This album just doesn't hold up over time compared to their other releases. Some great tracks on here, but also some very, very boring moments. It's way too long for it's own good in my opinion. Not enough variety.

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 09.09.2011 at 15:41

This album just doesn't hold up over time compared to their other releases. Some great tracks on here, but also some very, very boring moments. It's way too long for it's own good in my opinion. Not enough variety.

You are drunk

Written by BloodTears on 09.09.2011 at 16:00

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 09.09.2011 at 15:41

This album just doesn't hold up over time compared to their other releases. Some great tracks on here, but also some very, very boring moments. It's way too long for it's own good in my opinion. Not enough variety.

You are drunk

xD I wish was! I dunno. The album just gets less interesting the more I listen to it. I just lose more interest the farther I get into the album, then I hear All Is Lost and am like, "Oh cool. I like this one a lot.", and then I put in the second disc, rock out to Electric Messiah... and then am like after a couple more songs and just start listening to something else. I've been listening to Pagan's Mind's latest release... which is prob my favorite power metal album of the year so far.

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 09.09.2011 at 16:10

Written by BloodTears on 09.09.2011 at 16:00

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 09.09.2011 at 15:41

This album just doesn't hold up over time compared to their other releases. Some great tracks on here, but also some very, very boring moments. It's way too long for it's own good in my opinion. Not enough variety.

You are drunk

xD I wish was! I dunno. The album just gets less interesting the more I listen to it. I just lose more interest the farther I get into the album, then I hear All Is Lost and am like, "Oh cool. I like this one a lot.", and then I put in the second disc, rock out to Electric Messiah... and then am like after a couple more songs and just start listening to something else. I've been listening to Pagan's Mind's latest release... which is prob my favorite power metal album of the year so far.

I like every single song in there, minus some on the second disc, but "Electric Messiah" is definitely the best on that one.

That's it, you've been listening to too much power metal and now your taste digressed

Written by BloodTears on 09.09.2011 at 16:26

That's it, you've been listening to too much power metal and now your taste digressed

Nah. I still love Symphony X, just not this album in particular. And back off the Pagan's Mind album. It's awesome, and actually reminds me of classic Dream Theater a little bit. If Symphony X went away, there are great bands like them and Circus Maximus to take the progpower reins and ride into metal glory... like FUCKING CHAMPS.

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 09.09.2011 at 16:36

Written by BloodTears on 09.09.2011 at 16:26

That's it, you've been listening to too much power metal and now your taste digressed

Nah. I still love Symphony X, just not this album in particular. And back off the Pagan's Mind album. It's awesome, and actually reminds me of classic Dream Theater a little bit. If Symphony X went away, there are great bands like them and Circus Maximus to take the progpower reins and ride into metal glory... like FUCKING CHAMPS.

Ok, I MIGHT try it Not too interested at the moment, but I might check it out at some point.

Written by BloodTears on 09.09.2011 at 16:46

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 09.09.2011 at 16:36

Written by BloodTears on 09.09.2011 at 16:26

That's it, you've been listening to too much power metal and now your taste digressed

Nah. I still love Symphony X, just not this album in particular. And back off the Pagan's Mind album. It's awesome, and actually reminds me of classic Dream Theater a little bit. If Symphony X went away, there are great bands like them and Circus Maximus to take the progpower reins and ride into metal glory... like FUCKING CHAMPS.

Ok, I MIGHT try it Not too interested at the moment, but I might check it out at some point.

I agree that Pagan's Mind beats Symphony X this year! and that is saying a lot because I love Symphony X and we go WAY back but the album that keeps bringing me back between the two is "Heavenly Ecstasy" and I can't believe that PM keeps evolving and yet never disappointing! Although I do give "Iconoclast" a solid 8.8/10!

I'm still loving this one so much....maybe my favorite record by these amazing dudes

I actually really like this after listening to it more and more. I knew it would grow on me eventually!

Probably the best prog metal record of the year, though my vote is probably going elsewhere on MS awards for the sake of shedding light on some rising band

Written by Milena on 23.11.2011 at 21:29
Probably the best prog metal record of the year, though my vote is probably going elsewhere on MS awards for the sake of shedding light on some rising band

You blasphemer. Vote for who you think is the best even if it's a big-name band.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 23.11.2011 at 21:32

You blasphemer. Vote for who you think is the best even if it's a big-name band.

Well the point of the awards isn't about wining but about discovery

Written by Milena on 23.11.2011 at 21:57
Well the point of the awards isn't about wining but about discovery

But you're going to vote for a band who you don't think released the best album. Just because a band isn't mainstream doesn't mean they're good.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 23.11.2011 at 22:01

But you're going to vote for a band who you don't think released the best album. Just because a band isn't mainstream doesn't mean they're good.

Well I'm not talking about mainstream-ness, I'm talking about adding precious vote points to a band who won't score as much as SyX and Opeth so people who check out the scores will think 'hmmmm, 150 votes for this, it probably can't be bad, I'll check it out'. And besides, 'the best' and 'the one I like most' are not always interchargeable terms, at least for me.

The more I try to get into this album, the more I convince myself that it is not the greatest shit everyone talks about.

Nice one, although for me not as good as "Paradise Lost". Of course when it comes to Sy X it's always a matter of top quality, but seems a bit of a step down from previous two, not so much in terms of quality but more of a feeling and emotion it goes with the songs .. but than again it's a bit of a personal feeling and impressions you have when listening to an album. But as always more than solid.

I just love how the album starts.. so a movie-like slightly symphonic intro, then something like chaotic free jazz(more like the guys asserting their supremacy on their instruments while your brain explodes), then it gets slow and epic, you start to wonder when the actual song will start exactly, and then, out of nowhere, that amazing riff, so dirty, groovy and heavy, yet so Romeo, dammit I could listen to that intro forever.

I rarely vote for stuff, but imo this album really deserves the recognition it has. It's simply so qualitative on so many levels, every guy does his job amazingly and the whole album must have something like 200 riffs at least(with undoubtedly some of Romeo's best), the lyrics are stupendous, the production is amazing too. Definitely my album of the year 2011.

Symphony x best Prog metal band ever \m/

This is a great album if vocal shut the mouth
he bothers me when i listen to this album
his voice and singing style is so countrified
it smells like Senior's House in countryside
SUCKING OLD MAN, put down the mic, put up hiking stick, and shout in park plz.

I just realized the song "Iconoclast" is about Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge

I have a strange history with this album. First time I listened to it it didn't impress me in the slightest, on the second try I really enjoyed it and now, when I listened to it again attentively... It sounds pretty boring to me. Yes, the production is great and so is the musicianship but... It sounds too mechanical to me, just like an album artwork. And when I can't find a single daring move on progressive album it ends up being boring for me.
Or maybe I'm just not into Symphony X anymore.

Memorable melodies, groovy as hell, and Russell's beast vocals delivered as usual. Brilliant.

This is the first album I've heard from them, just listened to it, and I'm really impressed by their talent. I knew R. Allen from other projects tho, so it was time to discover his "home". Some songs, or some parts of a few songs seem to be forced, like they are there only to make a long album. This could have been a 10/10 solid nine or ten song album, but they sacrificed it for the sake of progressiveness. At least this is what my ears are telling me. It was great to have a taste of what this band is about, and now I'm really looking forward to hear their earlier releases.

The upcoming new release has led me to return to SymX for the first time in what feels like potentially years. I have to say, whilst I was extremely keen on Iconoclast when it first came out (it arrived just as I was hitting the peak of my SymX passion, which has substantially dwindled since), upon revisiting it does feel quite dry and a bit bereft of real emotion for the most part. The songs are fine, the vocals are typically strong and pretty catchy, riffs are generally good, but aside from being heavy, technically adept and quite hooky it lacks some of the charisma of Paradise Lost and previous stuff. Having said that, When All Is Lost is just as good as I remembered it to be, and is clearly the standout cut from the album. It's generally good, but I do hope some of the 'macho' feel of this one is diminshed on Underworld.

This is one of those bands that seems to be very hit or miss for people. Throughout the years I have attempted to get into them and for whatever reason this is the first of their albums that seemed to catch my attention with any consistency. Perhaps it feels a bit heavier and that's maybe what they needed for me to keep listening? Can anyone here try to sell me on other albums by this band?

Written by Danny Thomas on 19.08.2015 at 12:36

This is one of those bands that seems to be very hit or miss for people. Throughout the years I have attempted to get into them and for whatever reason this is the first of their albums that seemed to catch my attention with any consistency. Perhaps it feels a bit heavier and that's maybe what they needed for me to keep listening? Can anyone here try to sell me on other albums by this band?

The last three albums are probably the 'heaviest' ones, so it might be interesting to work your way backwards through their discography, starting with this album. I personally think the latest one is their weakest yet, but it might also be worth a spin if you really dig this one.

Written by Zap on 19.08.2015 at 12:40

Written by Danny Thomas on 19.08.2015 at 12:36

This is one of those bands that seems to be very hit or miss for people. Throughout the years I have attempted to get into them and for whatever reason this is the first of their albums that seemed to catch my attention with any consistency. Perhaps it feels a bit heavier and that's maybe what they needed for me to keep listening? Can anyone here try to sell me on other albums by this band?

The last three albums are probably the 'heaviest' ones, so it might be interesting to work your way backwards through their discography, starting with this album. I personally think the latest one is their weakest yet, but it might also be worth a spin if you really dig this one.

I appreciate the feedback! back in 2003 I picked up a copy of V: The New Mythology Suite, and it came off as really cheesy (which is weird considering I love a lot of power metal I.e blind guardian, rhapsody, sonata arctica, even hammerfall and things like manowar) but just a second ago i went on youtube and put on the paradise lost album, I suppose I will see where that takes me. (I've been listening to things like the new Disharmonia mundi, Born of Osiris, even job for a cowboy's suneater, so i thought perhaps it was just a timing thing, but no, i just played nightfall in middleearth by guardian and was like "fuck yea, still love this" so i dunno *shrugs shoulders*)

Written by Danny Thomas on 19.08.2015 at 13:03

I appreciate the feedback! back in 2003 I picked up a copy of V: The New Mythology Suite, and it came off as really cheesy (which is weird considering I love a lot of power metal I.e blind guardian, rhapsody, sonata arctica, even hammerfall and things like manowar) but just a second ago i went on youtube and put on the paradise lost album, I suppose I will see where that takes me. (I've been listening to things like the new Disharmonia mundi, Born of Osiris, even job for a cowboy's suneater, so i thought perhaps it was just a timing thing, but no, i just played nightfall in middleearth by guardian and was like "fuck yea, still love this" so i dunno *shrugs shoulders*)

You're welcome.
I don't see how Symphony X is cheesier than those bands you mentioned though To me it's one of the least cheesy power-ish metal bands I can think of.

Written by Zap on 19.08.2015 at 15:11

Written by Danny Thomas on 19.08.2015 at 13:03

I appreciate the feedback! back in 2003 I picked up a copy of V: The New Mythology Suite, and it came off as really cheesy (which is weird considering I love a lot of power metal I.e blind guardian, rhapsody, sonata arctica, even hammerfall and things like manowar) but just a second ago i went on youtube and put on the paradise lost album, I suppose I will see where that takes me. (I've been listening to things like the new Disharmonia mundi, Born of Osiris, even job for a cowboy's suneater, so i thought perhaps it was just a timing thing, but no, i just played nightfall in middleearth by guardian and was like "fuck yea, still love this" so i dunno *shrugs shoulders*)

You're welcome.
I don't see how Symphony X is cheesier than those bands you mentioned though To me it's one of the least cheesy power-ish metal bands I can think of.

I agree with you, which was my point, that's why I'm confused why I can;t get into them more. maybe to me, symphony x sounds like it takes itself a bit more seriously, and therefore comes off more gimmicky? still figuring it out, but i was digging this album, and i'm going to try to keep an open mind when going back over their other stuff.

Written by Danny Thomas on 19.08.2015 at 12:36

This is one of those bands that seems to be very hit or miss for people. Throughout the years I have attempted to get into them and for whatever reason this is the first of their albums that seemed to catch my attention with any consistency. Perhaps it feels a bit heavier and that's maybe what they needed for me to keep listening? Can anyone here try to sell me on other albums by this band?