Of all the so called "progressive metal" bands out there today, SYMPHONY X stands tall above them all. SX, when compared to other progressive bands, shows an aggression and heaviness not common to the genre, especially in the live venue. This was my third time seeing this band and again they did not disappoint.
The club in downtown Manhattan was sold out as this was the first time in about 2 years that the band has performed live. It is always a treat to see SX if you have an appreciation for actual musicianship and skill level of individual band members. Most other metal guitarists would dream of having HALF the talent of Michael Romeo. This guy simply SHREDS and I feel lucky to have seen him play live. Romeo is a metal guitar God. The bass player and drummer are equally impressive. The drummer, in particular, has a tough job here. The time signatures used by SX are at times very complex and varied. Think of older RUSH and what Neil Peart used to do.
The vocalist Russell Allen frankly has never been my favorite and is the weak point of the act as I see it. Yet, he does provide a good live performance and good audience interaction. Again, and this is common at BB King's, the mix was not great. The bass and guitar overpowered the vocal track and often made Allen's vocals almost unrecognizable.
They played tracks from many of their albums including several new tracks from the forthcoming album, "Paradise Lost". It has been five years since their magnificent last album "The Odyssey". These tracks sounded great. SX does not provide head banging pure metal, and as such I understand they are not everyone's cup of tea. Their style is far more musical and classically inspired, though again I will say they are the most aggressive prog band out there.
Great show and highly recommended if the opportunity arises.