Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus

Five-Star Symphony X

Symphony X's third album, _The Divine Wings of Tragedy_, was a carnivorous progressive metal masterpiece with classical influences abound (the title track was based on Holst's composition "Mars - The Bringer of War" and you can hear other Romantic and Classic touches throughout), although the neoclassical influences which dominated their first two releases were trimmed a bit in favor of PURE METAL. For the band's fourth album, _Twilight In Olympus_, the neoclassical element is a bit stronger, this time _without_ the horrible studio production on the first two albums. As such, it does what the first two releases tried to do, but it does it better. Is it better than _Divine Wings_? On the whole, no... DWOT's high points are some of the greatest of all progressive metal songs. One place _Twilight In Olympus_ does beat its awesome predecessor, however, is song diversity. This album serves up a tasty dish of heavy speed metal, neoclassical metal, symphonic interludes, power ballads, and majestic epics.

What's good about _Twilight In Olympus_ is that every song is a standout, a highlight. Again, I attribute this to the range of styles found on the disc... all of which are siphoned through the band's crushing metal approach, of course. "The Church of the Machine" is one of their best songs, with its ominous synth work, soaring chorus, and epic structure. "In the Dragon's Den" has one of the most meticulous and fastest riffs I've ever heard in prog-metal, and the incredible solos are all that's required to affirm that Michael Romeo is one of the best metal guitarists alive... or dead, I guess. "Through the Looking Glass," based on the story "Alice Through the Looking Glass," gives the tame, magical story an powerful metal reiteration, with one of the band's most majestic choruses in part 3.

The speedy neoclassical songs, "Smokes and Mirrors" and "The Relic," are most similar to the band's work on their self-titled debut and The Damnation Game, although the songwriting is incredibly more intense and the production is about a hundred times better. "The Relic" especially is one of their most exciting songs, with Romeo's unique riffing hammering out smoking rhythms over which keyboardist Pinnella dances with traditional neoclassical speed metal synths. What's amazing here is the heroic chorus, with the awesome lines, "Carry on into the horizon | Wielding courage, staff in hand." Even though the lyrics are just fantasy/mythology-type things, Symphony X does it in a way that isn't corny. Also, the mechanics of their lyrics are pretty clever, with intelligent rhythms, powerful imagery, and internal rhyming. "Radiant lady in white." Think about it.

That brings us to "Lady of the Snow," the haunting power ballad based on a spooky Japanese legend. Allen and Miller paint vivid images with their words, and the composition is so strong, chilly, and evocative you can truly imagine the "garden of ice." Vocalist Russell Allen's ghostly delivery of the first verse is bloodcurdling in its dark beauty. There is also "Orion the Hunter," a mid-tempo metal cut anchored to a corrosive, steady guitar riff and a truly sinister chorus ("Oh, the hunter looks at you with eyes to kill.")

The only way to fault _Twilight In Olympus_ is to address its ineffable feeling of incompleteness. I didn't quite understand it at first, but I later discovered that the band had been forced to drop the album's title track because they were unable to finish it in time. It's not a total loss, however... "Twilight In Olympus" was dissected and many of its ideas were used for the band's latest -- and I'd say best -- release, _V_. [Chimp Note: As of 2011, Symphony X's new best album is _Iconoclast_.]

If you're one of the unlucky or hesitant or foolish progressive metal fans who've yet to take the dive into Symphony X's world, I suggest you do it.