Symphony X

The Odyssey (InsideOut/SPV)
by Martin Popoff

The weapons this band has… Michael Romeo is the star of the show with his tapping technique across six-strings in chord form, both diminished and major, the man adding a Pantera-esque rhythmic aggression that will no doubt help draw in the younger set. But the music explodes band-like, Romeo measuring his attacks, Russell Allen the consummate vocalist, a perfect match for Romeo both visually and melodically (the hair! the belly!). And I’ve not heard better production or better tones on a science rock album (there’s another key: This is pure, calculus-calculated prog that headbangs like power metal). Definitely a band with an inconsistent recording history (main slag: Derivation of Yngwie), Symphony X have created a triumphant punch-out of songs, shorter anthemic tracks well down that Dime bag, precision, machine-bolted metal beasts that build toward the epic 24-minute title track. The seven parts of The Odyssey move well, never becoming dull, the orchestration a mind-blower worth the stormy seas alone.
(1601 Banksville Rd. 2nd Fl. Pittsburgh, PA 15216)