Upcoming Sym X album excitement thread

[Indestructible]

Hi everyone. I think all excited fans of Sym X deserve a thread of their own where they can express their excitement about the upcoming new album or just about Sym X in general. I'm here to make that reality for you, because well, we're on hehe...the same boat. So let's get this show on the road.

I'll be honest right now, million percent - I just heard Paradise lost, V, and Odyssey all in a row on my playlist while checking internet stuff - must admit I'm fucking amazed. No matter how many times I put on Sym X music I am blown away every time. Imagine my face in every time that happened? I think Sym X is really an influential prog metal band - we can even go 20 years later from now, to 2034, and I'm sure their wide influence on music would still be present then. I think every member of the band does their job well, plays their respective instrument well, and together they're literally Indestructible(my name, heheh....), and really awesome. But you know, what really stands out is singer Russell Allen. His voice wow - so deep, that even Sym X albums that some fans consider terrible like Iconoclast still have something interesting to offer to all the fans. I also think their combination of classical with modern music elements and complexity makes them really original, if not the most original metal band Ive ever heard. I wake up everyday and, thank god for the fact that this band exists everyday. I mean basically Sym X is the biggest reason I got into prog metal - It was when I was 16 or 17 that I got into them, and holy fuck I sure was amazed -not just that amazement of listening to them every time, but especially when I listened to them for the FIRST TIME - Just.. wow. I think they have influenced me and so many others so much. I myself don't play actively any instrument, but I'm sure if I'd picked a guitar and started to play there would be a clear, immediate influence being shown on my own compositions. I mean the moment my fingers would have touched the guitar notes, you would clearly hear a noticeable influence in sound to Romeo's guitar playing. Or even, if I started singing - the moment you hear me sing you'd think I am like Russell Allen's twin brother or something. I mean seriously, when I wake up everyday in the morning even some Sym X tunes pop up playing in my mind and brings a smile to my dull face when I wake up in the morning. Even when I'm upset or sth, just when the name Symphony X pops up in my mind it basically cures me from any sort of upset or sad feelings. Sym X is the ultimate relaxation band - whenever I'm angry, upset, worried etc etc. - I put on some Sym X tunes and that makes me feel much better.

 

[iceandfire84]

Well said, brother! I'm not nearly as down on some of the newer stuff on some folks in this forum are even though I'm a long time fan, but we all have to admit that this band is just pure quality musicianship. Was also my first foray into progressive metal when I was 18 years old and now that I'm 30 I still put on their albums all the time and never tire of them. It's just continually interesting music that never gets old to these ears.

Can't wait for the spring!!!!

 

[manticore999]

After the last 2 albums I'm not holding out much hope. I'm afraid it's going to be more 'me too' metal, with Russ's 'rough' vocals, rather than real singing, and juvenile lyrics. This band used to send chills down my spine but then they started catering to the nu metal kids and lost their direction. What I'd love is a return to the 'Symphony' and less of the 'X'.

 

[Phanto]

I'm excited to hear it! But that doesn't mean my expectations are high

 

[Kenneth R.]

I'm not the only one who voted 2 or 3. Better publicity would help.

 

[Indestructible]

I'm not the only one who voted 2 or 3. Better publicity would help.

Yeah, forgot to turn it on that it shows who voted for what when you click.

I voted 10 - I'm really excited. I'm with many of you about these skeptic/reluctant feelings about the new album, that it's going to suck/not excite much. But what I'm really excited about is not what the album will be - I'm excited just about the fact itself that a new album is coming out! I dont know about you all but I think waiting for 4+ years for a new album is a really long wait. I think 2013 would have been a nice year for a new album but they didnt do it in that year. Now 2015, I think it's better late than never. I'm just excited to know that my, probably all-time, favorite prog band is going to release a new album. I dont really care about the musical direction, I care about new material. It cant be terrible because it's Sym X, and it cant be as good(or even better) than eternal classics like V or TDWOT. But I have this good feeling about it, and I don't think I will be disappointed. Imagine how happy it is just to know that your favorite prog band is releasing a new album? You dont even care what it will be like, you care about the fact that its coming soon. It's really building up antipication, yes, but it's also building up hopes for an intense, memorable and catchy album. I'm not a fan of assumptions/speculation, but based on the news and stuff Ive read/heard around the Internet, I dont see any clear reason to think, "this album's going to suck...". Why would I think like that? I'm more thinking like this: "This album's going to be a big surprise. I'm excited just for the fact that new material's coming soon, and that's enough for me."

 

[Phanto]

to me, 9 out of 10 of all new metal releases suck, regardless of band.

I think SX could be one of the bands pulling off the 10% chance of a good album (despite not liking the previous 2-3 albums very much).

 

[Indestructible]

to me, 9 out of 10 of all new metal releases suck, regardless of band.

I'm with you on the same boat with that statement man. Barely anything if at all excites me/my ears these days from new metal releases. There are the 80's and 90's and these are the time period when classic, eternal, super memorable and super catchy metal albums were released. 2000's was nice too, but only a few. No new metal releases in recent years can beat what was released in the nineties or eighties.

I think the reason for that is because most new bands/releases tend to be really repetitive and bring nothing new to my ears. You put it on, listen to it, and knowing that its just going to be " another metal record ". But THERE ARE newer bands/albums that excite me very much and that I listen to very frequently all the time and consider it as good as the older releases. Just not as much. I'm the kind of person that'd prefer to stick to older stuff I grew up on/enjoy listening to for years, and I only add new releases to my collection if they sound incredibly and exceptionally good. Or if it's somehow managed to become a revolutionary kind of thing. Which is....well, rare of course.

Sym X wise, I enjoy all albums almost equally. There's no Sym X album that suck, and that's the beauty of this band. Imagine how happy I am to be aware of this fact? I dont know many bands like that that all of their albums really rock and there are no fillers or boring parts. Even if it's considered "boring", you're still glad to hear it's coming from your favorite band. Maybe Opeth is one other band that comes close to what Sym X has achieved over the years though. I recall hearing morningrise and was simply amazed. Not 100% the same kind of amazement that when I put on Sym X music, but a similar one. I dont think I will ever find a band that is identical in prowess and excellence as Sym X is.

 

[symphonyXjapan]

Yeah, forgot to turn it on that it shows who voted for what when you click.

I voted 10 - I'm really excited. I'm with many of you about these skeptic/reluctant feelings about the new album, that it's going to suck/not excite much. But what I'm really excited about is not what the album will be - I'm excited just about the fact itself that a new album is coming out! I dont know about you all but I think waiting for 4+ years for a new album is a really long wait. I think 2013 would have been a nice year for a new album but they didnt do it in that year. Now 2015, I think it's better late than never. I'm just excited to know that my, probably all-time, favorite prog band is going to release a new album. I dont really care about the musical direction, I care about new material. It cant be terrible because it's Sym X, and it cant be as good(or even better) than eternal classics like V or TDWOT. But I have this good feeling about it, and I don't think I will be disappointed. Imagine how happy it is just to know that your favorite prog band is releasing a new album? You dont even care what it will be like, you care about the fact that its coming soon. It's really building up antipication, yes, but it's also building up hopes for an intense, memorable and catchy album. I'm not a fan of assumptions/speculation, but based on the news and stuff Ive read/heard around the Internet, I dont see any clear reason to think, "this album's going to suck...". Why would I think like that? I'm more thinking like this: "This album's going to be a big surprise. I'm excited just for the fact that new material's coming soon, and that's enough for me."

The wait between Iconoclast and this upcoming album is quite short compared to how long we waited for both Paradise Lost and Iconoclast...

Between how long some of us waited for those albums and how mediocre they were (as most of us had such high expectations from them as you do this upcoming album) we have most all naturally become very skeptical. Even with Mike LePond saying the album is more based on good songwriting and something that caters more to older fans, its just not enough to keep us from this skepticism. Deep down we all very much want this new album to shove our skepticism in our faces and say "hey....you were wrong naysayers!"; however, to those of us who think The Odyssey was the last real noteworthy SyX album it has been a decade since. We waited a very long time for Paradise Lost and were quite patient with the philosophy of quality over quantity, even though the albums of what we consider their "golden era" came out within 2-3 years of one another. So when these albums finally come out and they are very one dimensional, straightforward, "in your face" albums both musically and vocally, we got quite upset.

We knew SyX was better than that and that this change in sound was either they were focusing on getting more mainstream metal appeal, getting lazy, or both. I think doing one straight up metal album every so often wouldn't be terrible for them, as I still think they can do that kind of thing quite well; however, to do it again with Iconoclast was what really showed us they were pressing to change into a more straight up metal band. On top of all that it took them triple the time to make each of these much more simple albums than any of their older masterpiece albums.

All of us skeptics need SyX to bring back the dynamics with their albums to bring us back to the fold. I used to consider them my absolute favorite band because they were more than just an heavy metal band playing as loud as possible and constantly singing in a gruff manner, with a few "proggy" guitar licks here and there. To have dynamics brought back would mean there should be some heavier parts musically and vocally sometimes, just sparingly and when it fits to put them there. Their songwriting has become so cookie cutter and every song seems like it has a guitar solo because it has to have one. I even remember when each of the last 2 albums were being written Romeo would talk about how he just had a huge library of guitar licks and solos lying around and that he was pretty much just pulling from them. To me that is like some hip hop musician just browsing through a bunch of samples and putting stuff together. I will say that it seems Romeo seemed to have had to take almost all the songwriting duties on by himself for the last albums, although I think its more that the other guys live in other places now and such and not an egotistical kind of thing.

 

[Indestructible]

The wait between Iconoclast and this upcoming album is quite short compared to how long we waited for both Paradise Lost and Iconoclast...

Between how long some of us waited for those albums and how mediocre they were (as most of us had such high expectations from them as you do this upcoming album) we have most all naturally become very skeptical. Even with Mike LePond saying the album is more based on good songwriting and something that caters more to older fans, its just not enough to keep us from this skepticism. Deep down we all very much want this new album to shove our skepticism in our faces and say "hey....you were wrong naysayers!"; however, to those of us who think The Odyssey was the last real noteworthy SyX album it has been a decade since. We waited a very long time for Paradise Lost and were quite patient with the philosophy of quality over quantity, even though the albums of what we consider their "golden era" came out within 2-3 years of one another. So when these albums finally come out and they are very one dimensional, straightforward, "in your face" albums both musically and vocally, we got quite upset.

I get your meaning when you say these last two albums were "in your face", one dimensional and such. I notice it clearly but at the same time I was never disappointed to hear these albums. There is obviously a certain amount of Sym X fans who think that these albums are a big upset, but you cannot speak for all fans about that. I am an example of a fan who likes every Sym X album, INCLUDING the first one with Rod Tyler, and INCLUDING the last two PL and Iconoclast. Why? because to me they sound like great albums. I can sit down and listen to them and find enjoyment by doing so. And I'm 100%....no, 1000000% sure I'm not the only Sym X fan who thinks in this way.

Their direction changed, I cant argue with that, nobody can. What many consider their "golden age" like you said, that age will never come back because it is gone and over. They could TRY but they would never reach the same vibe that they used to have with classics like V or TDWOT. But let me tell you something, when a band takes a new path with their music and try to be straightforward, or, do something different if you will - that is a good sign. Why? Because they're doing what they want to do. They cant precisely know what we, the fans, want them to do and what we want them to compose, and such. They try to listen to what we have to say, and I'm probably not exaggerating not a bit when I say they may be even reading this thread right now. But they cant be precisely doing what we want them to do, and since Romeo's the main songwriter, what comes out of every album their make is ultimately up to him to decide, and compose.

 

[Progbass]

I am somewhat excited to hear it, they might bring something new to the table.

 

[Durakonis]

Michel Pinnella's solo album was very good for me, so why not the new SX album be too?. I don't like to make predictions, or building an excitement previously; but I'll hope that it will be a great album. And I'm sure that I'll get excited when the release date comes close.

 

[Indestructible]

Michel Pinnella's solo album was very good for me, so why not the new SX album be too?. I don't like to make predictions, or building an excitement previously; but I'll hope that it will be a great album. And I'm sure that I'll get excited when the release date comes close.

I, like you, also want to hope it will be a great album. I really DONT hope it will be like PL and Iconoclast, because although I thought they were pretty awesome, its getting boring to hear by now. They should be doing something completely new, with no influences from these albums, but especially from these albums. If there's some V/TDWOT/Odyssey influences going on this new album it would be fine, but I'd hope for it to be as little as possible, as I think the new album should also have a new, unique sound. Imagine how disappointing it would be to hear that the new album sounds almost the same as Iconoclast, for example? That'was a good album and all, but Ive heard enough of it an enough times by now. Time for something new, unique.

For me Iconoclast was like a continuation of the same sound that was present on PL. I really hope the new album won't be like that again. Doesn't really matter what it will be, just not anything they've already done before.

I also hope that there will be a 20+ minute song on the album. I think, considering its something they've been lacking since Odyssey, it would be a good idea to have that on the new album now. Imagine how amazing that would be if they include that on this new album?

 

[CantoX]

Only two directions for the new album will satisfy by currently flacid virgin weiner. Either they re-release Shades of Grey as a new single, which will undoubtedly force me to sell all the music albums I currently own because nothing could be as orgasmic to my ears, or they go heavier than Iconoclast, and by that I mean busting out the 8-string guitars and tuning them 3 octaves lower than standard tuning and sticking to a straight 4/4 non-progressive beat. Honestly, the latter is where they've been heading with the last two albums, so let them just accept this direction and stop beating around the bush trying to sound semi-progressive so they can appease the old fans' inner gonads.

P.S. I voted a 2.

 

[Bishop5]

I'm am waiting so anxiously for the new album I CAN'T WAIT!!!

 

[Liampie]

Voted 6.

I really dislike the direction Symphony X took with PL and Iconoclast. For such a brilliant intelligent band to change into a bunch of angry teenagers saddens me deeply. We'll most likely won't ever get another DWOT or Odyssey. However, this doesn't mean I don't enjoy the new albums on their own. If Symphony X stopped after The Odyssey and PL and IC were released by a different band, I might still listen to it, though it's nowhere near the quality of classic Symphony X.

This means I'll most likely get at least a fun album. If the description I think LePond gave in an interview is accurate, we might actually get something more interesting! In other words, I'm moderately excited.

 

[AsoTamaki]

Voted 5. It would be around a 3 if not for Lepond's comments. I did not care all that much for Lepond's solo album mainly due to the style, but I found his description of it to be very, very accurate. This gives me hope that what he said about the new SX is true as well.

 

[Adam Fiske]

 The Great Unknown			73:06
 
 1. Ad Astra et Ultra 			 2:13
 2. Take Flight (Age of Exodus)		 5:12
 3. New Frontiers			 4:56
 4. First Contact / Metanoia		 7:47
 5. Veil of Shadows (Segue)  		 0:48
 6. Enslaved 				 5:55
 7. Passages (Part I): Flesh and Bone	 4:34
 8. Passages (Part II): Uprising	 6:02
 9. Daylight (Segue)			 0:31
10. The Krypteia			10:28
11. Adrift (Segue)			 0:16
12. Among the Stars			 8:14
13. The Great Unknown			16:09

(this is probably fake)

 

[Gaussian]

(this is probably fake)

I'd buy that album...

 

[Phanto]

that track list looks good. hope it's real.
where did you get it from?