Symphony X
The Odyssey

THE REVIEW

An album endowed with great imagination, technical affinity, and "metallic" power, all revisited in a prog metal key.

The most beautiful work of the band originating from New Jersey, like the previous albums, is set in Greek mythology.
The work of Homer is “narrated” to us by Russel and co., in an exemplary manner, giving us emotions and fascinating melodies. It's precisely the vocals that fully express the “sharp and precise” sound of Symphony X. Indeed, the voice is of absurd versatility, managing to capture in the decisive moments of the album, tones as aggressive and melodic as they are chilling and harsh!
The musical interpretation by the rest of the band is decisive and direct, creating, thanks to an excellently technical-symphonic level, an unparalleled mythological atmosphere resonating throughout all the pieces.

Ulysses’ journey is formidably interpreted by the group, which evokes all the episodes faced by the brave hero.
The first episode, “Inferno”, highlights the singer's ability to explode with a sharp and fiery voice, yet always with a marked harmony. “Wicked” represents the track where the album's power is best expressed. In fact, almost all the pieces feature very symphonic parts and truly hammering ones!

On the guitar, we find the acrobatic Michael Romeo, who, along with the bass, executes marvelous riffs and nails every solo present in the album. The 5-string, “guided” by Mike Lepond, “punishes” the listener with a machine-gun-like rhythm and enchants with truly excellent bass runs and lines!
The imagination emanating from Michael Pinnella with his keyboard makes everything imaginative and extremely catchy.
Jason Rullo (the name says it all :-), directs the entire “orchestra”, with great counter-tempos and restarts.

In the eighth song, “The odyssey”, it's evident that this is a group with serious chops!! The track is divided into episodes, from the departure from the much-mourned Ithaca, to the encounter with the witch Circe, passing by Scylla and Charybdis until the return to the much-loved Penelope.

The formidable ability of the 5 musicians to hold attention for 24 minutes, with changes in tempo and sonorities depending on the episode unfolding, makes this track a true jewel, in my opinion, the most beautiful one on the album.

A truly impeccable album, delightful to listen to, analyze, and love! Another masterpiece marked by progressive metal.