Symphony X had already established a devoted following prior to the release of The Divine Wings of Tragedy, but it was this release that propelled them to the forefront of progressive metal bands.
While often compared to Dream Theater and Yngwie Malmsteen there is enough creative writing and playing to distinguish them from other imitators.
Guitarist Michael Romeo usually garnishes most of the praise for his pyrotechnic displays, but keyboardist Michael Pinnella and bassist Thomas Miller are equally competent on their respective instruments.
There are many excellent moments here, but Russell Allen's vocals can be a bit grating, often sounding too much like Ronnie James Dio.
The 20-minute-plus "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" is based upon Gustav Holst's "Mars: The Bringer of War," which is a piece that lends itself perfectly to this style of music.
While this recording may not be quite the classic that it is often heralded to be, it is a noteworthy addition to the annals of progressive metal.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Of Sins and ShadowsThomas Miller, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 04:58 | 11 MB | 37 MB |
| 2 | Sea of LiesRussell Allen, Thomas Miller, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 04:18 | 3 MB | 31 MB |
| 3 | Out of the AshesRussell Allen, Thomas Miller, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 03:40 | 8 MB | 28 MB |
| 4 | The AccoladeRussell Allen, Thomas Miller, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 09:51 | 22 MB | 68 MB |
| 5 | PharaohRussell Allen, Symphony X | Symphony X | Play | 05:28 | 12 MB | 40 MB |
| 6 | The Eyes of MedusaThomas Miller, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 05:26 | 12 MB | 39 MB |
| 7 | The Witching HourRussell Allen, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 04:15 | 3 MB | 31 MB |
| 8 | The Divine Wings of TragedyThomas Miller, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 20:42 | 47 MB | 146 MB |
| 9 | Candlelight FantasiaThomas Miller, Michael Pinnella, Michael Romeo | Symphony X | Play | 06:45 | 15 MB | 47 MB |
| 65 mins | 138 MB | |||||
| 65 mins | 470 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Abbott | Assistant Engineer |
| 2 | Russell Allen | Composer, Vocals |
| 3 | Steve Evetts | Engineer, Mastering, Mixing, Producer |
| 4 | Thomas Miller | Bass, Composer |
| 5 | Michael Pinnella | Choir Arrangement, Composer, Keyboards |
| 6 | Donna Rachel | Cover Art |
| 7 | Eric Rachel | Engineer, Mastering, Producer |
| 8 | Michael Romeo | Choir Arrangement, Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) |
| 9 | Jason Rullo | Drums |
| 10 | Symphony X | Composer, Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |