Look, I’m an easy mark for this kind of stuff.
Derek Sherinian is a virtuoso among virtuosos on the keyboards. He's played with everyone, notably Dream Theater, Sons of Apollo, Alice Cooper, Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, and well - -there's no room to list everyone else. The guy is universally loved and revered in this world, and rightfully so. His solo albums feature a who's who of great guest performers, and his latest, 2020's "The Phoenix" is no exception.
The styles range from Prog to Rock n' Roll to Metal to Jazz to Jam to Instrumental guitar, back to Prog again. The whole record has a very Satriani vibe, with elite-level musicianship showcased in quality songs where melody and feel are prioritized over pyrotechnics and high speed wank. There are naturally strong parallels to Dream Theater, Spock’s Beard, Platypus, Cacophony, Alcatrazz, and Mahavishnu Orchestra.

There will be those who are drawn to this record primarily by the marquee names of his collaborators. That’s fine, they can be pleasantly surprised that the songs are enjoyable on their own merits, not just for being recorded by All-Stars with impressive dexterity.

On guitar:
Zakk Wylde,
Steve Vai,
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal,
Kiko Loureiro,
And Joe Bonamassas, who also sang on the album’s only vocal track, a cover of the Buddy Miles tune, “Them Changes.”

On Bass:
Billy Sheehan,
Jimmy Johnson,
Ernest Tibbs,
And Tony Franklin.

Armen Ra is credited with the theremin at the end of “Pesadelo,” the final track.

Only Simon Phillips, drums, appears on every track.

Each of the guest stars brings their own unique style to their appearances, but Sherinian truly shines brightest in the center stage spotlight, bringing different synth sounds to each track. Highlights? Maybe more of an absence of lows, although I especially like the strong left-side piano strut of "Dragonfly." And my youngest child came into the room while “Octopus Pedigree” was playing, then asked what the name of this “crazy song” was, while dancing around. If that’s not an endorsement, I don’t know what is.