New Setlist Thread!

[iceandfire84]

This forum is pretty hilarious. I don't think anything has happened over the last two years where 90% of the members don't think it's terrible. Sorry guys and gals, this is Symphony X circa 2011 and it's probably not going to change for better or worse.

I personally would like to see more V, Twilight, or cooler songs off The Odyssey in there but it is the tour in support of the new album which means you're going to hear the songs off the new album. It's also unlikely that they would play the three songs not on the shortened version (which kind of sucks because I like them) since not everyone has heard them. Their fan base is grower and the new fans want to hear the new stuff. That being said I would rather hear Prometheus than Heretic or Children.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Sorry guys and gals, this is Symphony X circa 2011 and it's probably not going to change for better or worse.

I personally would like to see more V, Twilight, or cooler songs off The Odyssey in there but it is the tour in support of the new album which means you're going to hear the songs off the new album.

I realize that this is the Iconoclast tour, and thus I really don't have a problem with them playing 72% (thanks for the pie chart, Liampie!) Iconoclast material. My beef is the exclusion of what I consider good songs (Prometheus, Reign) in favor of what I consider filler songs (Electric, Children). I think Bastards is kind of filler too, but I admit that it would make a fun, high-energy live song.

Also, the inclusion of three songs from their previous album and only two "old-school" songs (the two that are the most overplayed) is obnoxiously annoying. They have toured extensively over the last few years in support of PL - don't you think they'd be sick of those songs and rather revisit some older classics?! And by "older classics," I'm not talking about Inferno.

I wouldn't mind one song from PL, but they omitted the one song from that album that I found to translate the best live in favor of the two "video" songs. I find these two songs to be among the weakest on the album. At least they didn't play Serpent's Kiss and Children back-to-back, though, since they're practically the same song.

Their fan base is grower and the new fans want to hear the new stuff.

I understand that, but more than 90% of the set was newer stuff. That's ridiculous. Not playing at least a couple of DWOT/Twilight/V-era songs is a slap in the face to the fans who have supported them from the beginning, as well as the fans who appreciate their progressive sound more than their "tuf guy" metal sound. Seriously, there's one progressive moment in the entire set. That's just fucking sad.

MJR even said once that he prefers playing the more progressive stuff. Really, Mike? It certainly doesn't show.

It's also unlikely that they would play the three songs not on the shortened version (which kind of sucks because I like them) since not everyone has heard them.

I would have thought that they would play at least one of these songs to increase sales of the special edition. And since Reign In Madness is the only one of them that I like, I would have hoped it was that (I find the other two songs to be amongst the worst tracks in the band's history).

My suggestions? Replace Electric Messiah with Reign, Children with Prometheus, Inferno with King of Terrors, and OSAS with Dressed To Kill. Scratch all three of those PL songs and play Domination (or Babylon) and two "older" tracks (e.g. Church of the Machine, Egypt, Wicked).

I would pay to see that set, but not the current one.

 

[symphonyXjapan]

I would have thought that they would play at least one of these songs to increase sales of the special edition. And since Reign In Madness is the only one of them that I like, I would have hoped it was that (I find the other two songs to be amongst the worst tracks in the band's history).

"Light Up The Night" is one of my favorite tracks on the new album. I still can't see how fans of albums like DWoT and even V can not like it? It still boggles my mind...

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

"Light Up The Night" is one of my favorite tracks on the new album. I still can't see how fans of albums like DWoT and even V can not like it? It still boggles my mind...

Maybe because it sounds like it was written in five minutes? It just seems... thrown together. The chorus isn't terrible or anything, but it is kind of cheesy in a Broadway show-type of way. Am I the only one who hears this? I do like the neoclassical interlude (it's the only remotely neoclassical thing on this whole damned album, excluding tiny bits and pieces of End of Innocence), and the bridge is nice, but overall this song is just not my cup of tea.

Oh oh, I almost forgot "I wanna see you drown! In flames! Rawrrrrrrgghhhhhh!"

Fucking terrible.

I'm no fan of Lords of Chaos's Meshuggah bullshit, either, but overall I think it's a better song. Reign In Madness blows them both out of the water if you ask me. Electric Messiah (another first-class filler track) should have been exclusive to the special edition, with Reign ending the single-disc version.

 

[PurpleDink]

I dont buy this catering to the new fanbase crap. Everyone ive talked to thats heard of Symphony X recently (i got into them when i was about 16 when PL came out, so this includes me and all of my close friends) still prefers their older stuff.

 

[KevinMoore]

In my opinion this set-list is a lack of respect for the people who followed and supported the band in the early days prior to Odyssey or Paradise Lost.

Its good to support the new album, but despise albums like Twiligth, Damnation Game, or V... Come on...

 

[Liampie]

I just came back from the show in Zoetermeer. I had a great time, but I still think they should've skipped half of the Iconoclast songs. Iconoclast, End of Innocence, Dehumanized, Bastards and When All Is Lost worked great live but it was just more of the same. During Children and Heretic is was bored, pretty much waiting for When All Is Lost which was easily the best moment of the evening. Really great, and the extended instrumental section (a Romeo solo) was good. Inferno/Of Sins and Shadows was the other highlight of the evening. Awesome. I left when Eve of Seduction started, because I wasn't really interested in the PL songs except for Set the World on Fire. On the one hand I feel retarded for leaving during on of my favourite band's gig, but on the other hand I don't think I really missed something. It was worth it to avoid a terrible crowd leaving the building, getting squeezed in the tram and arriving home very late.

You know there's something wrong with the setlist when ordinary songs like Inferno and OSAS are among the best moments in the show.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

I'm no fan of Lords of Chaos's Meshuggah bullshit, either, but overall I think it's a better song. Reign In Madness blows them both out of the water if you ask me. Electric Messiah (another first-class filler track) should have been exclusive to the special edition, with Reign ending the single-disc version.

I agree with almost everything you are saying, and your set-list is 100x better than the actual set-list.

Reign is my favourite track on the whole album. Light Up DOES sound like it was written in 5 minutes.

but... if by Meshuggah part, you are referring to the part where there is basically a no-melody groove... starting with a dissonant-type chord, and switching to a power chord right at the end... I love that part. It's one of my favourite parts on the entire album.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

I agree with almost everything you are saying, and your set-list is 100x better than the actual set-list.

Thank you.

Reign is my favourite track on the whole album.

That's an interesting opinion. While it's certainly not my favorite from the album, I really like Reign a lot. The whole song has a futuristic vibe to it that isn't distasteful or detracting from the grooves. I absolutely love the verses, mostly because of the keyboard.

I feel it has a few weaknesses, though. The lyrics at times are atrocious, and the solo section simply doesn't hold much of my interest, as it seems to be thrown in at the last minute.

It's a shame we'll probably never hear this live, since the band seems to be ignoring the fact that they even released a special edition. I feel it would make a perfect closer for the "false" end of the show (before the encores).

but... if by Meshuggah part, you are referring to the part where there is basically a no-melody groove... starting with a dissonant-type chord, and switching to a power chord right at the end... I love that part. It's one of my favourite parts on the entire album.

It starts at around 3:13, although the intro also is Meshuggah-esque to my ears. It doesn't ruin the song or anything (the biggest candidate for that would be the terrible chorus lyrics, IMO), but I'm not a fan of Symphony X trying to sound like other, much lamer (again IMO) bands. I don't hate the section at all, but I'm just against it in principle, I guess. I also enjoy the riff that follows it (under Russ singing) far more.

It's easy to see, though, why LUTN and Lords were excluded from the version of the album that most would purchase (aside from being the two weakest tracks) - musically, I find they have very little in common with the technological theme of the rest of the album.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Just stumbled across the following on YouTube...

This is the highest quality one:



These are lower quality, but the only videos of these songs thus far. Apparently the intro to Iconoclast is tapped (on guitar and bass). I wish they'd end Iconoclast by going right into the next song, though - it sounds kind of weird how the song just kind of dies after the last chorus.



Romeo plays an extra solo in WAIL, as the band extends the cool lighter groove in the middle of the song. I'm also not sure if they cut the quiet ending or if the person filming it just didn't record it.

 

[sweepking]

Setlist is great. Way too much crying on here about it. It is 2011, Iconoclast is a great cd and is the direction (along with PL) that the band is going so I guess if you don't want to hear that, stay home and listen to V. I wouldn't mind them playing DG, Dressed to Kill, or other older stuff, but Heretic, Electric Messiah, and Bastards are great songs. My complaint is why can't the folks making these videos ever focus on the right person at the right time. Do they know the songs? The Iconoclast solo is about to start and the filmer doesn't zoom in until it is halfway done....WTF!? The opening alternate picking sequence is the best part. No zoom on the Iconoclast drum solo...missed the bass solo on Bastards.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

My complaint is why can't the folks making these videos ever focus on the right person at the right time. Do they know the songs? The Iconoclast solo is about to start and the filmer doesn't zoom in until it is halfway done....WTF!? The opening alternate picking sequence is the best part. No zoom on the Iconoclast drum solo...missed the bass solo on Bastards.

They either aren't super-familiar with the songs, or just get caught up in the moment. It annoys me, too. Even worse are the videos that do nothing but focus on Russ the entire song, even when he's not singing. Yes, Russ is an amazing singer, we know that, but how about focusing on the [insert instrument here] when there's a cool [insert part on said instrument] being played!

On a side note, I think it's funny that Russ introduces Romeo to the audience just before his Iconoclast solo, but doesn't introduce Pinnella before his. I'm a guitar player and I love the guitars in this band, but there's way too much focus on them as of late. I guess that's why I prefer the older stuff - it's more balanced between all the instruments. It was more unique. Guitars are the "main" instrument in pretty much every metal band, and I liked that even though Symphony X had a monster shredder in their band, the songs weren't 100% guitar-focused (on their first five albums or so).

 

[donKyle]

I don't mind all the Iconoclast songs on the setlist, because I generally like them, and I imagine they'd be fun to listen to live at a concert setting, and it's brand new material. But it wouldn't hurt to change up the rest of the setlist, even just a bit. I understand that they've taken a new direction with their music, but I figure eventually they'll have to get tired of playing the same stuff, right?

EDIT: But they can't please everybody. When they added The Odyssey to the setlist on the last tour, there were still people who would have rather listened to 4 or 5 other songs instead.

 

[Xtopher]

Blasphemy!

 

[sweepking]

I would make one change to the setlist. Encore should be DWOT again. We had a good run with the Odyssey, but the other epic should return. Plus, I want to see what he does on the main solos toward the end of the song...those have always boggled my mind listening to the studio and live cd versions.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

I would make one change to the setlist. Encore should be DWOT again. We had a good run with the Odyssey, but the other epic should return. Plus, I want to see what he does on the main solos toward the end of the song...those have always boggled my mind listening to the studio and live cd versions.

Yes! Get rid of those three PL songs at the end of the set and play DWOT! I think I speak for many fans of the older stuff when I say that people are sick of Of Sins and Shadows and Smoke and Mirrors being the sole representations of pre-Odyssey albums. More progressive stuff!

 

[i am fabio]

I will stay home if they come back around. I saw them just before they released the new album so they only played Innocence. My gawd I will not see them with this setlist out of principal...Cmon im so sick of Sins an Shadows jesus.

 

[donKyle]

Yes, I agree with everyone saying they should bring back DWOT. It's just great man.

 

[sweepking]

My encore would be Set the World on Fire (or Eve of Seduction) then DWOT. Church of the Machine would be a good fit in this set too.

 

[metalxmetalx]

I would make one change to the setlist. Encore should be DWOT again. We had a good run with the Odyssey, but the other epic should return. Plus, I want to see what he does on the main solos toward the end of the song...those have always boggled my mind listening to the studio and live cd versions.