Symphony X- Twilight In Olympus

Another year, another album for Symphony X. Unlike Divine Wings, which I loved right off the bat, it took a while for me to fully ingest the album...The disc was written in the incredibly short time amount of 7 months, yet incredibly enough, it manages to surpass Divine Wings in both music and content. While the overall duration is over 10 minutes less than that the previous disc, the music has been greatly improved, and pushed to an even more incredible degree with nary a song remaining the same for over a minute. The vocal harmonies have pretty much been dropped, with Russel's vocals thankfully pushed towards the front even more than before. Romeo and Pinnella have long passed perfection, and their solos and instrumental duels are nothing short of godly. Unfortunately it was during this period that Jason Rullo left the band for a while, so new drummer Thomas Walling does the drumming here - a very solid and commendable job. I should also note that there WERE plans to include another 20+ minute track (the title track), but due to the ridiculously short time limit for recording, the song was not finished; it is however going to be put on the next disc, which is most likely gonna be a concept album... Alright then...

1. Smoke & Mirrors - 6:09 The opener starts off with some incredible keyboard/guitar shredding (ala Damnation Game, Out of the Ashes), before proceeding to the ultra fast verse. The epic chorus is handled well...too well maybe, before the song slows down for the first part of the solo - slow, ultra-melodic, and bombastic. This is followed by the usual fast keyboard solo, before commencing with the chorus yet again to end the track off. Lyrics seem to be slightly fantasy oriented, as they deal with life and it's turmoils through a fantasy viewpoint - "...it's all perpetual dreams, this hidden life ain't what it seems, walking dead we are. Victims of misfortune &lies, tortured bringers of demise...".

2. Church of the Machine - 8:57 The excellent epic starts off with some strange synth sound before proceeding to the terrific chorus. This is followed by some great soloing which lasts for around 3 minutes, before finally getting to the verse, chorus, and the remaining solo. The music here is marvelous, and delivers the feeling of actually being on a mystic spaceship of sort - and it still retains that Symphony X feel. As I've said, lyrics are sci-fi based - "...Bow down in the platinum maze, twilight cathedral spreads the system plague, forging sacred thrones in the void unseen, merciless judgement in the Church of the Machine...".

3. Sonata - 1:25 The intro to the next song, this is basically a section of Beethoven's masterpiece, with Romeo providing some unforgettable guitarwork. Starts slowly with some piano, before the guitar is smoothly injected.

4. Dragon's Den - 4:00 The track starts off with some intense drumming, then the bass, etc. Ultra bombastic verse and epic chorus all played to perfection here, plus a fantastic solo. Lyrics seem to be pretty much fantasy oriented - "...placid skies through crystal, gazing eyes - slaves to our desire in a ring of smoke & fire...". One of my favorite tracks on the disc.

5. Through the Looking Glass - 13:05 Well, there's no 21 minute epic here, so this will have to do. Alice's adventures in Wonderland retold here, Symphony X style. While being in itself one track, the song is divided into 3 different, albeit connected sections. Part 1 is an almost AoR-ish verse, with some piano accompaniments - this reminds me somewhat of "Accolade", from the previous disc. Part 2 is a slow, mostly spoken section which blends flawlessly into Part 3, the longest and best section of the song - this has the band's signature sound stamped all over it, and the chorus is the usual, unforgettable fare. "...Dream on, do you believe...all the things that you're seeing are true, the start's where the end's leading you ...". Due mainly to the sheer length, this took several listens to fully get into, but now it's my favorite track on the disc, and one of my favorite songs of the year.

6. The Relic - 5:03 The only neoclassical track on the disc, and it kicks ass! A tight and mystic verse leads to an almost speed-metal chorus. The solo is more cryptic, and thus slower, however it blends effortlessly into the track. I should note the chorus, because I absolutely love the dramatic way it's handled - "...carry on into the horizon, wielding courage, staff in hand. Journey on through shadows and dreams, and what lies beyond the Guardian's Keep...". As you can gues by the lyrics, this is a pretty much fantasy/mythology oriented deal in terms of the lyrics.

7. Orion - the Hunter - 6:56 The most straightforward track the band has done in quite a while, perhaps even since the debut. This beckons back to Dream Theater's "Awake" and "Falling Into Infinity", with it's heavy bass usage, and something that you wouldn't normally associate with a Symphony X song - heavy and catchy riffs! The chorus is caustic and biting, and the keyboards provide some nice backing sound, except for the solo which is played entirely WITH keyboards. Lyrically, this is a defenite continuation of "Raging Season" (the excellent opener from the debut), as even the "...for whom the gods destroy, they first make mad..." line of the aforementioned track is repeated here. Due to the track's daring simplicity (in comparison to the other songs, that is), I wasn't too crazy about it at first, though I absolutely love it now.

8. Lady of the Snow - 7:09 An excellent power ballad, though I doubt the band was trying to make another Candlelight Fantasia here. The two songs are very different in that this one relies on raw & pure emotion rather than constantly changing music. Quite slow throughout, though this does thicken up a bit after a minute or so of playing. Some Oriental sounds are used throughout to convey the mood, and the chorus does an excellent job of providing a feeling of hopeless love. "...Lady of the Snow, calling me, her silhouette awaits in the cold, I can't fight anymore...". An excellent quasi-ballad, and a fantastic ending to one of the year's best albums.