Quantum marks Planet X’s fourth album. They
are entirely instrumental and offer some of the best
progressive fusion metal currently available. Part
of what makes the band so palatable is the immense
talent in their lineup. Derek Sherinian, known for
his work with Symphony X and Dream Theater, mans the
keys; Virgil Donati is a percussive genius, and the
versatile English native Rufus Philpot fills every
role alongside the talented bassist Jimmy Johnson;
Ausie guitarist Brett Garsed handles the fretwork
on his guitar and is the final touch to the quintet’s
high octane style. They are a versatile band that
meld experience and talent at their respective instruments
with their diverse influences to create a sound unique
to Planet X.
The album opens with a fast upbeat percussive solo
off of the quick hands of Virgil Donati. Donati sets
the tone for the rest of the album. He varies meter,
style, rhythms in the first two minutes as if he were
quickly shuffling through an Ipod. The diversity that
these talented musicians blend into their albums is
why they have managed to establish and maintain the
success that they have. By keeping vocals out of the
equation they have put all of the focus on their virtuosity
as instrumentalists and they certainly put their money
where their mouth is. Brett Garsed displays considerable
talent as the guitarist and Derek Sherinian performs
at and beyond the level that he has become known for.
The instruments blend together and perform an awful
lot like a jazz performance. One musician will step
in and play his heart out with a solo of sorts and
then slide into the background as another instrumentalist
takes the auditory stage and so on. The styles from
track to track vary and the seasoned talent of Planet
X is clearly evident.
This was a very enjoyable album. All of the musicians
are very talented and throughout the course of the
album share the spotlight fairly evenly. There were
a few times where I got the feeling that I was re-listening
to a track but it didn’t happen very often and
for the most part Planet X does a good job of holding
the listeners attention. It is always more difficult
for instrumental bands to capture and hang onto the
listener as well as bands with vocals in the same
genre because of the diversity that lyrics add to
a track but Planet X does it with seemingly ease and
the result was an intricate album that was easy to
listen to.
Key Tracks: Desert Girl, Quantum Factor
Reviewed by Ben Black |
