Author Topic: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)  (Read 20430 times)

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Offline Jaq

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #175 on: November 01, 2014, 10:50:08 AM »
I'd like to know what demos you guys listen to for Odyssey to sound like a demo.  :lol Symphony X never had world beating production before Paradise Lost, and maybe I'm thinking of old two track demos that sounded like they were recorded underwater, but I do have to wonder what demos you guys listen to to make that kind of comment.
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Offline seasonsinthesky

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #176 on: November 01, 2014, 11:11:14 AM »
I'd like to know what demos you guys listen to for Odyssey to sound like a demo.  :lol Symphony X never had world beating production before Paradise Lost, and maybe I'm thinking of old two track demos that sounded like they were recorded underwater, but I do have to wonder what demos you guys listen to to make that kind of comment.

seriously. i see so many bizarre comments like that about SX albums and Black Clouds & Silver Linings and it's like... show me the demo studio that did those! must have charged the band a fortune!

it's one thing not to like how they sound, but another entirely to say they sound like demos.

Offline Zook

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #177 on: November 01, 2014, 11:22:17 AM »
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.

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.

Pretty much this... I'm gonna be sick.

The Odyssey is a masterpiece, but I agree it could use some kind of remix, just to raise the bass level, otherwise I think the production sounds just fine.

Offline Mosh

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #178 on: November 01, 2014, 11:29:29 AM »
Yea it could use more bass is all. The bottom end just seems really flat. It doesn't sound like a demo, just not as dynamic sounding as it should be.
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Offline jjrock88

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #179 on: November 02, 2014, 12:59:18 AM »
fantastic album, my favorite from the band.

Offline gazinwales

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #180 on: November 02, 2014, 01:58:55 AM »
Yea it could use more bass is all. The bottom end just seems really flat. It doesn't sound like a demo, just not as dynamic sounding as it should be.

Yeah agreed, there is little or no dynamics at all, hence me using the demo comparison.
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Offline bl5150

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #181 on: November 02, 2014, 02:38:03 AM »
Nothing beats DWOT for me , but this album comes close.  I haven't really listened properly to Iconoclast but based on what I read I'm not expecting that to change what I said.
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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #182 on: November 02, 2014, 06:07:08 AM »
Nothing beats DWOT for me , but this album comes close.  I haven't really listened properly to Iconoclast but based on what I read I'm not expecting that to change what I said.

If you're comparing it to DWOT or The Odyssey, it won't change your mind.
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Offline Mladen

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #183 on: November 02, 2014, 09:13:11 AM »
My 3rd favorite SyX album, it features the perfect balance between older proggy symphonic stuff and their newer heaviness. Loads of great songs, and the title track might be my favorite song by the guys.

Offline Big Hath

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #184 on: November 02, 2014, 11:12:11 PM »
quality.  A top 5 all-time song on an album with a bunch of other good songs.
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Offline gazinwales

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Re: Symphony X: The Odyssey (2002)
« Reply #185 on: November 03, 2014, 12:00:51 AM »
Nothing beats DWOT for me , but this album comes close.  I haven't really listened properly to Iconoclast but based on what I read I'm not expecting that to change what I said.

I really do like Iconoclast, but it's nowhere near tDWOT.

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #186 on: November 09, 2014, 01:31:14 PM »
When Symphony X announced their follow-up to 2002's widely positively received The Odyssey in November 2005, nobody knew that the would would have to wait nearly two entire years for it, even though the band had promised to "pull it together". It's not entirely clear what the reason for the delay was, but in June 2007, the Symphony X fans of this world finally got...

Paradise Lost (2007)



01. Oculus ex Inferni (2:34)
02. Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies) (5:55)
03. Domination (6:29)
04. Serpent's Kiss (5:03)
05. Paradise Lost (6:32)
06. Eve of Seduction (5:04)
07. The Walls of Babylon (8:16)
08. Seven (7:01)
09. The Sacrifice (4:49)
10. Revelation (Divus Pennae ex Tragoedia) (9:17)

Right off the bat, only from looking at the cover, it's clear that this is a darker and more aggressive album than any of the band's previous releases, and that's certainly true. While not as one-dimensional as the follow-up Iconoclast, this album is very much a metal album and very much less a prog album, and that's reflected in pretty much everything, from the heightened guitar presence over the song structures to the vocal style, everything here screams "metal". And while I get that that's something that people criticise, Paradise Lost is metal done so well, that I don't really care about that. Yeah, it's a lot less varied than previous albums, but it does what it does damn well.

Like the title track on the band's breakthrough album The Divine Wings of Tragedy, this album is loosely based on John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost", and it's a great theme, I think. The lyrics are still a little on the cheesy side, but Milton's poem helps keep them grounded. Due to this, and the grittiness of the vocals, I would argue that this is the least cheesy sounding Symphony X album, and even though I don't mind cheesiness in general, it's nice to have an album with less of it. Still, a few clichés just won't be denied, but that's okay - I certainly wouldn't have resisted the temptation of putting down a running time of 60:66 on my album, either.

Anyway, track by track. "Oculus ex Inferni" is an intro track. It's dark and menacing, but the overuse of choral effects somewhat cheapen the impact for me. Still, it's a serviceable intro - probably my favourite Symphony X intro track (with the other two being "Into the Dementia" and "Prelude") and it works well in the context of the album.

"Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies)" is a pretty approximation of what you're in for with this album. It's fast-paced, it's aggressive, it's technical and the verse vocals are grittier than ever - only the soaring vocals of the chorus show some of Russell Allen's past glory. Still, it's a great song, and it's easy to understand why they haven't dropped this from their live schedule since debuting it - it just kicks ungodly amounts of ass, and that's basically all there is to say on that matter.

"Domination" ups both the aggressiveness and the speed yet another notch, and the results aren't quite as good. It might be because of the lack of a truly memorable chorus, but this is a song that is enjoyable for its relentlessness and its amazing bassline/main riff, but doesn't really have anything else going for it. Though not going to lie, that "Get down on your knees!" scream is pretty f'cking :metal.

"Serpent's Kiss" is a more mid-tempo number, and it's a lot closer to Symphony X of old - the chorus features quite a great performance by Russell Allen, you have different time signatures and weird twists and turns aplenty and an interlude that could have just as well been on V. The guitar solos here are definitely a thing to behold - even though I don't care much for Romeo's lead tone on this album in general - as is the build-up after the second solo into the final chorus. It's not the best song on the album, but it's more classic Symphony X-esque song structure make it work a lot better in context of the album than as a stand-alone song.

"Paradise Lost" is one of the finest vocal moments in Allen's career, and certainly his highlight on this album (though one other song later comes quite close). It's... I guess you could call it a ballad? It's that weird kind of hybrid between ballad and non-ballad that Symphony X have always done so well, be it the two installments of "The Accolade" or "Communion and the Oracle", and this one is no exception. However, due to the aggressive and dark nature of this album, this song feels a lot more important to the album's flow as a whole and is therefore always a highlight of the album. Plus, that chorus is just too perfect to not sing along at the top of your voice. This is definitely one of the band's all-time greats.

"Eve of Seduction" is pretty much the opposite of the title track's calm and serene mood. If you thought that "Domination" was fast, furious and relentless, then you haven't heard this one yet. Similar to "Domination", the problem with this one is the fact that while there is plenty of awesomeness to go around, it's missing that truly memorable chorus that could elevate this song beyond what it is now - a good example of Symphony X doing all-out metal, but not much else. Much like "Domination", I don't listen to this one much outside of the context of the album.

"The Walls of Babylon" is an interesting song. It's a lot more winding and intricately structured than other songs on this album, but most of the intricacy is basically in the first two minutes, before it becomes a rather standardly-structured song, albeit a good one. It's another mid-tempo number, which allows Allen to shine again, and the chorus is pretty great, though that's not a whole lot of Allen - it's mainly just choir. Still, any song that manages to use choir that prominently without it becoming cheesy beyond redemption is a win in my book. The one criticism that I have with this song is that the whole Eastern intro seems to promise a musical element that isn't really explored further in the song, which is a shame because I'd like to hear Symphony X work with something like that, and the intro kicks ass. Still, this is a very good song, and it was my favourite from the album for a long time. It's been dethroned recently, but that's no knock on this song at all.

"Seven". Oh boy, where to start with this one? This is like "Set the World on Fire"'s bigger brother that is a lot cooler and a lot more interesting to talk to, even though many elements are similar. You have the high-speed nature in both, the amazing chorus and some inspired soloing, but what sets this one apart is the amazing interlude with those chants and that insane guitar solo that leads perfectly into one of my favourite Symphony X riffs. If anyone asked me for an example to show that Symphony X can be amazing when focused solely on the metal side of things, this is the song that I'd play them.

"The Sacrifice" is another ballad-ish song. It's not quite as good as the title track, but it's still all kinds of great, especially because Allen once again gets a chance to show his vocal chops. This one is a little too cheesy for my tastes, but I still enjoy it a lot, and it has a nice acoustic outro with some acoustic shredding, that's always welcome. Like "Serpent's Kiss", this song becomes a lot better in the context of the album - its calmer nature works far better after the high-gear shredding of "Seven" than it does on its own, and it serves as a nice breather before the finale.

"Revelation (Divus Pennae ex Tragoedia)" is the big finale, and the longest song on the album. It's also easily the best. The main melody is simple but effective all the same, and the chorus is out of this world. Pinella finally gets a great keyboard solo here as well, and the acoustic break is one of the my favourite moments on the album. Plus, we have a nice callback to "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" that marks the perfect end of this album. Definitely one of Symphony X's all-greats.

As you could probably garner from my comments above, I think this album is a) pretty good and b) a lot better as a cohesive unit than as individual tracks. In fact, of all their albums (V aside), I'd say that this one has the best flow, with the furious aggression of songs like "Domination" and "Seven", the mid-tempo grooves of "Serpent's Kiss" and "The Walls of Babylon" and the calm nature of the ballads playing off each other perfectly. Some songs aren't that memorable - mainly because there are far fewer moments on this album where Allen truly shines, and many mediocre songs in the past had been saved by an astonishing vocal performance - but as a whole, this album is awesome, and it contains some of the band's best tracks ever. While I understand the critcisms of the direction that the band started taking with this album, Paradise Lost is just so perfectly executed in pretty much every aspect (that lead guitar tone, ugh) that I don't have a problem with it at all.

1. Revelation (Divus Pennae ex Tragoedia)
2. Paradise Lost
3. The Walls of Babylon
4. Seven
5. Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies)
6. The Sacrifice
7. Serpent's Kiss
8. Domination
9. Eve of Seduction
10. Oculus ex Inferni
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Offline me7

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #187 on: November 09, 2014, 03:37:15 PM »
I never managed to get into it completely due to it's boring sound. It's overcompressed as hell like a typical 2000s Metal album, destroying all the epic soundscapes that I love about the band's previous work.

Offline PixelDream

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #188 on: November 09, 2014, 03:41:07 PM »
I never managed to get into it completely due to it's boring sound. It's overcompressed as hell like a typical 2000s Metal album, destroying all the epic soundscapes that I love about the band's previous work.

Sad but true. Exactly my opinion as well. Same goes for Iconoclast.

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Offline Bolsters

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #189 on: November 09, 2014, 04:46:57 PM »
The best them. Way above anything else the band has done.

Offline Jaq

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #190 on: November 09, 2014, 05:05:41 PM »
As someone who frequently argues that the through line of SX's music led naturally to this point, rather than some that act like SX was a symphonic prog band before discovering metal here, I love the hell out of both Paradise Lost and Iconoclast, but especially Paradise Lost. Romeo becoming primary songwriter made the band more guitar driven than before, but otherwise, the band remains Symphony X to me. Really good fucking album.
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Offline TAC

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #191 on: November 09, 2014, 05:10:34 PM »
Not a huge Sym X guy (not sure why) but I generally like PL. Wish it was tuned a half step higher, and Russ Allen could've toned it down just a bit. Good tunes though, but a very in your face production.
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Offline bl5150

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #192 on: November 09, 2014, 05:19:08 PM »
Top 4 in their discog for me -  2 or 3 fantastic tracks and a solid album all round.  Nice change with some more straight ahead metal but the best of the best of SX in my opinion is when they're both heavy and majestic a la DWOT.

Still.......an enjoyable album and one of their better efforts.
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Offline jjrock88

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #193 on: November 09, 2014, 05:28:24 PM »
love the hell out of this one too!  pure metal!

Offline Randaran

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #194 on: November 09, 2014, 06:43:14 PM »
My third favorite behind TIO and TDWOT. The title track is my all-time favorite Allen performance, and the last four songs make up one of SX's finest half hours of music.
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Symphony X: Paradise Lost (2007)
« Reply #195 on: November 27, 2014, 05:48:52 AM »
Isn't there one more album?
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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #196 on: November 27, 2014, 11:40:35 AM »
There is, and here it is.



After their tour in support of Paradise Lost - their biggest yet, spanning North and South America as well as Europe and Asia and nearly six months - one would think that the band would seek to capitalise on their newfound popularity, but for a long time, silence seemed to be the order of the day. After the conclusion of the Paradise Lost Tour in 2009, the fans had to wait for over a year before they even got confirmation that a new album was in the works. In March 2010, an update revealed that the album had been recorded and that Romeo and Allen were just starting on the lyrics. Fans became hopeful, but that was it for a while - the next significant update had to wait until January 2011, when Allen unveiled that the album, while not a concept album, was still centered on the topic of machines taking over the world and technology being our demise. "How original." is what I still clearly remember thinking, but I was nevertheless excited about the new album. It would still take some time to arrive, but at least the band premiered new songs live, of which I gobbled up YouTube vidoes like the hopeless fanboy I was back then - they served adequately to tide me over until the release of the band's eighth studio album, to be released in June 2011, entitled...

Iconoclast (2011)



CD 1

01. Iconoclast (10:53)
02. The End of Innocence (5:29)
03. Dehumanized (6:49)
04. Bastards of the Machine (4:58)
05. Heretic (6:26)
06. Children of a Faceless God (6:22)
07. When All Is Lost (9:10)

CD 2

01. Electric Messiah (6:15)
02. Prometheus (I Am Alive) (6:48)
03. Light Up the Night (5:05)
04. The Lords of Chaos (6:11)
05. Reign in Madness (8:37)

Probably in reaction to how well Paradise Lost was received, this album is a stylistic continuation in the styles that the band displayed on that album - more guitar-driven and less keyboard-heavy, a grittier vocal performance by Allen and an atrocious lead guitar tone (okay, so maybe that wasn't intentional, but come on!), and while I would struggle to pick out a song on this album that I would call bad, it does all sort of run together at the end.

This is something which you saw first hints of on Paradise Lost, but which still had more variety and was shorter, so it never became an issue there. Here, it very much is - not only are the songs very similar in tone, but also in structure, making this possibly the only Symphony X album where I regularly end up skipping tracks - not because the tracks I skip are bad on their own, but they add nothing to the album aside from length, so what's the point?

But anyway, let's approach this in a more track-by-track manner. "Iconoclast" is a fantastic opener, displaying amazing riffing and a powerful chorus, though it does drag on a little. Still, it's a worthy Symphony X title track and definitely one of my favourites on the album - especially that main riff, that's delicious. The instrumental section shows us that Romeo and Pinella have not lost their touch, but that lead guitar tone... really?

"The End of Innocence" is one of the tracks that I usually skip, though I did listen to it again for the purposes of this review. It's not bad, but it's pretty standard fare and doesn't exactly offer anything new that we haven't heard the band do already. The chorus is nice enough and the calmer sections show us that Allen can still sing, but on the whole, this is nothing to write home about.

Same thing with "Dehumanized", really, though that one is a little more adventurous, with some great riffing, a fantastic interlude and a chorus that is just unexpected enough to keep you engaged. However, the main riff is pretty dull and fails to get me going and the solo is more of the same and certainly not helped by that atrocity of a tone that Romeo uses (I'll shut up about that now), though I won't lie and admit that the final part of the solo that leads back into the chorus is actually pretty cool, but that's too little too late. Still, this is the second of the songs that I usually end up skipping to have the nerve to make it through the album proper.

"Bastards of the Machine" seems to be many other people's choice of a skip track, but I really like it. While it has the same structure as the two preceding songs, this one just kicks so much ass that I can't help but love it. Plus, the main riff is addictive on both the guitars and the keys and the brief bass breaks in this one are some of Lepond's best moments on the album. Plus, dat pre-chorus... what's not to love about that? :metal While this is by no means one of my favourite Symphony X songs, it's definitely one of the first that I would pick were I to attend a show of theirs - few of their songs are as straight-up badass and energising as this one is, especially that croud-shouting section in the middle.

"Heretic" is another song that I routinely skip. Again, not a really bad song per-say, but it just doesn't really get me excited. Yeah, the main riff is nice in its simplicity and the verses are quite catchy, but that's basically it. Guys, you can do better than this.

"Children of a Faceless God" is one of my favourite tracks from the album, and I don't even exactly know why. It's probably a mixture of the chorus, which is pretty awesome and the instrumental section, which is out of this world and maybe my favourite on the album. The way that the first solo builds into the bridge, whose vicious vocals explode into the second guitar solo is one of my favourite moments in the entire Symphony X catalogue. The rest of the song is very solid as well, but the instrumental break and the bridge are the true moments where this song really shines.

"When All Is Lost" is a fantastic ballad and truly a great way to close out the first disc, as well as a much-needed change of pace. Pinella gets to show us that he's a fantastic piano player and Allen delivers what is easily his finest vocal performance of the entire album, showing that he's still got it. It's the second longest on the album, but I'd say that it's the true epic of the album, due to its nonlinear nature and its structure that is constantly twisting and turning, as opposed to the title track - which is just a fantastic long song with a very familiar structure. My favourite moment of this album is when Romeo just explodes into the second guitar solo and lets loose completely in a fantastical bout of controlled shredding that never fails to give me goosebumps. Somehow, even the lead tone is less obnoxious here, which should be considered a real achievement.

"Electric Messiah" is another highlight, even though it's quite straightforward, but I love the driving nature of basically all the riffs in this song and the chorus is one that will stay in your head for days. Another song that I could see rocking the house live very well - a shame that it has yet to be performed live. The one thing that I would criticise here is the lack of a proper ending - it just fades out with the chorus on repeat, which is something that always annoys and is also another reason why I want a live version of this song.

"Prometheus (I Am Alive)" is the final skip track of the album for me. It sounds vaguely interesting in the intro (was that acoustic guitar there? HOLY SHIT), but it quickly degenerates into standard Symphony X heavy fare. The chorus is pretty cool, and that's basically it. Pass.

"Light Up the Night" is completely, balls-to-the-wall power metal and I love every second of it. Allen screams out his soul in the chorus and the whole song is just basically a shredding attack by Michael Romeo, and because of that, it works. Like with "Seven" on the previous album, Symphony X's newer, heavier style, works best at 100%, no-holds-barred intensity and "Light Up the Night" is basically "Seven" cranked up to 11. It's completely over the top and I love it for it.

"The Lords of Chaos" is the one that took the longest to grow on me, but it's one of my favourites now. The riff is interesting enough and actually quite groovy, especially once the rhythm section enters, and the chorus is truly majestic - when it comes, I can never resist singing along. The instrumental section isn't quite as good as the rest of the song, but still, this one's a definite winner.

"Reign in Madness" is like a poor man's "Revelation". It's semi-conventionally structured, like the closer on the band's previous album, but the actual material taking up that structure is nowhere near "Revelation"'s brilliance. It's a decent closer though, albeit my least favourite of the three digipak-only tracks. It's still good, and those verses (that are sadly never revisited past the first chorus) are ridiculously awesome. It's just a shame that when the song abandons the conventional verse-chorus-template that the song loses some of its coherence and it never quite manages to pick it up again - if it stayed on that level throughout, this would have been an amazing finish.

On the whole, what can I say about this album? I like it. Unfortunately, due to its samey nature and the need to skip several track when listening to it in one sitting, I can't say anything more positive about it than that. Listening to the normal version cuts the length down, but you're also missing two of the best tracks, so it doesn't actually improve the album a whole lot. There are flashes of complete brilliance all over this - parts of "Bastards", the instrumental section in "Children of a Faceless God", "When All Is Lost"... but when viewing this an album, it's just not good enough - at least, when compared with Symphony X's amazing back catalogue.

1. When All Is Lost
2. Children of a Faceless God
3. The Lords of Chaos
4. Light Up the Night
5. Bastards of the Machine
6. Electric Messiah
7. Iconoclast
8. Reign in Madness
9. Dehumanized
10. The End of Innocence
11. Heretic
12. Prometheus (I Am Alive)



After a long time (longer than it should have been; my bad!), we are finally done with this discussion. I want to thank everyone that has participated here and I hope that these reviews have been entertaining for you all - I certainly had a great time re-exploring the back catalogue of one of the bands most important to my musical taste in general. And if there is just one person out there that has discovered Symphony X for themselves as a result of this thread, I will consider it a time well spent.
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Offline Lolzeez

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #197 on: November 27, 2014, 01:48:42 PM »
This would have been WAY better if it was not a double album.

Offline Shadow Ninja 2.0

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #198 on: November 27, 2014, 02:03:52 PM »
Couldn't you just buy the 1 disc version? Then it wouldn't be a double album.

Anyway, this is the only SX album I have. It's pretty good, but I rarely listen to anything other than Iconoclast and maybe the next two or three songs. Overall it's a bit too homogenous.

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #199 on: November 27, 2014, 02:03:52 PM »
I agree. Gimme an album with the following tracklist and I'd be all over that.

1. Iconoclast
2. Bastards of the Machine
3. Children of a Faceless God
4. Electric Messiah
5. The Lords of Chaos
6. Light Up the Night
7. When All Is Lost
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Offline Zook

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #200 on: November 27, 2014, 02:06:12 PM »
The lead guitar tone is awesome. The solo in Iconoclast is amazingly bad ass.

Offline Jaq

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #201 on: November 27, 2014, 02:17:24 PM »
I am that guy about this album...because I love it to bits, and only have Divine Wings and V ahead of it on my list, though it only JUST edges out Odyssey. It continues the heavier, more guitar through line the band has been on since basically the start, and just shreds from one end to the other. Great fucking album.
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Offline ErHaO

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #202 on: November 27, 2014, 03:22:15 PM »
Great badass and shreddding album. One of the best of its kind.

I do think they could/should have used the two disc format better. One more song like When All Is Lost or something would have benefited the pace a lot I think. Paradise Lost did that a lot better. But still, a damn good album in it's own right.

Offline MoraWintersoul

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #203 on: November 27, 2014, 05:48:08 PM »
I agree. Gimme an album with the following tracklist and I'd be all over that.

1. Iconoclast
2. Bastards of the Machine
3. Children of a Faceless God
4. Electric Messiah
5. The Lords of Chaos
6. Light Up the Night
7. When All Is Lost
yeah, these are the only songs I can still sing from memory

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Offline ErHaO

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #204 on: November 28, 2014, 05:07:19 AM »
I agree. Gimme an album with the following tracklist and I'd be all over that.

1. Iconoclast
2. Bastards of the Machine
3. Children of a Faceless God
4. Electric Messiah
5. The Lords of Chaos
6. Light Up the Night
7. When All Is Lost
yeah, these are the only songs I can still sing from memory

I would scrap Lords of Chaos and add Prometheus (I am Alive) at its spot, I think it has a nice groove and a catchy chorus that sounds distinct from the rest. I don't know, Lord of Chaos sounds a bit uninspired to me at times and never really sticks. And add Reign in Madness at the end, as it is one of the more epic sounding heavy tracks. Great finisher as the album is now.

Offline Randaran

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #205 on: November 28, 2014, 08:04:33 AM »
The two disc copy definitely seems to be the better of the two, though I do not have the single disc version. It moves about 10 minutes worth to the second disc, so now there is only 40 minutes of metal before When All is Lost rather than 50, which tremendously helps the pacing. Not to mention that the bonus tracks are among the best on the album.

I seem to be one of the few that really likes this one; I would rank it 5th, behind TIO, DWOT, TO, and PL. It is long, but there are enough moments of brilliance throughout to keep me engaged for its entire runtime.
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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #206 on: November 28, 2014, 11:40:09 AM »
I really want to love both PL and Iconoclast, but they fall just a tad short of the 'big-4' for me (TDWOT, TIO, V, Odyssey).  There just isn't enough variety, and as was mentioned, the compression of the sound just doesn't give it room to breathe.  It's like drinking a 5-year old scotch, and an 22-year old.  The writing is there, the performances are pretty much there, but it just sounds like muck for the most part.  And Allen doesn't give us enough of all of his talents.  I enjoy both albums, though differently than Scrop, but they're sandwiched right in between the brilliance of the big-4, and the turd-herding freshman and sophomore albums.
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Offline Mosh

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #207 on: November 30, 2014, 11:25:09 PM »
Missed the boat on both of these albums, but I'd like to give two late comments!

1: Paradise Lost is a masterpiece. It's my 2nd or 3rd favorite album by them overall and probably their most consistent really. It's amazingly cinematic too. One of the best modern Metal albums out there. I really love the production too, I think it's very dynamic for being so balls to the wall most of the time.

2: I will not deny that Iconoclast is a weak album by SX standards, but as a thrash metal album or whatever you want to call it I think it's pretty decent. One of the better albums released that year I remember. It's an album that needs to b heard live though. The studio setting doesn't do it justice, and some of those songs really spring to life live. I remember the title track in particular giving me major chills multiple times. I think it's pretty good if you forget about everything else they've done.
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Offline bosk1

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #208 on: December 01, 2014, 11:11:49 AM »
This would have been WAY better if it was not a double album.

I forget which songs were the extra ones on the 2-disk version (didn't they do something funky for the 2-disk version where they took some of the songs from the original disk and put them on disk 2, and then spread the new songs over both disks as well?  I forget), and the songs have all blended together in my mind to where I don't even really remember most of them as individual songs anyway, but the problem I have with that statement is that, as I recall, about half the "bonus" songs were better than half of the non-bonus songs.
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Offline me7

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Re: Symphony X: Iconoclast (2011)
« Reply #209 on: December 01, 2014, 11:58:29 AM »
didn't they do something funky for the 2-disk version where they took some of the songs from the original disk and put them on disk 2, and then spread the new songs over both disks as well?  I forget

The 2 disc version is the album as the band intended it.
The label however wanted to have a "standard" and a "special" edition, so they just removed some songs from the album and called it the "standard edition". The idiots even removed the album's designated closure song :facepalm: