Just because you like the previous work of all the members in a supergroup is no guarantee that you'll come to regard the group in as brilliant a light. That was my experience with Moonbabies by Planet X. On paper, it was almost immaculate. Underrated neoclassical shredder Tony Macalpine, skinsman extraordinaire Virgil Donati and finally Derek Sherinian, a keys player with a long history of healthy symbiosis with bandmates that like stealing the limelight every now and then. Plus, performances by a string of bassists including Billy Sheehan and Tom Kennedy. Impressive. On a hit or miss scale, though, it was the kind of musical output that clipped me on the shoulder but never really knocked me out of whack.

Why I got around to checking their latest album, Quantum, was primarily the news that aussie six-string wonder Brett Garsed and guitar guru Allan Holdsworth were contributing. Don't ask me why I'm making up cutesy adjectives for everyone. Anyway, I'm enough a fan of their work to have given Quantum a spin on their merit alone. I know, as stated before, that's no assurance of anything, but one can hope.

The hope wasn't that far misplaced, to tell the truth. I really like what Garsed and Holdsworth have brought to the table. The former's tasteful yet mercurial style of playing, coupled with the latter's renowned mind-boggling alien sound push this band's dynamics to the next level. When this clicks, the results are great. Rhythms get played around with, quirky melodies become infectious, and there's plenty of showcasing for the considerable skills involved here. Unfortunately, we're also hit with this genre's tendency to wantonly throw in atonal parts out of the blue. I hate it when a sweet spot is interrupted by an atonal lick, which is then repeated a few times and then doubled in dissonant harmony! Bah.

Despite that, this is easily the best album they've done. This is still jazz-rock that leans more towards jazz, with just about enough other elements to keep me appeased. I'd have appreciated if Sherinian followed the trend from his solo albums and toned down on the keys to give the guitars more room, but it's primarily his band, so I guess it wasn't entirely unexpected. Overall, while not as kickass as a similar act like Ohm, it's still very much recommended to all those who have a forgiving attitude towards the atonal.

Year of release: 2007

Label: InsideOut Music

Lineup:

Derek Sherinian - keyboards

Brett Garsed - guitar

Allan Holdsworth - guitar

Virgil Donati - drums

Rufus Philpot - bass

External Links:

Official band site