V - What's the big deal?

[Indestructible]

Hi everyone, so as you might know I am a pretty big new fan of Sym X. Yes, new. By that I mean I only started listening to this band since about 3 years ago while other fans might have got into them even 10 years earlier or more. With that being said, there is one album that everyone seems to like, hell, even consider it their favorite album ever, of all-time - but I personally don't understand what's so special about it.

That album is V.

Honestly, I listened to it in its entirety about 3 times in the past week, and I dont get what's so good about it that attracts fans to love it so much. I liked the instruments and all and everything's played fine on that album but I can easily listen to even Paradise Lost and like it much more than V. I don't consider it the worst Sym X album ever, that'd be The Damnation Game or the self-titled debut for me, but it's certainly not my favorite. I hear on this forum all the time about how amazing it is for some people and even on polls on here, most people voted for that album as their favorite.

So, what I'd like to discuss here is what's the big deal. What makes everyone love it so much. What makes it very "special" for some people that they'd consider it their favorite Sym X album, or even their favorite metal album of all-time.

thanks!

 

[Durakonis]

1- It's the first SX album that I listened to.
2- I don't see any flaws in the album.
3- It has a conceptual symphonic piece of art feeling to it.
4- It has an awesome ending.
5- It has far more complicated compositions than most (for me any) other albums by them. And again, it is quite harmonious in all aspects.
6- It has a great sound, and if not compared to some "rich" bands, it is among the best in the genre.
7- Pinnella is in his peak on the album, maybe except for wankery. (Which is something that i don't very much like.)
8- No need to mention the other musicians and stuff, the album is epic in its entirety.

 

[Progbass]

When I first heard V, I had already listened DWOT and The Damnation Game quite much and especially DWOT made me a very big impact. So when I heard V, I thought did they really top themselves and made their best album? And as far as complexity and the songwriting goes I truly believe its their best album. From the moment of Evolution's intro riff and the chorus to the final choirs or Rediscovery I see almost not one dull or pointless part. Its probably one of the few albums I can listen from start to finish and rarely skip any song or part. Also every member gives flawless performances. So I think it deserves all the praise it gets.

 

[Indestructible]

When I first heard V, I had already listened DWOT and The Damnation Game quite much and especially DWOT made me a very big impact. So when I heard V, I thought did they really top themselves and made their best album? And as far as complexity and the songwriting goes I truly believe its their best album. From the moment of Evolution's intro riff and the chorus to the final choirs or Rediscovery I see almost not one dull or pointless part. Its probably one of the few albums I can listen from start to finish and rarely skip any song or part. Also every member gives flawless performances. So I think it deserves all the praise it gets.

I agree about one thing for sure, that every member gives flawless performance, as you put it. But maybe I don't really appreciate that album much because I don't listen to it carefully enough - I just put it on during gaming or other thing that doesnt allow me to concentrate on what I'm listening to much. It has its beautiful moments, no doubt on that one, but I'm still unable to have that excitement that everyone else here has about it. Maybe I just need to give it more listening, and pay attention to the instruments more carefully.

When I listen to TDWOT for example, which by the way is my favorite Sym X album, I can clearly hear what's so good about it, and I don't even need to concentrate much when I listen to it. so maybe V just requires more concentration on the music when you listen to it.

 

[uhhhhmmmm4]

Where did the other posts go?

 

[Progbass]

I agree about one thing for sure, that every member gives flawless performance, as you put it. But maybe I don't really appreciate that album much because I don't listen to it carefully enough - I just put it on during gaming or other thing that doesnt allow me to concentrate on what I'm listening to much. It has its beautiful moments, no doubt on that one, but I'm still unable to have that excitement that everyone else here has about it. Maybe I just need to give it more listening, and pay attention to the instruments more carefully.

When I listen to TDWOT for example, which by the way is my favorite Sym X album, I can clearly hear what's so good about it, and I don't even need to concentrate much when I listen to it. so maybe V just requires more concentration on the music when you listen to it.

For me, V might win it by small margin as my favorite SX album. But the song TDWOT is my favorite song by them. One reason for it is Thomas Miller's playing, I prefer his style over Lepond. And come on, its a crime to listen any SX album during gaming, its as bad as eating chocolate after you've lost your sense of taste.

 

[donKyle]

i used to be really into the whole symphonic thing in metal. the odyssey was the first song i heard by sx, and i found it really intriguing, and i wanted to know more about the band. eventually when i listened to v, i was hooked almost immediately because of all the little arrangements and interludes thrown throughout the album. it's really just one big piece of music that could stand on it's own, as all the songs blend in together, and there aren't any breaks in the album. each member contributes very nicely, and it's a true band effort, much like a sports team focusing on the team, and not individual star players. the songs are catchy, and just sound cool. you can't tell me that the "five align" singing part in egypt isn't one of the coolest things you've heard. you can't tell me that the drum solos in cataclysm aren't awesome. it has a nice triumphant finish in rediscovery part 2, and part 1 does such a fancy job of preparing you for it.

i like how it can sound heavy without being loud. and that's coming from someone who's really grown to like loud and heavy over the years

maybe it is a personal taste thing, but before i listened to v, i had heard most of the odyssey, all of damnation game, and a little bit of paradise lost.
v is just one nice long.....music thing. all their other albums are just individual songs that aren't related, which makes v special. it's the only album where there isn't any filler. some people argue that absence of light sorta feels like filler, but they just suck

 

[Phanto]

it's tight as hell

 

[Kenneth R.]

I don't think there's anything special about V. It's just good.

What sets it apart are the flaws present in the other albums.

 

[Progbass]

I don't think there's anything special about V. It's just good.

What sets it apart are the flaws present in the other albums.

Thats not really fair statement. The thread was about, why SX fans rank it among the best album of their catalog. And I would say its special in that sense. I even think its special amongst the power/prog metal genre, influencing many bands.

 

[Indestructible]

I don't think there's anything special about V. It's just good.

What sets it apart are the flaws present in the other albums.

Well actually, I started the thread especially because it seems like it's special for so many people here. Obviously there's something special about it, or, something special for the fans - the question is, is what is special in particular. And I think people here are answering it nicely, really interesting things being brought up about that album in the thread here, that I might even try to pay attention to much more myself during the listening of V.

I even think its special amongst the power/prog metal genre, influencing many bands.

That I'm not so sure about - it might have influenced some newer ones, but from my perspective it's too early for Sym X to be able to influence many bands. Maybe a few here and there, particularly those who were growing up on their music or it somehow made a huge impact on them musically. I, atleast, have never seen any band that were influenced by Sym X or by the V album.

 

[prman]

V is good album but "Rediscovery (Part 2)" is pretty anticlimax as an album closing "epic song". It leaves a bad taste after otherwise good listening session.

I´m glad that all the longer songs on albums that have been released after V are way much better. At least in my opinion.

 

[Progbass]

That I'm not so sure about - it might have influenced some newer ones, but from my perspective it's too early for Sym X to be able to influence many bands. Maybe a few here and there, particularly those who were growing up on their music or it somehow made a huge impact on them musically. I, atleast, have never seen any band that were influenced by Sym X or by the V album.

Time Requiem and Circus Maximus have definately been influenced by Sym X. But you are maybe right that there are not so many bands afterall who have been influenced by them yet.

 

[iceandfire84]

V was an album for me in the catalog that also didn't click for me when I first got into the band. It was the 4th album I had picked up by the band and I heard all of the noise about it being transcendent blah blah blah. Needless to say I had to have it and wound up having to drive over an hour to an FYE that actually had it in stock (oh the days before streaming/downloading music).

I anxiously put the CD in the player knowing I would have a nice long drive back home to enjoy this great album in a straight sitting. I have to admit that other than Egypt I just absolutely hated it on my first listen. This isn't completely uncommon with prog metal for me, and also being new to the genre at the time I had to give it more listens to let it sink in. Even after a few listens I was worried that I was missing something because it was just "all right".

I don't think it really clicked entirely for me though until I printed out the "story of V" from the website, gave it a read, and sat down with the album and read the lyrics as I listened to the album one day. By that time I was also becoming more familiar with the complexity of the arrangements and the repeating themes. That listen really changed everything for me about this album. It's since become one of my all time favorites and is capped by my one of my favorite songs by the band in Rediscovery I & II.

Other than the obviously great epics in DWOT and The Odyssey this is to me their masterwork as they were to able to create one giant piece of music that seamless moves from one part to the next in near perfect fashion. Plus On the Breath of Poseidon on the live album is just the shiznit!

 

[Postulate]

It's a good album. I don't think arguing taste is productive. You either see it, or you do not. It doesn't have anything to prove in the sense that for those who miss its quality, it's their loss.

But I will say that Rediscovery (both parts) is what happens when you put love into the music you make.

 

[Gaussian]

Why I think V is awesome:

* The musical progression, starting with a knockout punch on Evolution, going through the ethereal Communion and the Oracle, reaching peak intensity on Lacrymosa / Absence of Light and then all being wrapped up by Rediscovery (with some other events along the way too...). The instrumental transitions particularly help connect the centerpiece songs, something that SX haven't done nearly as well on any other album.

* It really is consistently good throughout. All other SX albums have good songs and bad songs.

* Personally, I love the ancient Egypt/Atlantis theme, which comes through both musically and lyrically. In general, I don't care that much about lyrics except when they stand out as being especially bad, so when the lyrics agree with me (as in this case), it just adds a little extra touch.

It's definitely not the most accessible album. I loved The Odyssey the first time I heard it, whereas V sounded okay but bland the first time. I needed probably 4-5 more listens before it clicked.

Of course, that's just my completely personal take. Everybody has a different taste

 

[Gaussian]

V is good album but "Rediscovery (Part 2)" is pretty anticlimax as an album closing "epic song". It leaves a bad taste after otherwise good listening session.

I sort of agree with this, but as I wrote above, I think the true climax occurs earlier in the album, and Rediscovery just needs to wrap up the story -- it's a slightly subdued, almost bittersweet ending, if you can call it that. TDWOT (the song) is actually quite similar. It would have been interesting to hear a Champion of Ithaca type alternate ending to V, but the album doesn't really need it. So much has already been said and done when you get there.

 

[intergalactic]

It's my favourite after "divine wings" and I don't see any flaws in it,when they will decide to perform it all I'll be very glad,anyway I'm glad every time they come in italy ,when it was out I had a friend of mine ,stratovarius fan,he went totally crazy for "V" and for all band's works of course,what a shame when we saw them as supporting for stratovarius when "odissey" was out,lucky that after few months they went in milan as headliner.I remember "v" tour very well in milan ,they also played "through the looking glass" and V for almost the first half

 

[Indestructible]

One part in the V album that I absolutely loved myself was the one in Communion and the Oracle.

"Raise your hands up to the sky, feel the essence of time..."

Assuming I heard right, lol - I didnt even look up the lyrics.

The song itself also, I think it's one of the most interesting prog metal songs Ive ever heard. It has some really good vibe to it. the entire album has a good vibe generally, but sometimes it just makes me bored when I listen to it. Kind of more on the softer/experimental side than the straightforward metal side.

I think after this thread, I sure have way more interest in this album than before the thread was started.

 

[Drahcir]

I like a few songs from it but never loved the album.