Paradise Lost not the best album

[nckissfan]

I like all the Sym X albums, each for what they bring to the table. PL is a great album. So, it doesn't have a 15+minute long song, that makes it a bad album?

It is funny how "fans" will come on a bitch cause an album is too proggy, or too radio, or too whatever. Not every album has to be the same. Enjoy it for what it is.

 

[Phanto]

I like all the Sym X albums, each for what they bring to the table. PL is a great album. So, it doesn't have a 15+minute long song, that makes it a bad album?

It is funny how "fans" will come on a bitch cause an album is too proggy, or too radio, or too whatever. Not every album has to be the same. Enjoy it for what it is.

The "fans" and bitch you used makes it sound like you don't think you can be a real fan of a band unless you jack off to every single release. I seriously can't name a single band - including ones I consider myself a fan of - with a flawless discography. Except for a few with only one or two albums released.

No, sorry, I can't enjoy it for what it is. Because what it is, in my opinion of course, is a too noisy, too linear, overproduced and undynamic album. It bores me and most songs feels like the filler tracks from The Odyssey. Except for the title track. It's not a bad album per se, but for me (and some other people I presume) it's a disappointing album.

 

[manticore999]

Phanto, I couldn't have said it any better myself. I get grief because there's actually some Dream Theater stuff I'm not crazy about, too. Imagine that.

BTW, based on my user name - you can imagine - I love your avatar! That's gonna be my next tat

 

[Phanto]

Tarkus is crazy awesome. I was actually considering changing my avatar but now that someone who recognized it said something cool about it I'll keep it. I'm changing my signature though. Makes me feel like a hypocrite with a PL-themed Symph X picture in the signature while bashing the album

 

[schenkadere]

I like all the Sym X albums, each for what they bring to the table. PL is a great album. So, it doesn't have a 15+minute long song, that makes it a bad album?

It is funny how "fans" will come on a bitch cause an album is too proggy, or too radio, or too whatever. Not every album has to be the same. Enjoy it for what it is.

It is a good album...I enjoy the heaviness compared to the other releases.

If anyone says it sucks, then what the fuck are they comparing it to that may have been released 2007?

I'm glad it doesn't have a 15+minute song...does "epic" always have to mean so damn long?

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

I consider Paradise Lost to be the band's most consistent album. It may not have super-strong tracks like Divine Wings or The Odyssey, but it is more well-balanced than any other Symphony X release. There really aren't any weak songs. I don't particularly care for The Sacrifice, but it's certainly not "weak."

 

[raythetse]

What does a song being long have to do with anything? You don't write a song just so it can be long. You write a song either because you have some cool sounds you want to use or because you have something to write about. And if what you have to write about needs a lot of time to say, THEN you write a long song. You don't just say, this one HAS to be 25 minutes!

I listen to PL every day BTW. And Revelation is a fairly long IMO anyway same with Walls of Babylon. Appropriately long.

 

[SilentRealm]

I wouldn't say it was terrible or anything - I don't think SX ever did anything I thought was terrible. That said, I probably like this one the least. It seemed (to me) way less technical, way less melodic and just didn't have the polish of some of their other stuff. The 'singing' (although only the title track would qualify as singing) was way too gruff for my tastes - too much yelling and screaming and not enough singing.

I think I read somewhere that PL was a great selling album for them and for that I say - 'way to go guys, you deserve it'!

They obviously had to appeal to the people who buy music in order to sell the most copies - targeted marketing. Not a bad way to go, for sure, but I'd love to hear something a little more sophisticated next time and not something just for kids.

My 2 cents.

OMG HOW DARE YOU SAY YOU DONT LIKE THIS ALBUM!!! lol just kidding.. nah i actually agree with you, i might be the only one haha. i miss the melodic russ, i never liked his aggressive singing much, and imo there's far too much of it. for me the best symx is dwot/tio/v.

 

[Swabs]

Being a Dream Theater, Circus Maximus and Seventh Wonder fan, Russell's style of singing brings some much needed balls to the prog metal world for me.

 

[DavidPartay]

I have a serious question, are there ANY other prog bands which actually bring a Dream Theater and Symphony X level of musicianship and songwriting to the table? Because so far I can't find any and it's bugging the hell out of me . There's a few that 'aren't bad', but they're not great either.

 

[Swabs]

I have a serious question, are there ANY other prog bands which actually bring a Dream Theater and Symphony X level of musicianship and songwriting to the table? Because so far I can't find any and it's bugging the hell out of me . There's a few that 'aren't bad', but they're not great either.

There's loads, check out Circus Maximus and Seventh Wonder for a start, I'm sure the others here will have other recommendations.

Edit: This is when you tell me that you've already checked out CM and SW and you think they "aren't bad but not great"

 

[Phanto]

I have a serious question, are there ANY other prog bands which actually bring a Dream Theater and Symphony X level of musicianship and songwriting to the table? Because so far I can't find any and it's bugging the hell out of me . There's a few that 'aren't bad', but they're not great either.

You're asking for musicianship AND songwriting? In metal especially, these two rarely go hand in hand.

If you want extreme musicianship that make sense then check out any of the classic 60-70's prog rock bands.

For metal though, people might recommend Adagio, Pagan's Mind and such. They're decent and maybe you'll like them. Pain of Salvation maybe but they're a little different from SX and DT. Kamelot? They seem to have lost both musicianship and songwriting lately. Opeth are a little too extreme maybe and so are Arcturus. A.C.T are too, but in the opposite way (ie they sound gay). Shadow Gallery - why not. If you like them you'll like Madsword but they only released one album before breaking up. A lot of people who like DT also enjoy Fates Warning (personally I love their earliest stuff) and Spock's Beard. I know DT musicians have worked on John Arch's solo albums, Transatlantic (which if you like you'll also like Flower Kings, probably), O S I and a lot of other stuff. Romeo has as you probably know done some stuff on Ayreon and Star One. As a thumb rule avoid band with female singers and bands that are well-known just because they have one exceptional musician. Especially if that musician is a guitarist. Except for Freak Kitchen, which you might like. They're a little pop'ish though. There are exceptions for the female vocalist rule as well but then we're not talking prog metal (with emphasis on metal) anymore. You've got some more Scandinavian bands- Communic, Circus Maximus and Wuthering Heights. These bands are basically power metal though but I mention them because they're still a bit experimental.

Also, check out any of the other 200 forum threads on the subject of good prog metal bands and recommendations.

 

[Wander]

Opeth are extreme, but they are also progressive, have the musicianship and the songwriting. Definetly worth checking out for prog metal fans if they can stand death metal too.

 

[progmetaldan]

If you like instrumental, the Planet X is the ultimate... And Liquid Tension Experiment...

 

[Wander]

If you like instrumental, the latest Paul Gilbert albums are great imo!

But this isn't a recommendation thread so how come we're "recommending" stuff here?

 

[Phanto]

But this isn't a recommendation thread so how come we're "recommending" stuff here?

Here's why

I have a serious question, are there ANY other prog bands which actually bring a Dream Theater and Symphony X level of musicianship and songwriting to the table? Because so far I can't find any and it's bugging the hell out of me . There's a few that 'aren't bad', but they're not great either.

At least I tried to amend my "list" after DavidPartays demands of musicianship + songwriting in the veins of DT and SX. I can't answer for the other peoples recommendations. :>

 

[Wander]

Paul Gilbert is basically just as good if not better guitarist as Romeo and Petrucci, but he doesn't really play prog although I think he is very much influenced by certain prog rock bands.

But I guess our list of bands was pretty good though if we look for a bit like Symph X or DT'ish style.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Circus Maximus, Adagio, and Seventh Wonder.

 

[ToastedOveries]

My favourite is Oddessey, With Divine wings and PL in joint second, V a close third, But they are all astonishing, I find the songs on paradise lost a bit hard to get into, but im starting to appreciate them more now, and i think its a great album.

 

[Wander]

If we are doing best Symph X album lists, mine would be something like this at the moment:

1. Divine Wings
2. The Odyssey
3. Twilight In Olympus
4. Paradise Lost
5. V: The New Mythology
6. Damnation Game
7. Have a guess

Really positive thing about this is that to me, they don't seem to have a best or worst period. They have been doing quality albums all the time and none have been something to be pissed about.