PARADISE LOST

As a long time fan of Symphony X, and considers "The Odyssey" an absolute gem, I had high expectations for this album. I was not disappointed! "Paradise Lost" is another Symphony X classic and is right up there with "The Odyssey" and Divine Wings. This is one of the rare albums where I like every song, not one lets me down. This does not surprise me, since I feel Symphony X is one of the most talented bands out there. The vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard all are perfect on this album and work together splendidly.

Oculus Ex Inferni: A short song with some simple, yet heavy, guitar work, wonderful keyboard ambiance, instruments out the wazoo and an epic orchestra.

Set the World on Fire: A cool, building intro then into a heavy riff. Like any good Symphony X song the riff is followed with keyboard. This song has all the classics. Fast riffs, lots of keyboard, some mind blowing guitar work, and Russel Allen yet again shows off his excellent vocals. However, it should be noted Allen adopts a slightly harsher sound on this album, though it is still clean overall.

Domination: Begins with an awesome bass intro then a wild riff and even wilder drumming. Of course this wouldn't be a Symphony X song with Romeo's classic frantic slide down the fretboard. A good song which has some of my favorite vocals on the album. When Allen yells "I" the second time in this song, it just gives me chills. Some wonderful guitar and keyboard solo's as well! Finally, the part that kicks in at 4:10 is just awesome!

The Serpent's Kiss: A slow, groovy riff that goes for a bit. This is actually a bit of a slower song with some great sounding riffs. Really nice sounding song.

Paradise Lost: An even slower song. Starts with a beautiful keyboard, (then later guitar) melody and Russel Allen lays down the perfect vocals over it. This song also has some my favorite drumming on the album. There are some spectacular guitar and keyboard harmonies throughout this song, and it is all complemented by Allen's vocals.

Eve of Seduction: A faster song, this is a traditional Symphony X work. Tempo and style shifts, heavy guitar, perhaps the weakest song on the album. However, it is by no means a bad track. I like it very much. Also, the solo is just sweet.

The Walls of Babylon: Starts with a chilling musical intro with building guitar. I LOVE the guitar riff personally, just so odd sounding and heavy! This is a slow song, but very heavy! Also, this is another great example of Rullo's drumming. There is technical, as well as blistering double bass. Not to mention a cool bass breakdown and there are some epic choruses on this song. It has it all. GREAT work!

Seven: The 8th song....seven has a crazy guitar intro, which is followed by a crazy riff. This might be one of the more metal songs, with LOTS of tremolo picking. At 4:38 is my favorite part, and is followed by a classic Romeo shred solo.

The Sacrifice: Actually, I stand corrected. This is the weakest song on the album. A very slow song, this is pretty much a power ballad. Do not get me wrong it sounds beautiful and has some great guitar and powerful drums, but is a bit cheesy in my opinion.

Revelation: A moderate paced beginning with some wonderful guitar work. The part at :45 is amazing as well as at 3:50. Overall, a good song with a long instrumental middle section that takes you through several places. Not to mention the standard keyboard/guitar dueling solos. This maybe the most progressive song on the album, it is always changing!

I will admit, I am slightly biased. This is one of my favorite bands, period. However, there is no denying this is a masterpiece. Some could say this work is not terribly different from their others, is not their MOST progressive, but I rate each album on their own, not compared to their mates. Every song is good, great work from every member. Wonderful album!

5 stars