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,
will be releasing his upcoming new album, ‘Vortex’, 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.
Today, Derek is pleased
to release the title track from the album.
Check out “The Vortex”
here:
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
The Vortex is available as:
· Ltd.
180g white LP+CD
· Ltd. CD
Digipak
· Digital
Album
Pre-order the album here:
https://dereksherinian.lnk.to/Vortex
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.”
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 stating 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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