PARADISE LOST

Symphony X released Paradise Lost quite a long time after their previous release The Odyssey, which was the only album I had from them at that time. Later, I added V: The New Mythology Suite to my collection since I liked what I heard and wanted to discover more about this band.

So how good is this release? Read on?

After a quick intro, Set The World On Fire sets this CD on fire! I specially like the heavy part at the end but, somehow, I found the chorus the weakest part of this song. Domination is next and is one of my favourite of the album.

The Serpent's Kiss and Eve Of Seduction are in my humble opinion the weakest songs on this CD. Don't get me wrong, they are not bad, they just don't raise goose bumps like the others!

Paradise Lost and The Sacrifice are nice breaks among all the fury and energy. The Walls Of Babylon is sublime and really stands out. There is a powerful initial 3 minutes instrumental part at the beginning of what is the most theatrical song of the CD, with some very heavy part. Seven is another great song and Revelation brings a nice closure to this very strong album.

It could be argued that this release is not has progressive or theatrical than their previous albums. It has a much harder and faster edge to it. It is more straightforward and in your face. Nothing wrong with that, if you like a lot of metal in your prog. Still the music is far from being simple. It will be interesting to see what they will do next.

As a bonus, the artwork and presentation on this CD is top notch. Final rating: A very strong 4 stars.