Planet X
Universe

Hello everyone... This is my first review, I shouldn't be good at writing reviews, it's up to you to judge (don't be too harsh), thank you.
I chose this album because, surprisingly, no one dared to review it, like the other albums ("MoonBabies", "Quantum"). 

After the success in 1999 of Derek Sherinian's album, an experimental work called "Planet X", the three giants of the progressive scene, namely: Derek Sherinian on keyboards, Tony MacAlpine on guitar, and Virgil Donati on drums, come together to form a "super group", and together with the excellent bassist Tom Kennedy, they create the first cd of Planet X titled "Universe".

A truly fantastic work that concentrates elements of prog-rock-pop-metal, allowing free rein to the imagination and the enormous technique of these musicians who seem to be from another planet, an unknown planet...

Let's start talking about the songs:

It starts with "Clonus", an excellent track, like the organ entry by the great Derek, a very prog piece (like all of them, really), lasts just over 4 minutes and within those 4 minutes, one can perceive the value of this album, with the guitar part being particularly engaging alongside the synthesizer which we could call the "chorus" of the track, an unpredictable close yet we are used to these quick endings from Planet X which might appear a bit harsh but are still well executed.
The next track "Her Animal" isn't very exciting, it starts slowly but halfway through, it livens up a bit thanks to the splendid, almost incomprehensible time changes it offers, Virgil Donati handles the rest, fantastic at interpreting any track with his remarkable technique.
"Dogs" might appear repetitive, but it is also of great value: Virgil's double kick goes crazy, it seems like it can't be stopped; it's a very unique song, maybe not everyone will like it, it's practically almost impossible to keep up with these four, they want to demonstrate all their skill (and they succeed) in composing music.
In the following track, "Bitch", you can confirm what's just been said: the song is a bit repetitive even if there are numerous time changes and a beautiful solo by Derek with his synth, a surprise ending (but it's no wonder).
"King Of The Universe" is, in my opinion, among the most significant of the album, a definitely compelling piece, the start is simply gorgeous, this song shows off absurd times, it transports us into intense and sharp atmospheres referring to the central part of the track, which then explodes again by resuming the initial part; you can notice the value of the "wonders trio", remarkable drum solo, the organ part, the exciting guitar solo; towards the end, it seems the track gains more and more life.
The next song "Inside Black" doesn't appear like the previous ones, it seems a bit heavy but is easy to digest with the guitar and synth solos (wonderful!), an unexpected and unpredictable ending.
The track "Europa" is yet another example of pure technical concentration, very expressive.
The next track "Warfinger" is very intense, very particular, you can notice a great bass solo by Tom Kennedy followed by Derek's entry on keyboards which seems to duet with Virgil Donati; in this overwhelming atmosphere, Tony's solo then joins to finish the track in great style.
"Chocolate" seems to delve immediately into a dark and mysterious atmosphere, the time of the song proves once again to be very complex, but it's a bit anemic.
We arrive at "Pods Of Trance", a very particular piece, it starts off as rock, a rock that's uniquely theirs, let's say, midway through the track you can admire Derek Sherinian's skill as he makes his keyboard sing, but Virgil Donati accompanies him spectacularly, especially at the end when he showcases his "possessed" double kick pedal (very fast!), the ending is honestly a bit ugly, it stops abruptly in an almost absurd way.
The last track "2116" closes this splendid album: it starts with a piano part enriched with special effects, then explodes with the organ displaying almost absurd notes and cutting times, after about 2 minutes it kicks off with yet another guitar solo along with the piano in practically equal parts, truly electrifying. Note the bass part towards the end that seems to give the song a bit of a break, restoring a "tranquil" atmosphere. The usual close, but we already know it by now. There are no lyrics in any of the tracks (except for "King Of The Universe"), but in my opinion, you don't miss them at all... 

In this album, they sometimes play like a thousand notes per second, it's full of solos, of typical prog countertimes, organs (they are always beautiful regardless of the context). In short, for those who love true prog, they can't not like this cd at least a little, and especially for those who are musicians (drummer, keyboardist...). I consider it an excellent cd, a bit strong in content (it can also seem a bit heavy) but it is still an exceptional work executed perfectly by these four fantastic musicians who seem to have great awareness of their abilities and an enviable collaboration and complicity.

Thank you, regards, bye.