The Odyssey (album)
The Odyssey is the sixth studio album by progressive metal band Symphony X, released on November 5, 2002 through Inside Out Music.[1] The album is the band's first to be recorded entirely at guitarist Michael Romeo's home studio, The Dungeon.[2] "Accolade II" is a sequel to "The Accolade" from The Divine Wings of Tragedy (1997). The title track is the album's grand finale: a 24-minute musical interpretation of Homer's Odyssey, an epic poem about the journey of ancient Greek hero Odysseus.
| The Odyssey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 5, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | The Dungeon | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 66:52 | |||
| Label | Inside Out | |||
| Producer | Michael Romeo | |||
| Symphony X chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Metal Crypt |  [3] |
| Metal Storm | 9/10[4] |
Alex Henderson at AllMusic gave The Odyssey three stars out of five, calling it an "old-school" album and "dated" for its time, while clarifying that "dated isn't necessarily a bad thing—if you hold a particular era in high regard, dated can actually be a plus." He also likened the mythical and fantasy elements to classic heavy metal acts such as Queensrÿche, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ronnie James Dio, Iron Maiden and Metallica.[1]
Loudwire named the album in fifth in the list "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Inferno (Unleash the Fire)" | Russell Allen, Michael Romeo | Romeo | 5:32 |
| 2. | "Wicked" | Allen | Romeo | 5:32 |
| 3. | "Incantations of the Apprentice" | Allen | Romeo | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Accolade II" | Allen | Romeo, Michael Pinnella, Michael Lepond | 7:53 |
| 5. | "King of Terrors" | Allen, Romeo, Jason Rullo | Romeo, Pinnella | 6:19 |
| 6. | "The Turning" | Allen, Romeo | Romeo, Lepond | 4:44 |
| 7. | "Awakenings" | Allen, Romeo | Romeo, Pinnella, Lepond | 8:21 |
| 8. | "The Odyssey"
| .
| .
| 24:09
|
| Total length: | 66:52 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Masquerade '98" | Romeo, Pinnella, Thomas Miller, Rullo, Rod Tyler | Romeo, Pinnella, Miller, Rullo, Tyler | 6:00 |
| 10. | "Frontiers" | Allen | Romeo, Lepond, Pinnella, Rullo | 4:50 |
Personnel
- Russell Allen – vocals
- Michael Romeo – guitar, orchestral keyboard, programming, engineering, mixing, production
- Michael Pinnella – keyboard, piano
- Jason Rullo – drums
- Michael Lepond – bass
- Steve Evetts – mixing, production
- Peter van 't Riet – mastering
References
- Henderson, Alex. "The Odyssey - Symphony X | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
- The Odyssey (CD edition liner notes).
- Iwarrior (December 20, 2002). "Review of Symphony X - The Odyssey". The Metal Crypt. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- Taster, Dream (September 22, 2003). "Symphony X - The Odyssey review". Metal Storm. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- DiVita, Joe (July 5, 2017). "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- "The Odyssey". Symphony X. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
