5 geniuses, 5 true demigods of metal

 

One of the best prog metal bands in the world return with this long awaited album. Symphony X took about 5 years to make this new work, but will the results be at level with the expectations? Let us see.

The band remains with the same formation that from “V” onward gives to the fans that impression of solidity and coordination coupled with enjoyment that is nowadays seen in very few bands. With the magnificent Russell Allen's vocals, Michael Romeo's monster guitars, Michael Pinnella's magic keyboards, the perfect machine of Jason Rullo on drums, and the excellent Michael Lepond on bass, this quintet has really marked a decade of growth and discovery for the prog metal scene.

This new album promises quite well, but with a couple of remarks that are entirely personal and that I will keep for the final part of this review. But let's listen at the work.

 

“Paradise Lost” opens with a symphonic opener, this time long enough to be a piece on its own, named “Oculus ex inferni”, the eye from hell (shouldn't it be “ex inferno”?). While a comparison immediately comes with the magnificent opener from “V”, the opening track from “Paradise Lost” is quite more complex and well executed.

And then we enter in the album proper. The first track, which it's easy to imagine as a concert opener, is also the first masterpiece of this album, in my opinion, and it is called “Set the world on fire (the lie of lies)”. A great, energetic song, quite at level of “Inferno” from “The Odyssey” album. Romeo's guitars are darker, more aggressive than ever, and the voice of Allen is scratching, evil, powerful and dark. Great refrain, great lyrics, a perfect opener if the opener of this album wasn't already there.

Ominous guitars and choirs introduce us to “My Domination”, the following song. A bass riff with synth carpet heralds powerful double bass drums, and the unmistakable rhythm guitar of romeo. In this song LePond works in unison with Romeo more than Rullo. Pinnella arpeggios introduce an acid voice from Allen, perfectly at his ease with wicked and aggressive tones – which were already prepared in “The Odyssey” and which are fully developed here.

In “The Serpent Kiss” we have the first open confirmation that this album, even more than the previous, will be completely dominated by Romeo. The voice of Allen here is above exceptional, and the dark riffs go into a crescendo with piano chords that almost sound like bells from hell. The changes in tune which are one of the signatures of the band are all there. And yet this song sounds a bit “staccato”, a bit nervous, with great flying soloes from Romeo that border the power metal, and the symphonic passages that mark all the works from Symphony X.

And let's come to the second masterpiece, the title track, “Paradise Lost”. A moving piano arpeggio create a soft carpet for the enchanting voice of Allen and the unobtrusive bass'n'drums teach once again a lesson to all those rhythm section out there that believe that the more noise the better. Listen and learn! Like a precious cameo the guitars from Romeo polish this splendid work, a pleasure to the ears and to the imagination as well. Excellent, excellent indeed. “Love is a tragedy” screams Allen, almost letting us feel the agony. Listen to this song, listen to true music. Too beautiful to be described in words.

But let's come to my favourite song, “Eve of seduction”. An incredible tapping (or is it sweep picking, or whatever else?) riff creates this song, which has maybe one of the less interesting lyrics from this band, but in my opinion from a musical point of view is one of the most beautiful and interesting songs of this band. And although the lyrics seem to hide an almost carnal love song, even this “easy” theme is developed with a musical property which is rarely (if ever) heard in the modern prog metal. But again, I really love the main riff. A piece of pure genius from Romeo (as well as the guitar solo...). Too bad that Pinnella here does almost nothing. Of course, the bass and drum section is a perfect machine. Again what can I say save that “listen and learn”?

Way more progressive than the previous songs comes “The Walls of Babylon”. As in reminiscence of their glorious symphonic past, mixed up with aggressive riffs from Romeo and incredible technical feats by Rullo and LePond, we have a typical Symphony X  “long song”. Powerful, majestic, with their typical choirs and their fine musical taste. If you need one thing to remember from this heroic feat of a song, please pay attention to the refrain. “The Walls of Babylon” comes almost as a sort of introduction to the final piece of the album, but more on this later.

“Seven” is the eighth (excuse the pun) piece of the album, and recalls more than ever songs such as “A fools paradise” from SyX's undisputed masterpiece “V”. A song that gives the impression of a fall and a sort of crisis, and again please listen at the bridge and the refrain. These are once again the Symphony X we waited for 5 years!

 “It's fire and ice, make the sacrifice, 

no one there to catch you when you fall. 

It's shadow and sin, enemies within”.

 In this song nothing is lacking, a perfect combination of 5 instruments, of 5 musicians (it recalls me a quote from “Rediscovery”... “five beyond the skies align”... ) 5 geniuses, 5 true demigods of metal.

And again we are carried away almost to tears with the sweet notes of Pinnella's piano, in this “The Sacrifice”, which can be easily compared to that masterpiece called “Candlelight fantasia”. Do not listen to this song if you have love problems, or I suspect you'll cry your heart out. This song shows once again (just in case you weren't already sure) the greatness of this band. Perfect in its architecture, never boring, always interesting, and with a chorus that can cut deep in your soul and leave a blazing trail of melancholy “I will stay here with you , my love...”, acoustic guitar sealing the breath-taking gem.

Finally the album comes to an end, with yet another masterpiece (too many maybe?), a sort of “suite” than will hardly escape a comparison with its direct ancestor – clearly cited in the final minute of this song – the immortal “The divine wings of tragedy”. A complex, really progressive song, titled “Revelations”. All the work done in these ten years of career is distilled in this 9-minutes monster. Listen to it, feel it in your mind and your soul, praise Symphony X for another musical emotion, and once again see the circle completing with the citation from “The divine...”. “lost in the night, wandering alone... I've got to find a way...”. Crescendo of synths and orchestral finale that fades in a well known arpeggio after 9 minutes of pure progressive metal.

 

What can be said about this album? Too positive as I have been, I would have liked a bit more of Pinnella. But the rest is perfect. Simply perfect.

If you are a Symphony X fan, do not lose any more time. Make yourself a favour and buy this album. If you are not, make youself a favour and buy this album,  you'll become a SyXer!!!