Ok, so I've listened to this album several times now, and I can honestly I'm really impressed. It's not only the most diverse album they've done in a while; there are elements of every previous era of the band present on this album. I can hear some stuff that is reminiscent of anything from Iconoclast back to the self-titled debut from the days of yore. As someone who has been a
rabid Symphony X fan since 2000, this could, in time, become one of my favourites from the band's discography. Every track on here is solid, though my personal pick for the best of the lot would be Hell And Back. That song just fucking slays. I love the use of the Tron: Legacy theme in the opening/outro (I see what you did there, Romeo
). There are plenty of other stand out tracks, most notably the title track, Without You, and especially Legend. But honestly, just about every song on here is a stand out track. If there is one weak track, it's Charon, but even that song has more good points then bad, and it seems to harken back to the likes of Eyes Of Medusa and Orion: The Hunter from the golden days. Seriously, this whole album kicks so much ass, it's not even funny.
Thank you, Symphony X. I've loved all your albums (though the first one is a bit of a tough listen), but I've been waiting for one like this, and you have not disappointed me.