Iconoclast: News/Info Thread
- Thread starter proulxski
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_Gentleman of_the Snow_
Prog' Drummer
ok! if those are the "promo" pictures...well...they need someone who takes care of their image!! LOL
The only one who seems perfectly suit the "heavy metal man" role is Russell
The only one who seems perfectly suit the "heavy metal man" role is Russell
I am a relatively new fan of SyX, I began in '07 with PL, didn't like it at first and shelved it - in the meantime I tried DWoT, also didn't like it much somehow. 3 months later I reluctantly listened to PL again, and suddenly The Walls of Babylon hit me like a train and I realised how multi-layered and complex the music of SyX is (mainly the mismatched time signatures of guitar and drum that de-synch and re-synch at just the right times - compositional genius, and the performances of each individual musician are breathtaking on their own), and the rest is history. V is definitely a more approachable album that had me hooked right from the first few seconds of Evolution.
From what I have read on this forum it seems like I am in the minority, but I greatly enjoy all of PL both musically and lyrically, and the lyrics of the title song in particular IMO are the band's peak of poetic mastery - if inclined I could give an analysis of the meters and rhyming schemes, and I love how the rest of the album contains little paraphrases of Milton's great epic blended fluidly into the main body. In fact, I wouldn't have known of the paraphrases had this album not inspired me to read Paradise Lost, which was very difficult for me since it is very different from the books I am wont to read.
What I am trying to say on the topic of SyX's lyrics is that it is one thing to have intelligent lyrics, and another to take that one step further to craft these lyrics in a more poetic fashion, and the tracks on PL have done this in a way I have not heard on earlier albums.
Anyway, enough about that, I listened to the two new songs for the first time today, and felt a need to register here to share my (mostly negative) first impressions. Dehumanize - I'm getting a feeling like this is chugga chugga metal that I listened to in high school when I was all angsty and had not developed a good taste in music yet. Also, the cussing comes as quite a shock to me - I always had a feeling that SyX was music for an older crowd who enjoy a bit more sophistication in their music, and this represents a change in musical direction about which I am somewhat apprehensive to say the least. End of Innocence, I can't say anything especially stood out to me, but I am certain this will change once I hear the studio album.
Part of my reasoning about Dehumanize comes from the CDs I see in shops (at least in my part of the world) that have a label plastered over the cover, "Parental advisory - Explicit lyrics", which implies this music is targeted to people for whom parental guidance is presumably still relevant to their musical selections (i.e. kids), yet these labels have never been necessary for SyX. Not saying the new album will need it, but I just hope this is not a new trend for SyX.
All that having been said, my faith is SyX is only slightly wavered, the new album is still my most anticipated release and I hope I have time to drive to Seattle in May to see them live for my first time. Thanks for reading through my big wall of text...
From what I have read on this forum it seems like I am in the minority, but I greatly enjoy all of PL both musically and lyrically, and the lyrics of the title song in particular IMO are the band's peak of poetic mastery - if inclined I could give an analysis of the meters and rhyming schemes, and I love how the rest of the album contains little paraphrases of Milton's great epic blended fluidly into the main body. In fact, I wouldn't have known of the paraphrases had this album not inspired me to read Paradise Lost, which was very difficult for me since it is very different from the books I am wont to read.
What I am trying to say on the topic of SyX's lyrics is that it is one thing to have intelligent lyrics, and another to take that one step further to craft these lyrics in a more poetic fashion, and the tracks on PL have done this in a way I have not heard on earlier albums.
Anyway, enough about that, I listened to the two new songs for the first time today, and felt a need to register here to share my (mostly negative) first impressions. Dehumanize - I'm getting a feeling like this is chugga chugga metal that I listened to in high school when I was all angsty and had not developed a good taste in music yet. Also, the cussing comes as quite a shock to me - I always had a feeling that SyX was music for an older crowd who enjoy a bit more sophistication in their music, and this represents a change in musical direction about which I am somewhat apprehensive to say the least. End of Innocence, I can't say anything especially stood out to me, but I am certain this will change once I hear the studio album.
Part of my reasoning about Dehumanize comes from the CDs I see in shops (at least in my part of the world) that have a label plastered over the cover, "Parental advisory - Explicit lyrics", which implies this music is targeted to people for whom parental guidance is presumably still relevant to their musical selections (i.e. kids), yet these labels have never been necessary for SyX. Not saying the new album will need it, but I just hope this is not a new trend for SyX.
All that having been said, my faith is SyX is only slightly wavered, the new album is still my most anticipated release and I hope I have time to drive to Seattle in May to see them live for my first time. Thanks for reading through my big wall of text...
Prog is King
Member
^ Well said. I don't think you are in the minority. While Paradise Lost is not my favorite Symphony X
CD, I still love it. The Walls Of Babylon is the best track and my favorite. Make sure you see them in
Seattle. I'll be seeing them 2 days later in San Francisco!
CD, I still love it. The Walls Of Babylon is the best track and my favorite. Make sure you see them in
Seattle. I'll be seeing them 2 days later in San Francisco!
I love Dehumanized! The solo is one of MJR's best, the verse riff is one of the grooviest he's ever written, and the rest is quite good as well.
End of innocence is a very solid traditional sounding Symphony X song, with vibes from the last three albums.
End of innocence is a very solid traditional sounding Symphony X song, with vibes from the last three albums.
_Gentleman of_the Snow_
Prog' Drummer
Considered a polyrhythm; one of my favourite complexities in musical composition.If one signature is in 7/4, and the other is in 5/4, they will line up every 35 quarter notes (7x5).
The 7/4 will repeat 5 times, and the 5/4 will repeat 7 times before they are perfectly aligned again.
keeperxiii
Awakening...
I haven't listened to the new songs yet (bandwidth
) but from what I've seen, Symphony X usually choose the heaviest songs to play in concerts so the new album will probably have better, more varied songs anyway.I'm definitely with you on the lyrics though!
Welcome.
I'm in complete agreement with you regarding the new songs and this new direction they seem to be taking, which I too hope is only a slight wavering.
If one signature is in 7/4, and the other is in 5/4, they will line up every 35 quarter notes (7x5).
The 7/4 will repeat 5 times, and the 5/4 will repeat 7 times before they are perfectly aligned again.
Technically, this is an example of polyMETER. PolyRHYTHM is when, for example, a 7/4 measure and a 5/4 measure take the same amount of TIME. This is in contrast to a polyMETER, where the beats take the same amount of time but the measure lasts a different time.
The most common polyrhythm is a 2/3, used very often in prog metal (and even more meainstream/thrash metal songs), but VERY occasionally Symphony X will throw in a 5/4 polyrhythm. It's much more common in jazz/fusion tracks. PolyMETER, otoh, is very common with prog metal and "math" metal.
Edit: By the way, these are perhaps my favorite aspects of "Prog Metal" and inspired "hard blues rock" songs. It takes the "white people" vibe and pisses all over it.
keeperxiii
Awakening...
Math metal are bands who try to shove as many different styles of music and time signatures all in one song and precede to call it inspirational or prog. Their motto is if it works in theory (which is technically anything) it must be pleasing to the ears and if it isnt than your stupid. /slaps self
Sorry i was this close to ranting about the most recent prog bands.
Sorry i was this close to ranting about the most recent prog bands.
Dark Lucidity
Wrath
is that why Dream Theater like to add 10 minute wank sessions on the end of their songs?
( I troll )
( I troll
)Thank you all for the kind welcome. This is so educational!
With my words about complexity however, I should add I also do not like math metals from what little I have heard. What draws me about SyX is that their music can be enjoyed just as much as it can be analysed.
Well, I've bought my ticket for the Seattle show and booked my hotel. This will be an experience to remember!
With my words about complexity however, I should add I also do not like math metals from what little I have heard. What draws me about SyX is that their music can be enjoyed just as much as it can be analysed.
Well, I've bought my ticket for the Seattle show and booked my hotel. This will be an experience to remember!
Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
Intriguing; any examples?
Some of my friends used to be in a math rock band. I kept trying to tell them to put down their instruments and pick up advanced calculus or astrophysics books...
I totally agree.
funny photo lol, but for what ever reason I don't see this promo photos that Metal Madman posted
Looking at the song titles of a band like Canvas Solaris, most math rockers probably do so on a regular basis.
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