Great post. Seems like your opinion has improved!
I am starting to agree with Underworld needing a little lengthening. But the best part about it is, the song is so good to me that I just don't care!
I never noticed Charon needing a bridge, but now that I hear someone say that, it makes sense. I doubt it will affect my opinion of the track. I think the strings should be slightly louder in the chorus, though. Slightly.
I will stand by In My Darkest Hour against any haters. I love, love, love that song! I am also beginning to really enjoy Run With the Devil, EXCEPT the part in the solo that sounds exactly like the beginning of Nevermore's solo. I just don't understand why he would repeat that idea.
For me, this album is exactly one notch above the Odyssey, simply because I felt there was alot of fluff per song on many of the Odyssey tracks. Not entire sections, just small numbers of measures at a time. I also prefer Russel's, Rullo's, and Lepond's work on Underworld, as well as Romeo's rhythm. The solos and keys on Odyssey are better overall, yes, but it is not quite enough to save it from the raw intensity and journey of Underworld.
The V comparison is trickier. I like Odyssey about 1/2-1 notch above V most days, and about 1 notch below it on other (fewer) days, but I think my final opinion is that V is equal to or 1/2 notch below Underworld, and I think it's the latter (for me). Here is why:
V does the following better than Underworld: It is thematically more convincing and consistent. It has much stronger keys and orchestration. And it is more complex.
Here are things I think Underworld does better than V: Non-important things: Production, drumming, bass work. Important things: I really dislike almost all solos on V except Fool's Paradise, as well as Romeo's lead tone. I also think the rhythm guitar is repetitive and boring sometimes. I dislike Rediscovery pt 2 and always have. It almost becomes convincing so many times but then turns corners and hangs me out to dry. Overture is better than Prelude. Evolution and Fallen overall are as good as Nevermore and Underworld, or better in some areas (such as Evolution vocals vs Nevermore's), but I can't help but notice that each individual section isn't as interesting, and neither song has any real wow moments except Fallen's "across the LAAAAAAAAANNNNND." and the last chorus of Evolution. I also HATE the Fallen interlude with the 16th note unison. Whereas I love the Nevermore solo and final passage, as well as the intro, and adore Underworld's chorus and solo section (and the way Russell says Perfector, lol).
Bird-Serpent war has such a good chorus that not playing it more than once absolutely ruined the song for me. I almost can't listen to it because of this one fact, even after all these years. Almost.
Communion and the Oracle is AWESOME, of course, but I like Swan Song roughly as much, just in a different way. Egypt is wicked cool, but suffers from, in my opinion, boring and unneeded measures. It also lacks overall punch, although I think this is simply because most of the rhythm guitar is boring and the production quality is a little worse. Comparing this, to say, Charon, I have to say I like Charon better. It's just so convincing, despite lacking the instrumentation of Egypt. It puts me right in that boat.
Death of Balance is awesome, and one major positive for V that Underworld simply can't match.
Absence of Light is just a mediocre song to me, and always has been. I have no idea why. This is completely personal opinion. I hate the chorus "chanty choir" style vocals, which are present in several spots on the album, but I like Russel's lead lines. It makes me ambivalent toward the song overall. The song also has uninteresting rhythm guitar, IMO.
Fool's Paradise is such a cool song, and again, nothing on Underworld can really match up, but this isn't because there aren't songs which are as good on the album, it's because the style of the song (almost pure dark neoclassicism) just isn't on Underworld. Nonetheless, this is a positive for V over Underworld.
And then there is Rediscovery pt 2, which all of you love, and I just really could do without ever hearing again.
So, IMO, V has 3 or so distinct overall positives over Underworld, and 2 songs that I really love whose sounds aren't found on Underworld, but I can think of 3+ positives Underworld has over V that are more important to me, and I like each individual song (and more importantly, each section of most song) more than on V. If, in the future, V ever took the number 1 spot on my SX album list again, it'd be because of Run with the Devil, although I really am starting to jive with that track quite nicely.
Maybe someone can help me to like V over Underworld, because I'm feeling left out
