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April 2024

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[ More Music Reviews ]

PSMS: Live in Tokyo DVD

Instrumental Progressive Rock/Metal

5.0/5.0

Website (Label)
Eagle Rock Entertainment
by Craig Hartranft
09.05.2013

In case you've been living under a rock for the last year or so, I'll introduce you to PSMS. It's drummer Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs, Transatlantic), bassist Billy Sheehan (Talas, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth), guitarist Tony MacAlpine and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Black Country Communion, Dream Theater, Billy Idol).

PSMS's Mike Portnoy: goes crazy.

This fantastic four have banded together to perform instrumental arrangements of some of their best material, solo or with other bands. (See the complete track list below.) This concert DVD is the record of their live performance in Tokyo in 2012.

Everything about this DVD is terrific. Besides the amazing musicianship of these four artists and the depth of the song selection, the film direction and production in 16:9 high definition is also sterling. The camera work gets you right on the stage, up close and personal as the band performs. Maybe a little too personal with the shots underneath Portnoy's drum kit. Be thankful he doesn't wear a kilt when playing. The sound is excellent as well. Currently, I don't have a surround sound system. So I had to play this DVD on my high-def Sony television through it's own speakers which, as you would suspect, are average at best. Nevertheless, the music sounded great. Then I cranked through my office stereo and my vintage analog Advent speakers. Wow! Even better.

I'll forgo lengthy comments on individual songs. Yet, mention should be made of two songs outside of the foursome's catalog: the Billy Cobham cut Stratus and the Jeff Beck number The Pump, both satisfying. There's also one vocal song: the Talas song Shy Boy sung by Sheehan. Suffice to say, all the songs are wonderful, pure progressive rock and metal bliss. On lighter note, besides being a great drummer, Mike Portnoy is quite the bandleader. Introducing songs or players or working the audience, he's affable, humorous, and quite engaging.

If you're a fan of any or all of these four talented men and their music, you need to get the DVD. It's that simple. Strongly recommended.

Track List:

• 01. A Change Of Seasons: I The Crimson Sunrise (DREAM THEATER song)
• 02. Acid Rain (LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT song)
• 03. The Stranger (TONY MACALPINE song)
• 04. Stratus (BILLY COBHAM song)
• 05. Atlantis, Part 1: Apocalypse 1470 B.C. (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
• 06. Tony MacAlpine Guitar Solo
• 07. Been Here Before (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
• 08. Birds of Prey (Billy's Boogie) / Billy Sheehan solo
• 09. The Farandole (TALAS song)
• 10. The Pump (JEFF BECK song)
• 11. Mike Portnoy Drum Intro
• 12. Nightmare Cinema (DEREK SHERINIAN song)
• 13. Hell's Kitchen (DREAM THEATER song)
• 14. Derek Sherinian Keyboard Solo
• 15. Lines In The Sand (DREAM THEATER song) (abridged)
• 16. Shy Boy (TALAS song) (Billy Sheehan on lead vocals)

Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, Sherinian - Apocalypse 1470 B.C.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Everything about this live concert performance is wonderful and entertaining: pure instrumental progressive rock bliss.

Alphabetical Index

Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]