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: Symphony X - The Damnation Game

"Wimpy production blights intense, powerful music."

With a more powerful production, you know, a bit more "OOMPH", The Damnation Game could have been so much better than it is. It's sad that guitars buzz instead of crunch, drums click instead of slam, and the overall power just isn't there.

The Damnation Game, SyX's second album, brings god-like metal vocalist Russell Allen into the ranks. Although his ability never really shines through in this production, one can immediately see the promise in this man's pipes. Sounding like a younger, more vicious Ronnie James Dio, Allen fits SyX's aggressive music direction much better than the hopelessly bad Rod Tyler (from the debut).

In the song department, the band has their frantic songwriting more under control, with tighter arrangements and more intensity. The neoclassical element is still strongly evident, although the band is now exploring more interesting avenues. "The Edge of Forever" is a beautiful song with fast and slow passages, lamenting poetry, and inventive melodic progressions. It really sets the tone for the band's later brand of progressive/neoclassical metal found on Twilight In Olympus and V. Michael Romeo, one of the reigning champs of metal soloing, has his neoclassical leads coming fast and furious, with technique that might cause our good friend Yngwie to take notice. Romeo's partner in devastating soloing is the lightning-fast Michael Pinnella, whose blistering keyboard leads smoke through the song and arrest one's attention as much as any guitar solo. Songs feature trademark SyX features... majestic harmonies, symphonic textures, and killer leads, but the band has yet to explode. On the next several albums, they certainly erupt with all the ambition and quality hinted at here.

You've probably discovered SyX with either The Divine Wings of Tragedy or V. [Ed.: Or maybe one of their newest albums. This review was originally published a long time ago.] If that's the case, be sure to add The Damnation Game to your collection. It is flawed, but it's great moments give it the "must-have" status. And if you're new to Symphony X, start with one of the aforementioned albums.

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.]

Metallica - S&M

Metallica's 'greatest hits' with a symphony is a mixed bag.

I like most of a lot of Metallica songs and I think S&M is an interesting twist on the Greatest Hits/live album concept. Bolstering their powerful music with the addition of a full orchestra serves to make their music even more intense...at least sometimes. I love classical music as well as metal, so this album was instantly very intriguing to me. I was blown away the first time I heard it, and as I devoted more time to discovering the vast plethora of intricate orchestral adjuncts, my enjoyment soared.

But I must say that, like most Metallica fans, I enjoyed their pre-Black Album days more than anything they've released with producer Bob Rock. Bob Rock sucks for Metallica, that's a fact. Their music was toned down and simplified with the Black Album (as well as with the subsequent Load and Reload), which is -- inadvertently -- the problem with S&M. The orchestra does a beautiful job complementing Metallica's older songs. Songs like "Master of Puppets", "Call of Ktulu", "One", and "For Whom The Bell Tolls" work exceptionally well, because the lush soundscapes of the orchestra effectively bolster the musical complexity of these songs. Those songs were kind of proto-progressive metal; they were at least a little 'symphonic' in the first place. However, tracks like "Fuel" and "The Memory Remains" are boring plods that gain nothing with a symphonic contribution. Battery, a great thrash song, just doesn't work with strings and brass clashing with the thrash.

The two new songs, "No Leaf Clover" and "- Human" are a mixed bag too. "No Leaf Clover" is an above-average piece, primarily because of the incredible string arrangements, but it feels otherwise uninspired. "- Human" seems completely out of place with an orchestra, and I wonder what it would be like without it. Actually, I don't even really care because that song is pretty lame.

Song choice is also a problem, I think. While I can understand wanting to choose songs that were accessible to Metallica's newer fans, the overall album would have been better with more tracks from the bands glory days. ...And Justice For All got screwed big time...only one song? Granted, that song is one of the band's best ("One") but I would have loved to hear that album's title track here. I think Metallica just hates that album because they got lazy and the songs are long. Lars used to whine in all the interviews about how tired he would get playing AJFA songs. "Kill 'Em All" didn't get a single song. This is mostly understandable, but I could really see "The Four Horsemen" being played here. I think a more even selection of songs would have been appropriate.

In the end, despite the faults I've pointed out, S&M's merits overshadow its flaws. The production is excellent, Hetfield sings like never before, and the sheer amount of work that went into this show is purely commendable. If your a longtime Metallica fan or a newbie wondering where to start with one of the industry's most definitive metal bands, get S&M.

Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy

"The infallible Symphony X."

Symphony X occupies an obscure corner of the progressive metal world, best described as ::deep breath:: symphonic neo-classical progressive speed metal. When one thinks of progressive metal, you usually think of the genre's most eminent champion, Dream Theater. Makes sense, considering all the Dream Theater clones out there. But Symphony X is no Dream Theater clone. Malmsteen-like guitar heroics, fiercely heavy riffs, symphonic keyboards, Queen-like vocal harmonies, and Russell Allen's godly "bad-ass" metal vocals are all part of the package. Forget the Dream Theater comparison... Symphony X is something else entirely, and it's something awesome.
Many praise The Divine Wings of Tragedy as the band's best work. Although I'd personally suggest that such an honor goes to their 2000 release V, this one -- the band's third album -- does make a strong case. "Of Sins and Shadows," while far from the album's best song, is all it will take to enthrall any metal lover. Devastating, bass-heavy riffing, Allen's vicious vocals, and majestic choral harmonies. Oh, and the solos. Guitarist Michael Romeo and keyboardist Michael Pinnella are one of the best lead teams in the genre. Romeo combines godly speed with amazing sweeping technique, and Pinnella's glistening synth leads will slay almost anyone. What's better is their approach, where they alternate leads, usually guitar-keys-guitar-keys. To borrow a Mike Portnoyism, the solos kind of "shrink and grow" into each other, creating a seamless effect even though the instruments are changing. I realize I'm probably not describing it very well, but it's awesome.

The album's title track is one of the best 20-minute progmetal epics out there, along with Dream Theater's "A Change of Seasons" and Power of Omens' "Test of Wills." "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" is basically a metal iteration of Holst's "Mars - The Bringer of War," with a sublime two-minute a capella opener, where the band sounds like a bunch of Gregorian monks. The middle section, called "The Prophet's Cry," is one of the most powerful moments from any metal record, where Allen growls with unrivaled venom "Banish all kings from the face of the land," underscored by destructive & fast riffs.

Also incredible is the 10-minute piece "The Accolade," blending exhilarating metal riffery with sophisticated violin synths, bells, pianos, and machine-gun like percussions. This is perhaps Allen's best song, as he sings a beautiful vocal solo with a grandiose church organ backdrop. Finally, there is the album's ultra-progressive closer, "Candlelight Fantasia" which is one of the most musically compelling songs I've ever heard. Telling the possible story of a raging musician, the song's breadth of texture and tempo are incredible. Sometimes it's haunting, sometimes beautiful, sometimes heavy, but whatever form the song's demeanor takes on, you will ceaselessly marvel at the band's innovative melodies and arrangements.

Everything else here is good: The mini-epic "Pharaoh" (a good companion for Iron Maiden's "Powerslave."), the speedy neoclassical cuts "Out of the Ashes" and "The Witching Hour," the symphonic yet blisteringly vicious "The Eyes of Medusa," and the dynamic and thrashy "Sea of Lies."

On a supplementary note, this is one of the best-produced metal albums ever. The clarity between the instruments and vocals sacrifices nothing, which you'll understand when the thick, bass-heavy riffs pump through your speakers while Allen's vocals are poignant and clear. Well, if I had to complain, I'd say Jason Rullo's drums don't hit as hard as they do on V (Rullo didn't play on Twilight in Olympus). But that's nitpicking, really.

What are you waiting for? Buy it. Now. Don't let the (somewhat) steep import price deter you...it's worth every penny. (Note, however, that Inside Out Music America will be releasing the entire catalogue domestically.)

Symphony X - Symphony X

"Everything starts somewhere..."

This album marks the humble roots of one of today's leading progressive metal bands. But you wouldn't see their potential judging them solely according to this release. Guitarist Michael Romeo's talent is astonishing, with the best neoclassical leads since this side of Malmsteen. Aside from the occasional great song, this album is mostly weak. Three things are responsible:
(a) Rod Tyler can't sing, and he can't even compensate for lack of skill with a cool sounding voice. He was ditched for the next album, where the mighty metal vocalist Russell Allen would step in.

(b) The production is _really_ bad. The next album's production is pretty weak too, but this is just rotten. The band themselves say it sounds like a demo. Since the production can't underscore the band's fervor, the good songwriting present is basically unappreciable.

(c) Some of the songwriting is just _wild_. But not the fun kind of wild that you see with Liquid Tension Experiment (I hate to compare, but I had to)... this is just wild in a weird way. It's sort of like what happens when a band tries to cram too many ideas into their music and it just sounds messed up.

But if you're a Symphony X fan, it's good to have this in the collection, because there's some good moments.

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.

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.