Alive vs. Alive

[bosk1]

Just being a bit silly, since there were initially some Symphony X comparisons when the Sons of Apollo album dropped (which I don't get, but whatever), and I keep subconsciously going to the SX song in my head whenever I see the track listing for Sons of Apollo.  So...which do you prefer?

For reference:

Sons of Apollo - Alive:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgcT99FPey4

Symphony X - Alive:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ge2R8_v-CGM

[TAC]

I prefer Kiss Alive!!

[Adami]

Gonna go with Symphony X on this one. The SoA one isn't bad, but all I hear in my head are MP's backing vocals which annoy me.

[Stadler]

Gonna go with Symphony X on this one. The SoA one isn't bad, but all I hear in my head are MP's backing vocals which annoy me.

Gonna go with Sons of Apollo on this one. The Symphony X one isn't bad, but all I hear in my head are Russell Allen's vocals which annoy me.

[MirrorMask]

Sons of Apollo's.

Not the biggest fan of Iconoclast.

[Adami]

Gonna go with Symphony X on this one. The SoA one isn't bad, but all I hear in my head are MP's backing vocals which annoy me.

Gonna go with Sons of Apollo on this one. The Symphony X one isn't bad, but all I hear in my head are Russell Allen's vocals which annoy me.

[Crow]

Pearl Jam

[Mebert78]

It's still bugging me that part of the chorus in Sons of Apollo's "Alive" is extremely similar to part of the chorus in Sons of Apollo's "Coming Home," right down to Mike Portnoy's echoed response vocals.   Due to that, I have to give it to Symphony X.  Revisiting a musical passage in different parts of an album, like the "Space-Dye Vest" moment in "The Mirror," is one thing.  But the copied chorus doesn't sit well with me personally.

[The Walrus]

Prometheus took SoA's song out back and mollywhopped it. Not even a contest.

That said, Prometheus pales to most of the songs on Iconoclast. If SoA had come out with something like the Iconoclast title track, it'd be a whole other story...

[Zook]

Circus Maximus - Alive

[Lethean]

Symphony X and it's not even close for me. I'm not a huge fan of that album as a whole, but I do like that song.

[ProfessorPeart]

Russell over anyone. The man is my favorite male vocalist.

I just have to comment on Stadler's continued war on Russ. Reading his words of 'I just don't like the guy' are as baffling as some of the logic novels he wrote over on mp.com and continues here. I'm just baffled.

I do think he relies on Angry Russ far too much these days. Odyssey and earlier Sym X and the Level 10 album he did in 2015 are a good showcase of what the man can do. Star One's Live album is another.

Anyway, I just felt the need to poke the Stadbear for once. 

[The Walrus]

Also States of Matter on Avantasia's 'Wicked Symphony' - one of my favorite late-era Russell Allen tunes, hits the high notes and everything! And his bits on The Wicked Symphony (title track) and Stargazers are great too. 

[Lethean]

I used to think that I understood Stadler's feelings about Russell.  I am tired of "angry" Russ myself and don't care for his vocals (as a whole) on later Symphony X and certainly not on Adrenaline Mob.  I figured Stadler just didn't like Adrenaline Mob Russell.  But then someone sent him one of the Accolades and he didn't like him then either, which baffles me as well.   

Hey Stadler - when you have time, give this a listen and let me know what you think.  I know it's long:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xyycpgmu_w

[TAC]

Russell over anyone. The man is my favorite male vocalist.

Having Russ Allen as a project's vocalist is pretty much a guarantee that I will not like it. Connecting with vocalists is fickle and often makes no sense. But I just cannot connect to Russell Allen. He just sounds cold to me. I mean the guy is vocally amazing, but I simply have no interest in hearing him sing.

[Stadler]

Russell over anyone. The man is my favorite male vocalist.

I just have to comment on Stadler's continued war on Russ. Reading his words of 'I just don't like the guy' are as baffling as some of the logic novels he wrote over on mp.com and continues here. I'm just baffled.

I do think he relies on Angry Russ far too much these days. Odyssey and earlier Sym X and the Level 10 album he did in 2015 are a good showcase of what the man can do. Star One's Live album is another.

Anyway, I just felt the need to poke the Stadbear for once. 

Haha, that got a laugh out loud.  I didn't know it had ballooned to a full-on "war". 

I will absolutely cop to this though:  my opinion is extremely colored by "Angry Russ" and the persona that is projected in A Mob, because that's 95% of what I'm familiar with.  Maybe I'm old, but I'm just not "mutherfuckin' psychosane" at this point in my life.  I was REALLY geared up for Amob, and I can't tell you how disappointed I was in that EP.   To this day, the only thing I like and listen to is the Sabbath cover, and even that isn't that often. 

I didn't like the one "non-angry Russ" song I got, because the vocals seemed still very one-dimensional, just a different dimension.  I'll listen to anything you've got, and if it strikes me, you'll know it.   I think TAC has it spot on, frankly, but I'm always open to new satisfying music.   

[wolfking]

Blaze Bayley

[TheCountOfNYC]

Pearl Jam

[Madman Shepherd]

Pearl Jam

Yup.  Awesome summer song.

[jingle.boy]

Circus Maximus - Alive

Was just stopping by to say this.

[wolfking]

Pearl Jam

Yup.  Awesome summer song.

It is indeed a classic, but has just been overplayed to death over the years, hurting it's awesomeness a little IMO.

[MirrorMask]

Russell Allen going "Angry Russ" is like a chef working at McDonald.

[SoundscapeMN]

[NoseofNicko]

Symphony X’s is a thousand times better. In fact it’s better than anything on Psychotic Symphony. And it’s not even that great.

[NoseofNicko]

Circus Maximus - Alive

Best song mentioned in this thread.

[Lethean]

Symphony X’s is a thousand times better. In fact it’s better than anything on Psychotic Symphony. And it’s not even that great.

This.

[Big Hath]

Russell over anyone. The man is my favorite male vocalist.

I just have to comment on Stadler's continued war on Russ. Reading his words of 'I just don't like the guy' are as baffling as some of the logic novels he wrote over on mp.com and continues here. I'm just baffled.

I do think he relies on Angry Russ far too much these days. Odyssey and earlier Sym X and the Level 10 album he did in 2015 are a good showcase of what the man can do. Star One's Live album is another.

Anyway, I just felt the need to poke the Stadbear for once. 

Haha, that got a laugh out loud.  I didn't know it had ballooned to a full-on "war". 

I will absolutely cop to this though:  my opinion is extremely colored by "Angry Russ" and the persona that is projected in A Mob, because that's 95% of what I'm familiar with.  Maybe I'm old, but I'm just not "mutherfuckin' psychosane" at this point in my life.  I was REALLY geared up for Amob, and I can't tell you how disappointed I was in that EP.   To this day, the only thing I like and listen to is the Sabbath cover, and even that isn't that often. 

I didn't like the one "non-angry Russ" song I got, because the vocals seemed still very one-dimensional, just a different dimension.  I'll listen to anything you've got, and if it strikes me, you'll know it.   I think TAC has it spot on, frankly, but I'm always open to new satisfying music.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE8mGqi3Sl4

[PROGdrummer]

It's still bugging me that part of the chorus in Sons of Apollo's "Alive" is extremely similar to part of the chorus in Sons of Apollo's "Coming Home," right down to Mike Portnoy's echoed response vocals.   Due to that, I have to give it to Symphony X.  Revisiting a musical passage in different parts of an album, like the "Space-Dye Vest" moment in "The Mirror," is one thing.  But the copied chorus doesn't sit well with me personally.

I'm pretty sure the echoed vocals in Alive are actually done by Bumblefoot. Doesn't sound like Mike but sounds alot like Ron's voice.

[The Curious Orange]

Pearl Jam

+1

[erwinrafael]

It's still bugging me that part of the chorus in Sons of Apollo's "Alive" is extremely similar to part of the chorus in Sons of Apollo's "Coming Home," right down to Mike Portnoy's echoed response vocals.   Due to that, I have to give it to Symphony X.  Revisiting a musical passage in different parts of an album, like the "Space-Dye Vest" moment in "The Mirror," is one thing.  But the copied chorus doesn't sit well with me personally.

Me, I just psych myself up that it is Coming Home that copied Alive. I don't like Coming Home anyway. So I get to still like Alive without being bothered by the similar chorus. 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Devil Sold His Soul - Alive

or

Tyr - Alive

[Adami]

I wrote a song called Alive........I think it's pretty cool......