Derek Sherinian announces eighth solo album ft. Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa & Zakk Wylde
'The Phoenix' is released in September
Sons of Apollo and Black Country Communion keyboardist Derek Sherinian has announced his first solo album in nine years, ‘The Phoenix’.
The follow-up to 2011’s ‘Oceana’, ‘The Phoenix’ is Derek Sherinian’s eight solo album and it will be released on Friday 18th September 2020 via InsideOutMusic.
‘The Phoenix’ sees Sherinian join forces with long-term collaborator Simon Phillips once again, who plays drums on the record and also co-produced and co-wrote it.
Commenting on the album, Sherinian said: "I truly feel that this is my best solo record to date. Simon and I put a lot of energy into the writing, and I am grateful to all of the great players that contributed to this recording.
It is always an amazing experience to be able to work with Simon. He's been a hero of mine for ages, ever since I heard him playing on albums with Jeff Beck and Michael Schenker. And he is such an invaluable part of the way this new record has come out.”
Sherinian has drafted in a series of his band mates and frequent collaborators to perform on ‘The Phoenix’, including bassists Tony Franklin, Jimmy Johnson and Billy Sheehan (Sherinian's bandmate in Sons Of Apollo), and guitarists Joe Bonamassa and Zakk Wylde.
Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai also appears on the record together with Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Sons Of Apollo) and Kiko Loureiro (Megadeth).
“Steve Vai has always been on my hit list. But it was when I played keyboards on the Generation Axe tour of Asia in 2017 that I asked him to play on my record, which he gladly accepted,” comments Sherinian.
“Kiko and I have known one another for about 20 years. But this is the first time I've had the opportunity to play with him.”
‘The Phoenix’ features eight songs, one of which is a cover of Buddy Miles’ 1970 song ‘Them Changes.’ It’s released as a limited-edition Digipak CD, 180g LP + CD and as a digital album.
Derek Sherinian ‘The Phoenix’ track-listing:
1) The Phoenix
2) Empyrean Sky
3) Clouds of Ganymede
4) Dragonfly
5) Temple of Helios
6) Them Changes
7) Octopus Pedigree
8) Pesadelo