Artist: Symphony X
Title: “Paradise Lost” (Deluxe Edition)
Label: InsideOut Music
Release Date: 11/4/2008
Genre: Power Metal
Rating: 4.5/5

The overwhelmingly positive response that Symphony X’s “Paradise Lost” had generated almost necessitated that a Deluxe Edition be released for it with the only question remaining in the minds of the bands fans would be when. Fast forward a year and a couple of months after it pummeled their fan base and we find such an edition hitting the shelves and this one not only features the original CD that we have long been enjoying but a DVD that presents a 5.1 mix of the album, as well as their videos that were used to promote the release. Since we had already presented our thoughts about the initial release of this album rather comprehensively, we are re-presenting that text for you to be reminded about how we felt. New information about the Deluxe Edition will follow that text.

It has always been said that good things come to those who wait and clearly from the moment that Symphony X fans around the world began spinning the bands latest opus “Paradise Lost”, that the five plus years time in between albums from the group had not been in vain for them to wait thru. As a Progressive Metal album this is both a stunning display of top notch musicality and also a relentless offering up of melody and crunching groove. The adventure into the new release begins with a thunderous intro by way of “Oculus Ex Inferni” and this instrumental opener leads you to the rousing “Set The World On Fire”. It is with this track that I felt we were finding the band at their technical best as guitarist Michael Romeo delivers riffs that can only be defined as super human again and again. I was impressed right from the beginning with this one and while I had not expected the band to disappoint the listener, I was quite awed at just how much they chose to up their personal game at the craft with the new album. Lead vocalist Russell Allen really showcases a powerful set of pipes very early on and while he is not one of those soaring eight octave types, he really is one of my favorite Metal singers based on the purity of his voice. There are times on the album where he reminds me a little of Ronnie James Dio of course, but that is never a bad thing when you are in a Metal band. “Domination” continues the journey and while it begins with some fast paced fury, it switches up the tempo when the vocals come in just a little bit for diversity. The chorus finds the speed picked up again and the guys keeps swapping back on forth to keep the listener engaged while the tune progresses. I’ll skip around a little and speak about what comes off as the bands ballad for the release which we find on “Paradise Lost”. It’s not a true ballad per se, but the feel is smooth and the vocals from Allen softer than we have ever found him to my knowledge. The pace picks up a little midway and when it gets to the chorus you can almost envision the audience lighting up their lighters or using their cell phone displays to bring the moment a little more in the visual sense. In any case we are only half of the way in and we can easily find out just how well crafted the release is and how hard Mike Romeo worked on the compositions we received on this one.
Continue reading “Paradise Lost” (Deluxe Edition) by Symphony X →

Artist: Symphony X
Title: “Paradise Lost”
Label: InsideOut Music
Release Date: 6/26/2007
Genre: Progressive Power Metal
Rating: 4/5

It has always been said that good things come to those who wait and clearly from the moment that Symphony X fans around the world began spinning the bands latest opus “Paradise Lost”, that the five plus years time in between albums from the group had not been in vain for them to wait thru. As a Progressive Metal album this is both a stunning display of top notch musicality and also a relentless offering up of melody and crunching groove. The adventure into the new release begins with a thunderous intro by way of “Oculus Ex Inferni” and this instrumental opener leads you to the rousing “Set The World On Fire”. It is with this track that I felt we were finding the band at their technical best as guitarist Michael Romeo delivers riffs that can only be defined as super human again and again. I was impressed right from the beginning with this one and while I had not expected the band to disappoint the listener, I was quite awed at just how much they chose to up their personal game at the craft with the new album. Lead vocalist Russell Allen really showcases a powerful set of pipes very early on and while he is not one of those soaring eight octave types, he really is one of my favorite Metal singers based on the purity of his voice. There are times on the album where he reminds me a little of Ronnie James Dio of course, but that is never a bad thing when you are in a Metal band. “Domination” continues the journey and while it begins with some fast paced fury, it switches up the tempo when the vocals come in just a little bit for diversity. The chorus finds the speed picked up again and the guys keeps swapping back on forth to keep the listener engaged while the tune progresses. I’ll skip around a little and speak about what comes off as the bands ballad for the release which we find on “Paradise Lost”. It’s not a true ballad per se, but the feel is smooth and the vocals from Allen softer than we have ever found him to my knowledge. The pace picks up a little midway and when it gets to the chorus you can almost envision the audience lighting up their lighters or using their cell phone displays to bring the moment a little more in the visual sense. In any case we are only half of the way in and we can easily find out just how well crafted the release is and how hard Mike Romeo worked on the compositions we received on this one.
Continue reading “Paradise Lost” by Symphony X →