UMUR "The Odyssey" is the sixth full-length studio album by US, New Jersey based power/progressive metal act Symphony X. The album was released through InsideOut Music in November 2002. It´s the successor to the concept album release "V: The New Mythology Suite" from 2000 and it features the same quintet lineup who recorded the predecessor. Unlike "V: The New Mythology Suite", "The Odyssey" is not a concept release, but instead an album featuring eight individual tracks. Seven tracks with running times between 5 and 8 minutes and the closing title track which is a 24:13 minutes long progressive power metal epic.

The latter is quite the impressive track featuring both classical orchestrated sections, progressive metal sections, and epic power metal moments. It tells Homer's tale of Greek hero Odysseus and his long and adventure packed journey home to the Greek island of Ithaka after being away for 10 years fighting in the Trojan war (it took him another 10 years to travel home). The story features his encounters with among others The Cyclop and the Sirens.

The remaining tracks are as mentioned individual songs, but they are no less impressive. Up until then including "The Odyssey", this album was arguably the heaviest, most guitar driven release in Symphony X´s discography and guitarist Michael Romeo plays one sharp, heavy groove laden riff after another and combines the heavy parts with beautiful neo-classical influenced lead work and blistering intense soloing. The rhythm section deliver what they should and they are a solid playing unit. keyboardist Michael Pinella adds texture and neo-classical influenced lead work. While there´s absolutely nothing wrong with his skills or playing style, his choice of keyboard sounds have also been a little off to my ears. Especially his solos lack power and could have been much better with a more powerful and intense lead keyboard sound. It´s a minor issue but I have to mention it because it´s not a positive either.

Lead vocalist Russell Allen deserves his own chapter of this review as his performance here is incredibly strong and commanding. Everyone knew at this point that he was a skilled and versatile singer, but on "The Odyssey" he adds a more gruff and even angry singing style to his arsenal, which provides the music with an aggressive edge seldom heard on the preceding releases from Symphony X (but frequently on the successing releases). Just take a listen to his vocal performance on tracks like "Inferno (Unleash The Fire)" and "The Turning" to see what I mean. When that is said Allen can still sing beautiful cleans and hit the high notes when that is called for...no problem.

"The Odyssey" features a powerful, guitar heavy, and detailed sounding production job. It´s the first Symphony X album recorded and produced entirely at Romeo´s home studio (named "The Dungeon"), with Romeo handling production, recording, engineering, and the mixing of the album. It´s not a perfect sound production, and for example the drums could have prospered from a more massive and organic tone, and the keyboards aren´t always placed perfect in the mix either, but for a first try, "The Odyssey" is overall a very well produced release.

Higlights other than the brilliant title track include "Inferno (Unleash The Fire)" and "Accolade II". The latter being a great hero themed epic power ballad and the sequel to "The Accolade" from "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" (1997). But as mentioned all material on "The Odyssey" is of a high quality and to my ears it´s a standout album in their discography. A 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.

SilentScream213 Much like the previous album, here we’ve got another Progressive Neoclassical release with a ton of Power and Symphonic Metal influence. Compositions are lush with layers of guitarwork, keys, synths and atmospherics.

All the music is played to clinical precision. Songwriting is strong and varied, with tons of shifts in speed and tonal style. The compositions are interesting in many ways, both in the multi layering of instruments and the unforeseen twists and turns each song attempts to take you on. And you bet these guys can play their instruments; impressive displays from each member pop up more than a few times across the album.

By rights, it seems like an album I’d adore. But like the previous two, it lacks something very important. Hooks! I don’t mean poppy vocal hooks. I just mean ANY hooks. None of the guitar leads are memorable, the riffs fall to rhythmic chugging most of the time, the synth melodies are nice but always take a back seat, and yeah, the vocals don’t provide any hooks either.

That’s a massive weakness, BUT all the strengths I mentioned prior are still going very strong. So, the album is still pretty great, but it can’t be more than that.

SilentScream213 People say this album is where Symphony X really found their sound. And what a shame that is! Where the riffs were wild and melodic on the debut, by this album they’ve settled for incredibly boring, rhythmic chugging. Baffles me how everyone hates the debut and prefers this sound.

That aside though, I do like this album quite a bit. The keys/synths ad a great layer of atmosphere and melody here, and the drumming is quite great. The more energetic, Power Metal material and the softer, synth-focused Prog Rock sections are really nice, it’s just the midtempo chuggy sections that don’t sit well with me. The guitar solos are all quite great, regardless.

The songs are all nicely composed, lengthy epics with many different changes in tempo, structure, and heaviness. The vocals are talented, but I will say, none of the verses or choruses really stick with me – I do feel a lack of passion, with the voice being used more as another instrument for hitting notes than for expression or emotion.

UMUR "V: The New Mythology Suite" is the 5th full-length studio album by US, New Jersey based power/progressive metal act Symphony X. The album was released through InsideOut Music in October 2000. It´s the successor to "Twilight In Olympus" from 1998 and features two lineup changes as bassist Thomas Miller has been replaced by Michael Lepond and drummer Jason Rullo has returned to the fold after his hiatus from the band replacing Tom Walling. "V: The New Mythology Suite" is a concept album telling the epic story of Atlantis mixed with some ancient Egyptian mythology, and astrology. It´s a highly ambitious release and although the band were already very succesful on the two direct predecessors, "V: The New Mythology Suite" helped cement their position as one of the leaders of the power/progressive metal scene.

...and indeed "V: The New Mythology Suite" is an ambitious album release filled to the brim with heavy groove laden riffs, neo-classical guitar and keyboard work, blistering guitar and keyboard solos, symphonic orchestral parts, beautiful acoustic guitar parts, a powerful and skilled rhythm section, and the strong commanding vocals by Russell Allen. The band aren´t only incredibly skilled musicians, but also clever and accomplished composers, who understand the importance of variation and epic drama that a grand concept story like this one deserves.

The 13 track, 63:09 minutes long album works as one long listening session as all tracks seque into each other, although all tracks are clearly stand-alone compositions featuring exclusive vers/chorus parts, riffs, keyboard parts, and instrumental sections. Themes reoccur during the album to further strengthen the feeling that this is a concept release. When the album is most epic there´s an almost bombamstic cinematic feel to the proceedings, but there are just as many more power/progressive metal tracks and sections. The album is loaded with heavy sharp riffs, blistering solo work, and creative instrumental parts, and there´s generally a good balance between the harsher US power/thrash/groove metal influenced riffs, the melodic neo-classional influenced Euro power metal parts, and the more complex progressive parts. Symphony X already increased the progressive elements of their style on "Twilight In Olympus" (1998) compared to "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy" (1996), and here they just take it up a notch more.

"V: The New Mythology Suite" features a powerful, detailed, and overall well sounding production job, although I´ve always felt the drums could have prospered from a more organic sound. They are a little clicky sounding, but it´s an issue on most of the preceding releases too. So upon conclusion "V: The New Mythology Suite" is another high quality power/progressive metal release by Symphony X, further helping estabish their name as one of the most successful contemporary artists in the genre. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Twilight In Olympus" is the 4th full-length studio album by US, New Jersey based power/progressive metal act Symphony X. The album was released through Zero Corporation in Japan and through InsideOut Music in Europe in March 1998. It´s the successor "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy" from 1996, which proved to be the band´s breakthrough album. During the tour promoting "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy (1996)" drummer Jason Rullo had to take an absense of leave from Symphony X to deal with some personal issues, and he was replaced for the remainder of the tour by Thomas Walling. As Rullo didn´t return when the band were ready to enter the studio and record the material for "Twilight In Olympus", Walling stepped in as a session musian recording the drums on the album.

The material on "Twilight In Olympus" in some ways continue the progressive power metal style of "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy (1996)", and in that respect is a natural successor to that album, but some tracks on "Twilight In Olympus" see Symphony X trying out new ideas and expanding their sound. Tracks like "Smoke And Mirrors", "In The Dragon's Den", and the beautiful and epic closing track "Lady Of The Snow" could just as well have been featured on the predecessor, but tracks like "Church Of The Machine", the 13:06 minutes long (and Dream Theater influenced) "Through The Looking Glass, Parts I-III", and "Orion - The Hunter" are more progressive in style and would have stood out as very different sounding from the other tracks on "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy (1996)". They stand out on "Twilight In Olympus" too, but only in a good way, making the tracklist interesting and varied. In fact the band have managed to construct a very well functioning tracklist and "Twilight In Olympus" is one of their most diverse yet quality consistent releases.

"Twilight In Olympus" features a powerful, detailed, and well sounding production, although the drums could have prospered from a less clicky and more organic tone. The band are as well playing as ever and the listener is treated to one jaw-dropping technially well played heavy riff, blistering guitar/keyboard solo, and hard pounding rhythm part after another. Lead vocalist Russell Allen´s performance deserves a special mention too. Not only does he have a powerful and distinct sounding voice, but the way he uses his full range to perform both high pitched and gruff deeper range vocals (and choirs and harmonies) is spectacular. He is a world class vocalist and proves it once again on this album.

Upon conclusion "Twilight In Olympus" is through and through a high quality release by Symphony X. Naturally continuing the sound established on the precessor while still developing on that sound, the band have produced an album which stands well on it´s own in their discography. Symphony X perfectly blend their neo-classical power metal elements with progressive metal complexity and the outcome is personal and distinct sounding. A 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.