Metal Reviews

The progressive edge seems to have been lost in favor of the straight ahead "kicking ass" theme. The band's sense of humor isn't there anymore. (Honestly, only a very funny person could come up with the middle in Of Sins and Shadows).

The Odyssey proved that there was another band that could write those gigantic epics while not sounding a thing like Dream Theater or the 70's prog bands that influenced them. I personally liked Paradise Lost, but only after years of thinking it was just ok. The crisper the production this band has the less interesting their music becomes and the more Romeo's solos just sounds the same.

That being said, I haven't heard the new album in full and hope that I am proven completely wrong.

For me there is probably no matching Allen, Lande and Dane in this singing style, so saying that Symphony X is bad beacuse of the vocal performance is just, strange.

I agree somewhat that they are maybe relying a little bit to much on the kicking ass-part and are lacking some in the proggy elements, however both this and Paradise Lost are such incredible albums that there is no way I can say that this album is a dissapointment.

I was bored during the whole thing. Yet their older material keeps me coming back.

Agreed! This doesn´t really offer much new. I loved the Odyssey but I started to hear a lot of repetitevness after Twilight in Olympus.

Your screen name isn't all that familiar, but please re-read my post. I am saying like I always do, "so and so is almost perfect...here's five paragraphs about the very little that could be improved "

Again. I think he's great, but he could be one of the best ever if he would stretch out a little and do something different, IMO.

Don't know nuthin' 'bout no hipsters....
But, uh......you're wearing a Slipknot shirt........
and that ain't cool, brother....

Metal fans are such non-conformists at times, we all think the same albums suck...

...wait, what?

But to answer you, I got their first album shortly after a guy I was in art classes at school with told me to check it out. I told him I heard a song on the radio (Harddrive, remember that show?) but the singing was too melodic for the music. He told me that it wasn't like that on the CD and he burnt me a copy.

Why should I give a rat's ass who else listens to it? There were two people in the whole town that even knew who they were when I got into them. I couldn't care less if Justin Beiber fans were 99% Slipknot's audience, TBH.

Well at least I recognize your picture and if five pharagraphs complaining about everything that is bad is your way of showing how much you like something then the reviews where your are not posting must be your favourite albums.

I get what youre saying but I think it is a strange way to show it, cheers.

Quite the opposite really to be honest. If I don't have something to say, I don't care.

I seriously doubt any of the people involved read what I write. I assume they don't and will never see it. That said, I always read how musicians absolutely love that sort fo thing out of professional reviews which is all that was available at the time in this context.

Geddy Lee mentions this in Contents Under Pressure, how he didn't give a shit about a negative review or a positive review either. He said he liked ones that the reviewer understood the intent and liked the record but was not hesitant to lay down some harsh words for the most banal of aspects.

I do wonder though, musicians are the only ones focusing on the aspects that they wonder if anyone even notices. I guess you could say I care enough to find the very very small percentage and quantity of things that I feel like could be improved. I wear my producer's hat proudly when listening to records, this is true.

I basically have two opinions of music these days since the quality of music has never been higher and never has so much been available:

"This sucks"

and

"This is almost perfect. Here's how this could have been perfect"

And you wonder why people think you're nuts. How can you have such a black and white view of music?

They can be stupid if they want to be. I would rather listen to the best stuff I can find instead of kissing metal's sacred cows' asses for the rest of eternity.

Seriously, if someone really only likes listening to 10 new albums a year and they have tons of stuff they think is far better than Ozzy, Sabbath and Priest, then what the fuck would they possibly be doing listening to Priest records for? Unless you haved to learn those songs for some reason, that seems as pointless as it gets to me.

I like to think I have high standards...I don't, just really specific ones. I'm not lowering the bar because I don't give a flying fuck how respected a band or an album is, if it isn't as good as what I like to hear, then fuck it.

None of this even applies to SX. They pass the test. I like their music, personally. That straw man argument has made yet another appearance where it isn't needed just to stir shit up. So congrats to the shit disturbers who ask stupid fucking questions then hide when they actually get a clear answer.

People can disagree with me if they want, but you know for a fact you aren't sitting around listening to dozens of records you couldn't care less about because they are popular. So let's not pretend I am the only one who won't give lip service to the sacred cows.

Oh shut the fuck up...

I second this motion.

I just went back to this album. It's easily one of the best albums to come out in 2011. It has some of the best heavy metal guitar and vocal work ever. I think some people are far to picky with this band. When a band is this good, you don't need reviews cause you just know they are going to tear it up. The theme of this album is one of my favorites too so that helps a lot. Nevermore is one of my favorite bands also and they done similar themes with incredible results. I believe the song, "The Learning" off of "The Politics of Ecstasy" has a similar theme. I'm just guessing from the lyrics I know. I wasn't super upset when Nevermore initially broke up because I was getting kinda sick of them, but "The Obsidian Conspiracy" is a great album and I'm starting to crave a new Nevermore album. They were so good when I saw them the last time. Not to mention their openers who became one of my favorite bands after that night, Warbringer. I love metal!