 [Larger view] | Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite
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| Remarkable symphonic concept-album | |
| Any prog-metalhead knows this album and knows it well. After releasing a decent follow-up to their smash The Divine Wings of Tragedy, the American prog-power metal quintet added the "symphony" to Symphony X. In V: The New Mythology Suite, Michael Romeo uses a brilliantly convincing synthesized orchestra to add an impressive grandeur to the band's already epic songs.
The opening track, "Overture" is Russell Allen's operatic voice over a raging symphony over powerful guitars and drums. From that point on, the album does not lose its shine. The energetic "Evolution (The Grand Design)" is a song to rival "Of Sins and Shadows", powerful as it is memorable. "Communion and the Oracle" is the album's über-melodic cut (as every Symphony X album has), letting whimsical guitars and pianos drift over Allen's soothing vocals. The album's best cut, however, is the song that blends it all: "Egypt". Beginning (predictably) with a Middle-Eastern-inspired riff and continuing with a more violent guitar line, the song begins to sound like a power-metal effort. Once the pre-chorus kicks in, however, ("Five align ..."), the song changes completely. It is a perfect balance between the devilish and heavenly aspects of the band's music. The lyrics are based on Atlantean myths and (presumably fictional) folklore and there are several instrumental symphonic segues through which the story is guided and oriented (the majority of which are hard-hitting progressive pieces). The album is distinctive and is, by no means, a clone of any of their previous albums. Unlike Twilight in Olympus, this release shines in its own originality and triumphs in its grand innovations. With only a few dismissible tracks ("Fallen", "Rediscovery"), this album works very well. See also: Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy, Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus, Symphony X - The Odyssey | |
| awsome | |
| this cd is great. their sond has improved so much. every song is catchy and progressive. their playing is great. and the vocals are impressive. Michael Romeo's guitar sound is getting really unique. i highly recommend this album.
(also Symphony x's latest album oddesy is also great.) | |
 Coolest album cover, EVER! | |
| This is my first Symphony X review I decided to do. And yes, I'm one of those people that reviews song by song. So people buying the album can get a good feel
1.)Prelude-Pretty much just an opener, with a chorus, shows you how good this album can get symphonically. 2.)Evolution-My Favorite track, opens with a good guitar riff, than the vocalist kicks in. Good lyrics, sets the mood. Towards the end of the song, the chorus is repeated over and over...but in different variations so you don't get bored. 3.)Fallen-Good song, just when your getting a little tired of it, it changes around the 3:00 minute mark. The guitar and keyboard riffs together at the 3:24 mark are brilliant! 4.)Transcendence-Just a Segue, lots of keyboards. 5.)Communion and the Oracle-A "slower more melodic" song. When the vocals kick in you know for sure this song is going to be different. Pretty good riff at 2:43 The song completely changes around though and becomes more powerfull with the chorus at 5:39 (Total Time 7:45) 6.)The Bird-Serpent War-Easily the hardest song on the album. The lyrics describe an apocalypse type war. "raining fire from shore to shore/a million souls crying out/", and that's how the music feels. Heavy Guitar Chords blare all over this one. 7.)On the Breath of Poseidon-another Segue...a little bit to long though. The album completely switches around its concept here. 8.)Egypt-The song sounds like the title...don't really need a better description. The total song time is 7:04 9.)The Death of Balance-I love the chromatic scale of the guitar and the organ at the 2:15 mark. Also the Waltz style chrous towards the end of the song. 10.)Absence of Light-I don't know why...but I don't like this song as much, simply because it sounds just like EVERY OTHER BLOODY SONG ON THE ALBUM! 11.)A fool's Paradise-Yes...Unlike the last track, Symphony X actually decides to rebuild your excitement. As the drums pound, the guitar races, and the vocalist screams...you just want to start bangin' your head! "Is this the end of all we know?" I love the middle, with the guitar riff, keyboard riff, keyboard + guitar riff(sounds classical) Second favorite song on the album. I really think they should have closed with this. 12.)Rediscovery (Segue)-meh, just makes you want to skip. Sounds to 80's. 13.)Rediscovery Pt.2 The New Mythology-This is it, the climax, the big ending totaling at 12 minutes...this is the finish. Opening is heavy on the guitar, with light keyboards in the back. At 30 seconds the keyboards get a little louder. The keyboards than continue to play the main theme of the album but in a different key so it sounds different. The vocalist comes in and out aided by the guitar. Keyboard kind of does its own thing in the background. At 3:03 theres a riff with the guitar that copies one of the previous songs in the album as well. At 4:30 the song changes completey. At 5:31 the piano takes center stage and gives us a brief pause from all the commotion...but then at 5:56 the guitar comes back in. The song continues to be heavy until about 10:48 when it breaks back into the chrous/symphonic style sound...this continues...until the end, thus concluding one of the best albums ever recorded. |
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