"Darker" than The Odyssey ¡?

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I'd consider it a fact that MJR is NOT a "generic guitar chugger." I think you need to go back and listen to his riffs again - they are neither generic nor chugworthy (better word anyone?). I count them as part of what makes Symphony X utterly brilliant - they can balance heavy riffage whilst retaining their excellent symphonic elements. It gives the music the heaviness to counter the less aggressive parts.
 
Regarding the "generic guitar chugger"-thing, I think Metropolis II meant Romeo's riff-style. SX's heavier riffs are largely based on harmonic minor with the root on the fourth step (sorry, can't really explain this properly in English); OSaS, Evolution, The Relic, Dragon's Den ... the list goes on. This sometimes makes it sound as if Romeo kinda recycles his riffs.
 
Yep, you explained it good.

As much as I love Michael Romeo's guitar solos, I just don't like his riffs very much. Maybe thats why Symphony X is not one of my favorite Progressive Metal bands.

Ok, I think its time to get back to the subject at hand.
 
Yngvai X said:
Yeah but this is Symphony X we're talking about, not a certain band whos guitarist likes wearing eyeliner and black nailpolish and thinks he's better than John Petrucci, so I don't think we have anything to worry about :)



Haha, that was brilliant
 
Polyeidus said:
hmmm...


My first Sym X album was Damnation game. Got it in 99 I think. Since, like most(not all) who hear Sym X, I've aquired all of their albums. With that said, how much darker can things get?



"Terrified - to the left and to the right
Spirits of the Damned, iron shadows cast
Hear my desperate cries
Shrieking demon - far and wide
praying for this breath to be my last"


King of terrors is pretty friggin dark in my book.

What about Wicked?



Just listen to the lyrics. There's some really dark, and to be frank, sometimes creepy stuff on The Odyssey. And the music behind those creepy instances only make it "darker" for me. It will be interesting to hear a darker album!

Something else.

I get what has been said about the Odyssey part of the album. And I can understand why some wouldn't get it, or just not dig it. But cheesy? CHEESY?
I'm sorry but maybe, and I stress maybe(because I don't really believe what I think is absolute) you don't get it. (please don't flame me)

And...

Something has really been getting under my skin for a couple of years now. Those who visit this forum complaining about the Odyssey release, and why they(fans) think they(Sym X) have gone in the wrong direction. If you want Symphony X to produce something you didn't get out of their last effort, maybe there lies the issue. Maybe they don't have what you need anymore. People change. People grow up, and the important things in their lives change too. Are there any bands out there that keep with their greatest material, and continue to top it album after album? Maybe a few, but not many. Hell, in my opinion, Symphony X has done just that. Not because each following album was heavier and more progressive, and more metal, and more dark, and more complex, and more what the hell ever else anyone can think to complain about, but because they HAVE gotten older and wiser, but can still T-totally rock out! :headbang: Think about it...

claim to be a fan, then go on and on about their music not being what you want it to be. Just try to enjoy their music, take it at face value, and if that's not enough, when that craving, for instance, for something "darker" arises, just remember there are lit. hundreds of other bands who stay in the dark.

:)

I havn't been around for a year or so and I'm sure most of this has been said in one way or another so, sorry if it's seemingly redundant.

now, please. try to remember this post is "ONLY" an opinion. One of many. I'm not mean'n to piss anyone off. Just spouting off!

I read everything you said and I agree. If you prefer smyph x to not get more progressive, then by all means go buy the newest yngwie album, that guy always stays true to what his fans want.

disclaimer: I am not comparing sx to yngwie nor am i bashing yngwie.
 
Metropolis Part 2 said:
Yep, you explained it good.

As much as I love Michael Romeo's guitar solos, I just don't like his riffs very much. Maybe thats why Symphony X is not one of my favorite Progressive Metal bands.

Ok, I think its time to get back to the subject at hand.

I am suprised you didn't light a spark with that comment, haha. To be honest I really don't give a shit about the riffs, the melody is most important part for me.
 
bball_1523 said:
I disagree with a lot of you. I think the entire Odyssey album is amazing. They may have repeated a lot of straight up metal riffs in some of their songs, but they composed them really well. I mean, I love the intro to King of Terrors and how the song have the mystical synth in the background, you got love that.

I really do hope Romeo makes the cd darker, since that is how I view S-X's masterpieces in the first place. Making it darker will probably make the songs not sound too power metal like some dragonforce or rhapsody, (I don't really like the happy happy moods too much, although a mixture of dark/happy is fine with me). I wanna hear brutal metal with a mixture of symphonic/progressive material. I really hope they still use their crazy time signatures, wicked soloing, and best of all, amazing composition.

Hey I feel exactly the same way! More stuff like King of Terrors please!
 
Train of Thought? More like Awake. That's the model for 7-string usage.

And Romeo should get away from the power-chordish riffs and stick to the classical stuff.
 
I agree with Metropolis Part 2 about michael's riffs. I think alot of his riffs are too simple and allmost nu metalish. I'm not saying all of them, but he does have alot a boring riffs. The best riff writter is the two guys for Necrophagist.
 
shredder487395 said:
I agree with Metropolis Part 2 about michael's riffs. I think alot of his riffs are too simple and allmost nu metalish. I'm not saying all of them, but he does have alot a boring riffs. The best riff writter is the two guys for Necrophagist.

Too simple and nu metalish?? Maybe some of the Odyssey riffs were a little pantera style, but I don't hear any nu metal influences, you should have somekind of funk or rap rhythm to sound nu metal. I think Romeo is great riff writer, one of my favorites is Orion the hunter middle section riff.
 
Fantastically complemented by Pinnella's organ riffing.

And personally...while I do NOT think they're nu-metal in The Odyssey, I do think the riffs aren't quite what Romeo typically writes. Technically he's actually improved on The Odyssey (impossible-seeming...but he did!), but other aspects really slid, like the songwriting.
 
Iced Dog said:
I don't find those riffs nu-metalish at all...perhaps not the most complicated, but that isn't a prerequisite for good music

It's ironic that Romeo can get away with writing simple riffs, yet when nu-metal bands do it everyone's like OMG THEY FUCKING SUCK LOOK AT THOSE SIMPLE CRAP RIFFS.

And I agree with the whoever said he should stick with neo-classical stuff. That's the reason I started like Symphony X in the first place. I can listen to any number of generic metal bands with power chord riffs, but few bands can do the neo-classical metal thing as well as Symphony X.