Author Topic: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)  (Read 20438 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Ben_Jamin

  • Posts: 15690
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm just a man, thrown into existence by the gods
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #140 on: October 01, 2014, 07:38:20 AM »
My first SX album, I'm happy to know A Fools Paradise is well liked. It's a shame they never played that song.
I don't know how they can be so proud of winning with them odds. - Little Big Man
Follow my Spotify:BjamminD

Offline jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44556
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #141 on: October 01, 2014, 08:09:14 AM »
I'm with Bosk that musically and vocally it's stellar, but he concept is pretty weak... Which makes it my 3rd fave S-X album.

Greet writeup Tom
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline Randaran

  • Posts: 1100
  • Gender: Male
  • The Fate of Destruction is also the Joy of Rebirth
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #142 on: October 01, 2014, 02:13:01 PM »
The issue with V is that it is the third album in one of my favorite 5 album runs, and is the weakest of said five. Russell is awesome; this is his best performance up to this point, though I prefer his harsher approach on the following two records. Of the first 7 tracks, the only one that stands out is Communion and the Oracle. The rest is good, but not all that memorable. Then, everything from Egypt to the penultimate track is amazing, with A Fool's Paradise being my favorite on the album.

My biggest (and really only) issue with the album is how the solo sections are just... not all that good. Which is a shame, as all of the previous three albums had killer leads.
Only a prog fan would try to measure how much they enjoy a song by an equation. :lol
My anime can beat up your anime.

Offline Mladen

  • Posts: 15203
  • Gender: Male
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #143 on: October 03, 2014, 11:53:49 AM »
This album is good, although nowhere as catchy and interesting to my ears as its predecessors. It's no wonder they had to turn up the guitars on their next releases - a change was rather needed because their classic style became kind of stale with this album. Evolution, Fallen and Absence of light are great, though.

EDIT: And yeah, the most interesting thing about this album is the similarity of the album covers between SX's V and SB's V.  ;D
« Last Edit: October 03, 2014, 02:21:24 PM by Mladen »

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12789
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #144 on: October 24, 2014, 01:41:47 PM »
Hey, are we still doing this thread?  Just curious.

I am listening to V right now, by the way.  I was reminded that Communion and the Oracle has some awesome call and response going on throughout.
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline Zook

  • Evil Incarnate
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 14144
  • Gender: Male
  • Take My Hand
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #145 on: October 24, 2014, 04:51:55 PM »
A brilliant album. Communion and the Oracle remains my favorite SX song. So beautiful.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Offline black_biff_stadler

  • 6th place finalist at New Orleans Skullet Fest 2010
  • DT.net Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13848
  • Gender: Male
  • blackwater_floyd, get it?
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #146 on: October 24, 2014, 08:08:36 PM »
Rediscovery I & II give me a barrel of boners every time.
Users who've sigged me (Join today!): LCArenas, Jakartabassplayer, LeeHarveyKennedy, Global Laziness, Portrucci, obscure, FlyingBIZKIT, alirocker08, senecadawg2, DebraKadabra, JayOctavarium, Cedar redaC, (almost) bout to crash, ? (the forum member, not the fucking punctuation mark), Zeltar, lonestar, ASacrificedSon

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #147 on: October 30, 2014, 08:49:31 AM »
This thread appears to be badly in need of an update.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12789
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #148 on: October 30, 2014, 09:12:37 AM »
hefdaddy42 lays the pipe on this thread
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline Zook

  • Evil Incarnate
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 14144
  • Gender: Male
  • Take My Hand
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #149 on: October 30, 2014, 09:45:40 AM »
Why is hefdaddy even in this thread?

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #150 on: October 30, 2014, 09:59:19 AM »
Why is hefdaddy even in this thread?
Why are YOU in this thread?
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Zydar

  • Creep With Tonality
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 19210
  • Gender: Male
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #151 on: October 30, 2014, 10:08:08 AM »
Who was phone?
Zydar is my new hero.  I just laughed so hard I nearly shat.

Offline Zook

  • Evil Incarnate
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 14144
  • Gender: Male
  • Take My Hand
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #152 on: October 30, 2014, 10:12:16 AM »
Why is hefdaddy even in this thread?
Why are YOU in this thread?

Because I like Symphony X. YOU do not. Now leave before I call the authorities.

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #153 on: October 30, 2014, 10:14:07 AM »
Why is hefdaddy even in this thread?
Why are YOU in this thread?

Because I like Symphony X. YOU do not. Now leave before I call the authorities.
I am the authorities.  That's why I'm in the thread.

I'm in EVERY thread.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44556
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #154 on: October 30, 2014, 10:14:46 AM »
Why is hefdaddy even in this thread?
Why are YOU in this thread?

Because I like Symphony X. YOU do not. Now leave before I call the authorities.
I am the authorities.  That's why I'm in the thread.

I'm in EVERY thread.

You're Chicken Man.
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #155 on: October 30, 2014, 10:16:55 AM »
I have a funny story about that.

But this is neither the right time nor the right place.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Zook

  • Evil Incarnate
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 14144
  • Gender: Male
  • Take My Hand
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #156 on: October 30, 2014, 10:18:23 AM »
Why is hefdaddy even in this thread?
Why are YOU in this thread?

Because I like Symphony X. YOU do not. Now leave before I call the authorities.
I am the authorities.  That's why I'm in the thread.

I'm in EVERY thread.

Oh yeah? You aren't in the KrotchRaut thread. Poor job performance. 3 day suspension.

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #157 on: October 30, 2014, 10:21:15 AM »
You aren't in the KrotchRaut thread.
Is anyone else?
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Zook

  • Evil Incarnate
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 14144
  • Gender: Male
  • Take My Hand
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #158 on: October 30, 2014, 10:26:00 AM »
That's not the point...


Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #159 on: October 30, 2014, 10:28:57 AM »
That's not the point...
It is, in fact, the only point of which I am aware.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12789
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #160 on: October 30, 2014, 10:52:32 AM »
That's not the point...
It is, in fact, the only point of which I am aware.

In other words...



"Trick or treat, MF'er!"
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline Ben_Jamin

  • Posts: 15690
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm just a man, thrown into existence by the gods
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #161 on: October 30, 2014, 10:58:45 AM »
Its a shame A Fools Paradise hasn't been played live, as far as I know. 
I don't know how they can be so proud of winning with them odds. - Little Big Man
Follow my Spotify:BjamminD

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #162 on: October 30, 2014, 11:02:52 AM »
lol boskie
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Ben_Jamin

  • Posts: 15690
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm just a man, thrown into existence by the gods
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #163 on: October 30, 2014, 11:53:17 AM »
That's funny, I totally forgot about this thread.
I don't know how they can be so proud of winning with them odds. - Little Big Man
Follow my Spotify:BjamminD

Offline jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44556
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #164 on: October 30, 2014, 12:13:21 PM »
Seems as though Scrop has too!
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
« Reply #165 on: October 30, 2014, 12:22:42 PM »
Yeah, that's kind of why I'm in the thread.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Scorpion

  • Unreal Heir
  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 9908
  • Gender: Male
  • Ragnarök around the Clöck!
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #166 on: October 31, 2014, 12:51:14 PM »
I won't bore you with details, but real life has kinda been a bitch and I kinda forgot that this was going on amidst all the other craziness. Sorry about that - I have already written the remaining two write-ups, so it definitely won't happen again.

Onwards!



After the release of the wildly successful V: The New Mythology Suite, Symphony X went on an extensive tour that was larger than any previous tours. To celebrate this, they recorded the confusingly-titled Live on the Edge of Forever, which, despite the title, didn't feature any tracks from the first two albums - a shame, if you ask me, but oh well. The album received mixed reviews - which I find pretty generous, to be quite honest. All the performances are great, but I have honestly heard better sounding bootlegs. I'm not someone that is easily bothered by audio quality, so that says something about this release. It's also why we won't really examine it in detail - it's just kinda bad. Plus, all tracks are quite similar to the studio versions. People interested can listen to "The Death of Balance / Candlelight Fantasia", which is a kinda neat segue, but the rest is ultimately worthless.

Undeterred by all this, the band - this time without any lineup changes - entered the studio in early 2002 to begin recording their sixth album. Unlike previous albums, which were at least partly recorded in other studios, this album is the first Symphony X album to be recorded at Michael Romeo's private studio in its entirety - a trend that would continue for subsequent albums. This allowed the band to take all the time that they needed, and I think that it shows - The result is the album that is eternally warring with The Divine Wings of Tragedy for the spot of my second favourite Symphony X album: 2002's...

The Odyssey (2002)



01. Inferno (Unleash the Fire) (5:32)
02. Wicked (5:32)
03. Incantations of the Apprentice (4:22)
04. Accolade II (7:53)
05. King of Terrors (6:19)
06. The Turning (4:44)
07. Awakenings (8:21)
08. The Odyssey (24:09)

The Odyssey marks a stylistic shift that Symphony X would continue on the two following albums - the vocals became rougher, the guitars became more aggressive and in-your-face, while the keyboard lost some of its importance. While this is a shift that I'm not really all that happy about, The Odyssey is still close enough to their old sound that it still works. Still, it is a herald of things to come, and of a stylistic shift that not everyone will enjoy. This also reflects in the reviews - while the general reception of this album has been positive, there are quite a few reviewers that gave this album two or three stars, one prominent example being AllMusic.

"Inferno (Unleash the Fire)" opens the album with a furious guitar riff that immediately reassures us that Romeo has lost nothing in terms of technical skill. The verses display Russell Allen's gruffer vocals for the first time, but he shines in the chorus and shows us that he can still sing like nobody's business. The instrumental section feels a little more redundant than in perhaps other songs, but mainly because the whole song features Romeo shredding and Pinella's solo patch is kinda... eh. Still, the song is, all in all, a win - mainly due to that amazing chorus.

"Wicked" is one of the weaker songs on this album, but it's still quite good. The main riff is pretty damn headbangable, and the verses have a pretty awesome vocal melody - it's not entirely familiar or expected, but it doesn't feel disjointed. However, the chorus is kind of a let-down and doesn't really go anywhere. The instrumental section saves the song though, with an awe-inspiring solo by Romeo that is even better for its brevity. The bridge after the solo is pretty good too, though what really makes it is the transition into the main riff. All in all, this song is pretty damn good let down only by a sub-par chorus.

"Incantations of the Apprentice" is, I feel, quite an underrated song. It has a great keyboard groove, some unconventional riffing that keeps things fresh, a great performance by Allen on the vocals and an awesome prechorus. Again, the chorus is what lets this song down, which is weird, as Symphony X's chorus are generally spot-on. The guitar solo is one of my absolute favourites from Romeo, mainly due to some really cool harmonics and then that incredible sweep in the second half. I like this one a lot more than "Wicked" and "Inferno", so while it may not be perfect, it's still a severly underrated song.

"Accolade II" achieves a rare feat - it is a sequel that actually matches its predecessors brilliance. For a long time, I actually preferred this to "The Accolade", and while that is no longer the case, it's not a case of this song becoming worse, it's just that "The Accolade" grew on me a lot. Anyway, there are many brilliant things about this song, but the best thing is unquestionably the vocals - both the verses and the chorus (HOLY SHIT GUYS THAT CHORUS!!!) are nothing short of brilliant. Another thing that I love about this song is Pinella's presence on the piano - he's a little underused on this album, but the tracks where he shines, he shows why he's one of progressive metal's finest keyboarders.

"King of Terrors" might just be the band's heaviest song up until this point. The main riff is simple, but amazingly powerful at the same time. Russell's gruffer singing style works perfectly on this song, and the chorus is a thing of beauty. However, despite this song being amazingly heavy, Pinella plays a heavy role in it, with backing keys under the riffs in the verses and some great piano playing in the pre-chorus. The instrumental section isn't one of my absolute favourites, but it's still great, and contains one of my favourite LePond bass moments, which must be treasured, due to them being much rarer than Thomas Miller's standout bass moments.

"The Turning" is another track that is rarely mentioned, much like "Incantations of the Apprentice", but that's where the similarities end. While the former is creative and exciting, "The Turning" is probably as close to generic as Symphony X can get - a boring riff, shred solos that go nowhere a chorus, that, while catchy, lacks something special. On the up side, it's quite short, and the pre-chorus is pretty good, so it's not a total failure, and it's not a track I'd skip - but not a track that I particularly seek out either. It's just kinda there, and on an album of this calibre, that sadly means that it's going to be my least favourite.

"Awakenings" might just be Symphony X's most underrated song ever. I would call this "The Edge of Forever"'s spiritual successor, featuring heavy use of piano, an unconventional song structure, a shitload of amazing solos and a brilliant chorus, and while many people (rightfully) love "The Edge of Forever", this is a song that I rarely see mentioned. I could just spend a few hundred words on how this song is amazing, but I'd just end mentioning every single part, so I'll just say this: this is one of the very few Symphony X songs that I would consider perfect, and it's my favourite on the album.

"The Odyssey", the gargantuan title track is a fan favourite, and it made #2 in our Symphony X survivor last year, and while I personally don't agree with that, it's still a great song that tells an epic story in a way that few other songs could, and it shows all the facets of Symphony X's sound, from serene and beautiful to all-out aggression, from complexity to catchiness. The only real problem that I have with this song, and the reason why I don't rate it as highly as most others seem to do, are the two orchestral sections that don't really contribute a lot, sound quite cheesy and are just generally too long and too interesting, thus breaking up the flow (well, the first orchestral section is the overture, but Sirens features of lot of orchestra too, and that's what breaks the songs flow). If some of those parts were cut or reworked, this would have the potential to become one of my favourite songs of all time - the other sections, especially the closing "Champion of Ithaca" are certainly amazing enough.

In summary, this album is really good. There are a few songs that stay below their potential ("Wicked", I'm looking at you) and one song that is a noticeable drop in quality ("The Turning"), but on the whole, the album is of an incredibly high quality, and quite consistent to boot. While it marks a shift in musical style, this one straddles the middle between early and later-day Symphony X quite well, making this an album that both fans of the newer style and the band's older work should enjoy. It is also the album that I would probably use to introduce a newbie to the band - at least, if he came from a more metal background, as opposed to a prog background. While I don't quite hold this in the same high regard as I used to (it used to be my favourite Symphony X album, and #10 of all time), this is still an album that I can put on at any time and enjoy.

1. Awakenings
2. Accolade II
3. King of Terrors
4. The Odyssey
5. Incantations of the Apprentice
6. Inferno (Unleash the Fire)
7. Wicked
8. The Turning
scorpion is my favorite deathcore lobster
Hey, the length is fine :azn: Thanks!

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #167 on: October 31, 2014, 01:05:20 PM »
I won't bore you with details, but real life has kinda been a bitch and I kinda forgot that this was going on amidst all the other craziness. Sorry about that - I have already written the remaining two write-ups, so it definitely won't happen again.
No sweat buddy.  I figured it was something like that.  Trust me, no one knows more than me how life can intrude on a continuing enterprise like this.  Hope everything works out for you.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12789
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #168 on: October 31, 2014, 02:10:07 PM »
I won't bore you with details, but real life has kinda been a bitch and I kinda forgot that this was going on amidst all the other craziness. Sorry about that - I have already written the remaining two write-ups, so it definitely won't happen again.
No sweat buddy.  I figured it was something like that.  Trust me, no one knows more than me how life can intrude on a continuing enterprise like this.  Hope everything works out for you.

Totally.  Real life is more important that writing about Symphony X on the Internet.  Don't worry about it.


As far as The Odyssey, this was my gateway album to the band.  First album I ever heard from them.  Can't remember if I got it in 2003 or early 2004, but it hooked me right away.  Standout tracks to me would be...ALL OF THEM.  Seriously, not a single track I would consider weak or that I do not like (not counting the bonus re-record of Masquerade on the special edition; not that I don't like it, but I do consider it weaker than the rest of the album).  This album is, quite simply, Symphony X perfection as far as I am concerned.
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline Randaran

  • Posts: 1100
  • Gender: Male
  • The Fate of Destruction is also the Joy of Rebirth
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #169 on: October 31, 2014, 08:38:39 PM »
I disagree with you here; Incantations of the Apprentice is easily the weakest track on the album, The Turning is in the top half, and Scylla and Charbidis is the best part of the title track. Though our top tracks are the same.

Allen really steps up here. His performance here easily beats that of V, which was his best up to this point. The harsher vocals sound really good, and the melodic singing is just...downright beautiful at parts. The solos are not nearly as good as on the first three Russell albums, though they are a definite step up from the mediocrity of V's.
Only a prog fan would try to measure how much they enjoy a song by an equation. :lol
My anime can beat up your anime.

Offline DarkLord_Lalinc

  • pr0nman extraordinaire
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 11580
  • Gender: Male
  • Hostages love me
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #170 on: October 31, 2014, 08:44:01 PM »
The only thing I don't like about this album is the production. It doesn't sound good.

Luckily, Paradise Lost fixed everything in that department and took the sound to a whole new level.
Quote from: TioJorge
MAN FUCK YOU KUJA.
Quote from: hefdaddy42
The Darklord is amazing

Offline Bolsters

  • Lost Boy
  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 5487
  • Gender: Male
  • What a hell of a day to embrace disorder
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #171 on: October 31, 2014, 09:07:29 PM »
Luckily, Paradise Lost fixed everything in that department and took the sound to a whole new level.
Yeah, that's Jens Bogren for you.

Online gazinwales

  • Posts: 2175
  • Gender: Male
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #172 on: October 31, 2014, 10:16:48 PM »
Yeah the sound isn't the best, I was listening the other day and to my ears it's almost demo quality.

Offline Mosh

  • For I have dined on honeydew!
  • Posts: 3825
  • Gender: Male
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #173 on: October 31, 2014, 10:28:29 PM »
This is SX's pinnacle. It doesn't get better than this. Every track is killer and this is really the culmination of everything they had done up to this point. Production isn't very good but honestly none of the SX albums have good production aside from Paradise Lost so it's almost a non issue with me at this point.

Love the comments on Awakenings, Scorp. This song seems to be overshadowed by the title track, but it certainly holds up.

An essential prog metal album.
New Animal Soup scifi space opera for fans of Porcupine Tree, Mastodon, Iron Maiden: Chariots of the Gods

https://animalsoup.bandcamp.com/album/chariots-of-the-gods

Offline jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44556
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #174 on: November 01, 2014, 08:19:58 AM »
Great writeup Tom.  And don't let Bosk or Hef fool you... Internetz is serious business!!!  :rollin :rollin

Best album of theirs by my standards, and the title track is flawless IMO.  It could use a remaster, sure, but I'm not much of an audiophile, so the production doesn't bother me at all.  Lots of comments above that I agree with ... "Pinnacle" ... "Perfection" ...

And Champions of Ithaca is borderline orgasmic.
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion