Band:	Symphony X
Album:	Paradise Lost
Style:	Symphonic power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	June 22, 2007
A review by:	Jeff

Disc I
01. Oculus Ex Inferni
02. Set The World On Fire (The Lie Of Lies)
03. Domination
04. Serpent's Kiss
05. Paradise Lost
06. Eve Of Seduction
07. The Walls Of Babylon
08. Seven
09. The Sacrifice
10. Revelation (Divus Pennae Ex Tragoedia)
11. Sacrifice Prelude [demo] [Japanese bonus]
12. Opening Alternate Intro [demo] [Japanese bonus]

Disc II [Live DVD]
01. King Of Terrors [Paris]
02. Out Of The Ashes [Paris]
03. Dressed To Kill [Tokyo]
04. In The Dragon's Den [Tokyo]
05. Inferno [Milan]
06. Evolution [Madrid]
07. The Odyssey - Part II [Hollywood]
08. The Odyssey - Part V & VI [Hollywood]
09. Smoke And Mirrors [Hollywood]
10. Of Sins And Shadows [Gigantour USA]

Five years my friends, we had to wait five really long years to have the luck to finally listen to the new Symphony X. The band promised something great and "heavy", I can tell you that they didn't lie to their fans because "Paradise Lost" is probably the heavier and darker album of the American combo but also one of their bests. It's good to see that SX is back and better than ever and after all even if it was long, we didn't wait for nothing. "Paradise Lost" is an amazing album damn so, be prepared for one of the biggest blast of the year 2007!!!

I will never say that "Paradise Lost" is better or not than the other albums of Symphony X for the simple reason that anyway, I love all their albums and I don't want to do any classification. But be sure of one thing, with "Paradise Lost" SX respects its promises. The album is really aggressive with a ton of heavy and loud riffs (like with "Evolution (The Grand Design)") and of course with all the ingredients of the musical recipe of the band. The great melodies, the symphonic arrangements, the super technical keyboards and guitars soli and the really long songs are still there but the main change on this release is the voice of Russel Allen. Here, the amazing singer uses a lot of aggressive voices (even a bit hoarsy sometime) and you'll be able to see that it's heavy yeah! "Paradise Lost" is a bit like "V" with the principal difference that this release is a lot more "in your face", not so complex and it will maybe be problematic for the fans who like pure Progressive Metal. I cannot say that "Paradise Lost" is not "Prog" because it's progressive for sure but when you compare it to "The Odyssey" or "V" it's a bit different. "Paradise Lost" is easier of access which doesn't mean that it's bad, at the opposite, but a song like "Eye Of Seduction" (even if it's all but not simple) is clearly more oriented toward the Power and Heavy Metal direction than the Progressive one. Some of you will like it, some others will find that it's maybe a bit too simple for a band like Symphony X and will regret the lack of complex passages, but don't worry, this is the only reproach that I will do today and this reproach is only for some few songs (I will never say that for Revelation (Divus Pennae ex Tragoedia)" for example).

Except this little remark about the lack of complexity and "deepness" on some songs, all is great here. The musicians are better than ever (this is probably the best performance of the American musicians, even if I regret that Russel doesn't use a lot his classy super clean voice. Agressive vocals are cool but pure clean vocals are great too...) and from the beginning to the end, "Paradise Lost" just kicks our asses. I listened to this album a dozen of times already and it's never boring, at the opposite the choruses and melodies all stay in our memory and it's clearly some kind of songs that you'll sing in your head during all the day. Plus the production is just amazing and the heavy sound of the band is super perceptible and I have nothing to say about the philosophical lyrics about the problems produced by the humans which are just excellent (as always with the band). "Paradise Lost" is a bit like a synonym of perfection.

"Paradise Lost" is a real must, a masterpiece of Metal. Clearly more accessible than the previous albums of the combo, it will probably be the album of the consecration for the American act, the album for ALL the fans of Metal. Nothing to add really, we didn't wait for nothing and Symphony X confirms one more time that they're one of the best combos of the whole Metal scene. Don't wait anymore, "Paradise Lost" is out now and this is a must so run to your records-shop to buy, for me (and for now of course (we're still in July hehe )) the album of the year 2007!