff Beck-ish, so there is a dichotomy going on there. But I would say it's less wacky than the last couple of records I've made."

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