Symphony X thread!

[wolfking]

Sym X is a band that should be right up my alley, but I have never taken to them. I have most of their stuff, and it's all excellent, but nothing has ever resonate with me.

I know what you mean, it took me a long while for them to click.  I actually clicked more with the newer stuff from The Odyssey and forward.  The classics before them I find good but yeah, doesn't get me going like the newer ones do.

[jjrock88]

They clicked with me immediately. I think "Fallen" was the first song I ever heard, and it won me over big time.

[jingle.boy]

Woot.  Just got this from enterthevault:

SYMPHONY X will do a week of show in Sept-Oct

Tickets are onsale now
Sept
29        Trocadero Theater    Philadelphia , PA
Oct
1       Palladium               Worcester , MA
2       FouFounes       Montreal , QUE
3    MOD Club      Toronto , ON
4      Salle Multi      QC , QUE
5         Grammercy Theater       NYC

Probably a lead in for TSO rehearsals/tour for Russell?  Gonna be goin again fo sho!

[jjrock88]

What is it gonna take to finally get a live album from these guys!

[goo-goo]

Woot.  Just got this from enterthevault:

SYMPHONY X will do a week of show in Sept-Oct

Tickets are onsale now
Sept
29        Trocadero Theater    Philadelphia , PA
Oct
1       Palladium               Worcester , MA
2       FouFounes       Montreal , QUE
3    MOD Club      Toronto , ON
4      Salle Multi      QC , QUE
5         Grammercy Theater       NYC

Probably a lead in for TSO rehearsals/tour for Russell?  Gonna be goin again fo sho!

I think it's a warmup run for their Loudpark Festival in Japan appearance

From their FB:
New Jersey’s progressive metal masters, SYMPHONY X, are making a few special stops on their way to Japan's Loud Park Festival. The limited engagement 6 show trek, will launch on September 29th at The Trocadero hit 3 Canadian cities and conclude on October 5th at The Gramercy Theatre in NYC!

[Dublagent66]

What is it gonna take to finally get a live album from these guys!

No shit.  I think the problem is, the type of venues they play.  Every time I've seen them, the venues were small and so were the audiences.  Kind of a bummer.

[jjrock88]

What is it gonna take to finally get a live album from these guys!

No shit.  I think the problem is, the type of venues they play.  Every time I've seen them, the venues were small and so were the audiences.  Kind of a bummer.

Good point. Last year I saw them in front of about 50- 100 people, so that's not going to work

[Ben_Jamin]

What is it gonna take to finally get a live album from these guys!

I hope they do another one. Live was alright, but could've been better.

[gazinwales]

If they do I hope it's better than the last one, which generally sounded bloody terrible.
As the old saying goes, I've heard better bootlegs.

[Prog Snob]

I don't make big deals over live releases anymore, as sometimes the bootlegs DO have better sound and performance than the concert they choose to film.

[Zook]

For the passed 10 years Communion and the Oracle has been my favorite SX song, but goddamn, Underworld crushes it. That song is amazing.

[425]

Hi, Symphony X thread, I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm looking for a recommendation for where I ought to go next with this band. I have V: The New Mythology Suite and The Odyssey, and I've been thinking about exploring more of their albums. I like both albums I have, but I think V is superior as an album, while Odyssey's title track is the best song I've heard from them. I like their symphonic side, and prefer Allen's cleans to his gruff voice. And I like melodic stuff. Based on this, what album should I check out next?

[Prog Snob]

Go for the one  that introduced me to them. Twilight in Olympus. It's more melodic, neo-classical, and Russell's vocals are clean.

[Big Hath]

The Divine Wings of Tragedy (based on what you said, you're going to love this).  And to a lesser extent, Twilight in Olympus.  The Damnation Game has the sound you're looking for as well, but isn't quite at the level of those to imo.

Also try Underworld, their latest.  Less symphonic stuff, but awesome nonetheless.

[bl5150]

The Divine Wings of Tragedy (based on what you said, you're going to love this).  And to a lesser extent, Twilight in Olympus.  The Damnation Game has the sound you're looking for as well, but isn't quite at the level of those to imo.

Also try Underworld, their latest.  Less symphonic stuff, but awesome nonetheless.

this , although for me Damnation Game is more than a bit behind.

[425]

Okay, so I'm definitely hearing that I should work backwards from V. I suppose I'll check whether The Divine Wings of Tragedy or Twilight in Olympus is less expensive/more available on Amazon when I make my next order later this month (TDWoT is sold out right now). Thanks everybody!

[Mosh]

At this point you can't do wrong with anything besides the debut and Iconoclast. They're all pretty similar in quality.

[wolfking]

At this point you can't do wrong with anything besides the debut and Iconoclast. They're all pretty similar in quality.

Iconoclast is awesome.

[Mosh]

I like Iconoclast, I just know that a lot of people don't so I don't recommend going to it until later.

[Big Hath]

At this point you can't do wrong with anything besides the debut and Iconoclast. They're all pretty similar in quality.

Iconoclast is awesome.

yep

[jjrock88]

Besides the debut, there hasn't been anything that Symphony X has released that isn't awesome. This includes Iconoclast

[kirksnosehair]

I like all of their albums too.  I prefer the more symphonic stuff but yeah, strong catalog for sure.

[gazinwales]

Yeah very strong back catalogue, even the ones I didn't like at first (Paradise Lost is a big one, 5.1 mix did it for me) have come good, after a few good years they finally sunk in.

[matthewmatt]

Hi, Symphony X thread, I hope you don't mind me asking, but I'm looking for a recommendation for where I ought to go next with this band. I have V: The New Mythology Suite and The Odyssey, and I've been thinking about exploring more of their albums. I like both albums I have, but I think V is superior as an album, while Odyssey's title track is the best song I've heard from them. I like their symphonic side, and prefer Allen's cleans to his gruff voice. And I like melodic stuff. Based on this, what album should I check out next?

Based on your preferences, I agree with the others - Divine Wings of Tragedy, Twilight and Olympus and maybe even Damnation Game are the next albums to go to, and probably even in this order (I think the first half of Twilight is better than Wings, however the second half brings it down a bit). If you wish to get into the "new" sound, I'd recommend trying Underworld first, then Paradise Lost and only then Iconoclast. I mean, I like Iconoclast a lot (and it's in my top 5), but it's really very different from the rest of their discography.

[LordCost]

I know Symphony X from 5 or 6 years, but I listened only from the albums from Paradise Lost. Last week I decided to give a chance to the old stuff. In four or five days I tried The Divine Wings Of Tragedy, The Damnation Game and the titletrack of The Odyssey. Both TDWOT and TDM are awesome. I instantly liked the songs of TDM, they are more catchy and song oriented, but the other album contains even better stuff. I love in particular Eyes Of Medusa, I can't stop listening to that song. Both the 20 min suites are fantastic, I only don't like the intro of TDWOT titletrack, but I'm getting used to it.

[me7]

Try "The looking Glass" as well.

[LordCost]

Try "The looking Glass" as well.

Great composition and great chorus, my favourite of the album, but I prefer the two previous albums. Maybe it's the sound of the album less metal than TDWOT.I don't know why Orion has never been played live, it's in my top 3 of the album

[Scorpion]

Orion... that's the one with the bunch of power chords and the boringly harsh vocals, isn't it?

[LordCost]

  I like the melody in the chorus, I can't recall the rest at the moment but I enjoyed it

[Train of Naught]

Orion... that's the one with the bunch of power chords and the boringly harsh vocals, isn't it?

[Dublagent66]

Listening to "To Hell and Back"

[jjrock88]

Every time I see an update in this thread I am hoping to see news of a live album coming out lol.

Oh well, I will say that Underworld hasn't even remotely gotten old and I am playing it all the time.  It's top three all time Symphony X for me and has potential to go even higher.  Its a perfect metal album for me.

[Dublagent66]

Yeah, SX never disappoints.  I've been pleased with just about everything they've done.

[me7]

Try "The looking Glass" as well.

Great composition and great chorus, my favourite of the album, but I prefer the two previous albums. Maybe it's the sound of the album less metal than TDWOT.I don't know why Orion has never been played live, it's in my top 3 of the album

Absolutely agree, Damnation Game and TdWoT are way better albums, but Looking Glass is a Highlight on Twilight in Olympus.

[goo-goo]

Every time I see an update in this thread I am hoping to see news of a live album coming out lol.

Oh well, I will say that Underworld hasn't even remotely gotten old and I am playing it all the time.  It's top three all time Symphony X for me and has potential to go even higher.  Its a perfect metal album for me.

+1

Other than the Australian tour in September, the band has been pretty quiet. Live CD? Live DVD/BR? Another leg? Summer festival run in Europe? I think the fall/winter is probably reserved for Russell if he's out with TSO again.