UNDERWORLD

'Underworld' is the ninth studio album by progressive metal act Symphony X, released in 2015, and featuring the 'classic' line-up of the band, namely Michael Romeo (guitars), Russell Allen (vocals), Jason Rullo (drums), Michael Pinnella (keyboards), and Michael Lepond (bass guitar). The band is well-known for their 'neoclassical metal' sound, with influences borrowed from prog metal, symphonic metal, and power metal.

Sonically, 'Underworld' is all that you could expect from the band: fast songs, killing tempo, fascinatingly technical compositions, grandiose musicianship (and it seems like this is a mandatory part of a band's arsenal for performing this music). However, it is nothing new under the sun for the Middleton-based band. It is the sound that they are known for and that they have been playing for years (pretty much like other bands in the genre that sacrifice originality and experimentation for the sake of pursuing a signature sound - bands like Caligula's Horse, Queensryche, or Kamelot). These words should not, however, be dismissed as blind criticism, as most of these formations are more than enjoyable to listen to but tend to fall into the trap of creative stagnation, whilst pursuing the aforementioned not-too-progressive approach to writing music.

Still, 'Underworld' has many great tracks (like 'Nevermore', 'Kiss of Fire', 'Charon', 'To Hell and Back', 'Run with the Devil') that showcase the band's ability to write powerful, dramatic, and electrifying tracks, while displaying their instrumental prowess. Another thing that has to be mentioned, is that it is a logical follow-up to the previous record 'Iconoclast' (which is a bit heavier, but more song-oriented, unlike 'Underworld' which was written to serve as a whole). Moreover, Russel Allen's charismatic and recognizable voice is the perfect match for the music of this album, as it carries a strength that elevates the whole experience to a new level of adventurous, fast-paced metal.

'Underworld' is an enjoyable listen from start to finish (with the exception of a couple tracks in the end), and it could definitely speak to progressive and power metal fans, though it is not necessarily a landmark for the genre - not a bad record by any stretch of the imagination, but the line has to be drawn somewhere (maybe when a band repeats itself so much so that they stop releasing excellent material).