1058. Symphony X / V: The New Mythology Suite. 2000. 4/5

From the very beginning Symphony X has produced albums of the highest quality, that are immediately catchy and have all the hallmarks of the best musicians going around. Building this reputation throughout the 1990’s the dawn of the new millennium brought forth their fifth album, one that drew together all the best pieces of their music that they had written to this time, and began to push them in a direction that would define the future sound of the band.

People have said that it sounds like a movie soundtrack, which isn’t a bad comparison given it is a concept album in its own right. Orchestrally (through the keys of Michael Pinella of course) it has very much that feel to it, which highlights the progressive nature of the music. The music fits the purpose, with the story of being told through the lyrics. Whether you are inclined to enjoy a concept album for the story or not is not as relevant as how much you enjoy the songs themselves, and once again the band has done a great job under the direction of the supreme Michael Romeo. Are there moments it gets a bit much? For me there are a few pieces that it goes too far in the progressive nature, where the keyboards are too much of the picture and the vocals are too high and airy, and a sense of power and momentum gets lost. This is a small thing to pick at, but it is there all the same.
How accessible Symphony X’s music is will always be a matter of debate. Every single one of the band members are magnificent on their chosen instrument. Russell Allen’s vocals are quite amazing, continuing to explore regions that many cannot with their vocal chords. Because of the nature of the songs written he often has to move to higher regions which he has little trouble in succeeding to do. Michael Pinnella’s keyboards and synths are a masterpiece, constantly able to create an atmosphere that defies and expands the songs as they are written. On these songs he has managed to make each song sound fuller and packed solid just through his own playing, and that is quite an achievement. Jason Rullo’s drumming on his return to the band is just as fantastic, driving the album along as the pace it deserves and requires. Bass guitarist Michael Lepond joins here for his first album with the band and makes his presence felt immediately with those rolling fingers up and down the fretboard giving that bottom end a perfect base. On top of all of this is the maestro Michael Romeo whose guitaring once again is a standout, able to switch between the songs where his input is more in the background of the orchestral arrangement and the songs where he takes centre stage and shows off his wares in a flurry. All of this together sometimes can scare off the average music listener, who don’t want this kind of sound throughout their songs. They want simple, straight to the point songs with a riff, maybe a solo, some lyrics and finish. That’s not what Symphony X do, they explore the ether of the progressive metal elements, pushing beyond what may feel like a simple length for a song and continue where others fear to tread. In the same way that Dream Theater has done for so many years, this album gives you everything and more.

This proved to be a bridge between the opening age of Symphony X and its future. Behind lay the progressive stage with those passages that sometimes sounded like a freeform metal song archive, driven in the first by the keys and synths. Coming up became the heavier definition of the band, where the music and vocals took that metal edge and began to explore what they could do with it. V: The New Mythology Suite is the bridge of the transformation, and the walk across is just as satisfying as the view of what is on the other side.

Rating: “Living by the law of the ages, prophets and sages forging Utopia”. 4/5