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Planet X - Quantum review



Reviewer:
8.0

35 users:
8.34
Band: Planet X
Album: Quantum
Style: Fusion, Progressive metal
Release date: May 2007


01. Alien Hip Hop
02. Desert Girl
03. Matrix Gate
04. The Thinking Stone
05. Space Foam
06. Poland
07. Snuff
08. Kingdom Of Dreams
09. Quantum Factor

If you like technical progressive music and jam sessions, I'm sure that you already know Planet X. If not, let me give you some information about this combo from UK. For their fourth album, the two founding members Derek Sherinian (Keyboards) and Virgil Donati (Drums) have invited four great guests: Brett Garsed (Guitars), Allan Holdsworth (Guitars), Jimmy Johnson (Bass) and Rufus Philpot (Bass). The result is an incredible complex album, where you'll be able to see what the meaning of great technical skill is. No vocals here but a great musical demonstration.

"Quantum" is a real mixture of Rock, Heavy Metal, Jazz and Fusion and it's obvious that Planet X is one of the craziest instrumental bands in the world. Don't expect any vocals here, Planet X is an instrumental combo but if you like technical music and Jazz I'm sure that you'll like the new album. The songs are long, with a lot of breaks and musical variations, the band even chose to write songs which go in a dozen of directions. I mean that the songs are so complex and on a side "unstructured" that it's even possible to be a bit lost sometime. But if you like real progressive music, for sure here you're in front of something progressive and even if it can look like a real demonstration sometime and even if it will be boring for some of you, we cannot deny that the guys of Planet X know how to compose great songs.

On the other hand, I have to say too that this kind of music is for real aficionados of the genre. If you don't like musical demonstrations and if you're bored by instrumental music, you can pass your way. It's special no doubt and a bit intellectual and evidently, you'll not be able to sing the songs of the album when you'll be driving? you see what I mean? But if you're into Jazz, improvisations and progressive Metal, that's really different because, in the style, "Quantum" with its perfect production and sound is a topnotch album, definitely.

That's right, the music of Planet X isn't for everybody and only the fans of technical stuff and musical demonstrations will enjoy a lot this album. But well, if you like such music "Quantum" is a must for you my friends. Complex and technical but intelligent and well done this fourth album is a pure jewel of progressive music. A must only, if you're into this music though.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 9

Written by Jeff | 14.05.2007




Comments

Comments: 7   Visited by: 80 users
14.05.2007 - 23:22
Lupas
Maximus
Seems much alike Liquid Tension Experiment . i never heard of this band and from the samples from their site , they are very techinical as you described in this review. But samples are samples so to judge them i must listen to whole album
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"For what point has this life if you can't realise your dreams?" -- The Divine Comedy
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15.05.2007 - 05:43
Dane Train
Beers & Kilts
I would say this is their second best album. Their second release is stellar. But this album has it down. A highlight is that Sherinian has lost the "I'm going to get back at Mike Pornoy" attitude and started writing some great material. Sherinian's solo albums have fantastic playing on them, and his work with Dream Theater and Platypus were awesome, Planet X really is where he belongs. Fusion Jazz Progressive Technical Metal.
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16.05.2007 - 16:56
Merchant of Doom

not bad... ah, sorry, I confused them with Brand X, Phil Collin's former band... jokes apart, this is the kind of stuff I listened to when I was 12, hell-bent on technicality... personally, I think this is the equivalent of musical masturbation... a bit like Brand X, then...
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04.08.2007 - 15:52
Rating: 9
Introspekrieg
Totemic Lust
Wow, I really judged this too early. I have slowly become obsessed with this album. Another perfect album...
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08.02.2009 - 22:54
Rating: 9
Introspekrieg
Totemic Lust
Written by Merchant of Doom on 16.05.2007 at 16:56

not bad... ah, sorry, I confused them with Brand X, Phil Collin's former band... jokes apart, this is the kind of stuff I listened to when I was 12, hell-bent on technicality... personally, I think this is the equivalent of musical masturbation... a bit like Brand X, then...


I understand it, sometimes it sounds like they wrote a song in a specific time signature just to do it, but man it is pure masturbatory skill.
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14.11.2009 - 18:25
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Their best album by far! The production in Moonbabies kinda annoyed me, but in this one its perfect.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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07.01.2013 - 11:58
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Written by Merchant of Doom on 16.05.2007 at 16:56

not bad... ah, sorry, I confused them with Brand X, Phil Collin's former band... jokes apart, this is the kind of stuff I listened to when I was 12, hell-bent on technicality... personally, I think this is the equivalent of musical masturbation... a bit like Brand X, then...


Your joke is not funny if you ask me, Brand X is an excellent band and Phil Collins is (or should I say was) a great drummer in both 70s Genesis and Brand X.
As for Planet X, I've never considered them as wankery (or music masturbation).
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