Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
Completely agreed! Good songs resulted whenever Lepond has contributed, and more involvement from Pinnella means more keyboard (preferably more piano)!
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Completely agreed! Good songs resulted whenever Lepond has contributed, and more involvement from Pinnella means more keyboard (preferably more piano)!
One of the reasons Awakenings is one of my favorite tracks! 'Enter by the Twelfth Gate' is pretty sweet as well.....
Okay, I'll chime in on the V-topic...
For me V is my all-time favorite album (not only of Symphony X, but in general) and I'd like to explain, why - oh and on a side note to one of the posters above - I started listening to Symphony X with Damnation Game and Divine Wings and bought every album starting with Twilight as soon as it was released, so V was by far not my first contact with Symphony X.
I must admit, that V was a grower, because with the first listens, I wasn't too impressed and couldn't remember too much of it after listening. It seemed like a bit too weak musically. But after getting into the music and songs on the album it has evolved sooo much for me. I think the main point why I like it so much is its diversity. No one element dominates throughout the album, not the guitars, not the bass, not the keyboard, not the drums and not the vocals. Everything blends in to form a complete musical picture. Every instrument and the vocals have their own parts, where they really shine. Melodies move through the different instruments so naturally that I can only marvel at it, every time I listen. The songs blend into each other (which I am just a sucker for) and there are so many parts that stand out to me as very special and I am touched emotionally in so many ways during that album (during the slow and the hard parts both) that I almost only listen to it when I have the time to listen to it consciously and in one take.
All this is not to say that I don't like their other albums very much, too, but on the whole they're just missing that bit of completeness, wholeness and balance between elements and instruments that V has. In reference to the above posters mentioning the vocals being more back in the mix: this is good in my book, because the vocals blend in with the rest and are one element of many, which only together form the whole picture that is V.
Because of all I have said, I can only count myself to the "more keyboards" and Pinella-involvement movement and I was a bit wary, when reading the "all guitar riffs have been completed" comment from Romeo in an earlier update, because it sounded like the riffs alone were the most important part of the songs, where I personally would disagree, because I see a song as sum of all its parts.
So, as far as I'm concerned, if they every release something that touches me as deep and as long as V does, that would be....... (there are just no fitting words to describe it).
So, I am looking forward to the next album in anticipation and I am quite confident that it will be great, because every album was great somehow (just the first part of the Odyssey album is getting on my nerves sometimes)!
It will just not be as balanced and complete as V is for me
For me V is my all-time favorite album (not only of Symphony X, but in general) and I'd like to explain, why - oh and on a side note to one of the posters above - I started listening to Symphony X with Damnation Game and Divine Wings and bought every album starting with Twilight as soon as it was released, so V was by far not my first contact with Symphony X.
I must admit, that V was a grower, because with the first listens, I wasn't too impressed and couldn't remember too much of it after listening. It seemed like a bit too weak musically. But after getting into the music and songs on the album it has evolved sooo much for me. I think the main point why I like it so much is its diversity. No one element dominates throughout the album, not the guitars, not the bass, not the keyboard, not the drums and not the vocals. Everything blends in to form a complete musical picture. Every instrument and the vocals have their own parts, where they really shine. Melodies move through the different instruments so naturally that I can only marvel at it, every time I listen. The songs blend into each other (which I am just a sucker for) and there are so many parts that stand out to me as very special and I am touched emotionally in so many ways during that album (during the slow and the hard parts both) that I almost only listen to it when I have the time to listen to it consciously and in one take.
All this is not to say that I don't like their other albums very much, too, but on the whole they're just missing that bit of completeness, wholeness and balance between elements and instruments that V has. In reference to the above posters mentioning the vocals being more back in the mix: this is good in my book, because the vocals blend in with the rest and are one element of many, which only together form the whole picture that is V.
Because of all I have said, I can only count myself to the "more keyboards" and Pinella-involvement movement and I was a bit wary, when reading the "all guitar riffs have been completed" comment from Romeo in an earlier update, because it sounded like the riffs alone were the most important part of the songs, where I personally would disagree, because I see a song as sum of all its parts.
So, as far as I'm concerned, if they every release something that touches me as deep and as long as V does, that would be....... (there are just no fitting words to describe it).
So, I am looking forward to the next album in anticipation and I am quite confident that it will be great, because every album was great somehow (just the first part of the Odyssey album is getting on my nerves sometimes)!
It will just not be as balanced and complete as V is for me
Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
Am I one of the few who thinks that the vocals on V are at the perfect volume level? I never even noticed that they were lower in the mix than other albums until someone mentioned it.
To me, vocals are just another instrument - I don't hold the vocals and guitar on a higher plane than the other instruments like most people do. In my opinion, Symphony X as a whole is 20% each member. One thing I like about the members of Symphony X is that they all know when to hold back and not play anything, as they know their silence will make the song better. I notice this from Romeo in particular, such as the first verse of Through the Looking Glass or Communion and the Oracle - it's unusual for a guitar player to not want to be playing up front the entire song.
To me, vocals are just another instrument - I don't hold the vocals and guitar on a higher plane than the other instruments like most people do. In my opinion, Symphony X as a whole is 20% each member. One thing I like about the members of Symphony X is that they all know when to hold back and not play anything, as they know their silence will make the song better. I notice this from Romeo in particular, such as the first verse of Through the Looking Glass or Communion and the Oracle - it's unusual for a guitar player to not want to be playing up front the entire song.
The last point is one I've made before about Rullo's drumming as well. He is a real musician, not just a "drummer" in my book. Wonderful phrasing and intuition.
SyXified
Member
You touch on an element here that goes a long way towards defining what makes V so unique. Standard practice for the genre of 'metal' is to push the guitar up front and push the vocals up front. That is not to imply that practice is inherently either good or bad, but it does create a certain recognizable feel. How easy is it to identify those songs, and even entire albums, that were clearly written based around a guitar riff and vocal chorus, and the rest is just filled in later? V on the other hand, is written as if every instrumental element was considered at once for a composite effect. It has the feel of a classical arrangement where elements of the orchestra come in and out as needed and no one instrument is the 'predominant' or perpetual 'melody carrying' instrument. There are parts of Communion and the Oracle, for example, where no one instrument if singled out and listened to in isolation would have a particularly discernible form and purpose. But en masse the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. That is NOT an easy way to write music--it requires intense amounts of time, foresight, planning, etc.. It is far quicker and easier to waltz into a studio with a few catchy guitar riffs that could easily stand alone and just build around them. As such, V is a more ambitious undertaking than the band's other albums (be it your preference or not), and a form I hope they return to at some point.
@razoredge: Is that so? In all honesty, I'll say that is the problem if you say so. Because according to the albums I have, V's vocals are really low. Good but turned down way to low in the mix that sometimes its not even possible to understand the words over the guitars and keyes. I'll let you guys be the judge, but i'm not just hearing things. So its either the album entirely, or just my version.
And i'm not being sarcastic, its quite possible. But ive heard other versions of V and they all sound the same to me. Russell getting lost in the mix at certain areas.
And i'm not being sarcastic, its quite possible. But ive heard other versions of V and they all sound the same to me. Russell getting lost in the mix at certain areas.
If that might be the case it would be due to his pulling back as means of expression. I have no problems with the mix level of the vocals.
How the fuck can anybody not see V as their best album? That whole thing is a masterpiece? As far as it not being heavy, have you listened to Fallen, Absence of Light, Egypt and Rediscovery part II? Don't get me wrong, I love all their stuff... but harpsichord behind neo-classical arpeggios, (ie, a lot of the stuff on say... Divine Wings of Tragedy), is not exactly my idea of heavy. It's kind of funny to me how Of Sins and Shadows, for example, starts off all heavy like a thrash metal song, then goes into this harpsichord verse... just not my favorite sound in the world. Anyway, there's no accounting for taste... but to me V is a masterpiece, from begining to end. You can tell they put a lot of work into that one, the way it flows together, the story and all. I've done studio work like that, so I know how much effort it takes to make a piece like that work and meaningfull. And that's just the kind of stuff I like anyway... where it tells a story. Anyway, good job guys...
BARBAROUSSE
Member
- Sep 1, 2009
- 103
- 0
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V is PERFECT . but hey TASTE IS TASTE .
in my opinion , a good band is the one whom you can't really tell which album is the best . and i believe for SX from V and on , it s the case . ( i like the other area too but i think after V their work is a lot more solid and better in terms of production and songwriting too ) . The Odyssey is great in its own way and IMO PL is perfect minus some cheesy power metal passage here and there and the great work of Pinnella been hidden through the mix ( not totally of course ) ... well when the shit hits the fan , it should be either groovy or Death metal like , i think for SX's type of lyrics , being musicly aggressive is not enough , it has to be EVIL 
( but that s my opinion of course ) ....
in my opinion , a good band is the one whom you can't really tell which album is the best . and i believe for SX from V and on , it s the case . ( i like the other area too but i think after V their work is a lot more solid and better in terms of production and songwriting too ) . The Odyssey is great in its own way and IMO PL is perfect minus some cheesy power metal passage here and there and the great work of Pinnella been hidden through the mix ( not totally of course )
... well when the shit hits the fan , it should be either groovy or Death metal like , i think for SX's type of lyrics , being musicly aggressive is not enough , it has to be EVIL ( but that s my opinion of course ) ....
Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
It's called opinion.
I completely agree. Symphony X and Opeth are the only bands I feel that way about.
The Emptier
t3h b3aSt0rZ
yes its a great piece of work but its not the best to listen too, to just have going in the back ground. First thing is power metal in the face, not the best way to go for me. Then there is other stuff there that just looses you unless your following all the way along, concentrating on it and it alone. Its loaded with stuff that grabs you and shouldnt let you go, but then it does somehow just the same. Still a hard recording for me to figure. Seems awesome when your right on top of it but putting it on and going about your business doesnt seem near as good as Divine Wings which continously brings your attention back or keeps your ears involved.
I never disagreed...V is a masterpiece, just not of favorite of the masterpieces. How is it possible? Just matter of opinion really. I think the album is brilliant, start to finish. But I don't find myself intrigued with Allen's vocals like I am on other albums.
@Razoredge: Indeed, I just find it do busy and progy to enjoy when going about your everyday business. Its one of my favorite nap time albums though, really gets you into a dreamers world!
@Razoredge: Indeed, I just find it do busy and progy to enjoy when going about your everyday business. Its one of my favorite nap time albums though, really gets you into a dreamers world!
Jax
Forum Goddess
aw wtf i thought it would be out in the spring
The band was hoping the same, but it's not working out that way, alas.
Dark Lucidity
Wrath
Jax
Forum Goddess
Jax, as long as it's out before I die then all is well
Well unless you're at the end stage of a terminal illness, I think you're safe.
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