PARADISE LOST - SYMPHONY X

Looking down from ethereal skies,Silent crystalline tears I cry,For all who say their last goodbye,To paradiiiiiiiise.

Its a perfect mix of harder rock and progressive rock, with some beautifull mellower parts and what a singer he is ( Russel).

The album is great! There is not a single song that is mediocre or good. Every track is pure perfection and if you are into progressive metal, you already know this.The DVD is nothing special. Its more of a collection of fan captured footage from diverse gigs with poor quality. For the price of this album however, its just a nice addition but nothing essential.The inlay is a little childish in my opinion. There is two cut out red flames that are folded together, hiding the CD, which just look ridiculous. Was this album marketed for 14 year old kids? But that is all subjective and someone will surely find it cool but I don't. I was expecting something more... mature...I have not seen the jewel case edition so I don't know how that editions inlay looks like but I hope it's better.I'm not usually the kind who buys albums but I like to support the bands I like. The album is great and I highly recommend it if you are into the progressive genre like I am. But the DVD is nothing essential and the inlay is childish so keep that in mind if you are going to buy this edition.Sorry for my grammar. English is not my native language.Cheers!

Heavy: 1. of great weight; difficult to lift. 2. of great density. 3. 'Paradise Lost' by Symphony X.Symphony X's seventh studio album, 'Paradise Lost', is, simply put, heavy. The majestic sounds of their earlier releases are gone, and the more orchestral feel of their previous two albums have dwindled. Now, in their place, is an all-out assault of the heaviest, beefiest, and arguably some of the most aggressive music you'll ever hear.The song structures, while still maintaining progressive characteristics, are nowhere near as complex as past efforts, and the keyboards don't have as prominent a role in the songwriting. Much of the music is based around guitarist Michael Romeo's massive riffs and vocalist Russell Allen's intense yet melodic voice, both fitting together so perfectly that it's easy to forget the bands more classically-inspired days.'Set the World on Fire', 'Serpent's Kiss', 'Paradise Lost' and 'Revelation' are all fantastic-enough reasons to get this album, but then there's what I consider one of the heaviest songs of all time; 'Domination'. The sheer weight of its huge riffs is insane, amazingly produced to really give it the thickness it needs. You really don't know what "heavy" means until you've cranked this song out at full blast!Overall, this is certainly not Symphony X's best album, but it's a natural change of direction for the band, and one which should help them appeal to a broader metal audience. And you'd sure-as-hell better be a metal fan if you're going to listen to this!

It's been a long four years since the last masterful offering from prog-metal masters Symphony X and I'm pleased to say that it's been well worth the wait! Paradise Lost is a mixture of old and new styles that should keep loyal devotees happy and hopefully will be a powerful introduction to new fans.This new offering is bristling with power, emotion and enough techno-riffs to last a lifetime. And it's delivered by a band who individually not only have astonishingly become even more proficient but are playing in perfect unity and focus. Guitar virtuoso Michael Romeo delivers the goods, as always, as the master of the power riff and sublimely-technical solos, much of which is played in spine-tingling off-beat timing. Vocalist Russell Allen continues a trend set on The Odyssey and uses his "grunge" voice to magnificent effect on much of the dark, pounding songs on the album. The title track, however features a softer side to the band and follows along from earlier offerings such as The Accolade and The Accolade II, and gives Allen the chance to wax musical and deliver a fine vocal performance, confirming to me that he's the best in the business.As previously mentioned the band has gone up a notch in terms of technical brilliance; drummer Jason Rullo delivers an outstanding high-octane performance that places him alongside the recognised masters (such as Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater.) Keyboardist Michael Pinnella shines throughout, especially in the racy counter-solos with Michael Romeo, and bassist Michael Lepond is on splendid form. Couple all this with a modern "in yer face" production and the usual dark, thought-provoking lyrics that are the trademark of an intelligent band and you have a truly magnificent album.At this early stage my favourite songs are "Set the World on Fire" and "Domination" but I always find with Symphony X that the more I listen to their new albums the more I come to appreciate the subtlety and cleverness of the songs throughout.Is it the album of the decade? It is for me. Play it on an amplifier with a volume control that goes up to number 12! More a case of paradise regained!