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Dellinger View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Need help with Symphony X
    Posted: April 01 2013 at 22:22
Well, I just got my first Symphony X album a few weeks ago. As a matter of fact, it was their last album, Iconoclast, since they had it available at the shop and I remember having read some good reviews about it. The thing is, I really like Prog Metal, though at the time the band I know (and like) best is Dream Theater, but I still want to get into some other bands, and as I had read, Symphony X is suposed to be among the strongest bands around. However, the thing is, I really didn't like Iconoclast, I found it almost as just another speed metal album (well, perhaps I don't know so many speed metal albums, anyway), and found little to enjoy about it. So, if there's anyone around who knows Symphony X well enough, should I stop here, or is there some chance that I may like some other album from this band?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2013 at 00:48
I'd try out The Divine Wings of Tragedy, V, or Twilight in Olympus. They've changed their style a bit over the years, they were more a neo-classical metal band, but on Paradise Lost and especially on Iconoclast, they've become more plain metal, with a lot less of the classical influence. The track "The Odyssey" on the album of the same name is fantastic; I'd have a listen to that, and then maybe "Candlelight Fantasia" off TDWOT, and if you don't like either of them, then I'd probably stop there.
By the way, V is considered by many (including me) to be their best album, so if you're going to buy another album, then I'd recommend that one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2013 at 01:26
If you enjoy Dream Theater you won't necessarily enjoy Symphony X as they aren't really all that similar.  I agree with zeqexes fully in his advice to you. I found that Iconoclast, to me, was just a barrage of sound that went on and on and kind of bored me and gave me a bit of a headache on top of that - however I will say that I haven't finished with it yet as I intend to try it out again to ascertain if there was perhaps something that I missed through the first few listens. Personally I would advise you to listen to the new Spock's Beard album.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2013 at 05:41
Mm I agree with sukmytoe as well, they aren't too similar. I thought I'd try Symphony X because I like DT, also because I saw them live with DT once. I liked them at the gig, went home, had a listen... Could take or leave! I quite liked the album ''The Divine Wings of Tragedy''  and I also liked ''V-The New Mythology Suite''.
I've read that album is supposed to be similar to Spock's Beard's 'V'... I... Think I got that? XD
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2013 at 17:56
I've listened to all of symphony x's albums a couple times over, (although admittedly i haven't listened to their older stuff in a while) and iconoclast is definitely their heaviest album. It is extremely riff based as is paradise lost, to the point where some of their breakdowns are almost thrashy. If you like the softer more melodic side of progressive metal I would suggest: V, twilight in Olympus, damnation game, and divine wings of tragedy 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2013 at 19:31
I'd suggest 'The Odyssey' if only for the track of the same name. V is also wonderful (and probably much more consistent as an album than The Odyssey).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2013 at 19:45
V is the only Symphony X album that is great all the way through.

Divine Wings and The Odyssey have their title tracks and a few other songs but that's it.

Iconoclast also has a superb title track, but the rest of the album is mostly forgettable thrash metal, Very disappointed when that one came out.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2013 at 22:43
Well, perhaps I'll give it a try to those 3 albums. I'm not really too worried if the whole album isn't great (actually, there's no DT album in which I like all the songs), but with Iconoclast the problem was that I didn't actually like any song. As far as I see it, it's not because it's too heavy, but because there isn't so much going on, and it's not very melodic (for me, heavy and melodic aren't necessarily opposite things). And to think that when I saw Iconoclast on the music store they also had the Odissey one, and I was uncertain for which one to pick... however, when I went to buy it, they didn't have the Odissey anymore. Thanks a lot for your advice. Perhaps I'll try to hear that Odissey song on Youtube.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2013 at 15:57
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

Well, perhaps I'll give it a try to those 3 albums. I'm not really too worried if the whole album isn't great (actually, there's no DT album in which I like all the songs), but with Iconoclast the problem was that I didn't actually like any song. As far as I see it, it's not because it's too heavy, but because there isn't so much going on, and it's not very melodic (for me, heavy and melodic aren't necessarily opposite things). And to think that when I saw Iconoclast on the music store they also had the Odissey one, and I was uncertain for which one to pick... however, when I went to buy it, they didn't have the Odissey anymore. Thanks a lot for your advice. Perhaps I'll try to hear that Odissey song on Youtube.

You didn't even like the song 'When All Is Lost' ? Cry

That's a very melodic song.....

But yes, Iconoclast is their heaviest, most metal album, and Paradise Lost wasn't too far behind that metal-wise.

I'd recommend V: The New Mythology Suite for you to start with then. The keyboards on that album are more prominent than on other Symphony X albums.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 04 2013 at 21:23
i gave up on symphony x after hearing paradise lost they r not same band anything before that cd defines symphony x to the max
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2013 at 14:50
Originally posted by Jbird Jbird wrote:


Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

Well, perhaps I'll give it a try to those 3 albums. I'm not really too worried if the whole album isn't great (actually, there's no DT album in which I like all the songs), but with Iconoclast the problem was that I didn't actually like any song. As far as I see it, it's not because it's too heavy, but because there isn't so much going on, and it's not very melodic (for me, heavy and melodic aren't necessarily opposite things). And to think that when I saw Iconoclast on the music store they also had the Odissey one, and I was uncertain for which one to pick... however, when I went to buy it, they didn't have the Odissey anymore. Thanks a lot for your advice. Perhaps I'll try to hear that Odissey song on Youtube.

You didn't even like the song 'When All Is Lost' ? Cry
That's a very melodic song.....
But yes, Iconoclast is their heaviest, most metal album, and Paradise Lost wasn't too far behind that metal-wise.
I'd recommend V: The New Mythology Suite for you to start with then. The keyboards on that album are more prominent than on other Symphony X albums.


Yeah, this is it. Now I have new hope on this band. I guess I'll be checking out the 3 recommended albums. It's only, well, I also want to get into "Pain of Salvation", "Riverside", and "Haken", plus get "Into the Electric Castle" by Ayreon (I already have all the albums that came after that one). Plus some other Prog not Metal albums. But I'll hunt this ones out.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2013 at 15:34
If you donīt enjoy Iconoclast, I would stop listening to Symphony X. Itīs not like their other albums are vastly different in sound and style from that one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2013 at 16:29
I agree with some of the others here on checking out Divine, Twilight and V. Those are their best and most representative records overall, IMO.
RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
EXERIOR Experimental tech/death/progmetal from Norway!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 07 2013 at 10:31
Iconoclast is just a collection of B-sides from Paradise Lost ... Which is a brilliant album by the way I'd definitely check it out.

Plus the earlier stuff of course.

Other bands you might want to check out as well in the prog-metal realm : Circus Maximus (toured with Symphony X), Klone (The Dreamer's Hideaway is quite good, but it's quite modern, nothing really like old school Dream Theater or Ayreon)
The Infinite Progability Drive, feeding you daily progressive/weird music for just a like <3
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 08 2013 at 20:07
I guess I seem to be alone here in absolutely loving Iconoclast (especially the title track and "When All is Lost").

But if you didn't like it, you might try their earlier stuff, which is a lot less heavy. The Divine Wings of Tragedy is easily my favourite of those; I'd go with that one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 08 2013 at 22:10
You need to try Pain of Salvation.  I could not get into  Symphony X at all, and I enjoy Dream Theater very much.  However, the first 5 albums from Pain of Salvation are some of the best Progressive Metal you will find anywhere.  Start off with Remedy Lane.  I would buy them in this order:

1 Remedy Lane
2 The Perfect Element Part 1
3 Be
4 One Hour By The Concrete Lake
5 Entropia


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 09 2013 at 02:38
Originally posted by Cthulhu42 Cthulhu42 wrote:

I guess I seem to be alone here in absolutely loving Iconoclast (especially the title track and "When All is Lost").

But if you didn't like it, you might try their earlier stuff, which is a lot less heavy. The Divine Wings of Tragedy is easily my favourite of those; I'd go with that one.

I also love Iconoclast
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 09 2013 at 18:30
Originally posted by javajeff javajeff wrote:

You need to try Pain of Salvation.  I could not get into 

Symphony X at all, and I enjoy Dream Theater very much.  However, the first 5 albums from Pain of Salvation are some of the best Progressive Metal you will find anywhere.  Start off with Remedy Lane.  I would buy them in this order:1 Remedy Lane2 The Perfect Element Part 13 Be4 One Hour By The Concrete Lake5 Entropia


Indeed I must do that. I hope I can get them this year. Thanks for you recommendation on their albums and order.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 10 2013 at 05:37
Paradise Lost is the album that really drew me to the band though I loved Odyssey  and Iconoclast. Great band, great albums! 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 10 2013 at 05:54
Originally posted by zeqexes zeqexes wrote:

Originally posted by Cthulhu42 Cthulhu42 wrote:

I guess I seem to be alone here in absolutely loving Iconoclast (especially the title track and "When All is Lost").

But if you didn't like it, you might try their earlier stuff, which is a lot less heavy. The Divine Wings of Tragedy is easily my favourite of those; I'd go with that one.

I also love Iconoclast
 
Yeah Iconoclast is a brilliant album to my ears too, and you are right that the early stuff is slightly less heavy and more neo-classical in nature too. If the topic starter is interested in Dream Theater itīs probably these two thatīll be of most interest:
 
 
...I still donīt think they sound vastly different from their other releases, but they are maybe slightly more "progressive" in sound and less power metal influenced.
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