THE ODYSSEY

In which Symphony X leapt from progressive metal hackery to Titans of the genre in sixty six minutes and fifty seven seconds. It's rare for a band to manage the switch from ordinary to extraordinary in one fell swoop (even Queensryche and Dream Theater took slightly longer), but somehow Michael Romero and cohorts did it on this disk. From the Pantera stylings of the opening seconds of 'Inferno' throught to the Maidenesque mania of the closing minutes of 'Champion Of Ithaca' the band really doesn't put a foot wrong. Indeed, on the spectacular 'Accolade II', a song that brings to mind sublime visions of Joe Lynn Turner fronting Kansas, the band manages to forge one of the most memorable songs of the last ten years. This is an astounding record.