The name Derek Sherinian should be familiar to every prog head out there, seeing as he's played with DREAM THEATER, PLANET X and just about every other band in existence at one point or another. The name Zakk Wylde should also be familiar because… well… it just should, damn it! So what happens when these two virtuosos make an instrumental album together? Well, what we get is an experience that's so schizophrenic that one should fear for the welfare of their CD players lest they rip in half.

Truth be told, though, the beginning of this album sounds much like you'd expect it to. The first three tracks lump into one big fat showcase of fast fingers and dozens of YES-like transitions. It's the fourth track, "Wings of Insanity," where everything falls apart. Zakk's rumbling low riffing is so far at odds with Derek's sparkling synth that it sounds like two different songs being played simultaneously. The rest of the album, particularly "Frozen by Fire," sounds a lot like something that STRATOVARIUS would have come up with in their latter years: a boatload of flashiness and wankery but with very little to offer when it comes to excitement or memorable moments.

At the very least, this album is short and ends on somewhat of a high note. The final track, "So Far Gone," actually features vocals by Zakk Wylde himself, which is not nearly as bad as it sounds. Some of the more creepy-yet-melodic OZZY tracks (such as "Perry Mason") come to mind, not to mention that it's one of the most aggressive moments on the disc and where both lead instruments sound strangely appropriate. Still, it makes us wonder what other musical pairings we have to look forward to. Josh Groban and DEICIDE? The Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the INSANE CLOWN POSSE? Yikes. While some folks may enjoy the head trip called "Molecular Heinosity," the rest of us would have been better off with two separate albums.

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: www.dereksherinian.com

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