Symphony X - V

I'll be honest. I don't normally associate New Jersey with great metal. With strip malls, the smell of chemical pollutants, and Giants and Jets home games, sure. . . But metal? Well, let's just say Seattle, Washington it ain't! But Symphony X is doing their best to change my mindset. This prog/power quintet's fifth album, V, is accomplished enough to garner attention as one of the top albums of the year, and proof that the Garden State does indeed have some musical sensibilities.

I have previously described the music of Symphony X as "Yngwie J. Malmsteen meets Jag Panzer meets Kansas." The neoclassical influence is obvious; guitarist Michael Romeo's complex arrangements and penchant for axe acrobatics make him the closest thing there is to a "Guitar God" in the year 2000. But underlying his adventurous nature is a solid power metal foundation, with huge, ripping riffs, larger-than-life vocals, and a thundering, precise rhythm section. Finally, there is the band's progressive side, which sees them experiment with metre, tempo, orchestration, and effects. These elements combine to create a truly unique sound.

Symphony X was founded by Romeo in 1994. The band's initial self-titled release met with critical and popular approval in Japan. The The Damnation Game, in 1995, would be the group's last album with vocalist Rod Tyler. Gifted singer Russell Allen joined the band shortly thereafter and the difference was felt immediately. Heralding a voice as bold and technically refined as Kansas legend Steve Walsh, he helped to make the band's 1997 opus, The Divine Wings of Tragedy, an inspired recording and clearly their best work up to that point. The album established the band in Europe, where the press hailed it as one of the best progressive releases of the year. This was followed up with the superb Twilight in Olympus and a triumphant tour through Western Europe.

Symphony X's latest work is a bold undertaking—a concept album. V tells an original story based on legends of Atlantis, ancient Egyptian mythology, astrology and Edgar Cayce's clairvoyant readings about the Atlantean civilization. The main theme of the tale is the crucial maintenance of balance between the forces of good and evil, as the Atlantean ruler Ptah-Khnemu does battle with his evil creation, Montu-Sekhment. Symphony X sees their struggle as a reflection of man's own inner conflict between his darker and lighter nature. Harmony can be achieved only by bringing these two conflicting energies into balance with one another.

This epic album runs the course of thirteen high-octane songs. "Prelude" starts thing off with an orchestral break that almost sounds like something from the movie "Fantasia." We are then launched into the fury of "Evolution (The Grand Design)" and "Fallen," with Romeo and his bandmates ripping through sections of churning metal as Allen brings the emotion to a peak with his fiery, awe-inspiring voice. "Communion and the Oracle" features an ephemeral chorus with breathtaking harmonies before the power crunch drops us back to earth again with "The Bird-Serpent War/Cataclysm." "Egypt" brings the sounds of Middle Eastern music into play alongside more soft vocal strains. "A Fool's Paradise" features a rousing ending, with Romeo cutting through another impossibly heavy riff as Allen unleashes screams worthy of Eric Adams of Manowar. It's all wrapped up in the two-part track "Rediscovery" as the band blends further orchestration with its inspired metal stylings.

To talk about V is to do it little in the way of justice. This thing has to be heard to be believed. If you are an ex-Yngwie afficianado, if you live and breathe power metal, if you are getting bored with fading progressive metal acts like Fates Warning and Crimson Glory, or if you simply appreciate fabulous musicianship with a heavy edge, V is a must-listen.

While not prolific in producing musicians, Jersey did give the rock world Bruce Springsteen. It's gift to metal might very well have just arrived in the form of Symphony X. . .