Symphony X thread!

[Scrub206]

That's ok, even if they did announce that they're working on a new album, it wouldn't be done for another 4 or 5 years.

 

[Lolzeez]

Gave Iconoclast another listen. Bastards of the Machine really grew on me. Especially 3:21 is awesome.

[Big Hath]

Gave Iconoclast another listen. Bastards of the Machine really grew on me. Especially 3:21 is awesome.

you know, I mentioned in the "full length album" thread that my most recent listen of the entire album left me with a better appreciation of it.  For the longest time I was pretty meh about it, but it seems to be growing on me.

[Zook]

The Edge of Forever live from 2001:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW3OH7gZIZc

[Mosh]

Just saw that pop up on facebook. Cool clip, one of their best songs. Does anyone else thing the beginning kinda sounds like Accolade though?

[Zook]

I heard the melody from later in the song, but there could have been a little Accolade teaser in there. I didn't hear it though.

[wolfking]

Haven't listened to these guys in a while.  I need to get back into their discography.  I wish Allen would stop wasting his time with AMob.  I wonder what Romeo is up to.

[Zook]

Probably eating.

There. I got it out of the way.

[wolfking]

I could be wrong, but the pics from the last album and tour, it looked like he had slimmed down quite a bit compared to the old days.

[jjrock88]

I would really like to see another live release from them

[black_biff_stadler]

Considering it takes 5 years to get a studio album from them, 12 years probably isn't quite the end of the refractory period between live albums.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I wished they would tone down the metal element a bit and highlight the neo-classical elements a bit more like they used to. 

[Mosh]

Me too.

Listened to V today after staying away from it for a couple months. Damn what a kickass album. My favorite from them, they really did everything right with that album. If only the production was up to par with the last three albums. The ending is so epic too, I love it. 

[Cyclopssss]

That´s still my fave as well. Wish they could back to that sound at least somewhat....and yeah, dvd would be nice this century somewhere.

[kirksnosehair]

Me too.

Listened to V today after staying away from it for a couple months. Damn what a kickass album. My favorite from them, they really did everything right with that album. If only the production was up to par with the last three albums. The ending is so epic too, I love it. 

Agree!  Awesome album, musically, but the production is not so great, especially the guitar tone, which is horrible.    I also wish they'd revert to that style of music.  That's what I listen to them for.  There are plenty of other bands churning out the kind of stuff they did on Iconoclast.

[bosk1]

I agree as well.  Actually, the last two albums have felt that way for me.  I enjoy them when I listen to them.  But I do not feel the desire to listen to them very often.

[PixelDream]

Yes, the albums pre-PL all sound amateurish (not really the right word though) in a way. PL and Iconoclast both have that modern, super professional, super compressed mechanical sound.

I prefer the glossy, reverby productions with a bit of dynamic range. Hell, I really enjoy how Divine Wings and V sound. I can listen to those albums without my ears getting tired of a brickwalled master.

[Beowulf]

I wished they would tone down the metal element a bit and highlight the neo-classical elements a bit more like they used to. 

Being a newer fan of the band, I actually like the last couple of albums a bit more BECAUSE of the metal element. 

[Mosh]

I think Odyssey has the best balance as far as production goes.

Paradise Lost has some really good moments, if I want an assault of metal that's one of my go to albums. Iconoclast kinda feels like a step down from that.

[stereoxio]

I love every SX album, but The Divine Wings Of Tragedy is definitely my fav of all   

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I love every SX album, but The Divine Wings Of Tragedy is definitely my fav of all   

You sir....are correct!

[jingle.boy]

I love every SX album, but The Divine Wings Of Tragedy is definitely my fav of all   

You sir....are correct!

If by "The Divine Wings of Tragedy", you both mean "The Odyssey", the yes... you are both correct.

[black_biff_stadler]

TDWoT's killer tracks are comfortably better than TO's. TDWoT's filler tracks slaughter TO's. There ain't much more to it than that.

[MoraWintersoul]

TDWoT's killer tracks are comfortably better than TO's. TDWoT's filler tracks slaughter TO's. There ain't much more to it than that.

Absofuckinglutely sir.

[me7]

What tracks on TdWoT would qualify as filler anyway? Maybe Pharaoh and Witching Hour, but even those are rather enjoyable.

[Zook]

The Witching Hour is beyond terrible. The Pharaoh is awesome, not sure how it's filler.

The Odyssey doesn't have any filler or bad songs at all.

The Odyssey wins.

[black_biff_stadler]

I used "filler" in regard to how the DTF consensus views it, not me. I like every minute of the album except for the aladdincore breakdown in The Eyes of Medusa.

By DTF consensus, I'd tier the albums like this:

TDWoT:

Good:

Of Sins and Shadows
Sea of Lies
Accolade
TDWoT
Candlelight Fantasia

So so:

Out of the Ashes
Pharaoh
The Eyes of Medusa

Bad:

The Witching Hour

The Odyssey:

Good:

Inferno (Unleash the Fire)
Accolade II
Awakenings
The Odyssey

So so:

Wicked (easily cold be under "bad" though)
Incantations of the Apprentice

Bad:

King of Terrors
The Turning

Once again, my opinion is different from the above since it's just my best recollection of how the survivors/general DTF opinion have gone.

And Zook, Wicked is not only one of their worst songs ever, it also contains their worst riff ever. Bands like them, while obviously more physically talented than Pantera, etc., are absolutely abysmal at convincingly trying to emulate that style.

[Zook]

I disagree, bro. I love Wicked, and part of it is because the riff, but more specifically, the second part of the riff. Yeah, it's very clear Romeo loves Pantera, but in my opinion, he does it well.

Also, King of Terrors is awesome, as is The Turning. I can see why The Turning can end up on the filler list, but I think King of Terrors is a fan favorite. Maybe I'm wrong, but then, Symphony X is very divided amongst fans, and I usually hold the minority opinion.

I don't mind the Aladdincore bit, but I did make an edit of the song when I don't feel like listening to a section of a song that kills the momentum of the rest of the song.

[bosk1]

I love pretty much every song on The Odyssey.  I bought Divine Wings, listened to it once, and shelved it.  I just listened to it again, and it's definitely a very good album, but I had heard a lot of the songs either on their official live album, or from bootlegs, and they sound better and more aggressive in a live setting.  Plus, I got that album fairly late in the game, and was kind of "over" Symphony X and never gave it a fair shake.  I'm not saying any of this to try to make a case as to which album is better.  They're both pretty good.  But I prefer the Odyssey by a fair margin myself and don't dislike a single song.  (like Zook, I love King of Terrors, The Turning, and Wicked)

[Mosh]

My problem with DWOT is that I love the Of Sins and Shadows and the title song so much that I don't give the rest of the album enough attention. Honestly, I prefer several of the other albums by a long shot. Every song on Odyssey is at least good, I kinda agree about Wicked though, the riff is kinda lame. Other parts make up for it though. Everything else is great though. Apart from the obvious behemoth of a title track, I really like Accolade II and Awakenings.

King of Terrors and The Turning kinda get forgotten imo, but I thoroughly enjoy them whenever listening to the entire album.

[black_biff_stadler]

I still think it's fucking retarded how so many people write off the debut like it's some 16 year old jerkoffs writing three chord punk in a garage even though it's an elaborate shredfest with all kinds of awesome parts. Absinthe and Rue, FUCKTARDS!!!

[Jaq]

It's pretty much Symphony X's WDADU, though. A different singer from the rest of their work, one that doesn't fit their work, and really poor production values. There's good there, but you have to dig further. Frankly I like Romeo's solo album better than their debut. 

[Zook]

Doesn't Romeo consider the debut nothing more than a demo?

[black_biff_stadler]

So if he considered it an opus, you'd like it?

[Zook]

No, I'd just disagree. It just happens to work in my favor.