Customer Reviews

Twilight In Olympus (Reissue)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I just wrote a review in which I gave 3 stars to V because of one thing: Although each individual song is amazing, V seriously lacks diversity because all its songs sound the same. TiO is quite the opposite. While not as heavy as V, DWOT, or The Odyssey, it's diversity and variety is what makes this album my favourite (I have them all, of course). The composition and musicianship are astounding and it is their most solid album. Church of the Machine, Orion, and Through the Looking Glass are wicked pieces. I believe too much credit is given to their other albums because this is truly a masterpiece. (The others are great too...) But what's with the boring cover art???

I have every Symphony X album. As another reveiwer stated, this album is just as good as any of the others are far as the songs go. The production is not quite as sharp as Divine..V...and Odyssey, but the songs are awesome. Michael Romeo shows that he is world class player. Check out his amazing solos on Smoke and Mirrors, Church of the Machine, and Dragon's Den. His playing is incredibly clean. I still do not see the similarity with Malmsteen. Romeo plays with a lot more emotion and is more melodic, plus he does a lot more sweeping and tapping than Yngwie, and their tone is nothing alike. There are a lot of classical influences on this album, which gives it a more power than prog feel. But there are still plenty of time changes to keep you on your toes. Each song is supreme, but Smoke and Mirrors, Church of the Machine, Into the Dragon's Den, and Orion- The Hunter are my favorites. This album is beloved to all true Symphony X fans. This album is a good choice after your hear V, Divine, and Odyssey. You won't be dissappointed.

Some great riffs on this one, Smoke And Mirrors and The Relic have KILLER riffs, great, very creative.

Just in case you didn't quite realize that Michael Romeo is the best electric guitar player, he lets you know right from the get-go. Symphony X are a fantastic band but they are occasionally guilty of repeating themselves; thus, if you've heard the other Symphony X albums, you already have a pretty good idea of what this one sounds like. The production is not quite as thick as it was on Divine Wings but the material is just as good as anything they've ever done. It's a shame drummer Jason Rullo isn't on this; he's one of my favorite skinsmen in metal. Everyone in the band is in top form; but this is particularly an electric guitarists' romp in heavy metal heaven. I like it better than V myself, but not quite as much as The Odyssey.

Ever since I got "Twilight in Olympus," I've been puzzled by the relative lack of acclaim it's received. Both its predecessor "Divine Wings of Tragedy" and its successor "V: The New Mythology Suite" are rightly praised as metal classics by numerous reviewers on this site, but for whatever reason "Twilight" seems to be overlooked. I mean, the import version of this album has only received twelve reviews compared to thirty-six for "DWOT"? That's just not right.

I, for one, think "Twilight in Olympus" may be Symphony X's finest effort, at least until the gargantuan masterpiece "The Odyssey" was released least year. Unbelievable creativity and diversity, Russell Allen's enormous vocal ability, rhythmic complexity to rival the mighty Dream Theater: what's not to love? More than "DWOT" or "V," this album grips my attention right from the beginning and never lets go.

The opening track, "Smoke and Mirrors," is a solid slab of speed metal, somewhat reminiscent of power metal but a good deal heavier and way better. Like almost every Symphony X song, "Smoke and Mirrors" also contains a lengthy solo section that lets guitar hero Michael Romeo and keyboardist Michael Pinnella show off their chops. Each Michael is capable of spitting out a barrage of notes at high speed, but they also have impressive senses of melody to go with their technical skills.

Good as "Smoke and Mirrors" is, it's the next track, "Church of the Machine," that really demonstrates all that Symphony X are capable of. Turning up both the heaviness and the classical influence from "Smoke and Mirrors," "Church of the Machine" is easily one of the best songs in the band's distinguished catalog. Pummelling riffs, majestic harmonies, complex arrangements, sizzling solos: it's all here. Really, though, it's Russell's vocal performance that makes the song such a classic. His voice can soar operatically one moment, and then he can stop on a dime and turn on his menacing, Dio-esque snarl. I swear, even the lamest raprock band would probably sound pretty good with this guy on vocals.

Still not convinced? There's plenty more great stuff on "Twilight." After the brief interlude of "Sonata," Symphony X serves up a pulverizing piece of metal with the fierce headbanger "In the Dragon's Den." At four minutes, it's pretty short by Symphony X standards, but they pack a lot of power into those four minutes.

As on most of their albums, Symphony X also provide a lengthy neoclassical epic for those of us who like our songs long. In this case, it's "Through the Looking Glass," a thirteen-minute tune based on Lewis Carroll's "Alice Through the Looking Glass." "Through the Looking Glass" is yet more proof of just how adept the band is at combining the grandiosity of classical music with the intensity of metal. Injecting acoustic guitar and piano into the mix, "Through the Looking Glass" shifts seamlessly from soft to heavy parts, with Russell altering his vocal energy to match.

The quality doesn't stop there, either. The last three songs all have something to offer as well. "The Relic" is a downright addictive song with an undeniable thrash feel. "Orion: The Hunter" is a chugging, ominous monster with a crushing bottom end. "Lady of the Snow" slows things way down, and it's the only thing on here that could legitimately be described as a ballad. However, given the intensity of some of the stuff that precedes it, it's easy to forgive the guys for adding something light to the end of the album.

So, there you have it. I think Symphony X are easily one of the best bands on the planet right now, and "Twilight in Olympus" is no exception. With the possible exception of the brilliant "Odyssey," this album is easily comparable to anything else the band has done. If you don't have it, you're really missing out.

Don't get confused: this isn't a review for an adult video! I also thought after hearing the previous treasure, Divine Wings of Tragedy, that Symphony X might not be as energetic as before, and I still maintain, that I have NO idea how they will follow up to the masterpiece latest release: Odyssey. I was very wrong about this one, and should have been knocked on the head; after all, it is Symphony X we are talking about here! It's a 5 star masterpiece easily. Every song weaves magical tapestries in your mind. The little, Beethoven sonata piece in the middle of the album was very cool, I thought. I'm one of those power metalheads who actually listens to classical music, and I love when outfits like Symphony X and Yngwie J. Malmsteen throw some classical composers into the minds of the younger audience out there listening: it's whole other world connected to power/progressive metal, once you get into it and really listen.
If you like Divine Wings, The Damnation Game, or especially Odyssey, then don't let this one get by you. All Symphony X fans should own this! ***** 5 STAR X-RATING FROM SCRAGGY'S TOMB OF POWER METAL. Cheers!

After having worn the gooves (?) off my CDs of V and Divine Wings of Tragedy, I decided to try another SymX. This one is also quite good, though not as stunning as either of the other ones. Church of the Machine is very strong, though, with lots of church-organ-y keyboards, and some unexpected twists and turns.

So if you have V and Wings, go for Twilight, otherwise, what are you wating for, get the other two!

Symphony X is starting to show more of their unique style on this album -they are truly an amazing band with great musicianship-and more importantly-great songs. All Dream Theater and Rush fans should give his band a listen. But-this band is different-not a copy of anyone. They are best best band to come along in very many years-you will not regret giving them a try!

I have most of the CDs of this band, but I would say that this one is by far their most superior with the track "The Church Of The Machine" a standout for me.

For Prog to hold a listener's interest ( with its tendency to long songs ), tracks have to be tuneful and melodic. For me this is by far the most melodic CD from Symphony X. 'V - The Mythology Suite' ( their last CD ), being the one that suffers most from meandering twiddly-ness and lack of tunes.

But check out this CD ( 'Twilight In Olympus' ), I am sure you will find something to like and sing along to.

The four stars are because this album, although it is very good, it is not a masterpiece. Church of the machine, through the looking glass, the relic and lady of the snow are really masterpieces, but orion the hunter really is a let-down. it is still a good song, but not a Symphony X good song. Despite that, the album is great. Michael Romeo's guitars are excellent (specially the relic), Mike Pinniella's keyboards are awesome and Russell Allen's voice is just great. Thomas walling's drums are not as good as Jason Rullo's, but still good. Thomas Miller's bass I haven't heard very much, because I'm not into bass guitars, but the other Symphony X albums have great bass. Get it if you can!