Drumscene July 2001

Virgil Donati and Planet X
By Ray Deegan

Simply put, Planet X is a band of virtuosos!

Spawned from a concept by ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian,, Planet X features the “crème de la crème” of the progressive rock industry.

After 5 years with Dream Theater Derek Sherinian decided to embark on a solo career. Recruiting Australia’s own Virgil Donati, Derek began to piece together the supergroup of the new Millenium. Together with legendary guitarist Tony MacAlpine, Sherinian has formed his dream band and begun to take his music to the world.

Having also toured with Kiss and Alice Cooper, Sherinian is a seasoned player and graduate of The Berklee College Of Music. Having formed Planet X, the three began perforing around Los Angeles quickly developing a reputation as an incredible live band. The group then began writing and recording to produce their second album UNIVERSE. Recorded at the Leopard Room, Sherinians home studio, Universe has been described as extreme progressive rock fusion with a distinct flavour of hard edge rock! “ I want to take Planet X along the same lines as Dixie Dreggs and Return To Forever, but I want it to be a lot heavier in the guitar than those bands. We want to have a completely unique sound and rhythmically, harmonically and sonically push the envelope”

Though Planet X began as Sherinian’s solo project, Derek is quick to point out that Planet X is a working band and not just a “project”. “All three of the group’s core-musicians are essential to it’s powerful sound”. Guitarist Tony MacAlpine reflects: “All of us are composers. This band is a vital entity for today’s music lovers and enthusiasts. It’s quite original”. Listening to Planet X on CD is an experience every musician should be treated to, as it’s a journey through some of the worlds most technical yet melodic music.
At 16 Derek Sherinian received a scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, completing a summer program there. Derek returned to Berklee as the youngest student in the school! While studying, Derek met guitarist Al Pitrelli who later recommended him to Alice Cooper. Cooper with whom Sherinian toured on and off between 1989 and 1998, calls Sherinian “The Caligula of the keyboards” and comments; “he walked into our first rehersal for the “Trash” tour and flawlessly auditioned by playing every classic Bob Ezrin keyboard part to the note....he is always on time, in tune and ready to play.”

Sherinian was voted Best Keyboardist in Metal Edge magazine’s readers choice award in 1998. He also placed in the top three in every major music magazine in the world as a result of his work with Dream Theater. Of his four-year stint with the band he says...”Dream Theater was a great stepping stone for Planet X and my solo career.”

Virgil Donati needs no introduction in Australia and for that matter most parts of the world these days! A Australia’s most popular drum personailty, Virgil makes his welcome return home after a 3 year hiatus. Virgil has been hailed by Modern Drummer as “A legend in the making”.
Having begun playing at the age of three Virgil reflects...”I come from a musical family and always had an innate obsession with rhythm. Once my parents took notice, they wasted no time in buying me my first drumset”. After establishing himself as Australia’s most reverd and in-demand player, Virgil relocated to LA in early 1996...”I felt I had a contribution to make to th drumming world and wanted to be in a place with more opportunities and more visibility.”
Talking about Planet X, Virgil states...”Every situation has it’s own energy. Planet X is quite special presenting emotions and moods people have not felt before and passions they have not felt be as the perfect combinationfore when listening to music.”
When approached by Sherinian to join Planet X Virgil swiftly accepted...”It was a great opportunity to play creative music with some wonderful musicians who have similar musical visions and passions. The interaction between Derek, Tony and myself is very creative, our use of dissonance, consonance, modulation from one key to another, changes of tempo, orchestration and other rhythmic devices, contribute to the listeners experience.”
Tony MacAlpine is a native of Springfield, Massachusetts. He is an accomplished guitarist and keyboardist whose intensive classical training began at the age of 5, including 12 years of piano study at the Springfield Conservatory of music and in the Connecticut Hartt School of Music. In 1985 MacAlpine was showcased in America’s Guitar Player Magazine’s new talent column. The following year MacAlpine released his debut solo CD “Edge of Insanity” (Featuring Billy Sheehan on bass and drummer Steve Smith).

Today MacAlpine has released 11 succesful solo albums, an instructional “Guitar Lesson” video and recordings with Vinnie Moore and Vitalij Kuprij and the LA Blues Authority. MacAlpine, who can be heard on his most recent solo release, “Master of Paradise”, sees Planet X as the perfect combination and mariage of the right musicians playing the right music. “With nearly a century of collective experience combined with incomparable talent and fiery determination, Planet X is a musical force to be reckoned with. With the new Milleniuem it’s time for heroes, and we look forward to rising to the top of our genre”.

Recenty recording and touring with Planet X has been legendary bass player Dave LaRue. A graduate of the Berklee College Of Music, LaRue has been touring and recording with the Dixie Dreggs and the Steve Morse band since 1988. After recently completing a month long tour with the Dreggs supporting Dream Theater, Dave is currently working on his second solo album and second instructional bass video (a follow up on his firsy acclaimed video “Essentials”). Voted by America’s Bass Player Magazine as one of the world’s top ten players from 1994 to ’96, Dave was honoured with the ver special Lifetime Achievement Award for “The Advancement of Bass Guitar” in 1996. Dave has played with the London Symphony Orchestra, Deep Purple’s Bruce Hornsby, Tommy Lee, Steve Lukather, Mike Stern and Ace Frehley (of Kiss) to name but a few!
He has received two Grammy nominations for his work on the Dreggs “Bring ‘em back alive” and “Full Circle” releases in 92 and 1994. Having recorded 5 Steve Morse albums and 3 Dixie Dreggs albums, Dave released his own solo effort entitled “Hub of the kid” in 1997. Dave brings to Planet X a quality of musicianship only matched by the rest of the members. To play in Planet X is truly the culmination of years of hard work and experience for Dave, as auditions for a bass player for Planet X have seen some of LA’s best turned away in emarrasment. The complex forms and rhythms of Planet X will dazzle Australian audiences this june, a tour not to be missed!

Planet X update news!!

Derek Sherinian recently returned from Japan after a promotional tour for his solo release “Inertia”. Inertia was recorded in Simon Phillips’ studio and features Simon playing on a track written for the album by Virgil Donati entitled “Rhapsody in Black”. derek Sheririan, Tony MacAlpine and Virgil returned to the studio on april 11th to begin work on a new Planet X album. With most of the tracks recorded, the guys will return to the studio after their Australian tour to complete overdubs, handing the complete album to the record company on August 4th for global release prior to Christmas. Virgil completed a US clinic tour in April and continues to work with LA industrial bannd Freakhouse. Virgil has most recently been recording and giging with Mark Boals’ progressive rock outfit Ring Of Fire. Check out www.virgildonati.com for further details and updates.