MUSIC REVIEW: Symphony X - Iconoclast

"Infernal machines arise -- flesh and steel collide!"

Sometimes bands just seem to do everything right. Symphony X is basically a band like that. Iconoclast is a brilliant prog-metal album. First of all, the band sounds tighter than ever and the production is really heavy. Really METAL. It's sonically very similar to the previous release, Paradise Lost, which was so good it was hard to imagine Iconoclast equaling its quality, much less exceeding it. Yet that's what happened.

You know when bands suddenly gets 'heavier' on an album or two, and the heavier albums are the best albums? Yeah, this is like that. Iconoclast maintains the pumped-up heaviness of the previous release, which is good if you crave the true power of metal. I do not believe its coincidental that the last two albums have been crushingly heavy and at the upper level of Symphony X quality. However, the band retains its knack for amazing vocals, melodic hooks, and songwriting that closes on your skull like a bear trap snapping shut, so the heaviness does not suppress any other important features. Not to mention there are some downright rippin' prog-metal breakdowns, face-melting solos, and a big, epic, "Rise of the Machines" kind of theme. It's almost like "Church of the Machine" being extended to a full concept! There's an absolutely brilliant 'power ballad', "When All Is Lost", which is probably their best. And that's saying a lot when you think of crazy songs that might be in that category, such as "Candlelight Fantasia," "Lady of the Snow", "Awakenings", "Paradise Lost", even "Edge of Forever" maybe... anyway.

You know, a lot of the album sounds kinda 'the same' at first, and it's long which doesn't help that initial impression (two-disc version is mandatory, if you get the one-disc set you are stupid). But that is only at first, because give it some attention and the music reveals all the brilliant layers that make awesome prog-metal so tasty (especially with this emphasis on METAL and great hooks). I've listened to this to death since it was released and it fills me with joy. This is probably Symphony X's most perfect album so everything else they release after this is just gravy. Well maybe the last song could have been a wee bit more epic and huge but it's still excellent, so oh well. And one final comments, even after all these years there are still reviews that say Symphony X has "stupid" or "bad" lyrics, but come on, what do you expect, Edgar Allan Poe? It's a metal band, writing about (in this case) evil machine empires (or something). The lyrics are actually AWESOME for what they are meant to accomplish.

MUSIC REVIEW: Pain of Salvation - Road Salt One

Utter Garbage

Only the most diehard crazy Pain of Salvation fan can defend this album. It is terrible.

The problem with this album is not that it is "different", or that there is "no metal" in it, or anything like that. (In many ways, it's not really that different.) The problem is simply that it is unbelievably boring.

Some have said that many of the best PoS songs are simple, as if to vindicate the first Road Salt. That is a true statement, sure. But an important point is lost if one fails to realize that most simple PoS songs are actually good. They are not boring. Road Salt features songs that are simple and boring. Or complex and boring. They are all boring.

Others have said, "Well, people aren't giving it a fair chance because it's called Pain of Salvation. BUT, if it had a different name, people would judge it on its own merits and like it."

Um... No. If any band released this album it would be garbage.

A boring album is the last thing you'd expect from PoS, because they are genuinely NOT a boring band. They are usually exciting, full of surprises, and good, interesting writing.

"No Way" is the most dull Pain of Salvation opener in the universe. Why anyone thought it was appropriate to open an album with this tranquillizer song I will never understand. The middle section when Gildenlow is singing in a weird time signature sounds so bad. Really though you'll be lucky to fall asleep before this overlong, overwrought grandpa rock gets to the next song because it gets worse. "She Likes to Hide" is slow sleazy song of bluesy boredom, it would be "super boring" rather than "boring" but fortunately it is over in less than 3 minutes. "Sisters" is some kind of weird ballad and it's very long and boring. "Of Dust" will put you to sleep if you are still awake by this point, although you will experience a moment of uncomfortable laughter when the spoken word part kicks in, because you will think, "LOL this is so stupid, what was D/Gildenlow thinking???" "Tell Me You Don't Know" will be skipped every time because you are so embarrassed on Gildenlow's behalf. "Sleeping under the Stars" sounds a Tom Waits song with all the Awesome(TM) removed. "Darkness of Mine" is hilariously over-the-top and laughable. "Linoleum" sounds like extremely drunk Foo Fighters. I'm not even going to finish talking about these songs. This album sucks. The last four songs are all bad. Actually, I will mention "Innocence", the finale, because at times it ALMOST seems like it COULD HAVE BEEN good.

Disclosure: Entropia is my favorite. The first four PoS albums are brilliant. BE was mostly great with some terrible moments. I loved Scarsick, and completely fail to understand why it is so disliked.

MUSIC REVIEW: Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory (reconsidered)

"Progressive metal's finest hour (or 78 minutes)."

There are a lot of great progressive metal bands around these days. There's the symphonic and stylish Symphony X, the increasingly evolving Fates Warning, the original and daring Pain of Salvation, the technical powerhouses Power of Omens, and many others.

But among them all, Dream Theater remains the best. To me, no one else defines progressive metal like these five brilliant musicians. They strike an incredible balance of power, technique, emotion, and melody with a unified vision possible only with the remarkable degree of chemistry these guys share. And, in many ways, Scenes From A Memory is their best work.

Here's the skinny: It's a 78 minute concept album whose story stems from the original "Metropolis" mystique from their breakthrough album Images And Words. This is the album Dream Theater wanted to make all along, with no pressure from their label, and no regard for commercial success. It's a feast for the music lovers, with a good enough ear for composition and melody that the technique never overshadows the song. Dream Theater's critics love to attack them for going overboard with solos and instrumental sections, but it's never bothered me simply because they play with a lot of heart. John Petrucci is an outstanding guitar player who never restrains his technical ability, but most importantly he plays with a tremendous amount of soul. The encouraging heroics of his solo on "The Spirit Carries On" encapsulate this idea better than anything. It's pure beauty in music.

DT may not be able to repeat the greatness of SFAM in the future, but if they continue to make the music they love, there will never be another good-but-flawed Falling Into Infinity. They will continue to take great strides beyond their peers and continue crunching the mold to their image while making some of the best music out there.

MUSIC REVIEW: Eternity X - The Edge

"A transcendental progressive metal masterpiece."

Before getting The Edge, I had read countless for reviews for it, and invariably they lauded it one of the best albums in the progressive metal category. With that kind of praise, I knew it was something I had to hear for myself.

Expectations were high, and I was in no way disappointed; The Edge encapsulates greatness in progressive metal. Lots of emotional power, grandiosity, virtuoso performances, incredible vocals, and great songwriting. It is a concept album about people on the "edge"; people who question the meaning of life, people who are pushed past the breaking point, a society on a precipice of aberration. Lyrically it is very good. Musically, very good. Vocally, also very good. But The Edge is better than the sum of its impressive parts -- this truly is an extraordinary musical work.

Lead vocalist and songwriter Keith Sudano is a very talented man. Superhumanly accurate, rich and narrative while evoking a romantic power, his voice is a marvel. He is like an actor who becomes different people with each song. At times, he sounds like Mike Baker (from Shadow Gallery), except with far more range, emotional expression, and power. As a songwriter, he has a great sense of complexity and melody and he commands a vast musical vocabulary.

"The Edge - Introduction" is the harrowing overture to this astonishing album. The gothic organ that opens this track sets a dark, haunting tone. In the middle interlude, the instrumental interplay is inventive and exciting. One might first suspect that the album is gearing up for nothing more than an accomplished foray into progressive metal's conventional territory. They would be wrong....

"Fly Away" is the paean of The Edge. Laden with piano and sweeping string synths that accompany the powerful guitars, this song is very moving. The chorus is memorable and beautiful, and Sudano's delivery is breathtaking. The heroic guitar solo is absolutely incredible. The high spirits of this one are very infectious.

"The Confession" had me thinking it was a lost song from Operation: Mindcrime. The thought of this song's premise gives me shivers: it's about a man who kills clergymen in confessionals to avenge his daughter, who was raped and murdered by a priest. Sudano's soaring vocal style of the first two songs changes completely here. Now he isolates the emotional distress of the character and sounds like a normal -- if mentally distraught -- fellow. The anger, the anguish...so perfectly captured by the Sudano's vocals and the cutting instrumentation. The inclusion of "Fortuna Imperatix Mundi" in the intro was an appropriate touch to set the tone.

"The Edge II - The Looking Glass" explores a medieval direction, both musically and lyrically. Jamie Mazur's keyboards establish the atmospheric orchestral backdrop, and Sudano's lyrics are cryptic metaphors for ethical issues. The spitfire guitar riffs build up the urgency before the vocals get start up. The chorus is shocking: Sudano sings an operatic falsetto. It's cool, but at that range Sudano's pronunciation comes apart. That is my only complaint with the entire album.

"A Day In Verse" begins with a sublime piano passage that I love. Sounds a lot like Styx's "Come Sail Away." Sudano's vocals are quieter and almost fragile, but he remains an expressive, visceral wonder. For the most part, "A Day In Verse" is a beautiful ballad, although the middle of the song is more aggressive. The instrumental interlude -- with the heavy throbbing bass, a charging guitar riff, and flamboyant strokes of piano -- is pure genius. It then returns to the quieter theme of the song that is oh so incredible in its evocative power and flow.

By now, Sudano and co. have proven to be infallible songwriters. It seems fitting that they now offer the difficult and mysterious "Imaginarium," which reminds me of Queensryche's "Roads to Madness." This 10-minute track opens with a dark acoustic guitar line, layered by a quiet mesmerizing synth, while the lyrics and vocals are elegiac. Slowly, almost teasingly, the song begins to build in intensity, then things explode into a speedy riff and fiery vocal lines. This undulating arrangement is repeated. Interesting melodic progressions and engaging, high-energy arrangements make this one great.

"The Edge III - Existence Chapter 1,000,009" is a quieter, eclectic piece with lushly pressing instrumental interplay and a subtle, galloping groove. The band shows off some dazzling instrumental interplay during the interlude where they quote classic Beethoven themes.

"The Edge of Madness" is the best recorded depiction of insanity you'll ever hear. Sudano effectively becomes the madman in the song, using close to ten different voices to convey unadulterated dementia. Melody shifts move from staccato guitar strikes to quiet piano passages to accompany the unpredictable change of bearing. It's stunning...but it gets better. In the middle section, Sudano starts cursing the band and the listener themselves! Who are they to tell his story and make money off it, or just sit their and listen to it to get some jollies? The leads in this song come hard, fast and furious.

"Rejection" seethes with anger, again conveyed perfectly in both a musical and vocal sense. You won't hear unqualified rhythmic violence or vocal fury like this from many progressive metal songs.

"Baptism By Fire" is compositionally colorful with mixes of exquisite piano, impassioned vocals, and mid-tempo riffery. Lyrically, it is about being enraged by the world but finding solace in the single, special person whom you love. It fits, given the way the song goes through so many melody shifts.

"The Edge, Legacy/Reprise" closes the album fittingly. By the time the reprise rolls around, you're almost saddened that the CD is ending. However, the dark, enigmatic tones of this album assures that it will prove fruitful for long-term exploration. You'll be listening to this one for a long time. In terms of diversity, the heterogeneous songs ensure that you'll never get bored. This album leaves an indelible mark, and is a must have.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight

"My favorite Marillion album."


This is Marillion's stunning album about the trials and tribulations of a life in the camera's eye and the price of fame. Lots of variety, but it never drifts away from the classic Hogarth-Marillion sound - that is, lush and atmospheric arrangements, swells of emotion, and of course, awesome guitar solos from Rothery. The band's command of its vast, ever-expanding musical vocabulary is so complete, and its sense of purpose so clear, that I've come to realize that Marillion is able to realize practically any direction it wishes to go.

Afraid of Sunlight is nothing like the to the grand, emotionally wrenching big-hearted rock of which mastered with Brave, and nothing like the pop-inflected Holidays In Eden. Afraid of Sunlight is minimalistic, heavy with keyboards, and relatively hookless. The album and introspective, atmospheric, moody, with progressions that are hard to grasp. But at the same time, it's instantly enjoyable. The album encapsulates the sensitivity and the beauty of Marillion better than ever. If I had to complain, it would be that the album is mostly lugubrious through and through, with no uplifting finale. Even Brave seemed to have a happy ending!

But whatever, right? This is Hogarth-Marillion's crowning achievement in terms of songwriting and musicality.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Brave

"Probably Marillion's most ambitious work."

It was fifteen months of work that led to the completion of this record, which is in many ways the most 'progressive' thing the band has done. It is the touching story of a disillusioned young girl who runs away from home, attempts suicide, gets picked up by the police, and learns a thing or two about life and love. The story is told through a non-linear approach with intermittent flashbacks establishing the shattered emotional state of the story's protagonist.

After dabbling with pop for Holidays In Eden, the band headed in a challenging art-rock direction for this release, the most challenging of the Marillion catalogue (from Fish or Hogarth eras). The album features several moments of subtle beauty, emotion tumult, and brash hard-rock (some of the more audacious Marillion songs are on this album). The production is subtle and the arrangements are richly textured. Brave's music is not complicated, but it is densely layered with myriad sounds (more so than any other Marillion album).

For this reason, the album is only truly appreciated at high volume levels or with headphones. For instance, the lengthy instrumental passage on the 12 minute "Goodbye to All That" appears meandering, but headphones reveal considerable depth and ingenuity in the composition. The band adds a quick note in the liner notes, "Play it loud and with the lights off." This is definitely a must (although a candle might be handy so you can read the lyrics - it will still preserve the mood). Even saying that, I think the dynamic range of this album is just too extreme. Some parts are so quiet as to be nearly inaudible if you are listening at a "regular" volume. That's annoying, but I don't think it's a fair criticism in and of itself, because Marillion wasn't intending this to be for casual listening. Basically, it means you can't really listen to this album in the car without a lot of fiddling with the volume.

This is a wonderful album. Certainly one of the better discs from the Hogarth days.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans

"Mystical and beautiful."

I can imagine the time when this album first came out. Yes fans must have praised the album for its daring, its ingenuity, its LENGTH. Now I can imagine things ten years later, with rock critics ridiculing the album for everything from its mystic lyrics, pompous songwriting, indulgent musicianship... everything for which progressive rock has been derided. Even Yes' diehard fans have decidedly mixed feelings regarding this epic work. To them, it could be the pinnacle achievement of Yes' estimable career, or it could the be the most unnecessarily grandiloquent prog album EVER.

On occasion I've tried to empathize with those who dislike this album, thinking that perhaps their criticisms have some merit. Still, I can't get over the fact that this is truly excellent work. I think the music is simply sublime, many of the most wonderful passages that Yes ever recorded. Not as cohesive as the epics on "Close to the Edge" (still my favorite Yes album), but certainly more dynamic, it takes countless listens to fully appreciate. Even 25 years after its release, I'm still finding new elements to this richly absorbing work.

It's all anchored by that awesome rhythm section of Alan White's drums and Chris Squire's mammoth bass guitar, while Wakeman's lush synthesizers add ambiance and depth, and Steve Howe's guitar artistry is sophisticated and engaging. Jon Anderson's trippy lyrics and soulful, elf-ish singing are topnotch. Although the lyrics are mostly confusing, I believe their meanings are meant to be vague. They rely on surreal and romantic imagery to generate feeling in the listener in musical context. It doesn't really matter because the lyrics attain an emotional connection regardless of what they are actually about. I've always believed that Yes' individual elements are impressive, but less important than the unified result of their efforts.

The songs could enjoin a complete review for each one, as each song is brimming with depth and complexity. "The Revealing Science of God" is absolutely spellbinding. From the moment you hear the unmistakable thematic development in the vocal section at the beginning, you know it's going to be something great. A mostly placid epic that occasionally drives into fast-paced energy. Approaching the song's finale, this one climaxes with a mind-bending solo from Wakeman. Cryptic lyrics focused on metaphysical objective values (I think; who really knows?) are tied some of the group's best arrangements.

"The Remembering" is a standout for Rick Wakeman. There's moments of fierce swirling synths and mellotrons, and him and Howe alternately repeat the song's main theme on different instruments. Lots of memorable melodies here, and the song gets pretty intense at times (like the "Relayer" passages).

"The Ancient" is the most difficult song to appreciate. But it is the best song on this album. Its heavy focus on abstruse instrumentation bores many people. That alien guitar tone and the clattering percussion is an amazing combination! I'm a huge fan of music that implements Eastern influences, and this track is filled with them. The band shows incredible versatility in their endeavor to underscore the idiosyncratic beauties of these cultural influences. Towards the end of the song, Howe's acoustic wizardry is displayed. Awesome!

"Ritual" is a sprawling piece that is very symphonic at times. A lengthy instrumental passage opens this one, and just when you think the track is starting to meander, it gets back on track. This one never gets too pretentious, and it's beautifully melodic and excitingly played and arranged. At the 15-minute mark, there's this unforgettable orchestral interlude with devastating percussion and harrowing strings (synthed, of course). The ending is gorgeous, with clean electric guitar/piano interplay and Anderson's delicate vocals.

Like complex jazz, some of Yes' music is far too esoteric to be appreciated by everyone. That's perfectly fine. I don't consider myself intellectually superior to the many who have no taste for this admittedly convoluted work of music. Still, it moves me, it engrosses me, and it never bores me. It may not tap the conventional spirit of music, but to me, that's part of what makes it special. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Honestly, I think that 'prog fans' who don't like this album just don't have TRUE PROG LOVE in their hearts.

MUSIC REVIEW: Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Lake

"Awesome."

Pain of Salvation is a breath of fresh air beyond the smog of Dream Theater clones. These days, when you pick up a progressive metal album, you can expect some hints of Dream Theaters Images And Words. Most new progmetal bands try so hard to impress that they somehow fail, but Pain of Salvation succeeds by offering a fresh approach. Their debut album, Entropia, was breathtakingly original, but the band's ostensible drive to experiment sometimes made for a disjointed record on the whole. One Hour by the Concrete Lake is -- in terms of songwriting -- the better of the two, but similarly delivers a powerful shot of originality.

In stark contrast to many other progressive metal bands, PoS' music is not presented in a way that the members are showcased as individual stunning musicians. It is their flair for dynamic and innovative composition that makes them progressive, not technique. They establish originality by weaving a plethora of styles and seamlessly shifting between them. This is strongly illustrated by how vocalist Daniel Gildenlow will switch from a vicious metal growl to a quiet, delicate voice with an appropriate musical accompaniment. Sound strange? Indeed, but it works. Over the course many listens, you come to understand the band's frequently switching demeanor, and you get a feel for the band's originality. It can be ruthlessly heavy at times, and can be wonderfully soft and melodic at others. The beautiful chorus of "Water," for instance, juxtaposed with those heavier moments, makes for an engaging listen.

One Hour is another concept album...err, theme album, I guess. It is based more on individual songs and less on the musical unity found in Entropia and their newest [Chimp Note: This review is old], The Perfect Element. There is no story, rather the album is tied together by three chapters making us aware of world issues such as war and environmental concerns. Daniel Gildenlow, the band's principal songwriter, generally works his ideas effectively into the lyrics, but a few overwrought moments border on being silly. For example, in the song "Water": "I never saw the relation | Between myself and world starvation." Dear god that's awful. Cheesy lines like this are impossible to ignore because of singer D. Gildenlow's habit for oversinging. I have seen reviews on the Internet that rip into Gildenlow's political beliefs expressed on this album. Really though, environmental destruction and violence in the third-world are serious problems. Although I disagree with Gildenlow's politics, the lyrics here work for me because Gildenlow presents them fairly evenhandedly. Still, he could use some economic lessons from the Austrian school, har har.

Despite that criticism, Gildenlow is probably the most impressive facet of Pain of Salvation's sound. He's a great singer, and he's improved HUGELY over Entropia. The reason is that he has much more control over his range. Still, he sometimes injects the songs with needless frills that hurt his performance. He often sings unnecessarily high and it just doesn't sound good. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Pilgrim," a lovely ballad (complete with cello), but hurt by the fact that he over-sing the refrain. More tasteful restraint would have benefited the song considerably.

Wow, I sure am critical. After all that, would you even believe me if I said Gildenlow is one of the most amazing singers I've heard? Hmm. It's great that he has refined his vocal stylings almost completely for the band's third album, The Perfect Element, and the fourth album, Remedy Lane.

This is a great CD for progressive metal fans. From the serene opening "Spirit of the Land," to the intense progmetal trappings of "Inside," from the gorgeous "Water" to the exciting thematic development in "Home," from the gloomy, intricate complexities of "Black Hills" to the outstanding "Inside Out," with its blinding piano riff and fervent guitar interplay, this disc has something for anyone who digs the genre...and maybe for someone who doesn't but wants something different.

MUSIC REVIEW: Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element I

"Terrific, unique."

Pain of Salvation is one of progressive metal's most promising bands. While I consider myself a pretty big fan in general, I think The Perfect Element (Part I) is probably their most defining album. Entropia was extremely original and mostly solid, but much the album's is kind of all over the place (which works for me, but I like that kind of eclectic stuff). One Hour By The Concrete Lake was an improvement, with better production and songs overall, but it was, dare I say, a little more more "straightforward" progressive metal (relatively speaking, of course! this is no Dream Theater clone!) and it lacked the striking originality of Entropia. Clearly, there was a balance that could be achieved.

With The Perfect Element, PoS has refined their sound, synthesizing the remarkable uniqueness of Entropia and the stronger songcraft of One Hour. Gone are the sometimes awkward herky-jerky musical passages, the needlessly embellished vocals, and turgid lyrics. Here, everything works. No, it's not perfect. But it's damn good.

The band's nature is very eclectic, for they change musical bearing unpredictably. The first tract, "Used," best exemplifies this. It begins with the harrowing coupling of heavy guitars and synths, with vocalist Daniel Gildenlow's dark, fierce intonations. With the chorus, the song undergoes a complete change as it suddenly shifts into a harmonious melody with sharply contrasting "lighter" vocals. (Sound familiar, PoS fans? It's like "!" from Entropia, but better.) "Used" is a pretty extreme example, for the rest of the album is more cohesive from song to song, but the fundaments of this versatile approach remain intact. For those who are new to PoS, this might sound almost annoying. Let me aver that the polarizing course of the music is one of its greatest merits. Why? Because the they does it incredibly well. When a band can blend so many musical ideas so seamlessly and naturally, taking you from hell to heaven and back again, it's definitely stunning.

More so than any other Pain of Salvation record, this one has the most equal balance of strident heaviness and balladry. Soft piano leads, clean electric and acoustic guitars are used as often as heavy guitar riffery. This dichotomy may irk those who favor the aggression to ballads, but this album is best thought of as a whole (it is a concept album, after all). In that respect, the balanced qualities work well.

Daniel Gildenlow's vocals have improved much since One Hour By The Concrete Lake. He still reveals some weaknesses in the higher octaves, but he seems to have a better understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. He has also improved his lyricism. On previous albums they were almost too cheesy and, I don't know... blatant? But now they are mostly just plain good. The poetic aptitude he shows in conveying this deeply emotional story about childhood is pretty impressive. As for the concept itself, the specifics are obscure, but this ensures that a lot of time will be spent unraveling this intricate story. For those listeners who don't care much about the lyrics, the album can be enjoyed simply by riding on the dynamic musical waves...

The album's only fault is its production. The production is actually good overall, but PoS' sound contains myriad textures, many of which are difficult to dissect because the production splatters everything into a blob of keyboards and guitars that is difficult to distinguish if your sound system isn't at least somewhat formidable. The guitar tone often makes it difficult to distinguish individual notes. When Gildenlow sings softy with a dense background of instrumentation, his words can be unintelligible. Similarly, when multiple vocal lines are concurrently sung, making out individual words his needlessly hard. The production is imperfect, for certain, but in other ways the band has never sounded better. The keyboards in particular sound stronger, and the crunching guitars are more raucous, and the vocals are strikingly visceral.

In the end, the production doesn't detract from the listening experience too much, because it is so strong on the whole. Hopefully, The Perfect Element Part II will retain all of this one's merits and tweak the production.

(Final note: If you see this in a store, don't get apprehensive about the band's photo on the back. Sure, they look like Korn or some other "nu metal" band, but the looks are where the similarities end. Enjoy!)

MUSIC REVIEW: Tori Amos - Boys for Pele

"Opaque, confusing... beautiful and perfect."

Is this, the most difficult Tori Amos album, actually the best Tori Amos album? Concurrently seducing and frustrating, Boys For Pele is Tori Amos' easily most complex and enigmatic work. With her previous albums, Tori showed an unashamed pretentiousness in songwriting. Even so, she was consistently able to isolate and preserve the emotional element, making for stirring music that generated a throng of fervent fans. It was her alternately accessible yet eminently deep songs that people loved.

Boys For Pele isn't quite the same. It's confounding, confusing, and challenging. Here, the music is very experimental compared to what we expect, with traditional song structure generally often eschewed, and arrangements are highly varied. There are pianos and rock instruments, but also lots of harpsichords! Tori's idiosyncratic lyrics are complex and strange, heavy on puzzling imagery and surrealism. For many people, the album doesn't seem to work. The level of intimacy ascribed to Tori's previous work is awfully obscure, which may alienate some fans.

Fortunately, this album is worth the work to make it "stick." It is indeed intriguing, and its mystique implores exploration. Analysis reveals that the songs are deeper than they first appear; Tori has crammed enough peculiarities under the surface that it succeeds in making her relentless experimentation highly satisfying. Many moments positively shimmer with genius (particularly on the first two-thirds of the disc), and others are more subtle in their brilliance due to stylish quirks. But it's all good; there's not a single song I don't like. Some songs, like "Professional Widow", are just freakin' nuts. Tori also proves that sometimes all you need is a piano and a voice (and what a voice!) to create some of the most beautiful music around.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Misplaced Childhood

"Emotionally intense, confessional music."

A heavy drug binge equipped Marillion frontman Fish with the lyrical ideas that would anchor the band's concept album, an artistically challenging little project. Misplaced Childhood gives rise to tales of painful childhood experiences, lost love, and rock star lavishness. Fish's brilliant deftness with acerbic poetry and his distinct voice, supported by a very accomplished group of musicians, produced a great, great album.

Typical of 80s "neo-prog", Misplaced Childhood features lush musicianship but without the grandiosity and sophistication of a "true" progressive rock band. Some prog rock fans find Marillion (and the genre) boring. But this album is challenging from a thematic standpoint, and musically it is engaging because it dexterously straddles the line between low-key prog and enterprising pop/rock. The result is an album that attains a remarkable element of accessibility, but concurrently it fairly repays the intensive time it demands for the album to truly sink in and expose its greatness. This album is seductive, musically and especially lyrically; the songs compels exploration. The sonic surfaces are stylishly sad, but it's infectious at the same time. The album ends with "White Feather," a song with a hopeful note. It leaves you feeling good.

To conclude simply, if you're a neo-prog fan or an intelligent rock fan, I recommend picking up Misplaced Childhood.

MUSIC REVIEW: Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory

"A stunning tour-de-force -- the best prog metal album of all time."

In a time when most bands have stopped trying, Dream Theater continues to challenge themselves. Simply put, no band has Dream Theater's bombastic musical audacity...at least, no band with signed with a major record company. After nearly breaking up following the stressful recording of Falling Into Infinity, the band managed to convince their label to let them produce the record they wanted all along. As a result, the band has made their finest work.

Extrapolating the saga of Images And Words' "Metropolis Pt.1" is the stunning concept album Scenes From A Memory, an epic suite divided into twelve parts. The original concept was delightfully obscure and nebulous...almost mythical. The band has taken the concept and fleshed out the core ideas, producing a slightly unusual two-act murder mystery. Lyrically, the album sometimes comes across flat. Judging from earlier albums, we know Dream Theater can shine lyrically, but given the story approach, their diction is straightforward, generally lacking the profundity of their earlier lyrical work. In terms of writing, this is no Operation: Mindcrime. Nonetheless, the tale is reasonably compelling, with a striking revelatory moment when the listener unravels the mystery of the plot. Despite the sometimes prosaic style of writing, between the plot, story, and music, it's barely a fault.

Musically, the band seems to be going all out. The album begins with a tepid acoustic number "Regression" but then floors the listener with the stunning instrumental "Overture 1928." From there, the album's 77 minutes of music covers plenty of ground, from heartfelt piano ballads to eastern chord progressions, from furious assaults of shredding to synthed orchestral sections and a gospel choir. All the musicians make an impression, particularly on the insane instrumental, "The Dance of Eternity." This frenetic six-minute flurry of notes that changes time signatures every bar (with weird stuff like 19/16 and 15/8), swaps between piano and guitar leads, stuns with a mind-boggling bass solo, and a seamlessly incorporates a ragtime piano section. (Fans with keen ears will even pick up a section from "Metropolis Pt.1" played backwards.) Scenes From A Memory does an outstanding job establishing musical cohesion by intermittently using familiar riffs, both from this record and "Metropolis Pt.1". This is an important artistic choice as it forms continuity, and it is done with notable success here.

Special mention goes to Jordan Rudess, the band's new keyboardist, recruited after Petrucci and Portnoy worked with him on Liquid Tension Experiment. Whereas most keyboardists (in progmetal) do little other than offer a string synth and occasional solo to support the guitar, Rudess is the one of the more interesting and original keyboardist of the genre... he shares the spotlight with the guitar rather often. He exacts a perfect tone during solos, which eliminates the "cheese" sound often attributed to the instrument. He employs sitar samples, fairly genuine sounding orchestral synths, stunning piano, and other quirky sounds (like this strange trumpet thing on "Beyond This Life"). His technical brilliance is superlative...seriously one of the best keyboardists on the planet.

The album enjoins a gamut of emotional reactions from the listener. Particularly distinct are the emotions in the respectively heartbreaking and joyful ballads "Through Her Eyes" and "The Spirits Carries On" as well as the underscored anger and hopelessness in "Home" and "Finally Free." This is mainly attributable to vocalist James LaBrie's emotive performance. Compared to his earlier works, his vocals here are less high-key but very refined and expressive. I get uncontrollable chills whenever he sings the final section of "Through Her Eyes," or The Miracle's sinister soliloquy during "Home."

Finally, I will quickly address the accusation that Dream Theater cares more about showing off than writing good songs. This is absolutely untrue. As a metal band, they can be intense, but a solid melodic element is intact. Their solos are not masturbatory; they inject the songs with a high-point of emotion or intensity. Even moments of striking dissonance prove to be engaging.

I think it's understood by now that I regard this album with reams of deference. It's completely awesome. Buy it...it's astonishing. This was released in 1999, and to date there has never been a better progressive metal album.

Shadow Gallery - Tyranny

"Mike Baker is the worst prog-metal singer ever."

Shadow Gallery has one thing going for them: they're all great musicians. Unfortunately, it takes more than chops to make a good progressive metal record. Tyranny is a concept album dealing with a man's moral conflicts and struggle against people who make weapons of war. The lyrics are pretty simple, but it delivers the story well and hangs on to an important element of humanity that makes it touching at times. Anti-establishment prog-metal concept album? Honestly, this sort of thing SHOULD be right up my alley

Shadow Gallery's sytle of Queensryche meets Dream Theater progressive metal (with lots of pianos) is all done well, but I can't get past the vocalist, Mike Baker. He is awful. I guarantee he's the reason this band has never performed live. His range is ultra-thin and his delivery lacks balls. I think the glaring inadequacies of his voice are only barely covered up by the production and the big vocal harmonies, so a live performance would shatter the illusion. To quote the reviewer who goes by the name "Methuselah", "He's a singer with emotion at best." And yeah, he's emotional, but I really don't like his actual voice, so it just doesn't work for me.

"New World Order," where most of the vocals are sung by ex-Royal Hunt vocalist DC Cooper is the best song on Tyranny. Harsh. I think this proves to me that Shadow Gallery can write strong songs, but the overall delivery is undermined by Baker. The other great song is the beautiful ballad "Spoken Words" where the story's hero talks with his cyber lover (LOL) over the phone. His cyber pal is voiced by female singer, who doesn't have a great voice herself, but the harmonies between herself and Baker are absolutely exquisite. The graceful violin and piano melodies make it so much better.

But that's about it. Aside from "New World Order," "Spoken Words," and the blazing instrumental intro, the rest of the album leaves me ice cold. You will find awesome prog metal elsewhere. This is "ok" at best. Heck, the Shadow Gallery debut is actually better than this because the music is so damn cheesy you don't take it as seriously, and weak cheesy vocals work better in that environment. Here everything is so serious that I can't take it seriously with Baker's cheese.

Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding

"A work of genius."

While Iron Maiden was facing with mixed results with their non-Bruce albums, Bruce Dickinson was enjoying a lucrative solo career that proved proved he was not only a tremendous heavy metal vocalist, but a solid songwriter as well. That said, Chemical Wedding is undoubtedly the peak of his solo career. Furthermore, it is arguably better than anything he did with Maiden as well. I love Maiden, so I don't say this lightly. Bruce's vocals have matured considerably over the years, and have reached a more dynamic quality while not sacrificing his youthful intensity. Lyrically, the album is an evocative, thought-provoking concept album that proves to be incredibly rewarding once its theme is revealed. [Chimp Note: This is actually not officially a concept album, but I find it hard to interpret it to be anything else.]

By comparison, this album is heavier sonically than any of Bruce's other work or any of Iron Maiden's discs. This was clearly a conscious decision as they customized their guitars to make this album heavy as hell. You won't hear a guitar tone like this elsewhere, and that gives the album a dirty, gritty quality that has no comparison. Roy Z and Adrian Smith are one hell of a duo, and if Bruce's vocals weren't so dazzling, they'd steal the show. Clean solos slice through the mix, and poignant riffs are ceaselessly launched at the listener in wave after wave of heavy melody. Guitar interplay weaves and merges in an engaging manner, made all the more enjoyable by the clean, heavy production.

But while the guitars are excellent, they never take focus away from Bruce. Never before has his adopted a broader sense of dynamics as with this album. Listen to the sinister verses in "Book of Thel", or the soaring octaves in the chorus of "Trumpets of Jericho", or the constantly shifting dynamics of "The Alchemist." As always, the vocals are etched with Bruce's trademark intensity and vigor. Over the years, Bruce's voice has been refined to an ideal timber, and in my opinion he sounds better than ever. He is more than the heavy metal "air raid siren" -- he is a well-rounded vocalist.

As for my interpretation of the whole "concept that is not a concept": The album is a (non-story) concept album that deals with man's relationship with God (at least that's my interpretation of it). Ultimately, the meaning of the lyrics are one of the album's best points, but less lyric-oriented listeners will enjoy the lyrics from a superficial level as well (stuff about the devil, mythology, religious stories, etc. -- all the stuff that makes for good metal lyrics). Still, understanding the lyrics is an important, rewarding part of this disc, so I encourage all listeners to think about it for a while. (To understand what Bruce was trying to say, only the relationship between tracks 1, 2, 3, 9, and 10 must be understood.) The only problem with this album is that the chorus of "Killing Floor" is kinda of annoying sometimes. But it's a minor complaint, as I enjoy the rest of the song.

I regard this as one of the best metal albums of the 90s. Even this year's hailed and laudable Maiden album "Brave New World" (which I enjoy) has nothing on the power, originality, and brilliance of The Chemical Wedding. I encourage any heavy metal fan to pick this one up.

Pain of Salvation - Entropia

"One of the most original progressive metal albums."

"....."

That's what I first thought after listening to Pain of Salvation's debut album for the first time. It was really unlike anything else I'd ever heard, and I didn't know what to think. Entropia is such an eclectic synthesis of so many different musical styles that it truly is original and, well, progressive. That wouldn't be worth much if the songs were badly written, but Pain of Salvation is headed by one of the most brilliant writers/vocalists in the genre.

Most progressive metal copies Dream Theater's Images & Words album, and that gets real old real quick. But some bands, like PoS, actually bring fresh ideas to the genre. Yes, Entropia's got long songs, melody shifts aplenty, weird time changes, and varied song structure, but none of these things are really "progressive" in and of themselves. Being progressive is about pushing boundaries on musical composition and musicianship. Entropia does this. This is unique album.

This innovation comes with its challenges, but if you don't enjoy challenging music you should probably skip this review and this band entirely. I found the album album quite hard to get into because it is so different. Also, sometimes the implementation of so many styles sometimes seems to have been done in a sort of random way, with no real regard to how it fit in the context of the song. There are some awkward herky-jerky musical moments where flow of the song becomes disjointed and suffers. It mostly works ("Revival", "!", for instance), but sometimes it doesn't.

Despite some criticism, the album is amazing overall. Melody changes are seamless and mostly make sense. Listen to how a song can naturally move from a chugging and vicious guitar riff to a surreal jazzy interlude and you can't help but be amazed. With Entropia, PoS took a chunk of metal and tossed it into the blender with everything from jazz, symphonic prog rock, extreme metal, funk, among other things (most of which can't be individually identified because they are implemented very well, but you know they are there). It's a weird mix, but it's also weird that it works so well.

The vocalist might be an acquired taste for some; like the music, he uses a huge variety of styles, with a delivery running the range between soaring broadway-esque moments and vicious metal growls. I'm not sure who to compare him to, since he's not really like anyone else. There's no denying that this guy has range and power. My only problem is that he sometimes tries to sing far above his range and he loses power at really high notes, where his voice just stops sounding good. (He has improved upon this on later albums.) One thing you'd probably never guess is that this guy's European...there is only a slight trace of an accent and the lyrics are very strong. Since Europe is well-known for its bleak wasteland of power metal where lyrics are utterly bad, Entropia's effective poetry is a nice surprise. Speaking of the lyrics, the disc is a concept album of sorts. It doesn't progress in a story per se, but rather it's a sort of commentary dealing with the impact of war on people (I think).

Unless you've heard other PoS albums, you've probably never heard anything like this. Compared to other PoS albums, it is more experimental and diverse than One Hour by the Concrete Lake (which is more song-oriented to my ears), and less dramatic and "lush" than The Perfect Element. Entropia is like Remedy Lane in that both albums are rhythmically extremely sophisticated and diverse, but Remedy Lane is much more personal lyrically. Either way, I think all progmetal fans should listen to this at least once...love it or hate it, it will probably change the way you think about the genre.

Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite

Probably the best prog-metal album of 2000; undoubtedly one of the best ever.

It's amazing what happens to metal when you add a rich classical influence -- you get Symphony X! They are a neoclassical/progressive metal band with a unique, dynamic, and intense sound. Heavy, melodic, brilliant, and powerful... these are words that describe Symphony X. V - The New Mythology Suite is the band's best work up to this point, showing jaw-dropping musicianship and a story revolving around one of the world's most intriguing mythologies -- ancient Egypt, and a bit of ATLANTIS! Hell yeah!

V is like a single, one hour song divided into 13 parts, as each track flows seamlessly into the next. The album kicks off with the haunting opener "Prelude" then moves into the exhilarating speed metal track "Evolution - The Grand Design", anchored by its unforgettable guitar riff. Over the next hour, 'V' takes you on a musical journey that will leave you speechless in the end. Michael Romeo is an incredible guitarist, fast, melodic, and a complete virtuoso. The keyboarist is a one-man orchestra and his performance adds a rich sound to the music. One of the bands coolest aspects is their approach to solos. The guitar-keyboard switching is simply awesome -- when you hear a guitar solo, you know a keyboard solo is close behind (or vice-versa) and the effect is dazzling, with Romeo's mind-bending shredding and Pinnella's lightning-fast keys merging tightly together.

Symphony X's studio production quality has tended towards excellence on recent albums, and this is no exception. The bass is crystal-clear yet deep, even when layering the heavy riffs, a feat that is all too rare. Drumming is kept to the perfect volume level in the mix, even when the standard speed metal drumming kicks in. All in all, the production complements the music and makes the album even more accessible so it can immediately enthrall the listener.

In terms of songwriting, the band was definitely on a roll. Songs are concise, equally dividing instrumental passages with lyrics. This is the band's most progressive release, with shifting time signatures and a more open approach to their classical influence. Lead vocalist Russel Allen is probably the best singer in metal today -- he shows tremendous control in the gamut of octaves. Earlier in the band's career, Allen sounded much like Dio, but now that sound has been diluted with Allen's own unique operatic qualities (ignore the connotations that would otherwise denigrate such a description). And just as Queen used rich harmonies to hard rock, Symphony X does the same to metal -- and the result is something better than ever attempted with this type of music. Lyrics are something that have to be heard to be believed -- the band's combinations of internal rhyming and parallel structure are incredible.

Tremendous in scope and staggering in its delivery, Symphony X's V is the probably best metal album of the year. Thank you, Metal Blade, for picking SyX up for a North American distribution deal. [Chimp Note: Symphony X is no longer with Metal Blade, which is probably a good thing.]

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime

"A marvel of heavy metal and storytelling."

Despite being an inconspicuous pioneer of the progressive metal genre, Queensryche delivers a clear-cut, albeit highly sophisticated, heavy metal with commercial appeal with Operation: Mindcrime, arguably their finest album to date. Taking their lyrical ambition several steps beyond previous works, Operation: Mindcrime is a concept album telling the story of a cynical, idealistic man named Nikki who joins a zealous left-wing organization set on assassinating political and religious deadbeats. Tragic romance, drug addiction, betrayal, and insanity are all elements of this great story. Anchored to some of the 'Ryche's best songwriting, music and story amalgamate into a truly memorable album.

Perhaps the reason O:M is such an excellent piece of work is its emotional redolence. We shouldn't feel sorry for Nikki in his situation (he's not really a nice guy, after all), but we do because of the story's closed system. Since all the characters are scumbags (especially the lowlife hypocrite of a priest), Nikki wins our sympathy just because he's trapped in a nightmare from which he cannot escape, and he's among the least vile of the characters. It also helps that vocalist Geoff Tate sings with a passion heightened by his inhuman vocal ability. His mastery of upper ranges is matched by few, if any, and he delivers the narrative lyrics with conviction and intensity. Definitely one of the greatest vocal performances ever put to a metal record.

The story's conveyances score high marks for great metal songwriting. Songs are concise, aggressive, and every one is worthwhile. The band scored some lucrative singles with "I Don't Believe In Love," lyrically cheerless but musically exhilarating, and the stunning "Eyes of a Stranger," the captivating rocker that serves as the story's terrific coda, as well as carrying overtones for a broader thematic matter. More ambitious songs also make an impression, especially with Michael Kamen's fabulous orchestrations. The timorous overture to "Suite Sister Mary" leads into a lush 10-minute track combining chanting choirs, intense guitar lines, and brilliant character interaction between Nikki (Tate) and Mary (Pamela Moore), sung of course. The only thing that would have made this song tastier is some harmonization between Tate and Moore, which would have sounded great, but let's not get picky. "The Mission" is one of the most underrated songs the band ever wrote, yet concurrently one of the best, with powerful lyrics, arrangements, and emotionally striking solos.

After this, Queensryche released Empire and Promised Land, an outstanding commercial hard rock album. The work that followed these was notably weaker, and it's doubtful that the band will ever again hit the peak of songwriting found here and on their next release. Mindcrime are both worthy additions to your collection if you want some of the best metal and hard rock out there.

Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory

"Ineffably superlative prog-metal masterpiece."


...Let's just get one thing out of the way: Dream Theater is not for everyone. Let's forget musical nomenclature (progressiverock/metal and what not) and just say this: Dream Theater has a very distinct prog-metal style that is that is overflowing with their amazing musical talent. While this talent is always prevalent and evident, DT is often accused of being overly technical while sacrificing melodic songwriting qualities. You might hear the term "musical masturbation" tossed around.

All of DT's members are gods and considered by many to be their personal heroes. But sure, maybe they are pretentious instrumentalists... one might say the emphasis on instrumental sections of extended virtuosity show this. For those who become bored easily without someone constantly singing, or cannot appreciate everything depth of the music (polyrhythms, meter shifts, etc), think twice. You can aboslutely love this album without being a musician yourself -- that might just make you appreciate them more easily.

I think Dream Theater is one of the most talented bands in music today, and this comes from someone who listens to everything: classical, jazz, metal, death metal, prog, pop...you name it. While others see complain that Dream Theater's music is just "musical masturbation," I think it is important for a band like this to strike a balance between vocals and instrumental components. When you have a band this talented, they just need to play.

Of course, the "musical masturbation" complaint might be justified if Dream Theater -- like many bands -- sacrificed intensity and melody for "wank-factor." Dream Theater doesn't do this. This is important: They write awesome songs. Petrucci's music on the guitar is a thing of beauty -- like Joe Satriani, he is "not of this Earth," able to combine technique and emotion and melody into a wicked cocktail. DT's new man on the keys, Jordan Rudess, is absolutely stunning. His piano work is simply beautiful, and his synths are expertly mixed and add wonderful elements to the music. UNlike many keyboardists, Rudess eschews cheesy "laser sounds" and other sounds that often accompany keyboards. Mike Portnoy is hands-down one of my favorite drummers, and bassist John Myung -- a subtle player who is easy to overlook -- is also a complete virtuoso and lays down wicked bass lines.

Of course, it wouldn't be complete without James LaBrie's stunning vocals. LaBrie has heaps of talent, and he sounds different than the usual Geoff Tate wanna-be that seems ubiquitous in prog-metal. With unrivaled range, hunger, and emotional intensity, his voice really captures the emotion of the song, especially in the heartbreakingly beautiful ballads "The Spirit Carries On" and "Through Her Eyes."

Many people are dismissing SFAM's lyrics as disposable, and these woeful individuals are missing the point. What we have here is a concept album that is telling a wonderful story about death, deceit, and love (sound corny? Don't worry, it's not). The lyrics are mostly handled by Petrucci and Portnoy, and it's not divine poetry but it's pretty good. Fans of "Metropolis Pt.1" will recognize familiar bits from said song. Lyrics are articulate and always sound, well, good! Especially given how touchy it is to wield subject matter like this. People have compared this to The Wall (Pink Floyd), Operation: Mindcrime (Queensryche) and other concept albums, but this isn't a very good comparison. SFAM stands on its own and is simply beyond words...absolutely incredible. There isn't a concept album with this kind of over-the-top musicality and operatic scope. Complaints about the ending are also missing the point: It's supposed to leave the listeners hanging...we'll have to wait until part III to find out how it continues...(if they release a part 3, that is).

In the end, Dream Theater really shows what it's made of with SFAM...a band with heart, skill, and impact. The musicianship, studio recording quality, and story line are beyond reproach. Some people may find the instrumental bits a little overbearing, but if you appreciate the talent and the melodies that are in action, you probably love it as much as anyone else who's given it five stars.

Finally, make sure you do your best to figure out the story line. The album transcends mere music to something so much more once you develop an emotional attachment to the events portrayed in SFAM. This is how it is with most people.

Highly recommended.

Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

"One of Maiden's Best"


This is barely a review, it was motivated by FOOLS who seem to target this album for the "crime" of using SYNTHS! I honestly don't know how anyone that appreciates good classic metal can cut down this album. It's firmly situated in the upper-echelon of Maiden's catalogue. The song writing is incredibly strong. People dismissing the lyrics as corny are missing the point entirely. This is a CONCEPT ALBUM... and it's MAIDEN. What kind of lyrical material were you expecting? It's trying to tell a story, Maiden-style, but too many pabulum-fed fools can't understand this. Maiden has never been about delivering astonishingly deep music with reams of depth and relevence to world issues or anything...it's about cheap-thrill metal that sounds great. As always, Bruce's urgent vocals are incredible and are sung with his ineffable intensity. Being a Maiden album, the music is awesome and intricately layered, with their powerful signature riffs and mind-bending solos. People complaining about synthed music are simply ignoring what this album is about...the use of synthed audio adds to the drama and the power of the story. It doesn't detract from the music in ANY way, but it isn't thoughtless either. Unfortunately, certain mindless people can't accept diversity and effect if it offends the sensibilities of THEIR ideal image for Maiden. Every song on 7th Son is excellent...some parts are slow, some are fast, but all are powerful. This is quite possibly the pinnacle of the band's albums.

Symphony X - Iconoclast

ICONOCLAST

Symphony X

"INFERNAL MACHINES ARISE - FLESH AND STEEL COLLIDE!"

Sometimes bands just seem to do everything right. Symphony X is basically a band like that. _Iconoclast_ is a brilliant prog-metal album. First of all, the band sounds tighter than ever and the production is really heavy, really METAL. It's sound is very similar to _Paradise Lost_. You know when bands suddenly gets 'heavier' on an album or two, and the heavier albums are the best albums? Yeah, this is like that. However, the band retains its knack for amazing vocals, melodic hooks, and songwriting that closes on your skull like a bear trap snapping shut. Not to mention some downright rippin' prog-metal breakdowns, face-melting solos, and a big, epic, "Rise of the Machines" kind of theme. There's an absolutely brilliant 'power ballad', "When All Is Lost". And that's saying a lot when you think of crazy songs that might be in that category, such as "Candlelight Fantasia," "Lady of the Snow", "Awakenings", "Paradise Lost", "Edge of Forever" maybe... anyway. You know, a lot of the album sounds kinda 'the same' at first, and it's long which doesn't help that initial impression (2-disc version is mandatory, if you get the 1-disc set you are stupid). But that is only at first, because give it some attention and the music reveals all the brilliant layers that make awesome prog-metal so tasty (especially with this emphasis on METAL and great hooks). I've listened to this to death since it was released and it fills me with joy. This is probably Symphony X's most _perfect_ album so everything else they release after this is just gravy. Well maybe the last song could have been a wee bit more epic and huge but it's still excellent so oh well. And one final comments, even after all these years there are still reviews that say Symphony X has "stupid" or "bad" lyrics, but come on, what do you expect, Edgar Allan Poe? It's a metal band, writing about (in this case) evil machine empires (or something) messing $&@% up. The lyrics are actually AWESOME when you think about it.