I have been playing their Symphony X albums recently, mostly stuff through Twilight in Olympus. The Divine Wings of Tragedy has been a personal favourite of mine since day one, but I've always had a soft spot for The Damnation Game. Long after the band got big with the release of V: The Mythology Suite, I used to go back to The Divine Wings of Tragedy and proclaim it the band's masterwork. In the meantime, I'd play The Damnation Game and consider it such a leap forward after the debut, which I don't really like.
To me, The Damnation Game sticks out because it is arguably their darkest work musically. The themes, Russell's vocalizations, the way the keys linger on in the background even during the busiest musical passages give the album a distinct feel. There is no arguing that everyone in the band, especially Michael Romeo would improve by leaps in the following years, but the darkness factor that abounds on this disc would never be recaptured.
I was wondering what everyone on this forum thinks about The Damnation Game. How do you guys rank in their discography? Is it more of a stepping stone for its follow-up or more of a one-off experiment the band decided to walk away from? What do you think of the songs on it?
Any thoughts?
To me, The Damnation Game sticks out because it is arguably their darkest work musically. The themes, Russell's vocalizations, the way the keys linger on in the background even during the busiest musical passages give the album a distinct feel. There is no arguing that everyone in the band, especially Michael Romeo would improve by leaps in the following years, but the darkness factor that abounds on this disc would never be recaptured.
I was wondering what everyone on this forum thinks about The Damnation Game. How do you guys rank in their discography? Is it more of a stepping stone for its follow-up or more of a one-off experiment the band decided to walk away from? What do you think of the songs on it?
Any thoughts?