Damnation Game

A very quick followup to the debut, but we see many new, and previously un-used elements here, signifying the band's quick and, dare I say, unexpected maturity from broadwayish hard rock/prog to a Malmsteen-esque prowess and songwriting capability. A new member is welcomed here, Russel Allen, who lends a hand on both vocals and the songwriting process, and it would not be an understatement to call him one of the best vocalists ever - a deep and powerful voice in the Dio vein, yet so much more capable and soaring. It will develop even further with the next two albums, but it's very close...too close...to utter perfection here. Michael Romeo sounds like a god again, with his incredible shredding and soloing techniques, and we're finally treated to those unforgettable keyboard/guitar duels betweeen him and Mike Pinnella - again, this aspect of the band will become even better with the two incredible follow-ups. Finally, before I embark on my methodical song by song journey of the disc, I should also mention the lyrics, since Symphony X, along with Virgin Steele, stands as having some of the best lyrics ever written. Incredibly thoughtful retrospectives on life, love, death, etc. from a fantasy view-point; and they're written very poetically, sometimes too much perhaps - reading the lyrics of a lost love which will never come back, this will bring tears to your eyes, and the music does nothing but convey the emotion even further...

Alright then...a song by song it is.

1. Damnation Game (4:32) - the title track opens with a blazing fast and neoclassical guitar/keyboard melody, very much like Malmsteen, though dare I say, a bit more developed. From then on, it progresses to a great synth backed verse and speedy chorus, until later hitting a fantastic shredfest of a solo, before progressing to a slightly altered chorus which finished the song off. Lyrics seem to deal with life as being a game with a downward slope; everyone's destiny is to descend downwards through life, except for those who hold tyrannic power over others. The lyrics show this "...if you dare play the game, your descent pre-ordained, from their fiery thrones screaming, cursing your name - on the terror it breeds, breathing fire and greed, watch him jest as you bleed - screaming enter the Damnation Game...". Great stuff, to say the least.

2. Dressed to Kill (4:44) - the next track opens with some great bass/guitar/keyboard soloing, which lasts for over a minute, before finally hitting the first verse. Almost mid-tempo, and slightly laid back (especially considering the previous track), but it's all amended with the excellent, bombastic chorus. The solo is particularly notable, which has some absolutely incredible dueling between keyboard and guitar. Lyrics are a bit hard to understand, although that's because I might be digging too deep - something of a torment and anguish between two people, one of whom is of insane royalty. "...Dark desires of the cynic queen, laughter echoes her name - he feels his breath decay. Open the past to an empty page, watch his life drift away..." - at least that's how I see it.

3. Edge of Forever (8:58) - without a doubt my favorite track on the album. The song is almost constantly changing, as it can go from a slow ballad-type to an almost thrashy prog style in a matter of seconds - and it does so extremely well. It starts off with some nice guitar soloing before slowing down a little...from then on, it starts a pretty fast and heavy keyboard solo, which progresses into some guitar shredding, before slowing down again to a terrific ballad style, which lasts for about a minute. From then on, we're finally treated to the bridge, chorus, solo, and the remaining chorus; these constant musical changes, without doubt, signify the man's constantly changing emotions. The lyrics are fantastic and incredibly thoughtful - they basically tell of a man who lost the love of his life; yet he keeps denying it, and dreaming of her coming to him at night. But when morning breaks, he almost goes stark with madness, as he can't see the woman ever again. The ending line "...my love never dies..." pretty much says it all.

4. Savage Curtain (3:31) - another fantastic song, this one is incredibly intense and hateful, as shown by the music and the lyrics. The song starts off (or should I say, explodes) with some great drumming, accompanied by epic synth backing, before switching over to an epic and bombastic verse. The chorus is a bit more laid back and melodic, but it works amazingly well. An excellent solo beckons the return of a slightly more intense chorus, which ends the song off. The lyrics - "...besiege me not for who I am, a man with intent in the devil's den, for I know not what to believe, yet mad I am not - in trust I deceive. Radical alterations in my temper grow worse day by day, I will offer you extreme opposition. Savage curtain closes in on you, but do I grieve the evident behind this illusion..." are awesome!

5. Whispers (4:48) - well, things are slowed down here, with a nice, acoustic backed ballad about falling in love. A nice, easy going verse, melodic chorus, and a beautiful solo - the basic essence of a good ballad - these things are all here. Lyrics are good too - "...and when you watch over me, please guide me all the way, you're my judge and my jury...as I lay my head to rest, your absence will surround me, and I'll die another death...". While I find the song to be great, it can't quite match the sonic energy of the first four tracks.

6. The Haunting (5:42) - a pretty fast and excellent track in the defenite Symphony X vein. The song starts off with some spooky keyboards, before progressing into an energetic verse and melodic chorus. Speaking of the chorus, I feel it could've been handled a bit better, though it's still quite good. Lyrics tell of a man blaming himself with the death of a close friend - "...to seal a different fate, can I undo the things I've done? I like on the ground without making a sound and cry for my life again...". Another excellent song.

7. Secrets (5:31) - a fantastic neoclassical track, this one slightly beckons to the style of the debut, though not by much. Excellent styling throughout, with the fast verse, slow bridge, and a fast chorus. Some great harmonizing at the end of the excellent solo, which leads to the repetition of the chorus. Lyrics tell of hiding a secret from someone, and how it totally eats you up inside, like a cancer. "...your soul stretched on the rack, the straw the breaks the back, watch the make-up crack. Got no peace of mind, now you're goin' blind - secrets within, living in sin. No one needs to know, feel the cancer grow. Feel it eating, secrets within...". Terrific track.

8. Winter's Dream pt. 1 - the Prelude (3:04) - the most dull song on the album, thought a.) it's just an intro & b.) it's still a very good song, this is just a slow 3+ minutes of some vocal harmonizing, and acoustic/keyboard based passages. "...wake your dreams (commence now) into reality..." - lemme take a stab in the dark here, and say that this song is about falling asleep...this smoothly progresses into the last track.

9. Winter's Dream pt. 2 - the Ascension (5:37) - An excellent song, this starts off with some great keyboard work, before entering the main verse, which has an interesting progressive groove to it. The chorus is particularly enjoyable. Lyrics tell of a dream - "...risen to an astral flight, I wonder through the serene with you - Answers to the voices I hear, in a Winter's Dream, a dream...". A great end to a great album.

So there you have it. The first album, where it was quite evident of what the band was capable of. Not as epic as the next to discs, though this can still very well hold it's own. A fantastic buy for fans of Malmsteen, or just great, well written progressive metal.

My rating - 9.3
Review by: Ilya Ulberg

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