Symphony X Song Tournament: Vote for the Best

[UnholyCrusada]

Yes, twice weekly would be much better. Hell, going at once a week, SX would maybe have a new album out by the time we're finished, and then we'd have to start all over again so as to incorporate the new songs.

Also, I took your second post with the song matchups in number form and put together a word document (took me forever, but I think I've got it right). Some of them are very interesting, but others are so one-sided it's not even funny (though I assume you just used a random number generator, so it's to be expected).

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

I find it odd that A Fool's Paradise is winning so unanimously- I'd have expected The Witching Hour to have some fans, at least.

I think Witching Hour is one of the weakest songs the band has ever done. The music is pretty cool, but the vocal melodies are awful and seem added just for the hell of it. I'd like the song much better if the vocal sections were removed and it was just an instrumental, because the music really is cool in that neoclassical sort of way.

Hell, going at once a week, SX would maybe have a new album out by the time we're finished

Even if Symphony X had thousands of songs in their discography, they wouldn't have a new album out by that time...

I think twice a week is the way to go.

 

[UnholyCrusada]

I think Witching Hour is one of the weakest songs the band has ever done. The music is pretty cool, but the vocal melodies are awful and seem added just for the hell of it. I'd like the song much better if the vocal sections were removed and it was just an instrumental, because the music really is cool in that neoclassical sort of way.

Agreed completely. I remember when i first listened to Divine Wings, it actually stood out to me quite a bit, and I liked it at first if only for the awesome intro. Upon repeated listens however, I realized it just didn't seem to work too well as a whole. The vocals did seem out of place most of the time, and the chorus is horribly written.

A Fools Paradise on the other hand, is pretty much perfect. Awesome vocals, awesome riffing, awesome keys, awesome solos, and a flawless transition into Rediscovery. Witching Hour simply has no chance to begin with.

And I was joking about the new album thing. Though they did say they would probably start writing after the last tour.

 

[Halberd]

Very well, if we're going to do this twice a week, better get on with it, then.

Candlelight Fantasia beats Incantations of the Apprentice 14-2
Set the World on Fire beats The Haunting 10-6
Wicked beats Dehumanized 13-3
A Fool's Paradise beats The Witching Hour 16-0


Vs.





Vs.



Vs.



Vs.


My votes:

Sea of Lies
Prelude
The Odyssey
The Accolade

 

[Isaac_de_Moorea]

Wait! There are 5 duels there, and you only voted for 4. Did you miss one?

I haven´t said this, but your idea was (and still is) awesome.

 

[Sauna]

There's probably one duel too many there by mistake or something, but I'm going to vote anyway.

Sea of Lies
Bastards of the Machine
Premonition
The Odyssey
The Accolade

Personally I'd rather see intro tracks and such bundled with the tracks they lead into. Prelude for example is good but really unsatisfying to listen to on its own, so I don't think I'd ever vote for it unless it was up against another intro or interlude or what have you. Then again, drawing the line between those things and stand-alone instrumentals might not always be that easy (Oculus Ex Inferni comes to mind), so I guess it's simpler this way.

 

[JesterIF]

Personally I'd rather see intro tracks and such bundled with the tracks they lead into. Prelude for example is good but really unsatisfying to listen to on its own, so I don't think I'd ever vote for it unless it was up against another intro or interlude or what have you. Then again, drawing the line between those things and stand-alone instrumentals might not always be that easy (Oculus Ex Inferni comes to mind), so I guess it's simpler this way.

Imo, Bastards of the Machine is bad enough to lose to Prelude

Sea of Lies
Prelude
Premonition
The Odyssey
The Accolade

 

[Halberd]

Whoops. It seems as though I accidentally added in a fifth duel. What can I say, I was tired. I guess there will be only three matchups next time.
By the way, my vote goes to In the Dragon's Den.

 

[Isaac_de_Moorea]

Personally I'd rather see intro tracks and such bundled with the tracks they lead into. Prelude for example is good but really unsatisfying to listen to on its own, so I don't think I'd ever vote for it unless it was up against another intro or interlude or what have you. Then again, drawing the line between those things and stand-alone instrumentals might not always be that easy (Oculus Ex Inferni comes to mind), so I guess it's simpler this way.

That was not a bad idea. As a example, Prelude & Evolution would reached the finals easily as a couple than separated...

My Votes:

Sea of Lies
Prelude
Premonition
The Odyssey
Accolade

 

[UnholyCrusada]

1. Sea of Lies (As much as I love Poseidon, it just isn't as complete a package.)

2. Bastards of the Machine (Again, the Prelude is awesome, but it's just an album intro, and really should have been coupled with Evolution for this; even though a lot of people hate Bastards, I can't deny it has a lot of cool parts, especially the guitar/key unison in the solo, and it's one of the rare times on that album we get to hear Lepond cut loose for a moment.)

3. In the Dragon's Den (This one was tough. In the end, the deal-breaker for Premonitions is Rod's vocal performance. Dude just can't pull it off nearly as well as Russ most certainly could. Also, I've always considered Dragon's Den to be a very underrated song in the catalog.)

4. The Odyssey (Ha! Enough said.)

5. The Accolade (Again, enough said.)

 

[Marwen]

On the Breath of Poseidon
Bastards of the Machine — This isn't fair since Prelude isn't really a full song but a prelude (intro). If it were a song it would win.
In the Dragon's Den
Odyssey
Accolade

 

[RuRoRul]

Sea Of Lies
Bastards Of The Machine
In The Dragon's Den
The Odyssey
The Accolade

 

[Krondor]

Sea of Lies
Bastards of the Machine
In the Dragon's Den
Odyssey
Accolade

I was thinking it'd be "better" if the dueling songs had some same elements or were more alike. For example, Prelude from V and Oculus from Paradise Lost, Accolade and Accolade II, The Odyssey and DWoT etc. But then again, it's also fun this way

 

[Baroque]

Sea of Lies (just barely)
Prelude
In The Dragon's Den
The Odyssey
The Accolade

 

[AsoTamaki]

Sea of Lies
Prelude
Premonition
The Odyssey
The Accolade

Yes, I picked a minute long album opener over a full five minute song. Why? Well. "Prelude" may be short, but I feel that it does stand alone as a separate composition as it progresses through more than one motif and has a clear beginning and ending point. Most importantly, every second of it sounds good. Can't say the same for "Bastards".

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Sea of Lies
Bastards of the Machine
Dragon's Den
The Odyssey
The Accolade

I agree with UnholyCrusada as far as why I picked them. The last one was tough since even though Accolade is amazing, I love Dressed to Kill. And as far as Premonition goes, it would have won over Dragon's Den if Russ was singing it. I've never been a huge Sea of Lies fan, but it's better than an interlude (even a good interlude, at that). As for Bastards, the chorus and ending suck, but the rest is decent and more "complete" than Prelude.

 

[Postulate]

On the Breath of Poseidon
Prelude
Premonition
The Odyssey
The Accolade

 

[Liampie]

On the Breath of Poseidon
Prelude
In The Dragon's Den
The Odyssey
The Accolade

Prelude is so awesome. And a shame that Dressed to Kill has to go up against The Accolade. I love both.

 

[Marwen]

I love Dressed to Kill.

Me too. Too bad it came up against The Accolade.

 

[Islandstone]

On the Breath of Poseidon ( A tough one...both are good songs; Sea is a classic, I especially like the verses. Poseidon is a great interlude whcih builds up nicely up to that classic V theme, you know, Pinnella playing that Egyptian sounding melody line which comes over again through the album)

Bastards of the Machine ( As mentioned, it's a bit unfair comparing a intro to a full song...I think Prelude is a great opener, but I rarely listen to it without listening to the whole album itself...Bastards have, like much of Iconoclast, some lame lyrics, but it also have some pretty decent parts, like the solo section which I find pretty cool..)

In the Dragon's Den ( Not their greatest song, and Premonition have a nice intro...but vocally Allen is so much better than Tyler,so...)

The Odyssey ( No explanation needed, especially not as it came up against Absinthe and Rue... The Odyssey is one of their greatest songs. A masterpiece)

The Accolade ( I actually think Dressed to Kill is one of the better songs on TDG...but The Accolade is one of my favourites, so the choice was easy really...love the Kansas-vibe of it, and the verses with the keyboard playing over the rhytmic guitar...and of course, the unique polyrhytm orgasm late in the song...love how all the instruments just "blend" together...nobody does polyrhytms like Symphony X, and that secton is just one of many examples of that)