Rob Silverman: Drumology Volume 2

It would appear that Rob Silverman is on to something. With Drumology (Autumn Hill Records, 2020) having made some noise, Silverman powers on to Drumology Volume 2. Brother and keyboardist Michael Silverman returned to the scene along with bassist Larry Kornfeld, and keyboardist Jay Oliver, to join drummer Silverman as the core quartet of musicians. The brothers wrote eight pieces of music that were cultivated from a drummer's perspective. Every song is tailored to take advantage of the particular skill sets of each drummer.

The original album featured, among others, drumming icons Dave Weckl, Simon Phillips and Steve Smith. That led to a mix of fusion and prog rock. This time the predominance is prog rock and hard rock. The guest list includes Billy Cobham, as well as Dream Theater's Mike Mangini, Kenny Arnoff (John Fogerty and John Mellencamp, among many others), Todd Sucherman of Styx, and Glen Sobel of Alice Cooper fame. The guest list also includes saxophonist Eric Marienthal, bassist John Patitucci, violinist Jerry Goodman, bassist John Myung, and guitarist Dweezil Zappa. Marienthal, Goodman, and Patitucci return as charter members from the first outing.

The record begins with the familiarity of Mangini and Myung on a tune called "Victory." It could have just as easily been called Victory Lap, as they celebrate at an even keel while maneuvering odd time signatures. Holding a sturdy framework at an upbeat pace makes the 'road less traveled' irregular meters pop. Surely one of the finest overall efforts on the record. It is followed by another. Cobham solos like only he can in a "Sea Spray" of triplets and so much more. Joined by Goodman, there's a touch of Mahavishnu Orchestra revisited in the air. The rhythm section chemistry with Patitucci is as superb as you might expect from two of the world's best musicians. "Sea Spray" is a most absorbing piece of progressive rock.

Silverman and company revisit "Journey to a Crystal Planet." The song was first released on The Rebirth of Fusion (Autumn Hill Records, 2013). The original had much the same cast, with both Silvermans, Marienthal, and Kornfeld. While Marienthal once again brings the needed heart to the tune, this is also a demonstration that size matters. The big drums of Sucherman and Silverman are resilient and power through with added creativity. "U Want Appice of Me" brings together Carmine Appice and Vinnie Appice for an opportunity to kick some ass along side some heavy guitar chords. Exuberant hard rock with seamless changes.

Silverman continues full speed ahead, joined by both Casey Grillo and John Spinelli. This tripleheader is an "Avalanche" with Batio just frying on his guitar. Did Batio's hot licks inspire the drummers or did having a three-drummers explosion inspire Batio? Here's another question— what do you get when you cross old time vintage hard rock with the twenty first century? The answer is "Avalanche."

"Moving Mountains" is an opportunity to catch one's breath. Well, at least for a couple of minutes at the beginning. Soon, however, Sobel and Silverman are mountain climbing and pushing to get to the highest peak. Arnoff joins the party for the next song in which the always melodious Marienthal paints ornate pictures of lavish waterfalls and sweeping landscapes. Inspired, Arnoff kicks into a high spirited pace. With "Timber Falls" the ensemble is into a more than solid groove. Another layer is peeled back by Zappa's axe as he brings his own timbre to the mix. "Drum Dreams" concludes the set with David Frangioni's remarkable creativity. The renowned music technologist's immersion with the core group is a fitting and dramatic conclusion.

It speaks volumes that Drumology 3 is already on the way. An important note to close with is that all proceeds from these records benefit the Neil Peart Fund for brain cancer research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.