Symphony X
Twilight In Olympus

In 1998, SymphonyX followed up a pivotal album for them. "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" is unmatched by them now, being their masterpiece. Just a year after the release of that massive masterpiece, they delight us once again with an excellent album, although not comparable to the previous one, endowed with a new, more original style, maintaining the status that made the X band famous: "Twilight in Olympus".

First of all, the line-up changes: on drums now sits Thomas Walling, which might disappoint those who were expecting breathtaking syncopations, of which Rullo was a master. Walling starts his work with tracks that have a rhythm far from impressive, yet rich in restarts and accelerations which will become the strong points of these tracks. Naturally, we find the always-present Romeo (in shape and always ultra-technical on his guitar) and Pinella who create admirable instrumental parts. The themes are reminiscent of mythological situations on a base of prog with power-like and neoclassical atmospheres that so much distinguish our band.

The music begins immediately with an opening that smacks of baroque music with "Smoke & Mirrors", in which the instrumental performance is as always impeccable, and with a singer, Allen, who wisely doses the (exceptional) range of his vocal cords. The track is very engaging, although endowed with a fairly standard rhythm, and I start to miss Rullo's odd-time signatures. The second song has become a symbol of Symphony X's music, from which many fan clubs also take their name: "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. The influence of classical music is present in the small interlude named "Sonata" based on the theme of Beethoven’s 8th Sonata in C minor, an excellent fresco of the versatility of our musicians. This small track ushers us into another beautiful piece: "Into the Dragon's Den", which I find, in my opinion, a bit too short, but it features a truly spectacular unison instrumental section.

And here we come to the suite, a real gem: "Through the Looking Glass" is organized into three sublime parts. In various interviews, Romeo has often praised this gem, saying it is often moving for him. I can't disagree, being an incredible tribute to dreams, imagination, and fantasy. I would define it as a manifesto of modern musical art: conceptually perfect, just as the musical aspect is impeccable. Chilling is Allen when he cries "dream on". The listening cannot stop, however, at the suite, and I continue to savor the notes of "The Relic" which highlights the skill of a bassist like Miller, while I find the last two "Orion-The Hunter" and "Lady of the Snow" somewhat understated, despite offering an excellent conclusion to the album.

Yet another good, indeed, excellent effort by the American progsters. Despite being written just a year after that masterpiece which is "The Divine Wings of Tragedy", it maintains an excellent quality level and is not a child of the rush to return to the market and shows no style slip-ups or lack of interesting cues. The suite is its testimony. A merit of the album is that it is (almost) never boring and captivates with every listen. The rating isn't 5, but 4, for the simple reason that it follows their masterpiece.

Recommended for fans of the group but also to all followers of the genre. And why not, to those who want to discover a great, excellent band.