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Rating: Just after 2 years from the excellent "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy," Symphony X returns with "Twilight In Olympus." Well, this CD sits between two immense works (the second is "V" for those who don't know...) and I can't consider it on their level, but let's say it's pleasant... it stays in their typical epic prog-metal style with hints of power.
It starts excellently with "Smoke And Mirrors" which perfectly represents their sound, excellent track, (Michael Romeo's opening riff is fantastic!!!) in the instrumental part, we're greeted by a deep and heartfelt melody that truly deserves applause, unfortunate for the continuation where they overdo the solos, but it quickly recovers with the enveloping rhythm of this piece. "Church Of The Machine" has become one of their classics with good ideas but also a bit of chaos in some parts, yet overall I find it enjoyable. "Sonata" is the prelude to the excellent "In The Dragon's Den" which is the best piece of the work, great rhythm, powerful and charged track, only flaw: it lasts too short!!!!! It follows "Through The Looking Glass": typically progressive instrumental start with keyboard in the foreground, change of rhythm in the central part to then return to the track's sound, hints of melody in the finale but never quite impressing... a bit confusing, that is, the ideas are all there, but in my opinion, they wanted to put too many "things" in this piece.
"The Relic" starts fast (this beginning reminds me of masquerade...), an excellent instrumental part where one has to appreciate the skill of the guitar-keyboard pair that churns out two solos worthy (almost..) of Petrucci & co. In "Orion - The Hunter" a slightly calmer atmosphere while remaining in the sound of the previous tracks, I don't feel any creative spur from this track, indeed, once again note the chaotic piece in the instrumental section, what a bad habit!!!!! (did they perhaps take it from Dream Theater???) It closes with "Lady Of The Snow": starting with oriental sounds in Tool style, note the beautiful deep but at the same time powerful solo by Romeo after just 2 min. which gives us oxygen before returning to the tranquil atmospheres of this track which, in the chorus, reminds me a lot of "Candlelight Fantasia" (from the previous album).
So ends "Twilight In Olympus", well, what to say... good album, the ideas are there, but I expected more from them, especially some instrumental parts need improvement (and they will improve excellently!), but overall I can give it, even though it doesn't deserve it, a nice 3.5 almost 4: first of all, because they are Symphony X and I have great admiration for them; second: Romeo is a genius who composes extraordinarily beautiful music and knows how to bring out a fantastic melody in every album... and finally, one cannot give less to a band that two years later will compose "V - The New Mythology Suite," in my opinion, one of the most beautiful albums I've ever listened to in my life.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Smoke and Mirrors (06:08)
It's all perpetual dreams, this hidden life ain't what it seems
Walking dead we are
Victims of misfortune and lies, and tortured bringers of demise
Circling above like vultures
They reap the harvest that we sew and take, like trusting fools
Promising charade
All days now disappear from weeks to months, from months to years
Forever bound, shackled to the wall
The night falls,
I've seen 1000 moons rising in the sky
The night calls,
I feel the midnight as it slowly cloaks my eyes
Touched by the kiss of the sunrise
Live with shadows and fears
Behind smoke and mirrors
Try to turn back the years
Living inside smoke and mirrors
Sacred and serpentine, a hypnotizing twisted theme
Weaves our souls to roar
Like candles in the wind, our echoed cries above the din
Fade into this faceless sculpture
In the wheel of chance and fate, spinning as we watch and wait
A mystery to us all
On the edge of sanity, we tread the seas of destiny
Forever bound, silent voices call
The night falls,
I've seen 1000 moons rising in the sky
The night calls,
I feel the midnight as it slowly cloaks my eyes
Touched by the kiss of the sunrise
Live with shadows and fears
Behind smoke and mirrors
Try to turn back the years
Living
Inside smoke and mirrors
Live with shadows and fears
Behind smoke and mirrors
Try to turn back the years
Living inside smoke and mirrors
Ohh... the night calls
02 Church of the Machine (08:57)
Bow down
In the platinum maze
Twilight cathedrals
Spread the system plague
Forging sacred thrones
In the void unseen
Merciless judgement in the church of the machine
I'm the master, looking down from the edge of space and time
Flesh and steel intertwined
I am the future
Sacrifice your soul and succumb to me
Nailed to your faith, you'll believe
Scream and no one hears my pleas
Faceless masses falling to their knees
Bow down
In the platinum maze
Twilight cathedrals
Spread the system plague
Forging sacred thrones in the void unseen
Merciless judgement in the church of the machine
Pyramids in the sky
Playing out their cosmic games
Rulers of us all
Forever cursed we live in pain
Cursed we live in pain
(Cursed we live in pain)
The creator, 'Neath the darkened sun my empires rise
Artificially devised
The destroyer
Fierce intentions flow from a virtual rage
Forever lost and enslaved
Total mesh of soul and steel
Life force under my command
Twisted baptism of fire
Between machine and man
Scream and no one hears my pleas
Faceless masses falling to their knees
Bow down in the platinum maze
Twilight cathedrals spread the system plague
Forging sacred thrones in the void unseen
Merciless judgement in the church of the machine
Bow down in the platinum maze
Twilight cathedrals spread the system plague
Forging sacred thrones in the void unseen
Merciless judgement in the church of the machine
04 In the Dragon's Den (03:58)
Placid skies,
Through crystal gazing eyes
Slaves to our desire,
In a ring of smoke and fire
The dungeons call,
Two faces on the wall
Candles light the way,
For a moonlight serenade
Through the nights and days,
We will find a way
A way to carry on what we believe
An empty door,
Ashes on the floor
Hypnotic array of lights,
Dragons calling throughout the night
Omen in black,
Chained down to the rack
The end never in sight,
Soaring through an endless plight
Through the nights and days,
We will find a way (find a way)
Silence fills the shrine,
giving us the sign
Forever lost,
Forever in the dragon's den
Born with second sight,
Essence burning bright
Forever lost,
Forever in the dragon's den
Silence fills the shrine,
Giving us the sign
Forever lost,
Forever in the dragon's den
Born with second sight,
Essence burning bright
Forever lost, forever in the dragon's den
06 The Relic (05:03)
Silver cross in ancient halls, deep inside the castle walls
Bound to sleep, forever locked in chains
Evil carved into the stone, ancient words they've never known
A serpent's silent shroud still remains
Come with me and I'll make all your wishes come true
Lifting the chains of oppression from you
Wiping away the lines carved in your face
Take the Relic from this place...
Carry on, into the horizon, wielding courage, staff in hand
Journey on, through shadows and dreams, and what
lies beyond the guardian's keep
Prey and siege in voiceless woe, dust was scattered long ago
Awaken from the dark and endless sleep
Man's desires-now mortal wounds, believing tales and shallow truths
Hardened hearts now tremble in the keep
Trust in me and I'll lay all your nightmares to waste
Take the Relic from this place
Carry on, into the horizon, wielding courage, staff in hand
Journey on, through shadows and dreams, and what
lies beyond the guardian's keep
Carry on, into the horizon, wielding courage, staff in hand
Journey on, through shadows and dreams, and what
lies beyond the guardian's keep
Carry on, into the horizon, wielding courage, staff in hand
Journey on, through shadows and dreams, and what
lies beyond the guardian's keep
07 Orion - The Hunter (06:56)
Child of the oceans I am, walking on the waves
Stirring the pools, I silence and calm the tides to a glaze
Touched by a vision of love, her beauty recognized
Elusive to me, progressions are now violence in disguise
On a quest for light, and braving the seas
Chasing the morning star, wait for me...
Now I'm blinded, this vision I cannot see
I cannot see my future destiny
Ohh... the hunter looks at you with eyes to kill
Praying for your life-the mighty rage against the still
For whom the God's destroy, they first make mad
Receiving the sun, and falling like hourglass sand
Child of the sea I am, in starlight I reside
Glow silver and white, eternal and bright in the sky
On a quest for light, and braving the seas
Chasing the morning star, wait for me...
Now I'm blinded, this vision I cannot see
I cannot see my future destiny
Ohh... the hunter looks at you with eyes to kill
Praying for your life-the mighty rage against the still
Ohh... the hunter looks at you with eyes to kill
Praying for your life-the mighty rage against the still
Ohh...the hunter
Ohh...the hunter
Ohh...the hunter
I'm the hunter
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Other reviews
By Matt7
The suite is its testimony. A merit of the album is that it is (almost) never boring and captivates with every listen.
"The Church of the Machine" is an excellent song, but what is surprising is the lyrics: a formidable antithesis between mythology/religion and today’s progress in a truly amazing musical ride.
