Symphony X live in London - March 2011

[hard_rockin_man]

I've seen this show a couple of days ago. Great musicians but boring show (my oppinion). I used to go crazy with their albums Divine Wings of Tragedy and Twilight in Olympus. They opened with "Of Sins and Shadows" which was great but every tune after that was 10 min long, mid or slow tempo and in crazy time signatures that didn't really make me jump. I was hoping that on a metal show we would enjoy more metal vibe, more fast tunes, more metal ... They did something from the upcoming album which is nothing different from the last two CDs. Then after that they started another slow one, again 7-8 min long and I really had to leave. This is just my personal preference as I am a metal fan and want to hear something that can make me enjoy the real metal show. I've seen Accept a couple of days before SX and enjoyed every second of the show. I love Michael's playing and their musician skills, but their setlist nearly made me fall asleep.

Anyway, I managed to do an interview with Michael together with my friend George and if you're interested it's here.

 

[Richie666]

Strange. I saw them twice on their Paradise Lost tour and thought they were really energetic. Just good, fun shows

 

[Varcolac]

Strange, I saw them the same night and I thouht they were fucking fantastic. Russell Allen was energetic as hell and the entire band seemed to have brought their A-game. I'd have gladly stayed to see them play a set twice as long, and I had work in the morning.

Why go to a Symphony X show if you don't want long songs with crazy time signatures? As they went off for the encore people started chanting for a 24-minute song that's in many meters and is predominantly mid-paced. Really not sure you were going to the right gig if you dislike that sort of music.

 

[Winspear]

I thought they were awesome at that show. You say you liked their older material? Strange, I'd say their older stuff was the longer, more complicated less 'metal' songs.

Their new stuff (and this show) was very 'metal' in my opinion.

 

[troyguitar]

Strange, I saw them the same night and I thouht they were fucking fantastic. Russell Allen was energetic as hell and the entire band seemed to have brought their A-game. I'd have gladly stayed to see them play a set twice as long, and I had work in the morning.

Why go to a Symphony X show if you don't want long songs with crazy time signatures? As they went off for the encore people started chanting for a 24-minute song that's in many meters and is predominantly mid-paced. Really not sure you were going to the right gig if you dislike that sort of music.

They have a lot of stuff that plods along for 6+ minutes, and a lot of stuff that is much more rockin' and <5 minutes - some people just like the rockers better. I like both but it's true that in a live context I prefer the fast stuff.

 

[ApteraBassist]

symphony x play exactly what you should be expecting from them every time. if you want crazier stuff, enjoy the opening bands =p friggin STOKED about seeing them with nevermore in portland oregon may 7th. a perfect mach-up

 

[hard_rockin_man]

Well I never said that they didn't sound good but somehow the setlist could have been better organised. I was talking about tunes like In the Dragon's Den, Sea of Lies, Out of the Ashes, Smoke and Mirrors. I prefer that rather than 8 min songs.