TWILIGHT IN OLYMPUS

I've been wanting to write a bit about this band, so I chose this album to comment on since it's reviews were sparse. Sym X is basically DREAM THEATER with much better vocals and mythology based stories that are alright, well, I prefer incredibly ingenious songs that question the meaning of life and existence and leave you contemplating for days, but since not everyone can write like that... these dark myths are pretty cool....It's better than ballads, and the stringing of common cliques of political critisism, and other cheesy lyrical content in a lot of of Prog. Music. Russel Allen has several vocal styles he mixes in depending on the tone of the music at the time. He can sound growling Death Metalish at times, and very KANSAS, Walshish at others. He also has a mid range GEOFF TATE sort of style in between. Also, The "choir" pieces and harmonies fit the music and the mood nicely. The vocals are rarely monotonous because of all of the variations. The drums are prominent and very well blended with the rest of the music as opposed to DREAM THEATER which, as good as PORTNOY is, sometimes it's a bit much and actually distracting. TWILIGHT IN OLYMPUS is up to par with the other two SYM X albums I own, I'd reccommend any of them, V, THE ODYSSEY, and This TWILIGHT IN OLYMPUS. I'm going for DIVINE WINGS OF TRAGEDY next. Do you enjoy Symphonic Rock, Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, and other pop-rock hooks included, well, these records have it all. Lots of good riffs, atmosphere, great mix of keys, drums and guitar with speed and style changes thoughout. It's all of the best of Prog. Metal with very few of it's excesses. I can pop one of these albums in and listen straight through at almost any time and literally get lost for an hour. Sometimes I get a bit of Prog. fatiugue in the ears and brain after a couple of hours, but not so much with SYM X, the changes are so frequent and well blended that it mesmerizes but doesn't tire.

V. is recommended by this site and I wouldn't dissagree, it's more on the softer side, tending toward atmosphere, as TWILIGHT and ODYSSEY are heavier. They are all great.

So, far SYM X is the best of the genre IMO.