Psychotic Symphony Sons Of Apollo

• 1God of the Sun11:12
• 2Coming Home04:22
• 3Signs of the Time06:42
• 4Labyrinth09:22
• 5Alive05:05
• 6Lost in Oblivion04:27
• 7Figaro's Whore01:04
• 8Divine Addiction04:42
• 9Opus Maximus10:39
• Total Runtime57:35

Info for Psychotic Symphony

Schlagzeuger Mike Portnoy und Keyboarder Derek Sherinian sind nicht nur ehemalige Kollegen aus den Reihen der legendären Prog-Band Dream Theater. Sie sind auch Experten in Sachen Supergruppen. Sherinian ist Teil der Black Country Communion, Portnoy spielte unter anderem mit den Winery Dogs, Transatlantic sowie den Flying Colors. Mit den Sons Of Apollo bringen sie nun gemeinsam ein neues Rennpferd an den Start. Es ist eine sehr gelungene Kreuzung, wie das Debüt „Psychotic Symphony“ zeigt.

Neben Portnoy und Sherinian zählen Bassmonster Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) sowie der vor allem durch sein Engagement bei Guns N' Roses bekannt gewordene Ron „Bumblefoot“ Thal (Gitarre) zur Besetzung. Hinzu kommt Sänger Jeff Scott Soto, ein altgedienter Rock'n'Roll-Haudegen, dessen Vita weit mehr zu bieten hat als eine kurzzeitige Verpflichtung bei den AOR-Heroen Journey. Von Yngwie Malmsteen über Axel Rudi Pell bis zum Trans-Siberian Orchestra reicht die Liste seiner Brötchengeber. Er fällt im Sons-Of-Apollo-Gefüge besonders auf: Schließlich besitzt er mit seinem souligen, warmen Organ alles andere als eine typische Progressive-Stimme.

Was auf dem Papier zunächst vor allem nach einer Variation von Dream Theater klingt, entwickelt auf „Psychotic Symphony“ schnellt eine eigene Dynamik. Die Ideen schießen in alle Richtungen, offensichtliche Einflüsse werden zugelassen, falsche Bescheidenheit hat bei den Sons Of Apollo Hausverbot. Natürlich darf jeder einzelne Musiker immer wieder zeigen, was er kann. Eingerahmt wird „Psychotic Symphony“ von zwei Progressive-Monstern, welche die Zehnminutenmarke knacken. „God Of The Sun“ und „Opus Maximus“ heißen die monumentalen Stücke, in denen sich die Sons Of Apollo viel Zeit nehmen für harmonische und rhythmische Ausflüge, ausgiebige Skalenritte und glückselige Vereinigungen in Unisono-Läufen.

So virtuos und atemberaubend diese Prog-Brocken auch sind: Die kürzeren Stücke sind mindestens ebenso wertvoll. Ein dicker Paukenschlag wie „Coming Home“ oder der vergleichsweise simpel gestrickte Song „Divine Addiction“ holen die Gottessöhne zurück auf die Erde. Vor allem Sänger Soto hält dabei die Zügel in der Hand, während zwischendurch gekonnt instrumentale Querverweisee Richtung Classic Rock gestreut werden. Immer wieder blitzen im Verlaufe des Albums kleine Verbeugungen vor Größen wie Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin oder Van Halen auf. Diese stimmig mit modernen Progressive Metal zu verbinden, ist das eigentliche Verdienst von „Psychotic Symphony“.

Mike Portnoy, Schlagzeug, Gesang
Derek Sherinian, Keyboards
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Gitarre, Gesang
Billy Sheehan, Bass
Jeff Scott Soto, Gesang

Sons Of Apollo
In early 2017, rumors began circulating about a new secret project including former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian. Finally, on August 1st, the duo revealed the details to the rest of the world, introducing their new band, Sons Of Apollo.

Reuniting to form Sons Of Apollo, Portnoy and Sherinian join forces with guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), bassist Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force). Their debut album, Psychotic Symphony, will be released October 20 on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music.

Psychotic Symphony was produced by the dynamic production duo of Portnoy and Sherinian, also affectionately known as “The Del Fuvio Brothers,” the nickname given to them over 20 years ago during their time together in Dream Theater.

Sons Of Apollo formed very organically, its seeds planted with a predecessor group, as Portnoy explains: “Derek and I reunited shortly after I left Dream Theater in 2010 and we put together an all-instrumental touring band with Billy Sheehan and Tony MacAlpine. That was my first time working with Derek since the ‘90s when he was in Dream Theater, and it was just great to be working with him again. Ever since that tour, which was really just a one-off live thing, he has been nudging me to start a real, original, full-time band. The timing just had never been right, because I had too many other things on my plate. Long story short, the time was finally right to take the bait and put together a band.”

“Mike and I work at a relentless pace in the studio,” continues Sherinian. “The music is modern, but we have an old-school soul. What is unique about Sons Of Apollo is that we have true rock n’ roll swagger along with the virtuosity– a lethal combination!”

But what to call the next great supergroup? “Derek was mainly the one behind the name,” says Portnoy. “I have a list that I keep on my phone of about a hundred different band names, which I constantly have to refer to every time I have a new band every year (laughs). So I pulled up the list and Apollo was one of the names on the list. It was a word that both of us really liked. We started fiddling with different variations of the word. One of the original band names we were working with was Apollo Creed, the character from the Rocky movies, but after lots of different discussions on different variations, Derek suggested Sons Of Apollo and it seemed to stick. Apollo is the god of music, so with that in mind it seemed like a fitting name.”

With Portnoy, Sherinian and Sheehan having previously toured together in the aforementioned lineup that came to be known as PSMS, playing instrumental versions of various songs drawn from each member’s history, Sons Of Apollo was the next logical step.

They kept that fire burning and stoked it higher by bringing in a different guitarist, adding a vocalist, and creating all original material. The nine songs comprising Psychotic Symphony incorporate the progressive style and individual technical prowess Portnoy and Sherinian shared together in Dream Theater, combined with the swagger and groove of Van Halen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.

“I have known Mike and Derek for a long time, so when they came to me with Sons Of Apollo, I jumped on this straight away,” says Thomas Waber, Label Manager/A&R International of InsideOutMusic. “However, the album they ended up recording exceeded my already high expectations by a long mile! We couldn’t be happier about it!” Sons Of Apollo will hit the road in 2018 for their first worldwide tour.

“This is a real band,” Portnoy declares. “This is going to pick up for me and Billy where The Winery Dogs left off, in terms of this being the next logical full-time thing for us. I’m not saying The Winery Dogs have broken up, because we haven’t, we’re just on a break. Sons Of Apollo is absolutely going to be a full-time band and we plan on touring all over the world throughout 2018 and, honestly, it is the priority for all five of us.”

Sherinian agrees, “We will go on a worldwide crusade in 2018 to bring Sons Of Apollo to as many people as possible. Apollo was the God of Music, and we are his mighty offspring!”

This album contains no booklet.