New Michael Romeo War of the Worlds pt.2

[Kolaniak]

That he does. Plays in D standard though.



There's some word-of-mouth about that online. In a thread discussing Romeo's tunings from 2006 on the Symphony X forums, as one example. Who's to know what he disliked about it, if anything. Might've just thought it wasn't for him. As a rule, when he's wanted to make music darker/heavier he pursued compositional solutions for that instead.

He still manages to sound heavy as hell.

The next Symphony X album is going to be so heavy that it will make Dino Cazares look like a Victoria's Secret models.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

He still manages to sound heavy as hell.

The next Symphony X album is going to be so heavy that it will make Dino Cazares look like a Victoria's Secret models.

Well, VS is starting to employ plus size models...

 

[eaeolian]

Well, VS is starting to employ plus size models...

 

[Kyle Jordan]

Part way through my first listen of part II and I'm loving it so far, so I came here to bump.

 

[lurè]

Did he use a 7 string for the track Destroyer?

 

[Kyle Jordan]

Sounds like it to me. I was up to "Mothership" and had to stop to finish something else. About to start listening again.

 

[gunshow86de]

 

[yan12]

I think both of the War of the Worlds records are some of the best I have heard. MJR is quite the composer, and somehow these records that bring in the cinema element really hit all the buttons for me. For this type of heavy music.

I have ready many interviews with players that know and have worked with him, and they all say he is a monster musician. Personally, I think this new record should be up for a Grammy. It is amazing on all levels, but of course it will never see the light of day in those circles.

I hope the album does really well for him and I hope he makes more music in this direction.

 

[jco5055]

I just read the new GW interview with him, and he does mention using 7 strings on the new album. He even says he really likes them, and might see if Caparison can make him a signature version of a 7, which I think would be pretty cool as a Caparison lover.

 

[Millul]

I think the key to Romeo's tapping, legato and muting technique is in large part how he poses his right hand and holds his pick.

I don't just mean in terms of positioning, either, as Romeo himself explained in the video above. I mean in terms of how he shapes his hand when picking/tapping, which causes a lot of palm contact with the strings. I'll include a couple of pictures below, but basically he holds his hand in such a way that the side of his palm makes a lot of contact with the playing surface while his thumb and index finger holding the pick sort of reach "over" his hand to reach the strings. He also tends to hold his pick between the pads of his thumb and index finger with his index finger mostly extended, which differs from the much more common Paul Gilbert style of gripping the pick against the side of the index finger and keeping the index finger curled.

When tapping, Romeo crowds the strings with both the side and the flat of his palm so that only the string he's playing rings out. It looks a bit unusual because he almost taps in a vertical or diagonal position rather than a horizontal orientation, which he often exaggerates to look like he's pointing at the string.

My technique is more the Petrucci/Gilbert style, but I can see how the way Romeo does it has inherent advantages for muting. It's notable that Paul Gilbert primarily mutes using his left (fretting hand), as explained in the video below. I think this was at least partly necessitated by his picking style, which doesn't grant him the same advantages as Romeo's.

While we speaking about Romeo's technique, his legato/trilling has got to be some of the best ever. His speed is ridiculous. It's by far the hardest part of playing his stuff for me. Anyone else have trouble with that?


View attachment 103659View attachment 103657View attachment 103660

I have a reasonably similar right hand approach (for picking, not for tapping) and i think some of it comes from hands' size especially if you prefer to anchor the pinky (I have smaller hands than MR, though . and about 1/28 of the prowess and musicality),

 

[gunshow86de]

Broke out the 7 string Dellinger for a bit...

 

[srob7001]

Listening to this album in my office right now at work.....on vinyl......so fucking epic.

Not saying the vinyl version is different or better, but I have only listened to this album so far in my car. On a good stereo system this album just blows me away...the playing, the singing, the mix of everything.....spectacular!


How have I never heard of Michael Romeo before this?

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I need to remember to check out Symphony X/Romeo sometime.

 

[Kyle Jordan]

I need to remember to check out Symphony X/Romeo sometime.

Yes. Yes you do.

 

[MFB]

I need to remember to check out Symphony X/Romeo sometime.

My guy, dude, how have you NOT checked them out?

 

[TheShreddinHand]

I need to remember to check out Symphony X/Romeo sometime.

Divine Wings, V, and the Odyssey. Now go!

 

[MFB]

Divine Wings, V, and the Odyssey. Now go!

I'd actually advise him to check out Twilight in Olympus first since it's probably the most neo-classical of the bunch; I know Divine Wings/V do have direct melodies that they lifted to use in context of their songs, but TIO is it's own thing in their discography.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Divine Wings, V, and the Odyssey. Now go!

Michael aside, I wasn't exactly digging it as a whole. I'm now playing some Impellitteri instead.

 

[Kyle Jordan]

Did I mention I love this album? I do.

 

[BusinessMan]

I need to remember to check out Symphony X/Romeo sometime.

I've never listened to symphony x, but his first solo album was really good.