Should I buy Symphony X's first album?

Buzz Fledderjon

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Jan 16, 2003
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Never heard anything from it. (except Masquerade 98, that count?)
And I read some of you said it was only a demo/promo, that true?
 
The production is very demo-ish...thin and hollow. Rod Tyler is not a good vocalist for SX. But there are some awesome guitar things going on in that album. Sometimes they are hard to hear, due to the bad mix. If you're a Romeo fanatic, you should get it.
 
The first album "Symphony X" is the weakest album of Symphony X.
My advice is to buy all the other albums first. Then to complete the collection, buy "Symphony X" to ;)
The sound quality is not as good as the other albums and the songs has not the same quality either.
But there is a few cool songs like "A lesson before dying" and Mascuerade.
 
Originally posted by romeoShreddah
The first album "Symphony X" is the weakest album of Symphony X.
My advice is to buy all the other albums first. Then to complete the collection, buy "Symphony X" to ;)

Oh, I have all the others. I've had every one since 99, and all that have come out since. Awesome band.
 
I don't really see it as a weak disc, it includes a lot of my fav songs.. so what if the production wasn't The Odessey'ish, the music rule. As simple as that.
 
Originally posted by Soulburner
The question seems strange to me. If you really dig all the stuff you know from the band, bad production of debut album is not a good reason for not completing your SymX collection, IMO.

Not to strange when I have to pay $15 plus shipping, also not knowing if I'll be able to bear Tyler's vox.
 
Let's put it this way...

Rod Tyler is to Charles Dominici as Russell Allen is to James LaBrie. I could've gotten over the bad production, maybe, not even production could've saved Tyler's poor performance. I stopped the disc about halfway through "Masquerade".

I'm a completionist whore. That was the only reason I bought the self-titled album.
 
I think it is a good cd despite bad production. Rod Tyler is no Allen, but I don't think he is horrid. The guitar playing easily makes up for that...Michael Romeo does some absolutely crazy leads...definitely some Dark Chapter influence on it!
 
Originally posted by FLechdrop
Bad comparison man, LaBrie has just a piece of Russels range.
Dominici owns LaBrie indeed.

Wow man, I hate to tell you this but LaBrie has a MUCH higher range than Russell does (though I do like Russell better - hes got more balls). As far as Dominici owning LaBrie...you're the first person Ive ever seen say that ;)
 
Originally posted by Yngvai X
Wow man, I hate to tell you this but LaBrie has a MUCH higher range than Russell does (though I do like Russell better - hes got more balls). As far as Dominici owning LaBrie...you're the first person Ive ever seen say that ;)


:err: Not to ruin your boat Yngvai, but having a higher range (in this case you mean that Labrie hits the higher notes) doesn't mean that Labrie has more range than Allen. You gotta keep in mind the low notes as well ;)
 
Originally posted by Ultimate_Symphony
:err: Not to ruin your boat Yngvai, but having a higher range (in this case you mean that Labrie hits the higher notes) doesn't mean that Labrie has more range than Allen. You gotta keep in mind the low notes as well ;)

You are very right. Plus Russel is just a better singer. Don't get me wrong thought, I love Labrie's singing. Russel kills him though.
 
Personally, I think their range is very similar. I just think Russell Allen has more balls to his delivery, where James Labrie of ten his this wispy, breathey thing goin' on...

I love both bands immensely. I saw Dream Theater back on the Images And Words tour in a small club here in Houston.. What a fucking show. That was back when they played a few songs off of When Dream and Day Unite, and they were great. I love that album! It was the first album I ever owned by them, got it through Columbia House on cassette! "Only a Matter Of Time," "The Killing Hand," "Afterlife," those are all great songs! Dominici sounds like Geddy Lee and that's all there is to it. Don't get me wrong, I love Geddy and Rush...

I still have yet to witness Symphony X live, due to them cancelling their show here last year... Me and my wife, along with a fuck load of other people, were VERY disappointed. :cry: :cry:

Hope they make it back our way... and if they're reading, you're welcome guests at our home for dinner!

That said, their first cd is the only one I do not own. I heard it, realized no Russ, couldn't deal with it!