Symphony X – Iconoclast (Nuclear Blast, 2011)

Symphony X – Iconoclast (Nuclear Blast, 2011)

Progressive metal is not my favorite metal genre. I am far from being an expert on it and I don’t care for most progressive metal bands. However, when it comes to Symphony X, it’s a total different story as they are perhaps my favorite band within this genre. My first experience with them was in 1998 with their “Twilight in Olympus” album, a great album. But I loved even more the ones that followed, “V: The New Mythology Suite” and their masterpiece until that point “The Odyssey”. Those two albums are darker and more epic than anything they have done, and while 2007’s “Paradise Lost” is a great album, it lacks the darkness and “epicness” factors. In an interview I had with vocalist Russell Allen in late January, when I asked about the new album, not only did he reveal the title “Iconoclast” for the first time, he also revealed the concept behind the album (i.e. machines taking over the world)  and what to expect in terms of musical direction. Basically, Russell said that “Iconoclast” will be the most dynamic and explosive album of their career. Well, three months later I finally had the chance to listen to “Iconoclast” and Russell was absolutely correct about this, but his words still did not prepare me for what I was about to experience.

“Iconoclast” is plain and simple the best Symphony X album of their brilliant career. From the epic 10+ minutes album-title opening track to the 9+ minutes closing track “When All is Lost”, you get a dose of absolute perfection track after track. Those two, the opening and closing tracks, are the longest songs on the album and they feel like two parts of the same song, although both are very different musically. In this album, they act like a wrapper that envelops the rest of the songs, and it works in a phenomenal way.

Track 2 and 3 are “The End of Innocence” and “Dehumanized”. Those are the two songs that the band has already made available online. Both are great tracks but not the best ones in the album. Track 4 and 5 are “Bastards of the Machine” and “Heretic”, two of the heaviest songs on the album filled with plenty of fast parts; killer, killer songs.

After the heavy “Heretic”, the band drops on us “Children of a Faceless God”, a mid-paced song with the catchiest chorus in the whole album. “Can’t you see, you and me, we’re children of a faceless Gooood!”; epic chorus of an epic song. Right afterwards, BOOM! Heavy and fast stuff again, this time with “Electric Messiah”, a song filled with an avalanche of riffs and a godly chorus and one of the album’s highlights. Iconoclast follows with “Prometheus (I Am Alive)”, another heavy tune with a very modern vibe that, in its first 2 minutes reminded me of Dream Theater’s “The Glass Prison”, before dropping another monster of a chorus. But the band left the best to the end: The closing track “When All is Lost” acts like a shorter version of the song “The Odyssey”. The epicness surrounding this song is indescribable. The piano interlude during the first minute, the riffs, the tempo changes, all combined with what in my opinion is Russell’s best vocal performance ever makes “When All is Lost” a very emotive and memorable listening experience. Once this track ends, it leaves the listener with a smile on the face and one word coming to the mind: Wow!

As I previously said, “Iconoclast” is in my opinion Symphony X’s best album so far. It has the elements that made ‘The Odyssey” such a masterpiece, plus a big amount of heavy chunks that they’ve put into the album. Michael Romeo is simply impressive. Every solo is memorable and the riffs slay. The rest of the band sounds tighter than ever, and Jason’s drumming leaves the listener wondering why he is not mentioned in every list involving the best drummers around. But the best aspect of “Iconoclast” is Russell Allen’s vocal performance. Russell has been very busy handling vocals for projects like Star One and Allen/Lande, but on “Iconoclast” he gave us his best performance ever. He covered every single range and put a lot of emotion into his performance. His vocals carry so much emotion that there is no way the listener would not feel what Russell is singing about. “Iconoclast” is perfect. I would consider it 2011’s top album so far. This is a trademark album that will stand the test of time and will be regarded as a classic in the years to come.

“Iconoclast” is due to be released in June 17 in Europe, June 21 in the USA, and June 22 in Japan. It can be preordered via Amazon or by visiting the band’s website at www.symphonyx.com.

HMT Rating: 10/10
*edited by Symphonyxian