Complete SymX noob

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Amirite

New Metal Member
Jul 14, 2007
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I've been a pretty big Dream Theater fan for a few years now, and I'd love to find another band with a similar sound that makes quality music. From what I've seen from reviews on iTunes and such, Symphony X may well be that band. However, they have a pretty large music library, and I don't really know where to start. Is there one album that's particularly good? Or "beginner" friendly? Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Also, I was shocked at the sheer amount of Dream Theater related material on this forum, but I see very little having to do with Symphony X on the Dream Theater forums (at least the one I've been on.) Can anyone explain this? Bit of a one-sided rivalry perhaps? :)
 
Buy the Odyssey now and you'll fall in love im sure of it!

Then buy Paradise Lost, Divine Wings of Tragedy and V

Yeah dude i love dream theater and symphony x, both are favorites of mine, any dream theater fan is a potential symphony x fan, there heavier more metal for the most part.
 
I'd say the latest (Paradise Lost) would be a great place to start. Either that or Divine Wings of Tragedy. My personal favorite is probably V, but I don't know if that's the best place to start. In general, just avoid the horrid self-titled debut and you should be alright. Welcome to the forum!:headbang:

As far as the SX/DT thing...I personally still don't see why so many people come to the conclusion that they sound alike. I can definitely see why they both appeal to the same group, but as far as sounding alike...I dunno. I've noticed a lot more of the rivalry mentality on the SX side of things than the DT side, but it's retarded either way because they are two entirely different bands with different sounds. It's all fan-created though. To make it even worse, both bands seem to get along with each other very well so I'm sure everytime they have to see/hear about this non-existent rivalry it's just another "not this shit again..." kind of moment.
 
I think symphony X fans hate Dream Theater and Dream Theater Fans just dont give a shit and most of them like symphony x, or at least the people i've talked to on dt forums......

Theres really not that much similarity but there both prog.
 
Well, as far as I'm concerned, Symphony X has the "classic" four albums.

The Divine Wings of Tragedy - This is their third album, and it is really where Symphony X found their sound. This album, while it still has its heavy moments, has an overall lighter metal feel, with a lot of progressive moments. A very lush album, and a great one to start with.

The Odyssey - This album is quite heavy and dark, and pretty guitar driven. The vocals are pretty heavy as well (some raspy parts, but still melodic). The title track is one of the best tracks ever created, IMO (24 minutes in length). This is another album that would be great to start off with. If it's too heavy for you, don't miss out on Divine Wings.

Paradise Lost - This is the long-awaited album that just came out last month. This is the heaviest album they've made to date. Very guitar driven, and very groove-oriented. Vocals are the harshest of all their albums as well, but again, he still remains melodic.

V - This is my favourite album of theirs (also my favourite album of all time). It's not a great album to start with because it may be overwhelming to the listener at first. It is a concept album with an overall lyrical theme, and music that flows from start to finish with reoccuring melodies/patterns (similar to Scenes from a Memory). A very textured/full sound, and I'd say it's their most complex album (best drum performance by Rullo).

Twilight in Olympus and Damnation Game are 2 other great albums, I just feel they aren't as great as the four I mentioned.

Oh, and to get the best feel for the albums, just go to the MP3s section on SX's website. There are a shitload of songs on there to download.
 
I don't mind Dream Theater ey... I just prefer SymX... I've found that DT fanbois usually have more bitching to do about Symphony X, than the other way around. :p
 
I'd have to say Divine Wings Of Tragedy is a great start for anyone wanting to get into SymX's music. Such an incredible album. It's one of those albums that you want to listen to from start to finish everytime (at least for me).
 
I would suggest "The Odyssey" as a good place to start. My first Symphony X album was "The Divine Wings of Tragedy," and although I absolutely loved it, I think "The Odyssey" is a little more rounded out and more up-to-date.

Actually, the only thing I would reccomend against is getting either of the first two albums first: "Symphony X" or "The Damnation Game," although they have excellent tracks on them...the new albums are simply better, hands down.
 
It's strange how many people find their way to Symphony X from Dream Theater. I started getting into them at around the same time, but liking one wasn't really responsible for liking the other. Part of what gets some people interested in these bands are the guitarists. But, Petrucci and Romeo have very different styles, and aside from a few moments in old Symphony X songs where they sound like even older Dream Theater songs, the bands are very different.

bostjan said:
Actually, the only thing I would reccomend against is getting either of the first two albums first: "Symphony X" or "The Damnation Game," although they have excellent tracks on them...the new albums are simply better, hands down.
Click to expand...

This is good advice. Get the other albums first, and if you become a real Symphony X fan, you can appreciate the old stuff.
 
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