SYMPHONY X

I love Symphony X's masterpiece "V:The New Mythology". I also am a fan of "Paradise Lost", although it has more to do with the source material than with the actual album. However, I really have to force myself to listen to these guys. I'm not a big fan of power metal, gruff vocals, or the like. However, I do enjoy a couple albums.

I decided I would listen to "The Odyssey"; again, more because of the content than the music. I'd heard that the title track is an epic masterpiece. Well, this album is definitely...Symphony X. That's about it. "V" was amazing because of the melody, symphonic arrangements, amazing vox, fantastic guitars, and original drums. This album must be where the plunge started: where the descent to a less proggy power metal began.

This album is interesting and okay. There are lots of riffs, if that's your thing. The vocals are gruff and unchallenging. Any symphonic segments sound VERY cheap and VERY 90's--- almost like the badly composed keyboard music on Hercules or Xena: Warrior Princess. Amid all of this, the drums even fail to impress: Nothing new is really displayed here. The lyrics are kinda derivative and lame, something that "V" and even "Paradise Lost" did not have. I don't know. I just feel like my avoidance of Symphony X is quite justified by this album. Aside from a few enjoyable parts; corny, neo-epic filler is all I really hear here. Should I even bother listening to "Iconoclast" or anything earlier than "V"? If I do, it'll be a while.

Incredible.

On first listen, this album didn't strike any major chords. But this album is a grower. After a few listens, I realised that this album is something really special.

The album is a concept album, which singer Russell Allen said in an interview was based upon "the idea of machines taking over everything, and all this technology we put our society into pretty much being our demise." He also said that the album didn't really have a storyline, instead a concept. The listening experience for me is quite an adventurous one, and I think many will agree with me.

What has made me sceptical of the reviewers of this album more than anything else, is the fact that they say this album is lyrically flawed. This album has a stronger theme than any of Symphony X's previous albums, and the lyrics brilliantly communicate it with anger and emotion, and they leave the story open to interpretation, which I think is a great way to make an album really speak to someone. I think they musically hit the theme spot on, with the music being heavy and angry, yet emotional with hints of hopefulness.

The opening title track is probably the greatest track on the album, but this in no way detracts from the rest of the album. In fact, if you are a real fan of this album, it will just leave you stunned. The opening riff is a summary of what i to come; unexpected, chilling, heavy, somewhat exotic, and completely crazy. The orchestral backing strengthens the rest of the track musically, delivering a powerful and unique punch. Russell Allen's vocals are spot on as ever, and I can think of no other vocalist that could bring what he has bought to Symphony X in this release.

"The End of Innocence" is a great, and the string line is something very special. "Dehumanised" is another key track and lyrically one of the best. The chorus is just incredible, Russell sings with more passion and emotion than we have seen in any prog vocals within the last few years. "Children of a Faceless God" is one of the heavier tracks, with some truly incredible riffs, and some stunning lyrics. "When All is Lost" is beautiful and heavy, and I am sure many people will find this to be the greatest track on the album. "Reign in Madness" is an epic track, a true finale. Here we see many of the previous musical motifs repeated with gusto.

I would highly recommend this album to ANY fan of Prog Metal or Heavy Metal. The digi-book packaging of the special edition is also quite collectable, and although I usually prefer vinyl by tenfold, the CD sound really suits this release. I do know that a vinyl edition is available, and is a fairly reasonable price for those wanting a collectable edition.

4.5 stars.

Well, I found these guys mainly through Dream Theater, to whom they sound pretty similar. On paper this should be good, but it just falls short. It's not that the musicianship is bad, on the contrary. Allen has an incredibly strong and metal voice, and Romeo is probably as technically proficient as Petrucci. But I can't help but think their compositional skills aren't alarmingly good. I would say the album is very consistent, but nothing really jumps out at me besides the title track. Everything just sounds the same, and the terrible production (especially for the drums and keyboards) doesn't help matters either.

The highlights would probably be 'Of Sins and Shadows,' 'The Accolade,' and the title track. Even then, the title track isn't terribly amazing; much of it is simply based on exchanging guitar and keyboard solos at 200 beats per minute. Though, compared to the rest of the album, this is very good.

Suffice it to say I'm not a very big metal fan, especially of the power and speed kind. This album is the perfect example of lost potential.

4/10

Iconoclast continues Symphony X's experiment begun in Paradise Lost of refreshing their sound by steering their power-metal flavoured progressive metal approach away from the seas of cheese and plumbing the potential of the style to explore darker themes. It's another success and is also rather accessible - there's an Iron Maiden tone (circa Seventh Son of a Seventh Son) to some of the material which I think really helps support the sort of material they're tackling here.

The set offers up a thematic concept album surrounding the idea of machines taking over humankind Terminator-style, and whilst the concept may not be very fresh (remember Black Sabbath's Dehumanizer?), the material is - to the point where the 2CD version of the album flies past as though it were a 1CD album, a sure sign that this is one of those rare double albums which isn't afflicted with filler. On that basis alone it deserves a thumbs up, but the fact that it builds so successfully on the advances made on Paradise Lost makes it a real gem in the Symphony X discography.

The Odyssey is my second take of this band, with the first being Divine Wings of Tragedy. Unfortunately, my views still haven't changed, as this album sounds almost identical to Wings, in addition to the individual songs sounding too similar to each other. I will admit some of the riffs are killer, and musicianship is undeniably through the roof, but these songs lack direction and variation.

The highlights would probably be 'Accolade II' and of course the title track. If nothing else, the title track makes this album worth something. It is simply one of the best epics I've listened to. It flawlessly blends orchestral music with the band's power metal style. There are plenty of good ideas here, plenty of strong melodies and the arrangement is superb. The production could still use some work, especially in the weak-sounding drums. It's a shame the rest of the album couldn't be of the same quality as this.

Overall, this album has a bunch of average, repetitive songs with a very strong epic thrown in at the end. Unfortunately, the title track can only help it so much.

4/10

Okay, I must admit that my first thoughts after hearing the opening (title) track were: here we go again. Symphony X sounding like its good old self. I own all their previous albums and am therefore familiar with their sound and style completely. Downside of this is that the formula tends to wear thin (see my DT's latest !) after all this time.

On the other hand Symphony X is one of my most favorite bands ever which obviously means I'm extremely fond of this sound and approach. So I was thinking: bring 'em on again, what the heck. Of all previous albums Iconoclast has most resemblance with the predecessor Paradise Lost. In fact I could have started the review with Paradise Lost II but that's a bit too negative I feel.

Still I have to admit there's not much new under the sun but same as with DT's latest I have not a real big problem with that. Symphony X is a superb prog metal band and you can wake me up in the middle of the night for them so to speak. And since there's not a weak track to be found here and the quality (both production and execution) is huge I can once again go for one justified rating: 4 stars it is and the recent average of 3,84 is pretty accurate.

This album has been with me couple of months already and only now I have a chance to write my view about this one. Let me tell you why it has taken so long for me to write about this latest album by Symphony X - it's just for a simple reason: almost all tracks are truly metal or heavy compositions. The first spin of the album created an impression: when these guys would provide me a room to breathe as from opening track to five tracks they bombard me with heavy music. Yes. I was not originated from metal side of prog music, that's why listening to this album at the first time created me a feeling of being tired and waiting for when the torture would end? So then, I did not spin this album for quite sometimes until last week when I was driving alone in my car I played this album loud. Wow man! It's so energetic and I enjoyed the music very much even though most of them a re heavy tracks. Yes, this is considered as metal progressive album as so many metal elements, may be 60- 70% and some prog elements (the rest).

The turning point of this album was when I listened to third track Dehumanized (6:48). Yeah, I really love the musical riffs resulted from guitar work and make me really energized with the music. And then I also enjoyed another heavier track Bastards Of The Machine (4:56). These two tracks really introduced me to enjoy more this album. So after that experience I finally re- spin the album and found out the whole album comprising beautifully composed metal progressive music. Yes I find the heavy components of this album mostly are demonstrated by the heavy guitar riffs backed with drums and bass guitar. But not only that, there were many inventive keyboard solos that enrich the overall musical composition.

For some reason, since the band's Odyssey album I found that Symphony X was something to me like Kansas plays metal because the voice quality of Russell Allen is quite similar with Steve Walsh when Allen is not screaming. Try the seventh track When All Is Lost (9:10) and observe the first lyrical verse sung by Allen - you will find the similarity of Symphony X with Kansas. Of course their music are completely different.

Well, most people always compare this band with Dream Theater even though to me these two bands sound different. Just compare to recent Dream Theater's album A Dramatic Turn of Events - you would hardly find where they share similar vein. That's why I never compare the music of Symphony X with DT.

But I have to admit this album is really excellent as it has everything you need in melody as every single track has its own good to excellent melody - name any track! The harmonies created through bass guitar, drums, guitar, keyboards and vocal are really great from one passage to another - all are mostly delivered in relatively fast speed. There are many changes of styles and moods in any track and there are elements of complexities in any segment. As an album this one has structural integrity where the whole album is cohesive as an album.

Overall - it's an excellent addition to any prog music collection. Enjoy the intertwined guitar and keyboard work of Michael romeo and Michael Pinella. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Symphony X is the Progressive Metal band I have been following the 2nd longest, next to Dream Theater. To add to this, The Odyssey is probably my favorite album by them, though it is very difficult for me to pick one album by them that I like better than all the others (this is a common difficulty with favorite bands I guess). So, to honor this, I am going to go track by track on this album:

1. Inferno (Unleash The Fire) - This is a great way to open an album - right away they prove their chops. This is the kind of song you just HAVE to practice your air guitar on as Michael Romeo proves he is a force to be reckoned with. And the keyboards add to this way in an almost conversational way - answering back the guitars note for note during the intro. Russel Allen shows of his versatility on this one, switching back and forth between an angry growl and clean, anthemic singing.

2. Wicked - This is a nice dark and heavy piece. Backing the dark, heavy riffs of the guitar and bass, the keyboards add an air of mystery. And Symphony X throw in some nice, subtle compound rhythms just when you think they're going to stick with common time.

3. Incantations Of The Apprentice - This one builds up very nicely - starting out with an orchestral sound, adding the heavy guitars, then some almost electronica sounding keyboards and tops it off with some heavy riffing. And they keep switching up the beat on this one, but somehow I find I can keep a good head-banging going. The song tells a great fantasy based, dark magic tale and the music complements this quite nicely. Once again, Russell Allen shows just how versatile he is, switching back and forth between growls and pure tones.

4. Accolade II - Perfect example of why this is one of my favorite bands. This is an incredibly dynamic song, and the band weaves a complex tapestry, piling different rhythms on top of each other to form tightly woven poly-rhythms. I love the usage of the keyboards as well, switching from symphonic sounds to piano and back. Again, the lyrics are deeply rooted in fantasy, and the music tells the tale so very well. There are dark, sad, mysterious, and triumphant moments in this song, and some killer instrumentals to boot. What a ride this one takes the listener on, and I am completely enveloped in the tale it tells.

5. King Of Terrors - The way this one starts out kind of reminds me of the way some of the better Metallica songs start out, but then they underlay the metal riffing with Arabic sounding orchestral keyboards, and the occasional keyboard "choir sound" (I love when Michael Pinella uses that particular sound). All throughout this song, Pinella shines, adding very interesting elements to the classic metal sound of the guitars. Man, this band is so good at telling stories with their music, and there are parts of this song where I can just imagine being in a dark graveyard with dark creatures and lightning bursts. I can't describe this in a way that does the music justice, but listening to this song I feel like a dark wizard has sent me on a frightening ride.

6. The Turning - Again the band starts things off with a bang and Michael Romeo shows off his dark neo-baroque style of riffage. The chorus has an arabic sound again, and Russell abruptly switched to a very aggressive growl. Again, I get this "evil magic" type of feel listening to this song.

7. Awakenings - This is one of my favorite pieces by the band, and oh does Pinella shine on this one. The keyboards are so incredibly versatile, switching through so many sounds - Pinella is like a master composer, and the band backs him perfectly all throughout the piece. Sir Allen shows off his softer side to start off this track, and once again you know right away the band is going to tell an epic tale. Just as you get the sense that they are building to something bigger - BAM! They hit you with some awesome metal riffage, and here's where Michael Romeo shows what a perfect coupling this band has between keyboards and guitar. To top it all off, this song has one of the most fantastic, dizzying instrumentals, featuring Michael Pinella's keyboards in a big way - it's like he wanted to show off just how many sound settings he's got. It's so easy to take for granted what an amazing keyboardist he is because Michael Romeo shines so brightly as the guitarist, but in this piece Pinella proves he is up there in the rankings of the top Progressive Metal keyboardists.

8. The Odyssey - What can I say about this one? Words simply cannot do it justice. This has long been my absolute favorite Progressive epic. The band invites you to come along with them as they take you on a journey, telling the tale of Homer's Odyssey in a way only they can. The song starts out with an intro that sounds like a movie soundtrack, marrying orchestral sounds with metal guitars in a way only this band can accomplish. Then Russell Allen sings brilliantly in a metal ballad style during the first section of the tale, as the hero prepares his tale. I'm not going to go through the entire epic and talk about every section, but this one is absolutely phenomenal - it's like a Metal Action/Fantasy/Epic movie. This is what Progressive Metal is all about - music telling a story, with complexity, dynamic energy, and thrilling virtuoso musicianship.

9. Masquerade - This is like a dark baroque metal opera. The operatic vocal harmonies, and harpsichord sounds of the keyboards give the metal riffing such an interesting flavor, and the instrumental section is like Bach went on a crazy murderous rampage. Brilliant end to a brilliant album.

On Paradise Lost Symphony X hit on a fabulous new sound, a darker and grimmer variation on their progressive power metal approach which dials back the cheesier aspects of power metal substantially, even more so than on V. Substantially heavier than their preceding work, the album stands on a par with The New Mythology Suite in opening up new sonic possibilities in the band's music and expands their horizons, even at points bringing them close to the threshold of more extreme metal styles. For a band who previously often left me a little cold with their indulgence of the cheesier, lighter side of power metal, this is a substantial improvement indeed.

After producing what was at the time their most progressive album to date in the form of V: The New Mythology Suite, I suppose it's only natural that the Symphony X pendulum would swing back towards the power metal side of their sound. With production values occasionally fluctuating but mostly holding firm, it's all very exciting prog-tinged power metal with the perfect Homeric fantasy concept underpinning it, but it doesn't seem quite as groundbreaking and thrilling as The New Mythology Suite was, and spends a lot more time in much more traditional power metal territory. I suspect many fans of the more progressive side of Symphony X will, like me, find this frustrating, particularly since The New Mythology Suite showed us precisely what they are capable of.