V - THE NEW MYTHOLOGY SUITE

Prelude starts off with some very operatic singing and nice orchestral backing. Nice guitar lines make this a winner. (10/10)

Evolution (The Grand Design) starts off just AMAZING. I could listen to that start for hours. It's so well written. The guitar lines for the rest of the song are just as nice, this song really kick starts the album. This album marks the return of Jason Rullo, their original drummer. Boy, he sounds five times better than he did before. Russell Allen's singing is amazing as per usual. He's seriously, one of the best singers in prog. Period. The solos in the are amazing, this song just really sets the bar for the rest of this album. Pure carnage. Love it! (10/10)

Fallen starts off very...Rush like...sweeeeet. This song is very technical, the double bass patterns were really nice. The guitar line in the pre chorus is really brutal. This song is just really cool. The unison midway was just really nice. Then, when the intrumental comes, it just blew me away. It sounds a little like the Glass Prison instrumental, guitar then keyboards then guitar then keyboards. Those who've heard it know what I mean. The song comes to a whole stop, making way for another interlude. (9/10)

Transcendence is really nice. That's about it. Nothing special here folks. (8.5/10)

The Communion and The Oracle, starts off really soft with some nice guitars. It doesn't go too far, but it still sounds great. The best parts in this song are probably Russell Allen's singing. Most notably this section: Breathe the air around you. Very nice guitar solo too. Solid song. (8.5/10)

The Bird Serpent War / Cataclysm starts off VERY heavy with some solid guitar work by Michael Romeo. The vocalising near the end I found really compelling. Then the keybards after it, very nice. I thought this song was just going to be a thrashing, but it was actually really well placed in the album. (9/10)

On The Breath Of The Poseidon, I found, sounded a lot like Runescape. But it was better. It really sounds like a movie score. The title is cool and the song leads into an amazing piece from the album. (9/10)

Egypt, starts off very cool, with some great drumming by Jason Rullo. The guitar playing is really cool sounding too, throwing acoustic into the mix. This song, in my opinion is easily the most progressive on the album. Even more than the title track. The chorus I really liked: Gaze in these eys, my child and see, here by my side you're destined to be! Fear is in the night fleeing with the sun, if we are born! Genius! The ending, I found to be also very progressive with a lone keyboard taking the song out by itself. This song is the best on the album. (10/10)

The Death of Balance / Lacrymosa is a maddening intrumental. It's sort of like Dance of Eternity, (In concept, coming right after the middle eastern influenced song) out it didn't come off as betcha can't play this as Dance did. I actually really liked it. It had substance, it wasn't so random and show offy as Dance. The song actually goes somewhere too, with a choir singing Lacrymosa into the next song. (9/10)

Absence of Light, starts off heavy with a haunting Opeth like organ behind it. I personally love the idea of 1 minute of soloing then getting to the real song. That was really cool. The song itself, once it begins is really cool. The lyrics I found really compelling and mystic. The song doesn't go anywhere past that, other than some wicked keyboard soloing. (8.5/10)

A Fool's Paradise starts off with the nice drum fills by Rullo. The song actually really hooked me in. The constant organ I really liked and the chorus's guitar line was really rockin. This song doesn't go too far, but where it does go is so awesome, it baffles me. This song shouldn't be good, but it is for some reason. When the choir line from Prelude is repeated, it really hooked me in further. Then some WICKED unisons at the end just really made decide on the rating. Then, the way the song fades out into Rediscovery. This song IS AMAZING!!! (10/10)

Rediscovery, my favorite of all the segues in the album. For some reason, it's nostalgic for me. It reminds me of some video game music I used to hear daily as a kid. Very nice and relaxing. Beautiful piece. (10/10)

Rediscovery, Pt. 2: The New Mythology Suite, starts off WAY heavy with a nice unison. I love to air guitar that part. It was here I really noticed the skill of the keyboardist, although maybe not in virtuosity in contrast to Jordan Rudess or Rick Wakeman, but he is very consistent. He plays is odd time signatures most of the time, and he always plays the lines perfectly. They're like that live too. Anyways back to the song. I found the drumming to be the beston the album. Jason is really firing, for lack of a better word, his load on all levels. The overall writing is just amazing, the best I've heard, until now and past then too. The singing and lyrics are just amazing. The guitar lines near the middle of the song are just perfect. I especially liked this part: Lost evermore, the essence of truth. That part was really compelling and beautiful. This song is just breathtaking on so many levels. The durmming after that section is also wonderful. The instrumental section is really well orchestrated, then the vocals come in with an amazing barrage of double bass and heavy guitar lines. Then another instrumental, this one with a odd timed guitar riff and solo. Then the weird Jan Hammer keyboards. Then again with the consistent keyboards and heavy guitars. This song is just so great. Oh wow! Keyboard riff! JUST AMAZING! These guys really worked on this, it shows. They put their effort into this song. It's nothing short of amazing. Then, the song comes to a climax that reminds me of the ending of Close To The Edge by Yes. Just beautiful in it's majesty and glory. A wonderful effort by Symphony X here. (10/10)

I can only say two words: Magnum Opus. This album is their best, there is no doubt about it. No album after this or before has surpassed it. Hopefully, they'll be able to record another one of this caliber.

5 stars. A glorious effort.

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